Perfect Stranger

by Sofia Grey

  I’d slip out and get coffee, calm down, and then come back, to pick up what I was doing with Paula.

  Before I could escape, she waylaid me. “I’m sorry, Kate, but this is a bigger issue than I thought.”

  Mentally waving goodbye to my caffeine hit, I swallowed down my sigh and followed her back to her desk.

  Paula opened an order on her screen. “The bottom line is, in the quotation we did for Avecon, we quoted for the wrong blade servers. We gave them a great price, because we were looking at old stock that’s not compatible with their current systems. They don’t fit, won’t work, and Avecon want us to replace them. At no extra cost.”

  “Ouch.” I leaned closer and examined the order. It was huge. They’d been upgrading their network and must have been delighted at the budget-price servers we sold them. “If we swap them for the right kit, what’s the price difference?”

  Paula gave a number that made me wince.

  “That’s the total order, right?”

  “Nope. That’s the difference per blade. Eight in total.” Her jaw was tight, and she curled her fingers around the mouse as though she wanted to tear it in half.

  “Shit.”

  “Yes. And while you were in with Adam, their Procurement Director called and threatened to drop ComCo as a supplier.”

  This was going to be ugly. “Tell me what action you’ve taken.”

  Paula rattled off a list. Alternative suppliers. Different configurations. Who she’d spoken to. She’d covered all the options I’d expect, and a few more. She looked sick, and I knew how she felt.

  “We’ll dig into how this happened later. For now, I need to talk to Avecon and see if there’s any room for negotiation.”

  Ugly didn’t come close. We had a choice between losing a mid-size active customer or taking a substantial hit on our profit margin. I knew whose profit would be impacted. My team worked for a complicated, bonus-related salary, with targets set for everything from speed of answering calls to value of sales. This would wipe out their half-year bonus, and then some.

  And I’d have to break the news to Adam.

  12.2 Jenny

  Rob said he needed time to think, and then headed back to work.

  I was back in the office twenty minutes after leaving for my long lunch with him. That included five minutes of repairing my make-up in the bathroom. Concealer only went so far on red, puffy eyes.

  Had I underestimated how messed up he was after his ex cheated on him?

  Of course, the first person I bumped into was Cade. “Whoa.” He blocked my way and stared at me. “What’s the matter? Can I help?”

  I had to work with him on the Ynos account, but that didn’t include anything social. No meetings. No chatting in the corridors. Rob’s voice rang in my head. How would he ever find out?

  “Allergies,” I muttered and tried to step around him.

  “Jen.”

  “Rob knows you work here. It’s all out in the open. Okay?”

  Instead of being pleased or relieved, his brows descended into a worried frown. “Talk to me, Jen. Please. What just happened? Did he—”

  “He asked me to stay away from you,” I whispered as I stared at the floor. “And that’s what I’m trying to do.”

  The moment stretched into eternity, before Cade finally moved to the side. “Be my guest.” His hands fluttered near me, but then retreated, and he shoved them in his pockets. He strode away, heading for the bank of elevators.

  My eyes prickled with more tears, and I rubbed at them with my fingertips. Not in the office. I had more pride than that.

  Marella was the next to see me, but I fobbed her off with the hay fever excuse and a last minute meeting cropping up for Rob. I managed to limp through the next couple of hours by staying at my desk. I might look productive to anybody watching, but I’d no idea what I worked on. Flicking through emails and schedules mainly, and obsessively checking my phone.

  I sent Rob a spate of texts, all of which went unread. I left a cheery voicemail, asking what he’d like for dinner, and an email asking the same, but he replied to neither.

  I hated it when he froze me out like this. A sick feeling of dread swirled in my guts. Did he mean it? He didn’t trust me? I’d done nothing wrong. Apart from lying about Cade.

  My marriage to Rob was the cornerstone in my life. I wouldn’t let Cade Brisley destroy it.

