“I made it last night and I was going to have it for dessert tonight. When Brian told me their plan, I decided that you needed a fix.”
Pure joy filled my entire body. “Thank you, it’s been so long since you cut me off.”
Nick, who had been following the conversation with his head bobbing from Debbie to me like he was watching a tennis match, raised his hands. “Wait, what the hell are you two talking about?”
Debbie and I shared a co-conspiratorial laugh, and then she set the box on the counter and opened the lid, exposing the most delicious-looking cake ever. “Don’t tell me.” I lifted my hand to Debbie, who was about to speak. “Three-layered Dutch chocolate cake with mint chocolate icing. Oh God, I’m in heaven.”
She laughed, running her fingers along her oversized beaded chain that hung around her neck. She was wearing a burgundy sweater with a swooping neckline. “I know your weakness.”
Nick gaped at me, his brows creased in confusion. “Cake? That’s what you’re going on about? Cake?”
How could I explain how good her cakes were? “It’s not just cake. It’s ecstasy on a fork.”
“It’s just cake,” Nick replied dryly, stepping out of the kitchen and taking a seat at the table. Brian followed, falling into the chair next to him.
“You won’t say that once you’ve tried one of Debbie Frankford’s creations,” I explained as I sat on the other side of him. The plate in front of me was already full. I had dished them out when I set the table. Once everyone started to eat, I continued. “When I was Debbie’s roommate in college she used to make these amazing cakes at home on weekends, and then bring them back for me to try. She got me hooked, and by the end of our first year, I had put on fifteen pounds. She had to cut me off. I haven’t had one of her cakes in months.”
Nick glanced at Debbie. “You like to bake?”
She sighed heavily. “I love it. It was the hardest decision going into publishing. I had a dream of opening my own bakery, but I loved books just as much. I decided right before college which one I wanted.”
“You picked the right career, because if you had gone to culinary school we never would have met.” I twirled noodles onto my spoon with my fork.
“Very true, and I wouldn’t get to read the brilliant novel you brought in today. Seriously, Cheryl was so excited she couldn’t wait to show Mr. Grayson.”
The music had changed somehow to Bon Jovi, one of Nick’s favorites. The song was on low which made conversation doable. Debbie and I discussed our day at the office while Nick and Brian talked about a case they were working on.
“That was really good, sweetie,” Nick said, leaning over to touch his lips to mine. He stood up, carrying his plate into the kitchen. “Oh shit. The game’s about to start. Brian, hurry up.” He shoved his plate in the dishwasher and slammed it shut; there was a crash as all the dishes inside shook from the impact. I glanced at Brian as he started shoveling his food into his mouth.
“Brian!” Debbie scolded with laughter in her voice.
“What? The game’s on,” he mumbled, standing up and rushing into the kitchen to put his plate away. There was no loud crash after he put his dish inside.
Nick was already sprawled on the couch flicking through the channels.
“Men. What is so exciting about a bunch of guys running around chasing a ball?” I asked, watching them with interest.
“Don’t ask me. Come on I’ll help you clear the table since we won’t get any help from them.” She gestured to Nick and Brian, who were already engrossed in the TV.
As we picked up the rest of the dishes, Debbie glanced into the living room and spun around suddenly. “Where’s your desk?” she asked me, her face a cross between shock and concern.
I forced a smile. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I put it in the spare room, to make an office.” I busied myself with the silverware instead of looking at her.
I refused to make eye contact as she moved closer to me. “It was too crowded in there, not enough room to relax.” I couldn’t help the quick glance I shot at Nick.
Debbie didn’t miss the look, and followed my gaze. She scowled but stayed silent. The truth was, it was our second fight, if you could call the night at his parents’ a fight, but this definitely was. I didn’t want to move my work into the dreary room, but he would not let up. I finally agreed just to shut him up.
