Until We Say Goodbye

by Jane Drager

  Lifting his gaze to her face, he grinned. “You’re not dating and gotta have some need building. I’d like to help you with that.”

  He’d given her subtle hints over the past several days, but this was a direct proposition. She leaned back, wide-eyed. “If you’re suggesting a sexual dalliance, no thanks.”

  “Why not? We have a lot of time in the morning after Jan leaves. She’ll never know.”

  Ah, isn’t loyalty wonderful. Her stomach churned. Lowering her fork, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll know, Eric. You should be ashamed for suggesting such a thing.”

  Lauren wasn’t ignorant to Eric being closer to her age than Jan’s. With his gutter mentality, he probably considered Lauren more sexually experienced and worth coercing into bed. But, God forbid, the man was repulsive.

  Eric eyed her over the steam of his cup. “I’m in an apartment with two women, one naïve and cute, the other sexy as hell. I’m here for the asking.” He sipped his coffee. “Let’s say I’m offering a payback for your kindness.”

  Oh, puke, puke. She swallowed hard. “Don’t hold your breath, Eric. I’d never do anything to hurt Jan. She’s like a younger sister.”

  “Well, unfortunately for you, Jan’s counting the days to when you leave. I’d rather keep us as a threesome.”

  With one hand under the table, she gripped her knee and squeezed hard. Jan didn’t deserve this damn man, but to keep the peace, Lauren bit her tongue. Otherwise, he could find her fist in his face.

  Her cell phone rang. Grateful for the interruption, she grabbed the device from the table and answered. The caller ID showed Mr. O’Reilly. “Hi.”

  “Ms. Howell, will you tell Drummer he still owes me twenty bucks?”

  “Sure, but why call me? He has his own phone.”

  “Because the dimwit gave me a non-working number. Just tell him to pay up, or I break the lock and haul his junk to the curb.” He disconnected.

  Lauren slipped her phone into her jeans pocket. “Mr. O’Reilly wants his twenty bucks, or your stuff goes to the curb.” She grabbed her plate and mug then hurried to the sink. Whirling, she glared and pointed a finger. “Make sure you give him your correct phone number so I won’t hear about your business.”

  While sipping, he waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll take care of him. He wants a lousy twenty bucks a month for storage. No biggie.” He placed his cup on the counter and raised his brows. “You got a spare twenty bucks?”

  “Nope.” She quickly washed her dish, mug and fry pan. Best to hurry and get the hell out of the apartment.

  “Ten bucks then.”

  Damn, what a friggin’ loser. “Forget it.”

  “Look, Lauren, about us.”

  Grabbing a dishtowel for her hands, she faced him with a steady gaze. “There is no us, Eric. Never gonna happen.” She glanced at the wall clock. Still plenty of time before class but better to leave early to avoid any more conversation. “Time to go.” She snatched a Granny Smith apple from the fruit basket and rushed past him.

  Eric followed her into the living room. “How about I drive you?”

  “No, thanks. I like to walk.”

  “Or maybe you’d rather I not know where your class is. I can find out from Jan.”

  Yeah, right. Smirking, she grabbed her jacket from the coat rack. “Good luck with that. She doesn’t know because she never asked.” After slipping her arms through the sleeves, she lifted her hair away from the collar then, as was her habit, slid her wallet into the inside pocket.

  “I’ll follow you in my car.”

  She grunted. “That bucket of bolts leaves a smoke trail for two blocks, Eric. If you care to remain unseen, buy yourself a better car.” Reaching over the sofa, she zipped up her backpack then hoisted the bag onto her shoulder.

  “Wait a minute.” Eyes wide, Eric stepped forward, pointing. “That pack belongs to Jan.”

  Pausing by the front door, she tugged on the strap. “Not anymore. She needs a pack with wider side pockets. Since mine was bigger, we swapped last night.”

  “Why doesn’t she go out and buy one?”

  This damn guy must think Jan rolled in dough. Lauren pursed her lips. “Maybe because her credit card is maxed from your impromptu vacation.” She opened the door.

  “Lauren, wait.” Eyeing the pack, he hurried toward her and gripped the door. “You’re coming home tonight, right?”

  An odd question. She raised a brow. “You want me to stay away?”