  Isobel looked amazing as usual, when she arrived for our meeting. I envied her looks. Tall and slim, with natural blonde hair and a fantastic wardrobe, she rivalled Marella in the glamour stakes. I felt very much like the third wheel, as they swapped tips about shoe stores and high-end makeup. They only just met but bonded instantly.

  I jumped into a gap in the conversation. “Isobel worked at ComCo when I was there. She also knows Cade Brisley.”

  “I adore Cade,” Isobel replied. “He was lovely to work with. As was Adam Jones.”

  Marella beamed. “I’m Adam’s girlfriend. He’s such a darling.”

  “You been together long?” Isobel’s question was innocent, but there the tension in her body puzzled me.

  “Nearly two years.” Marella leaned forward. “I think he’s going to propose soon.”

  There was a heartbeat of silence, and then Isobel coughed. “I’m sorry. I have a crumb in my throat. Can I get some water before we start the meeting?”

  “I’ll go.” Marella pushed back her chair. “I want some too.”

  I stared at Isobel, who gazed blankly out of the window. “You okay? Everything all right with Greg?” I asked.

  “What?” She turned to face me. “Yes, of course. I’m just distracted.”

  I understood all about being distracted. I barely focused on the meeting, my mind filled with Rob and the hurt on his face. Would he still pick me up after work? Getting the bus wasn’t so bad when we lived close to the city, but once we moved, it’d be a pain. Two buses, at least.

  I tuned into the conversation. Marella made notes on the whiteboard, and I paid attention to the heading. Edinburgh visit. “I propose we go up there next week. We’ll need an overnight stay, but Barker is keen for us to make the pitch at their site. Jen, you’ll sort out the travel and accommodation, okay?” Marella said.

  “Yep.” I watched as she added my name to the list on the board. “Hang on. You want me to go with you?”

  She dipped her finely plucked eyebrows. “Of course. You usually present with us.”

  Yes, but only local presentations. Never an overnight stay. How would I explain it to Rob? Would he believe me? Would he think Cade was going too?

  Questions flooded my brain, and I fought to push past them. “Of course. I wasn’t paying attention. Sorry.”

  * * * *

  After the longest afternoon ever, it was finally home time, but still with no word from Rob. I waited outside for half an hour, before I accepted he wasn’t picking me up. Grumbling to myself, because I now had a twenty-minute wait for the next bus, I had a lightbulb moment. Maybe he left his phone somewhere, and that was why he didn’t reply. I trawled through the contacts in my phone and pulled up his work number.

  A woman answered, and I asked her if Rob had left yet.

  “Rob hasn’t been in, this afternoon. He left at lunchtime. Can I help you with anything?”

  I hung up, my mind flying through the possible scenarios. Was he okay? Had there been an accident? My chest tightened at the idea. Maybe he’d gone out to the new house after all, and for some dull reason failed to respond to me.

  I’d take the bus home, and if he wasn’t there, I’d ask Kate if she could drive me out to Hale Barns. I called her as I walked to the bus stop. She was still in the office, after a meeting ran late, but she’d swing by, and it was no problem at all.

  I hoped he’d be waiting for me at home.

  12.3 Jordan

  For fuck’s sake. I suppressed a growl of frustration at the voice message. I’d shifted my entire schedule once, to accommodate the reading of the will, and now I
had to do it all again. The lawyer brought it forward a week, and this was non-negotiable. Fucking lawyers. Cassie would be hit with the task of moving meetings and changing travel plans, but I’d have to find someone to stand in for me at the Brussels conference.

  There was also the board meeting in Houston.

  I glanced at my watch. Seven in the evening, which meant early afternoon in Texas. My father had expressed his displeasure that I moved my Houston trip, but he’d have to suck it up. I’d call his PA now and get that out of the way.

  “Hey, Barbara. It’s Jordan. Is Thaddeus available?”

  “I’m afraid not. He’s in a meeting. May I help you with anything?” Thaddeus always employed English PAs with crisp accents. I found it amusing, since he rarely set foot in England.