After we finished the clean-up, Debbie cut four slices of cake and set them on the plates I handed her. I made some coffee to go with it. We placed it all onto a tray and headed into the living room.
I watched Nick as he absently took a bite of his cake, more focused on the TV than what he was putting in his mouth. I giggled at his expression. Forgetting the game, he took another bite. “Holy crap, this is good. It’s the best cake I’ve ever tasted.” His eyes were glazed as he took another bite, and he closed them as he chewed, savoring the taste. “Debbie, you definitely chose the wrong career. You could make a killing selling these.” He swallowed the last bite. “Can I have some more?” he mumbled with his mouth full, as he handed me his empty dish.
I laughed at him as I took his plate to get him another piece. I was just cutting into it, lifting it out of the box, when I heard Brian say, “Wait until you taste her strawberry cream cheesecake.” Brian set his empty plate on the table and smiled over at Debbie. “She made it on our fourth date. I think she was trying to buy my love with dessert.”
I re-entered the living room, handed Nick his dish, and sat down, focusing on my friends.
Nick laughed at Brian. “Did it work?” he asked.
“She’s moving in next week.”
I dropped my fork, still enjoying my dessert. I learned long ago that if I wanted to keep my waistline, it was best to slowly eat her cakes by savoring each bite, instead of overindulging, which was what I wanted to do. I gaped at Debbie, my eyes wide with shock. “Really?”
She grinned, her hazel eyes shining with happiness. “Yes. He just asked me on the way over.”
“That’s wonderful. That means you’ll live closer to me.” I was so excited about having her just a block away, I had the urge to clap my hands. Back in college we were basically joined at the hip, constantly together. Over the years, our jobs and life interfered. We only saw each other for work and occasionally when we made the effort to go out. And we hadn’t done that since we met our men.
“Man, are you lucky. You can eat this cake whenever you want,” Nick mumbled as he shoved another piece into his mouth, scraping his teeth with the spoon. I laughed at him, and Debbie and Brian joined in. Nick, who was enjoying the cake immensely, didn’t even notice.
Chapter Twelve
An Old Friend
The next day, I decided to go for a morning jog before I had a shower. Since it was a warm August day, I ran along the pier. It was crowded with kids fishing, swimming, and skateboarding.
When I made it to the end, I was out of breath and sweating, but the breeze coming off the lake was heavenly. I sat down on a bench to rest and cool down. The wooden bench was facing the beach. There was a set of stairs that led to the shoreline, but I liked where I was, sitting above the activity, where I could enjoy the view without getting sand in unwanted places.
The sights, sounds, and smells were what attracted me to this place. There was always something going on, and for a writer, it was a real smorgasbord of ideas for future books. I watched a couple of gulls fight over a brown paper bag that I assumed was filled with leftover food. Their squawks and shrieks were loud, but at the pier, also expected.
The sound of a human squeal drew my attention away from the fighting birds to a little girl about one and a half years old who was wearing a pink frilly bikini. It looked like she was wearing one of those swimming diapers, which made the frills on her bottom’s look puffy. She was running, her tiny legs shaky in the sand as she ran from the waves. She giggled every time the water touched her feet. Her mother picked her up and waded in, swinging her body side to side in the water. I
could almost hear her laughter from where I was sitting. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
“Nice view,” a deep voice from behind me said, making me jump.
I was so engrossed by the little girl that I hadn’t heard anyone approach. “Yes, it’s such a beautiful day,” I agreed absently, turning my head, expecting to see a stranger. Instead I looked up into the face of a man about my age, with pale shaggy blond hair and bright blue eyes. The sun glowed off his hair creating a halo of gold around the top of his head.
“Son of a bitch, what the hell are you doing here?” I screamed in delight, jumping into Jason’s arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around me. He still smelled of black licorice, his favorite candy. I had missed him so much. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
I leaned back and slapped him on the chest. His only response was to grin. “Well, you did that. How did you find me?”
