I hold up a finger. Give me a minute. He’s hesitant to interrupt me when he sees I’m talking to Wes.
“Looks like Coop needs you for something, so I’m going to let you get back to work.” My uncle rolls back the chair and rises to his feet.
I stand and grab my blazer from the back of my chair and shrug it on. “We’re heading out to Franklin Stone.”
“Wonderful. Keep me posted,” he says, opening the door. “And don’t forget what I told you.”
I nod. As if I could.
Chapter Twelve
Erin
I’ve been staring blankly at my computer screen for I don’t know how long, unable to concentrate on the article I’m working on for next week’s feature Lifestyle article: What’s Trending in Summer Gardens. My mind is still preoccupied with Friday’s dinner.
At first, I’d blamed the disaster of the night on Josh. Then I’d turned the blame on myself. I shouldn’t have agreed to go out with the brother of the girlfriend of the guy I used to sleep with. Then I’d come to realize neither was the problem. I should never have agreed to make it a double date with Josh. That was the mistake. As horrible as he’d been, I’d been worse. Which is something I finally acknowledged after I had time to think back on my behavior.
I was the one who’d crashed an evening with his girlfriend. Yes, it had been Chloe’s idea, but I didn’t have to go along with it. I could have gone the normal blind date route and met Evan at a nice restaurant where we’d have done the small talk thing and shared a couple of laughs. I wouldn’t have witnessed Josh making out with his girlfriend and he wouldn’t have had to drive me home.
The drive home.
God, all I want to do is forget that whole conversation. Forget how I acted. Forget the hurtful things he said to me—things that shouldn’t have hurt.
He was right about why I did it. It had been to get back at him, but it completely backfired. Whatever that’s still between us, Josh is determined to ignore it. If seeing me with Evan caused him to feel one iota of jealousy, it had taken a back seat to irritation. How many times does he have to tell me that he wants his relationship with Chloe to work? He told me at Paige and Mitch’s the first time, and then again on Friday.
I swear to you, I get it now. He never has to tell me again. No more trying to piss him off or make him jealous. I need to accept that he’s moved on and I need to do the same.
Speaking of which, Evan called Saturday and apologized again for how the date ended. He wants to take me out this weekend to make up for it. While I have serious reservations about going out with Josh’s girlfriend’s brother, Evan had been so sweet and contrite, I felt I owed him a “real” date. It’s just going to be me and him, and I’m more than okay with that.
My cell phone rings and vibrates next to my keyboard indicating an incoming message. I pick it up.
Josh: I’m on the sixth floor visiting a client. What time do you get off?
My heart goes off in a gallop. I inhale sharply.
He texted me. Why is he texting me?
Okay, calm down. And whatever you do, don’t respond right away. You don’t want him to think you jump the second he calls.
Me: Who is this?
Petty much? I hit the delete key several times and start again.
Me: Five o’clock. Why?
Josh: I wanted to talk. Can you meet me?
It’s three-thirty now but since I came in early and ate lunch at my desk, I’m certainly free to duck out for fifteen minutes or so.
Me: Now?
Josh: Yeah or when you get off.
Say no.
Don’t you want to know what he wants? And as he’s already here, you should see him.
Sigh. You are such a pushover.
Before I allow logic to overrule my gut, I shoot back a text.
Me: I’ll meet you in the lobby by the fountain in three minutes.
Josh: I’ll be there.
Okay, let’s see what he wants. Curiosity isn’t going to kill this cat. I retrieve my purse from my drawer and smooth my palms over my blue pencil skirt. Matched with a white mandarin top and a pair of navy pumps, it’s one of my favorite outfits.
“I’m taking a break if anyone asks. I’ll be back in fifteen.” I address my coworker, Wendy, who sits in the cubicle next to mine. She doesn’t look up from her laptop and mumbles a distracted response.
After a brief detour to the restroom for a quick touchup of my lipstick and to drag a brush through my hair a few times, I take the elevator down the four floors to the lobby.
I spot Josh the second I turn the corner from the elevator bank. He’s standing in front of the fountain talking to a slightly shorter, dark-haired guy.
The immediate fluttering of my stomach at the first sight of him doesn’t bode well for my vow to move on. Why does he have to look so good? His short hair is combed away from his face, better to frame his angled cheekbones and chiseled jaw. What’s surprising is how at home he looks in the houndstooth blazer and dark tan trousers. Everything fits him so…nicely. His lack of a tie and open collar prevents him from completely owning the Ivy League look.
The second he catches sight of me, all conversation stops. Soon I have two pairs of eyes on me. I’m all confidence and self-assurance as I approach but also acutely aware of how closely I’m being watched.
“Hi.” My tone is casual, friendly almost. No one would have guessed that almost a week ago I slammed out of his car without so much as a goodbye, and then climbed into mine without a backward glance.
“Thanks for coming down.” Josh’s smile is restrained, as if he isn’t sure of his reception. He gestures toward the guy with him. “Erin, this is Cooper, my co-worker.”
After a beat of silence, I pick up where he left off, “And I’m Erin. Josh and I share mutual friends.” How hard would it have been to introduce me as a friend?