  I outlined the problem. The board would have to either meet without me or reschedule. “I can ask Marcus if he’ll stand in for me. He can give the UK update with his Europe one.”

  I heard the sound of a keyboard tapping. “I’ll pass your message on. Mr. Merrill will most likely call you back later.” There was no point in reminding her I kept different hours. If Thaddeus Merrill wanted to speak with his son, he’d call. I rubbed my forehead, thanked her, and abandoned my phone for the moment.

  What beer did I have in my refrigerator? Only the second-rate Miller, and I wasn’t that desperate. In need of a drink, I took the bottle of Islay malt whisky from its shelf, snagged a lead crystal tumbler, and headed for the living room, collecting my phone on the way. Dinner would be pizza again. I’d hit the gym early tomorrow, to make up for it.

  Kate’s number flicked to voicemail. She called back a minute later, by which time I’d settled on the sofa and cracked open the malt.

  “Jordan, hi. Sorry about that. I was on the phone to Jenny.” Her voice vibrated with tension, and I was concerned.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She let out a shuddering breath. “Hang on. I’ve only been home a few minutes, and I need to get a drink.”

  There was a clunk, as though she’d put the phone down, and then the muffled sounds of a fridge opening and liquid pouring. I waited.

  She wasn’t long. “Jesus. I don’t know where to start.”

  “Bad day, huh?”

  “You wouldn’t believe.”

  I was about to make it a whole lot worse. I’d let her unwind a little first. “Start at the beginning. Always works for me.”

  “Right. Adam, I guess. He’s heard ComCo lost the TM-Tech business. I’m not asking you to confirm or deny, so please don’t think that. What he did insinuate during our brief conversation was that he knows about us.”

  “What does he know?”

  “That we’re dating. I didn’t mention your name, and I made it pretty clear it was none of his business, but it bugged me. How did he find out?”

  I suppressed a moment of frustration that yet again she was denying this thing between us. I very much wanted a relationship with her, but she clearly wasn’t ready. “That night we went to Dukes 92, he was there.”

  “What? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I’d spent the day with him fawning all over me; I could hardly fail to recognize him.”

  “I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect him to be there. You could have told me. Did you speak to him?”

  “I saw him at the bar, with a blonde woman. He had one hand down the back of her pants, and she wasn’t complaining. I had no intention of speaking to him.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her question was anxious rather than angry.

  I dialed back my indignation. “It was my first time in Manchester. I had no way of knowing where your ComCo people hang out. Doesn’t he go there, usually?”

  “Not as far as I know. He must have seen us together.”

  “Is it a problem?” Even as I asked, I acknowledged that yes, it probably was.

  “No.” She paused and he heard the sound of ice chinking in a glass. “In the whole scheme of things, it’s minor, but I hate him having something to use against me. You know?”

  “Yeah, I know how that feels.” Thaddeus was forever trying to find sticks to beat me over the head with. “Was that the lowlight of the day?”

  “Jesus, I haven’t even started. We’ll skip over the fact that work sucked donkey balls, and head right for the top award.” She swallowed again. “Remember I told you Jenny told her husband, Rob, that I was seeing Cade?”

  I took a moment to untangle the names. “Yep.”

  “Well, Rob didn’t believe her, so he came looking for me.”

  I sat up straight, my drink forgotten. What do you mean, he came looking for you?”

  “Exactly that. He had an argument with Jenny at lunchtime, and then disappeared. She was worried something had happened to him, but all the time, he was waiting on the ComCo parking lot. Waiting for me to come out of work.”

  “Go on.”

  Another drink. “He recognized my car, from when I’ve been to visit Jen, so he knew I was there. He wanted to know if it was true I was seeing Cade. I had to say yes. I don’t know what freaks me more—that he waited all afternoon, or that he wanted to catch Jen in a lie.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. He scared the shit out of me, though, walking up and placing his hand on my shoulder, as I was unlocking my Mini.”