  “No—no, come home like normal.” Still staring at the pack, he licked his lips while rubbing a palm against his hip. Then, he pasted on a smile.

  The gesture looked about as phony as a fifteen dollar bill. At least, he isn’t staring at my boobs.

  Dropping his hand from the door, he cleared his throat and stepped back. “Jan loves you, but she loves me more. She won’t believe you.”

  Gut clenching, she faced him. “You mean if I tell her you hit on me?” She’d already figured out that tidbit, especially after Eric’s news about Jan counting the days. Jan was hopelessly infatuated with Eric. To her, the man could do no wrong.

  One and a half months to go. I’ve got to keep him at bay before I break every bone in his face.

  Chapter Four

  While knocking on his sister’s door, Deems prayed he wouldn’t have a repeat of his last visit. What a mess that night. After calling Jan all afternoon and leaving voicemails with no answers, he’d arrived to pound on her door, frightening the old woman on the second floor, who promptly notified the landlord. O’Reilly, in turn, took one look at Deems and called the police. Then, Lauren walked into an apartment full of men and him shouting at the top of his lungs. So much ruckus only to discover Jan took a trip to the Bahamas with a boyfriend.

  His sister hadn’t said a word about a love in her life nor called to tell him where she was going or who with. Hell, she hadn’t bothered to answer her phone until Lauren’s message, and that hurt. Suppose he had something important to convey, like Mom was sick and on her death bed? Just because Jan was old enough to do as she pleased didn’t make her behavior right.

  And Lauren… Oh, God. The color had drained from her face the second she stepped across the threshold. He swore up and down that her paleness indicated guilt, but her cheeks flushed pink after a few explanations. He made a complete fool of himself. Jan was fine. With a simple phone number search for Lauren Howell, he could have saved himself a lot of embarrassment.

  Despite the whole fiasco, Lauren invited him to stay. That, more than any gesture, eased his over-reactive emotional state, and she was the reason he now stood at Jan’s door. He loved his sister, but Lauren was the woman on his mind. Why, he wasn’t sure. He certainly had no interest in another relationship and, from what Jan said, neither did Lauren.

  Still, the woman aroused his curiosity. She appeared unlike any female ever to cross his path. Calm yet assertive. Confident but with ego in check. A woman capable of taking care of herself in one of the biggest cities in the world. Jan described Lauren as a fish out of water, but Lauren definitely fell into a category all her own. He’d like to know her better, even for the short duration of her stay.

  The door flew open.

  A man stood with his hand on the door frame, his nostrils flaring like a dragon defending his domain. He wore faded jeans with ripped knees, a T-shirt stained and full of holes, and long brown hair matted with grease. He gave the overall appearance of a man in desperate need of a bath. A whale of a bruise colored his left jaw, but his hands were too dirty to see if his knuckles matched. They scrutinized each other for several long seconds until Deems shook himself. “Who are you?”

  The man stretched to his full height. “Who’s asking?”

  Deems bristled. He wasn’t in the mood to be challenged by some scumbag in his sister’s apartment, especially one smelling of motor oil. “I’m looking for Jan. I’m her brother.”

  The guy’s posture relaxed, and his face broke into a smile that show
ed a missing eye tooth, yellow enamel, and a distinct lack of dental care. How any woman could kiss a mouth like that without vomiting should be given a medal.

  Face brightening, the man extended his hand. “Hey, pleased to meet you, dude. I’m Eric, Jan’s fiancé. Come in.”

  His gut clenched. Fiancé? Jan kissed that mouth? He shook the strong grip then checked his hand for any residual grease before stepping into the apartment.

  “Yo, Jan, your brother’s here!” Eric slapped Deems on the shoulder. “Nice to meet you, man. Deems, right? Jan told me a lot about you.”

  Too much probably. Scanning the room for a mirror, he wondered if Eric had left a hand print on his gray suit jacket.

  Jan hurried from the bedroom, her smile wide. “Hi. I see you two have met.”

  Deems gestured with his thumb at Eric. “Fiancé?”

  She wrapped her arm around Eric’s waist. “Yesterday, in fact. I was about to call you, but we’re still celebrating.” She gave Eric an affectionate squeeze. “I think Mom and Dad will be pleased.”

  Pissed is the word, not pleased.