His co-worker’s handshake is firm and warm, lingering the tiniest bit. “So not his girlfriend?” he teases, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Josh shoots him a look just shy of glowering.
“No, Josh has a girlfriend.”
My statement provokes a narrowed look from Josh.
What is his problem? I wasn’t being sarcastic, and it isn’t as if Chloe’s a secret.
Cooper smiles. “The question is do you have a boyfriend?”
I can’t help but laugh. No one can ever accuse him of being shy and retiring. He’s not bad looking either, his eyes dark gold, a shade of brown I’ve never seen before. He’s a younger and better-looking version of Tiger Woods but with a full head of hair. “Not anyone serious.” I’m not exactly flirting with him but I’m doing nothing to discourage his interest.
Cooper’s smile broadens.
Josh brings the fledging flirtation to a screeching halt with a curt, “I’ll meet you outside in a few.” He treats his co-worker to a hard stare. Translation: get lost. Subtlety isn’t exactly his forte.
“Yeah. Right.” Cooper nods at me. “Nice to meet you, Erin. Hopefully, I’ll see you again when I’m back next week.”
“I’m on the fourth floor,” I reply with a cheery wave goodbye. The second he’s out of earshot, I direct my attention back to Josh. “So what’s up?”
“You do know he probably wants to ask you out, right?”
I smile. “But I’m sure that’s not what you wanted to talk to me about.”
I can’t be sure but I think he’s grinding his teeth. He has that look on his face. Seriously, though, he doesn’t want me dating his girlfriend’s brother and now his co-worker?
“Why don’t we sit?” He motions to the slatted bench around the fountain.
“My break is only fifteen minutes. I need to make this quick.”
My butt barely hits the bench when he starts. “About the other night—”
“Let’s not talk about that,” I interrupt. “I should never have crashed your date. I knew it was a bad idea from the start and I shouldn’t have let Chloe talk me into it. From
now on, no more double dating—I promise.” If I can’t banish jealous Erin altogether, I have to do my best to keep her under wraps.
Josh looks as if he just had the rug pulled from under him. Dumbstruck.
“You had every right to be upset and I’m sorry I ruined your date.”
By the look of disbelief he gives me, he hadn’t expected those words to come out of my mouth. Frankly, neither had I. The fact is, Josh has moved on and I need to do the same.
My apology seems to have left him speechless, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
“Chloe seems really nice and I just want you to know that I wasn’t trying to ruin things between you. I like her. I really do. And I hope things work out for you.”
There, I said it. And part of me means it, I just need to work on the other part. The part that hoped me and Josh would get together.
If I thought my apology would clear the air, it seems like I was wrong. Josh doesn’t look particularly happy. Actually, he looks more confused than anything else.
Breathing a sigh, he runs a hand through his hair, mussing it but not to the point of disorder or unkemptness. “I—I don’t know what to say.” His voice has a rough quality to it.
“How about ‘I accept your apology and thank you very much’?” I reply with a small smile. Paige is right—as is frequently the case. Josh is going to have relationships and, God willing, so will I. That’s reality and I have to learn to live with it. The first step is accepting it, which means I have to stop acting as if he owes me anything. I have no right to be mad at him for getting a girlfriend. It’s long past time we try to get along—outside the bedroom.
“You don’t have to apologize. I shouldn’t have made such a big deal out of it,” he says, his word and gaze sincere.
“I did conspire with your girlfriend to crash your date,” I remind him.
The way he’s looking at me is a little unnerving. It’s as if he doesn’t know what to make of me, and the truth is, I don’t blame him. We’re having a conversation and I’m being agreeable, something he’s not accustomed to.
“Look, about that—”
“I want us to be—”
Realizing we’re talking over the other, we both break off.
“Sorry. You go first. What were you saying?” Josh says.
“I was going to say that I want to take you up on your offer that night at Paige’s. About wanting us to be friends.”
His eyes briefly flare with an unknown emotion before his expression goes blank. “Friends. You want to be friends?” He says it as if it’s a foreign word and he’s testing it out on his tongue for the first time.
“Unless that was a one-time offer that expired at the stroke of midnight,” I tease lightly.
He clears his throat. “No. No. It’s not too late.”
“Well you don’t have to sound so excited,” I say, my tone Sahara Desert dry. “I’m not saying we’ll ever be best buddies or anything like that, but we can make more of an effort for Paige and Mitch. Try to get along better.”
“So what happened…” He motions between us, his voice trailing off.
“I say we forget it ever happened.” It’s a reach but what else am I supposed to say? “Plus, it’s the past and we’ve both moved on.”
Leaning forward, his forearms on his spread thighs, Josh looks down, and in that moment, I’d give anything to know what he’s thinking.
“Does that mean you’re going to go out with Evan again?” he asks without looking up at me.
“Would it bother you if I did? I mean, I know he and Chloe are close, but it wouldn’t involve you. Like I said, no more double dates and I promise, your name will never come up in conversation.”
He lifts his gaze to mine. “Chloe will be happy about that.”
And that’s what matters. Making Chloe happy.
Now, now, Erin, positive thoughts.
A restless glance at my watch indicates I have exactly two minutes until my break is over. I come swiftly to my feet. “Well, that went by fast. I’d better get back upstairs.”