  “Next time I’m there, I want a word with him.”

  She chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Really, there’s no need. I’m more worried about Jen. I was talking to her when you rang.”

  “Does he know where you live?”

  “No. I’m pretty sure of that. I took a very convoluted route home, via a shopping mall and a trip through the middle of the city. If he tried to follow me, he was left behind.” She laughed again, sounding a little less nervous. “God. Listen to me. Paranoid or what?”

  “Is he normally like this?”

  “I don’t know much about him. He’s been with Jen about a year and doesn’t let her out much.”

  “Sounds complicated.”

  “I don’t have any proof, but I don’t think he treats her very well. He messes with her head. She used to be confident and outgoing, but now she frets about ironing his shirts and keeping him happy. And this whole business with Cade… She’s worried he’ll be angry if he knows they work together. He doesn’t believe in women having male friends. If that’s what marriage looks like, I plan to stay single.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir, there.”

  “At least we’re on the same page. So how was your day?”

  I took a swig of whisky. “I’m afraid we have a problem. Your Gran’s lawyer is changing the date for the will to be read. It’s coming forward a week. This Friday.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You’re kidding me.”

  “Nope.”

  “Shit. It’s the kick-off on Saturday. How am I going to make this work?”

  “Same as I did. Move your schedule.”

  “I can’t. I’m an attendee, and I need to be there. Adam’s hinted he has some big news to share. I can’t not go.”

  Yet again, work got in the way. This was getting old, very quickly. “Come down on Thursday night as you planned, just a week earlier. Stay Friday for the will reading, and then head back first thing Saturday. I’ve cleared my schedule for the weekend after, so we can get together then. For an entire weekend. Okay?”

  “I guess.” Kate sighed, and then spoke softly. “You’ve done so much. I know you don’t need to be at the will reading, but you’re doing everything you can to make it easier, and I can’t tell you what it means to me. Thank you. A thousand times over.”

  We spoke a few minutes more, promised to talk again tomorrow night, and then ended the call. Did Kate really not see what we had? Was I deluding myself?

  I tried to cheer up at the prospect of her being here on Thursday, but it was hard.

  12.4 Jenny

  I’d just hung up the phone with Kate, when Rob arrived home. He ba
nged on the door as usual and clomped through the flat, heading for the kitchen. He didn’t say a word. Didn’t make eye contact. A knotted ball of anxiety sat in my chest, tight around my lungs. I was so worried when I didn’t find him home, then shocked when Kate told me where he’d been.

  Above everything though, I was angry. He still didn’t trust me. I followed him and found him slugging a beer. The smell turned my stomach. “What are you doing, Rob?”

  He moved the bottle from his mouth and smirked. “Having a drink.”

  “You know what I mean. Hassling Kate. I called you and texted all afternoon. I thought you were ill or had an accident.”

  “Maybe I didn’t want to talk to you.”

  “That’s not very nice.”

  “Nice?” He sounded scandalized. “I went to ask Kate, your best friend, what you’d like for your birthday.” The smirk turned into a full-on scowl. “And this is how you react.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Kate had no reason to lie to me. “Tell me the truth.”

  He slammed the bottle onto the counter. I heard a cracking noise. “You’re calling me a liar?”

  “Yes.” It might not have been the smartest thing to say, but I was beyond caring. The way he stared at me, I wanted to cringe and apologize for challenging him, but I stood my ground, even if my knees trembled.

  “You’re right.” He made a dismissive gesture with his fingers. “I wanted to see Kate for myself.”

  “Why?”

  “Why d’you think?” He stepped toward me and opened his arms. “I’ve been a dick. I’m sorry.”

  A chill enveloped me. “What have you done?” It came out a whisper.

  “Done?” His forehead creased in a frown. “I haven’t done anything, apart from talk to her.”

  Relief flooded me in a sweet rush. “Are we good now? I hate arguing with you.”