Bad Case of Loving You

by Deborah Cooke

  She needed to stop running.

  She needed to stand her ground and defend what was important to her. Lyssa was shaking inside all the way to her toes, but she recognized the truth. The small circle of her world was a definite liability in this situation. Justin had been her business manager, and she had no one else with whom she could discuss financial matters or to turn to for advice. Mr. Sinclair would help her with this end of things but there were still so many questions to be answered.

  Theo was right that she needed a village, too. He’d said she could call him, as a friend, and she would.

  And Logan had been right, as well: Justin was a dick.

  First, new phones for herself and Logan, and new credit cards from the bank. Then she’d check out of the Plaza, because she needed every nickel she could save. Where would she go? Somewhere a lot cheaper, and Logan would be at the Berensteins’ anyway.

  And then she’d have to figure out what to do about that apartment.

  She wanted to curse Justin but that wouldn’t solve anything.

  She’d ask Theo for help, and that might make all the difference in the world.

  Theo suited up for the weekly F5 meeting. He felt like he needed a bit of armor after this holiday break. He’d had another great day with Logan and liked Simon’s dad a lot. They’d climbed the wall with the boys, then gotten fresh fish tacos for lunch from Reid’s place in the lobby. Logan had given him an impulsive hug before heading to the Berensteins’ for the night and Theo had been deeply touched by his trust.

  He was feeling optimistic about the future.

  Chloe gave him a handout as he passed through the F5 offices and he glanced down at the final results from the pop-up promotion. He knew he had to tell his partners the truth first so he asked Ty if he could add an early item to the agenda. He’d already told Kyle and he knew he could trust his partners. It wouldn’t have been his choice to make his confession in front of the younger additions to the team, but everyone would know soon enough.

  “Theo’s got something to say first,” Ty said when he called the meeting to order and the door to the conference room was closed behind them. “But I think first we should give him a round of applause for the awesome holiday promotion.”

  Ty clapped first and the others immediately joined in. Hunter put his fingers in his mouth to whistle and Nate laughed at him. Sonja raised her hands higher in tribute to Theo and he felt humbled by their approval.

  “I didn’t think you had it in you,” Damon said with a smile.

  “I always knew he did,” Cassie replied. “And now, look out, world!” They all laughed together and Theo held up a hand for silence.

  “You know it was Kyle’s idea,” he said, giving credit where it was due.

  “But you made it work together,” Cassie insisted. “What a team.” They clapped again until Theo held up both of his hands.

  “I have something personal to share with you. Maybe you already know,” he said. “I told Kyle and even though he promised to keep quiet...”

  “That never lasts,” Tyler said with a smile and they all laughed together.

  Sonja’s lips parted and Theo knew she’d made the connection.

  “That man cannot keep a secret,” Cassie agreed. “The truly sad thing is that it’s part of what we love about him.”

  There was laughter again, then silence. It seemed expectant to Theo.

  “I have a son,” he said softly and there was a gasp of surprise. “And I knew Lyssa, who later became Angel, when we were in college. We just hadn’t talked since then. It turns out that Lyssa was pregnant when we broke up, but she didn’t tell me then.” It felt good to say it out loud and Theo felt the ripple of shock from his friends.

  “In college?” Cassie demanded.

  Theo nodded again.

  “Then he’s not a baby anymore,” Cassie continued. “He’d be...”

  “Ten,” Theo supplied. “Logan is ten years old.”

  “Ten?” Tyler repeated, clearly incredulous.

  Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. It was reassuring that they were all as astounded as he had been.

  “He’s adorable,” Sonja said and they all looked at her. “He was here this morning, right?” she asked Theo. “Climbing the rock wall with you?”

  Theo nodded. “He was. Our second play date together.” He ran a hand over his head, their reaction making him feel the magnitude of it again.

  “And she didn’t tell you?” Cassie demanded.

  “When did you find out?” Tyler asked.