  His sister and the grease guy made an oddly out-of-place couple, like neither belonged in the twenty-first century. Eric resembled a throwback to an era when men shunned baths, and Jan to a time when hippies engaged in carefree sex and organized protests. Scumbag and flower-child. Oh, yeah, Mom and Dad will be real thrilled.

  He inwardly groaned. His sister’s choice of men over the years had been questionable. Some women attracted stray animals. For Jan, stray men. Every single one never possessed a job or skill, as if she simply found them on a street corner. To date, Eric topped the list, and Deems struggled to swallow the sour tang in his mouth. He had no right to interfere—yet. He gave a slight nod in Eric’s direction but spoke directly to Jan. “Does he live here?”

  “Sure, ever since the Bahamas. It’s been great.”

  Every muscle in his body tightened. Bad enough the man slept with his sister, but he lived too close to Lauren. That arrangement would never do. With a direct glare at Jan, Deems nodded toward the kitchen. “We need to talk privately.”

  Her shoulders quirked, and she clutched Eric’s waist tighter to her body. “Eric’s part of my life now. You can talk in front of him.” She thrust out her lower lip.

  Commendable to see his sister with a little backbone, but this wasn’t the time for comment. “I won’t talk in front of him, Jan. What you say later is not my concern, but for the moment, I want a word with you alone.” He glowered at Eric.

  The lanky man forced Jan’s arm from his waist then retreated with his hands raised in surrender. “Yeah, okay, a family affair. I get it. I’ll be outside working on my car.”

  After the door closed, Jan folded her arms across her chest and scowled. “That attitude was extremely rude.”

  Her opinion of his manners wasn’t up for debate. With Jan’s history, she’d fight tooth and nail for Eric no matter what argument her brother presented. Before speaking, he took a calming breath. “I don’t appreciate paying your rent when Eric should take over.”

  Her scowl disappeared to be replaced by wide eyes and open mouth. Stepping toward him, she dropped her arms to her sides. “He doesn’t have a job, Deems.”

  Somehow, that came as no surprise. He sighed heavily. “He should find one, and soon.”

  “But without Lauren, we’ll never make the rent.”

  Without Lauren? Narrowing his gaze, he studied his sister. “Where’s Lauren?”

  “I threw her out.”

  “What?” Dear Lord, his voice rose an octave. Clearing his throat, he stared. “You said you were good friends.”

  Chin high, she met his stare. “We were before she made a move on Eric. She lunged at him. He told me everything.”

  His mouth fell. More likely, the other way around, and the thought tensed every muscle in his body. “And you believe him?”

  Again, she folded her arms across her chest, stepped back, and pouted. “Of course, I believe him. Eric’s the most faithful man I know. He won’t lie.”

  Deems’ impression of Eric was a man who’d sell his mother for a loaf of bread. But really, Lauren and Eric? The whole scenario sucked, and he silently cursed. Although… He gave his sister a one-eyed gaze. “How’d Eric get the bruise on his jaw?”

  “Car hood.”

  “Damn good right hook for a car hood. You sure he’s telling the truth?”

  Her lips tightened. “I trust him, okay? Ask him yourself.”

  Deems refused to waste his breath. What he needed was Lauren’s side of the story.

  Jan gripped his arm. “You won’t stop paying the rent, right?”

  Never had such a strong sense of frustration swept over him so fast. All he wanted was to see Lauren’s beautiful smile, not Eric’s bad teeth, and certainly not the news of Jan’s engagement to a man with hardly a dime to his name.

  His gaze intense, he tightened his jaw in an effort to remain calm. “You told Eric about me, and how I’m paying your rent?”

  “Well, sure.” She toyed with the edging on the sofa back. “He worried about how we’d do without Lauren.”

  Of all the stupid… With one hand, he gripped his forehead and rubbed the throb building in his temples. He’d warned her so many times about men out for a free ride. When would she learn? He dropped his hand and gave her a long look. “And how much have you told him?”

  She kicked the bottom of the sofa with a bare foot. “Not everything, Deems, but enough to ease his mind.”

  Heat flushed through him, and he fought like mad to control an explosion. Where the hell had Jan put her brain? Enough meant too much. He turned away from his sister and counted to ten. The ten stretched to twenty, and he again rubbed his forehead before facing her. “Where’s Lauren?” He’d used as steady a voice as possible, but even to his ears, the words sounded strained.