“I went to your place and talked to Sylvia. She said that you went for a jog. I guessed where.”
I had seen Sylvia in the hall as I was heading to the elevator; she was waiting for her daughter to come and pick her up. They were going to her hometown to visit her grandson. She’d be back next week. “You know me well.” I punched him in the arm. “God, it’s good to see you. Come on, tell me what you’ve been up to since you broke my heart.” I sat back down on the bench, pulling him down with me.
His face froze as guilt flashed in his eyes. “You’re kidding, right?”
I laughed. “Of course I’m kidding. You were more like my brother than my boyfriend, although I can’t imagine a brother being as good in bed as you were.”
His lips turned upwards into a lopsided grin. “I do remember that was the best part of our relationship. It’s been awhile though. What do you say we go on up to your apartment and you can refresh my memory.” He squeezed my knee, but I could see the laughter in his eyes. He wouldn’t want to ruin the friendship we had now with sex.
“You know, if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m in love with another man, I’d take you up on that.”
He frowned. “Too bad, maybe next time. How about I take you out to dinner tonight and catch up instead. I have to get back to the office, I was just coming from my hotel and I thought I’d stop in and say hi. I’m only here for the night.”
I was so happy to see him, there was no way I’d miss the chance to catch up. “Of course, what time?”
“How’s six o’clock? That way we have more time to talk. I’ll meet you at Frank’s?” he asked as he stood up.
“Perfect. I’ll see you tonight.” I watched him walk away, realizing how much I had missed him. It might not have worked out between us but he was one of my best friends and I still couldn’t believe he moved away to work at some fancy advertising firm in New York.
Too hyped up to write, I decided to use up some of my energy by cleaning the apartment. By mid-afternoon it was spotless, but I wasn’t. I still hadn’t washed away my run. I lingered in the shower, enjoying the hot spray wash over me. I hadn’t taken a whole day off from writing in so long; I decided to enjoy it.
I chose a peasant-style white blouse and jeans to wear. Jason had never been picky about what I wore. He’d be happy if I walked into the diner wearing a dress made out of burlap. Not that Nick was overly picky, he just liked when I made an effort. At five thirty, I wrote a note to Nick telling him where I was and who I was with, adding that I hadn’t seen him in a while and he was just here for one day. After locking up, I headed out to meet Jason.
Frank’s had been our favorite diner when we were dating. He had the best burgers in town, which was why Jason loved it. I went for the milk shakes.
I found him sitting in the back corner booth—our favorite table. It had the best view of the entire restaurant, and you could sit back, eat, and people watch. I hadn’t been here since Jason left, and it was exactly the same, right down to the overpowering smell of onions. “Well, this brings back memories,” I said as I sat down on the ripped orange leather across from him.
He laughed. “Remember the first time you brought me here? We were at Josie’s Bar and you were so drunk, you only wanted a Frank burger. Nothing else would do. You made me walk twenty blocks to get here.” He laughed at the memory, and since it was at my expense, I just smiled and let him finish. “You were so tired, you almost fell asleep on the table before you got the damned burger.” He laughed again, harder this time, and at the sight of him, my grin widened. “It was the best I’ve ever tasted.”
I joined in his laughter as the waitress approached us. Once we were able to stop the giggles, we both told her what we wanted and then sat back to wait. “So, are you happy with what’s his name?” he asked me, leaning forward, his hands pressed flat on the table in front of him.
“It’s Nick and yes, I’m happy.”
“Good, I’m glad.” And I knew that he was. He always wanted my happiness. It was important to him, just as his was to me. It was hard for both of us when the job he was offered ended up being too good to pass up.
Once our burgers and shakes arrived, we filled each other in on the details we had missed. He told me about his new life in New York, the girl he’d been dating, and his tiny Manhattan apartment. I told him about how I met Nick, about Debbie and Brian, and about the books I had written since I had last talked to him.