  “New Year’s Day. I met him, kind of by accident. She said she was trying to figure out how to tell me.” There was another thick silence in the conference room.

  “She took her time thinking about it,” Tyler muttered.

  “Holy shit,” Damon said and they all nodded agreement.

  “What are you going to do?” Cassie asked.

  “He goes back to school tomorrow.” Theo named the school and Tyler nodded approval so he knew his impressions of its reputation were right on. “We went to the museum yesterday after the pop-up and had dinner, then he was here today with his friend and his friend’s dad.”

  “And that’s it? Two times together until when?” Tyler asked.

  “He has my number. I don’t know when he’ll be back in town.” Theo frowned. “I set up a Skype call with my parents this morning, too. I don’t want to overwhelm him. It’s new for both of us.”

  “At least he knew you had to exist,” Tyler noted. He looked prickly and affronted on Theo’s behalf. “You didn’t have that privilege.”

  “What about custody?” Cassie asked.

  “We haven’t even gotten to that yet. I’m kind of overwhelmed by the details.” Theo rubbed his forehead.

  “If you’re overwhelmed, the man who can juggle a thousand details, then any of us would be in serious trouble,” Cassie said, her tone teasing. Theo smiled.

  “Take as much time as you need,” Tyler said. “It’ll take time to sort this out, and to come to terms with the changes. You worked the holiday and are due for a break. Just take it. Do what you need to do.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Remember that Tyler knows lawyers,” Damon interjected. “In case it gets ugly.”

  Theo grimaced and nodded. “I really don’t want to go there.”

  “Maybe you won’t have to,” Tyler said and Theo hoped he was right.

  “And we’re here,” Cassie said, reaching across to put her hand on his. “If you need anything or want to talk, we’re here.”

  “Ten years,” Hunter said and whistled. “I bet you were pissed.”

  Theo gave him a look. “In a way, I still am.”

  “Fair enough,” Tyler said, his tone grim.

  “In another way, I’m awed.”

  “He is so cute,” Sonja whispered and Theo smiled.

  “And I just want to make it right. Somehow. Whatever it takes.”

  “You’ll do it,” Cassie said with confidence then came to give him a hug. “And in the meantime, I’m getting you on a billboard.”

  “And I’m going to give you the number for a lawyer,” Tyler said.

  Theo thanked him, glad to have the truth shared. He was also glad to have this group of friends. They always had his back.

  “Maybe we should move on to the meeting,” he suggested.

  “Good idea,” Cassie said. “Do we have an agenda?”

  “Right here,” Tyler said and passed around copies, organized as usual.

  “If you don’t mind, I think we need to talk about offering a second Yummy Mummy class,” Sonja said. “We have a huge waiting list already. Nate was right about the need.”

  “Great job, Nate,” Theo said and the others added their praise.

  “And registration has increased since Theo started to help out there,” Sonja continued with a smile. “A little celebrity power never hurts.”

  “I want to talk about those roof gardens, too,” Damon said. “Sorry I didn’t
tell you sooner,” he said to Tyler.

  “No problem. We’ll just add both topics here, right after the review of membership pricing,” Tyler said and made a note.

  “Seriously?” Cassie asked Damon. “You can do it?”

  “I think so, but let’s take things in order.”

  “That will be so cool,” Hunter said.

  “Another angle to promote F5,” Cassie said with satisfaction.

  Theo nodded agreement. They had clients asking for more salads and sprouts in Reid’s bodega, but he wasn’t happy with the consistency and quality of what he’d sourced. He said Manhattan was a wasteland for anything other than arugula. Tyler had told him that was harsh, but he was resolute—and Damon had come up with the idea of putting greenhouses on the roof, where they could grow some produce hydroponically.

  “Or maybe we should talk about the gardens now,” Tyler said.

  “There are bylaws, of course, but I’ve been talking to the city,” Damon said. “I’m pretty sure the roof can take the weight, although that needs verifying, too.”