  Her gaze flashed. “I don’t know and don’t care. She has no right to go after my boyfriend.”

  Either he misjudged Lauren, or Jan had her head buried in sand. Drawing in slow, steady breaths, he met his sister’s gaze. “Sorry, Jan, I don’t believe she went after Eric.”

  Jan slammed her fist into the sofa’s back cushion. “I’m telling the truth! She’s jealous of my good fortune and paraded naked in front of him.”

  That was the most ridiculous statement he’d ever heard. Lauren had too much class for a scumbag like Eric, but he kept the opinion to himself. Jan was being led along some golden path with blinders. “When did all this occur?”

  “Three days ago.”

  And Eric proposed yesterday after he discovered Jan’s brother had money. My poor naïve sister. His expression stern, Deems shook his finger in Jan’s face. “I’ll pay the rent for two more months. After that, job or no job, Eric takes over. I won’t support a freeloader, Jan.” He dropped his hand and glared at his little sister. “I’ll continue with your tuition, but I want you to pick a major. If you don’t, you’ll pay for your own classes. Since you want to act all mature by living with a boyfriend, then you should take responsibility for your own support. Now—” He took out his cell phone and tapped the Contacts icon. “What’s Lauren’s number?”

  “Why?”

  “A successful businessman always likes to hear both sides of an argument.”

  She shook her frizzy head. “She’ll feed you lies just like she fed them to me.”

  With his blood pressure about to burst out his ears, Deems sucked in a deep breath in an effort not to crush the phone in his hand. He hated to cut off her monetary support, but hell, her engagement to a worthless piece of shit smacked of impulsiveness. He gritted his teeth. “I’m after answers, Jan. What’s her number?”

  Jan told him.

  He punched the numbers into his contact list and then returned the phone to his pocket. “How long since Eric moved in? Two weeks?”

  Pulling at a thread on the sofa back, she fidgeted. “About that. Why?”

  “If I hadn’t b
een away on business, maybe I could have diffused the situation. I’d like to think you and Lauren had a big misunderstanding.”

  She broke the thread and tossed it to the floor. “No misunderstanding.” Stepping close, she glared upward. “Stop treating me like a child.”

  But Jan was a child, naïve and gullible enough to believe Eric. Lauren, as her roommate, had been a blessing in disguise. But she was gone, and damned if he’d believe a word out of Eric’s mouth.

  Chapter Five

  Too curious to wait, Deems dialed Lauren’s phone as soon as he descended the stairs. Voicemail kicked in, and simply hearing her voice caused a surge in his heart rate. “Hi. It’s Deems Lambert. If you’re game for a free dinner, give me a call.”

  What else could he say? I want to know what really happened because I don’t believe Jan? He prided himself on being a good judge of character, and Lauren had impressed him with her focus. She’d also expressed her dislike for Eric, so Jan’s accusation hardly made sense. Unless Lauren’s objective was to have Eric evicted, and the plan backfired. Somehow, that assumption seemed preposterous, too. While slipping his phone into his suit jacket, he descended the brownstone’s steps.

  “Yo, Deems!” Eric slammed the trunk of a dark blue sedan that had seen better days.

  Dents covered every fender with rust forming over exposed metal—which was about everywhere. The sedan emblem on the grill was half-broken, and paint peeled into curls on the roof. The car was as dilapidated as his clothes. Hard to believe Jan wants to marry this loser.

  While wiping his hands on a greasy rag, Eric meandered toward him. “Jan tell you about Lauren?”

  He bristled. “Of course.”

  Frowning, Eric shook his head. “Shocked the hell out of me, man, but I’d like Lauren to know I’ve got no hard feelings.”

  How nice of him. Stepping to the side, Deems positioned himself downwind of Eric’s motor smell. “What exactly happened?”

  “Don’t rightly know ’cause I was half-asleep at the time.” He averted his gaze to somewhere up the street. “She came onto me strong, man.” Grinning, he cocked his head. “I’ll admit, she’s a beautiful woman, but Jan’s my girl.” He met Deems’ gaze. “I won’t do anything to hurt your sister.”