When we finished with our meal it was after nine. I wanted to go home but he convinced me to have a drink with him at Morey’s, a bar we used to go to. While we were there, he ran into some old friends, and we talked for hours. By the time I got home it was after midnight. I’d only had a few glasses of wine, so I was only tired when I opened the door to my apartment. Although it had been a long day, it had also been an exciting one. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I opened the door. It widened when I saw who was waiting for me.
“Did you fuck him?” Nick snarled from the chair in the corner of the room. He sat in the dark, with the TV off, facing the door, like I was some perp he was waiting to arrest.
The smile vanished. “What are you talking about?”
“Your ex-boyfriend. Did you fuck him? Because when I saw you, you looked pretty damn cozy.”
I shut the door, tossed my purse on the end table, and flicked on the light. “What does that mean? You saw us?”
He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light. How long had he been sitting here? “You said you were going to Frank’s with him. I went to see for myself. “Hurt crossed his eyes for a second and he said, “I couldn’t believe you would betray me like that.” Just a minute ago, I had been in a great mood, happy from a visit with an old friend, and now this. I couldn’t catch up. When I looked at his face I saw rage, so strong it scared me.
“I didn’t betray you. You should have come in. I wanted you to meet him anyway. If I was sneaking around, would I have left a note telling you where, and who I was with?” I shook my head. “Jesus, Nick, how could you think I would cheat on you? I told you I loved you and I meant it. I also told you Jason was my friend.”
“One you used to sleep with.”
“So? He is more my friend then he ever was a lover. I told you before that we ended after only a few months, but stayed friends much longer. He was here for the day on business and he wanted to catch up. Do I have a fit when you hang out with your friends?”
His eyes narrowed and his lips turned up into a nasty smile. “If you only had dinner, where have you been? It’s after midnight. Did you go back to his hotel and reminisce?” His voice was so cruel that he made the word sound dirty.
I was really tired of saying the same thing without him hearing me. It was like talking to a wall. “I told you I didn’t cheat on you.” I sighed in exasperation, pacing in front of him. “If you must know, I had a couple of drinks with him and we ran into a few of his old friends. I left him there because I wanted to come home to see you. I didn’t realize what time it was. Now if you’ll excuse me I’
d like you to leave. I don’t really enjoy being accused of lying and cheating in one night.”
He stood up, anger still clouding his face. “You shouldn’t have gone out with him in the first place.” He jabbed his finger into my shoulder. My skin stung when he pulled away. “You used to fuck him! And you thought I wouldn’t mind you spending a night with him while I sat here twiddling my thumbs? I don’t fucking think so!” A vein pulsed in the side of his neck as he clenched both fists at his side.
“You know what? I’m done defending myself. Get out.” I was surprised at how calm my voice was. I was so mad, I wanted to scream.
He stared at me coldly, then brushed past me roughly, knocking me back a step. He opened the door and slammed it behind him so hard that the frame shook from the impact.
I locked the door and put the chain up so he couldn’t come back in. Once I was safely alone, I ran to my room and cried into my pillow until I fell asleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Peace Offering
I didn’t hear from Nick for the next few days. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, only that I missed his face, his voice, and yes, his body. But I was still mad at him. How could he accuse me of such a thing? Even when he realized I didn’t cheat on him, instead of apologizing, he said I was still wrong for going out with an old boyfriend. And he didn’t call to apologize or even discuss the issue for three days? The more I thought about it the angrier I became. I was trying to work on the seventh chapter of my book and failing miserably. I had never been able to write when I was unhappy. I finally gave up and started to clean. When that didn’t take my mind off of my troubles, I parked in front of the TV watching old sappy movies and eating rocky road ice cream right out of the carton.
That’s how Brenda found me. When I didn’t answer her knock at the door she let herself in with her key. She stood in the doorway with a concerned expression on her face. “Debbie called, she said you haven’t heard from him in three days.”
Finding Abigail Page 9