  “I know several people in the mayor’s office,” Theo said.

  “Of course, you do,” Cassie said. “Probably a bunch of people promoting the greening of the city, too.”

  “And sustainable food sources,” Theo agreed, making a list of potential allies and marketing partners.

  “I’ve been working up some sketches but I need a better idea of volume from Reid,” Damon said.

  “This is exciting,” Cassie said. “I can ask him for some projections.”

  “Of course, it will depend on how popular the options are,” Damon said. “I wouldn’t expect his needs to be consistent, right from the beginning.”

  “We’ll need flowers for salads, too,” Sonja said. “Nasturtiums and pansies.”

  “Fresh chives,” Cassie agreed. “All year.”

  “What about bees?” Chloe asked. “Aren’t we going to need bees?”

  “Not for greens, but I don’t know what else Reid needs or wants,” Damon said.

  “Rooftop gardens. A green initiative,” Theo said. His list was already dividing into segments to help get the project off the ground, then to get visibility for the results. “We could sell the excess, especially at the beginning.”

  “A farmer’s market in the lobby,” Cassie said and conversation took off. Everyone started to contribute ideas and questions. Theo felt the usual excitement of the team pulling together.

  Then Tyler whistled, bringing them to silence. “Kyle on the speaker phone. Quorum, and then the agenda.”

  There was a murmur of assent, then they got to work.

  Theo couldn’t believe how much he didn’t know, and how complicated things were starting to sound. He felt like an idiot in his call with the lawyer Tyler had recommended. He didn’t know whether he was listed as the father on Logan’s birth certificate—in fact, he didn’t even know where Logan had been born. The lawyer noted that Lyssa’s husband could have been listed as Logan’s father, just because they were married, depending where the baby had been born. They hadn’t started to talk about custody, although he’d hoped it would be shared. Theo hadn’t even thought about child support, but the lawyer said it might be key to gaining partial custody. And he might need a DNA test? The lawyer said they could save the discussion about wills and power of attorney for later and Theo was glad of that.

  He had so many questions, but one person had all the answers. As soon as he was off the call with the lawyer, he called Lyssa.

  The number was out of service.

  Theo stared at his phone. He’d used his contacts list. He hadn’t put in the wrong number. How could her number be out of service? He called again, but got the same message.

  He fought against his immediate conclusion that she was disappearing again. Maybe she downgraded her plan or her phone, since she wouldn’t be traveling so much anymore.

  He called the hotel but Ms. Monroe was not a guest.

  Theo took a deep breath. He called Logan and that number was out of service, too.

  Had she changed her mind about introducing him to Logan? It was the perfect kind of impulsive choice he knew she could make. Was she going to take Logan from him? Theo wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

  There had to be a reasonable explanation.

  Maybe something had gone wrong at the bank.

  She had to be at the Berensteins’, or at least Logan did. If he went there and talked to her in person, maybe he could reassure her. He wasn’t convinced that if he called she’d talk to him. He’d be harder to refuse in real life.

  Theo was leaving the F5 offices, looking up the Berensteins’ address when a text message appeared on his phone.

  It was from Logan but from a different address.

  Theo read it immediately. Lyssa had gotten Logan a new phone with a new number. He was glad that Logan had let him know, but wondered why Lyssa hadn’t told him.

  And why had she changed Logan’s number?

  “Lyssa,” Theo murmured under his breath and was surprised when she answered.

  “I love when you say my name like that.”

  Theo glanced up. Lyssa was standing at the reception desk for the club’s offices. She was still dressed in her navy suit and heels but seemed a lot less composed than earlier. She was also carrying that old patchwork quilt, hugging it against her chest. She looked pale and a bit freaked out, and once again, he was struck by how tiny she was. She seemed fragile to him, and likely to vanish before his very eyes.

  “I wasn’t sure you were still here,” Christa said, her tone indicating that she’d been keeping Lyssa at bay.