Josh does the same so that we’re silently facing each other. For a guy who just got an apology out of me, he doesn’t look it. I thought he’d be pleased. A little smug even.
“I guess I’ll see you around.” If he were actually my friend or if we hadn’t had sex, I’d give him a hug. We’re not there yet. Not sure we’ll ever be.
“Yeah. Coop is waiting,” he says with a nod at the building’s entrance.
I start walking toward the elevators when I remember. I stop and turn around. “Oh, I forgot. What were you going to say?”
His brow knits.
“From before. When I cut you off.”
Josh’s expression clears as realization dawns. “It was nothing,” he says, shaking his head.
The thought of pressing him lasts all of one second and then I dismiss it. “Okay. I’ll see you around then.”
“Bye, Erin.”
When I turn the corner to the elevator bank, I catch my last glimpse of Josh. He’s standing in the same spot I left him—watching me.
Chapter Thirteen
Erin
A scary thing happened to me on the way home tonight. I was at the gas station filling up my car when I stumbled headlong into a kidnapping.
There was nothing about the guy pumping gas in front me that tipped me off. He was your average sandy-haired thirty-something looking white male. He could have been an accountant for all I knew. He had that look. Conscientious, a stickler for detail. His black-framed glasses gave him a vaguely scholarly look.
No, it was the obnoxiously loud Amber alert that triggered everything that happened next. Thank goodness my windows were up, and the A/C was on full blast when it went off. That’s when I’d gone into autopilot, stealthily calling 9-1-1 and following the car when he left the station. I didn’t even see the little girl until we were driving down Roswell Road and she poked her head up from the back.
All I remember is dark brown hair and big eyes. The Amber alert said she’s four years old. Only a year-and-a-half older than Bree. I couldn’t tell whether she was scared or not; all I knew was that she’d been kidnapped, and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure she got home safely.
I’m currently on the phone with Paige watching as the drama of the kidnapper’s capture unfolds in front of me. More than a dozen cops surround the car, their guns trained on the driver as several order him out of the car.
The driver door slowly opens and seconds later the man emerges, his hands high up in the air. “Don’t shoot.”
There’s a shout before a half dozen police officers converge, taking him to the ground hard. Then a female officer leaps into action and throws open the back door. I hold my breath as she leans down and reaches in. When she straightens with the little girl in her arms, I let out a sob and slump back in my seat. She’s safe. Relief washes over me like a wave at high tide.
“Erin, what’s going on? Where are you?”
I blink, utterly confused. “Josh?” What happened to Paige? I was just talking to her.
“Yeah, what’s going on?”
I lower my forehead to the steering wheel. My hands are shaking. My entire body is shaking, and I inhale a deep shudder of a breath.
“Erin, talk to me. I’m starting to freak out over here.” The urgency in his voice has me wondering what Paige told him.
I exhale and lift my head, my gaze searching until I spot the little girl being placed in the waiting ambulance. “A little girl was kidnapped and-and I called the police so he wouldn’t get away.”
I still can’t believe this is happening. After what happened to me, I’ve been vigilant about Amber alerts. Almost fanatical, even though, realistically, the chances I’d ever be in a position to help one of the victims was slim to none. I don’t know whether it’s karma or fate, but today I’d been in the right place at the right time. Thank God. “But I’m okay. She’s okay. The police have her.”
When I tell him I’m at the scene because I followed the car until the police got here, he freaks out.
“I had to follow him or he would have gotten away,” I reply defensively. I get that he’s worried, but I’m not the one who was kidnapped. At least not this time.
“Stay there. I’m on my way.”
“Josh, you don’t need to—”
“I’m on my way.” His tone is adamant. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
A moment later, Paige is back on the phone. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I promise I’m fine,” I assure her for the third time. No doubt she fears the incident is giving me nightmarish flashbacks.
“Okay, well you just stay put, Josh and Mitch are on their way.”
I gulp. “Mitch is coming too?” My personal male cavalry.
“Consider yourself lucky it’s only the two of them. If someone didn’t have to stay home with Bree, I’d be coming too. And when you’re done playing Captain Marvel, I want you to stay with us tonight. I’ll have a nice dinner warmed for you and your room ready.”
“Honestly, Paige, I’m okay.” I know she’s worried, but I really am okay. That little girl is one of the lucky ones, she gets to go home.
“Erin.” She’s using her strict mother tone. “I don’t ask you for much but think of this as a personal favor to me. For my peace of mind. I can’t stand the thought of you going home alone to that big, empty house. Plus, Bree is looking forward to seeing you tonight, and you know she loves your sleepovers.” And if that’s not enough, she turns the screws with this one. “I’d hate to have to tell her that her Auntie Erin didn’t want to spend more time with her.”
As you can see, my best friend has emotional blackmail down to a science. It’s how she got me to spend last Christmas with her at Mitch’s grandparents. There’s no fighting her when she employs this kind of warfare. And to tell you the truth, I don’t want to go home to an empty house either. A home cooked meal, my best friend and my favorite little girl is the perfect way to end the day.
Played (Trapped Book 3) Page 10