  Theo smiled at her. “Thanks. I was just heading out to a meeting.” He gestured to Lyssa and Christa smiled with relief. Theo walked into the lobby with Lyssa, wondering what was going on. That she had the quilt couldn’t be a good sign.

  “I need to talk to you,” she said, as if she feared he might refuse.

  “Have you eaten? Do you need to go to the Berensteins’?”

  “I was just there. I told them I had something to do. I couldn’t just sit and make polite conversation.”

  “Did you check out of the hotel?”

  “Yes. I had to. But our bags are still there. Logan doesn’t know yet.”

  “What’s wrong, Lyssa?”

  “Everything.” She frowned, then flicked a glance at him. “Maybe not quite everything.” That comment reassured Theo a little. “Can we talk somewhere private?”

  “Of course.” Theo led her into the offices, and chose a small conference room.

  “Perfect,” she said, exhaling the word. When he shut the door, she turned to face him. “I’m trying not to freak out completely right now,” she admitted.

  “Your instinct is to run, I’ll guess.”

  “Yes. But that’s not going to fix anything.” She took a deep breath.

  “Tell me,” Theo invited, leaning on the table to watch her.

  “It’s gone,” Lyssa said bleakly. “He took the money. They’re trying to trace it and get some of it back, but it’s gone.”

  Theo had no doubt who she meant. “How much?” he asked.

  She pushed a hand through her hair. “Almost half. Well, it would have been half if the last transfer hadn’t been stopped in time. He and Mercedes are apparently buying a house in the Caymans, with my money.”

  “And without your permission.” Theo watched her, just letting her talk. He knew how she linked security and independence to money and figured this was her worst nightmare. She was more agitated than he’d ever seen her, more even than that last day, but she wasn’t running.

  Something had changed and he was glad.

  “They’re welcome to each other,” Lyssa said, flinging out a hand as she paced. “I don’t care about that, and I don’t even care that they didn’t tell me about that.” She pivoted to face Theo and her eyes flashed. “But he stole from me!” She sat down hard and exhaled, still hugging the quilt. Her next words we
re quiet. “And I can’t afford that apartment anymore.”

  “It’s just an apartment,” Theo said, taking the seat beside her.

  “Yes and no. It’s what Logan wants. It’s one of the only things he’s ever asked for. I wanted to make it happen. I want him to have that.”

  “He says you fix everything.”

  “Not this time.” She met his gaze. “I finally took a chance on trust, Theo, only to have all my fears proven true. Justin stole from me and he was only able to do it because I gave him the opportunity.”

  “No,” Theo argued. “You took a chance on Justin, and he let you down. That doesn’t mean that trust is a bad thing or even that your judgment is bad. It means Justin was bad.”

  She dropped her gaze to her hands.

  “You aren’t responsible for everything, Lyssa,” Theo said quietly.

  “But I’m going to disappoint Logan and I can’t bear that. Because of my mistake, he won’t get what he wants.”

  “And you’ve always ensured that he got what he wanted,” Theo said, understanding. “Do you really think he’ll love you any less?”

  She looked up, her throat working and her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know.”

  “Lyssa.” Theo took her hand. “Logan’s happiness isn’t reliant upon a specific apartment and certainly his love for you isn’t contingent upon him having it. He wants to have a room of his own and to be close to Simon. You can still make that happen.” He paused, then added. “We can still make that happen.”

  “You’d help?”

  “Of course I’ll help.”

  “But I kept him secret from you. You must hate me for that.”

  “It doesn’t thrill me,” Theo admitted. “But the important thing is the future and Logan’s happiness and security.”

  “I can’t fix this myself,” Lyssa admitted. “I feel overwhelmed and so tired.”

  “I hope that’s why you came to me.”

  She nodded. “You were right, Theo. I don’t have a village. I don’t have a circle of friends to rely upon. And I should fix that.”