by D. L. Raver
Sloan turned and looked at me. “Are you okay, Irelyn?”
I smiled. Sloan had been with our family for almost five years, and I adored him.
I took off the choker and dropped it in my handbag. “I’m fine now, Sloan. Thanks,” I said and squeezed his shoulder.
“I assume we’re headed home since you are unwell?” He cocked a questioning brow.
“You know, I’m feeling much better. A miraculous recovery. Go figure.” I smiled widely at him.
“Go figure,” he said with a wink.
“Actually, I’d like to go to Rachel’s house.” I hadn’t filled her in on what had happened between Zolt and me. Now seemed like the perfect time.
I wanted to connect with Zolt, but he’d made it clear that until I was free, he didn’t want to hear from me. I had to respect that, even if it stung.
If I had any balls at all, I’d call Marcus right now and tell him I didn’t want to see him anymore. My fingers skimmed over my phone, hovering over his number. Unfortunately, I must have left my balls in a different pair of panties because I just couldn’t do it. I cursed my gutless-self as I tossed the phone in my handbag.
“We’re here, Irelyn,” Sloan said as we pulled up to the Strauss’s colonial style home. I’d always loved this house and the many rose bushes that lined the walkway. “Shall I wait?”
“No, don’t wait. I could be here a few hours. I’ll call when I’m ready to come home.”
“As you wish. Enjoy yourself.”
“Always do.”
Rachael came bounding out of her house in ponytails, cutoff jean shorts, and a Justin Timberlake T-shirt. She sucked loudly on a lollipop, her newest vice to replace cigarettes.
“How’s the no-smoking going?”
“Oh, you know, I do fine until after eating or sex. At least Cory is encouraging me by giving me—”
“Hold up there, Rach,” I said, holding up my hands. “Don’t need you to finish that statement. I can only imagine what Cory is using as a reward system.”
“Prude!” We went to her den and flopped on the tapestry couch. “Dude, Mom is totally pissed at your mom.”
“What? Why?” I narrowed my eyes wondering what Emmeline would do to upset Barbara. Since college, Daddy, Mom, Tom, and Barbara had been inseparable. The men planned their careers together, going so far as to starting their own law firm. Mom and Barbi had pledged the same sorority, planned their weddings together, and even coordinated the birth of their children. That Emmeline Wilkes would purposefully piss off Barbara Strauss seemed unfathomable. Barbi and Emme were the older version of Rachael and me. They were besties.
“Apparently, your mom and dad are going to miss the gala." “
“What? Shut the fuck up!”
“Yep.” Rachael took out her lollipop and pointed it at me. “Your parents are going to Quebec for a month and won’t be here.”
“Quebec? What the hell? Why are they going to Quebec? Who do they even know in Quebec?” I slouched down on the couch and crossed my arms over my chest. The AZ Cardinals’ Charity Gala was one of the social events of the year. It made no sense my parents would choose to miss that. Mom was on the board with Barbi for God’s sake. “Why haven’t they told me? I swear, my parents can be real assholes sometimes. I bet Cory’s mom is pissed too.”
“Celia is, according to Mom. They don’t understand why your parents would plan this. The firm is a major contributor.”
“I just don’t get it. Though…” I said thoughtfully.
“Though what? You have the crazy, ‘I have a plan’ twinkle in your eyes. What are you up to, Irelyn?”
“Well. I need to start at the beginning,” I said and curled my legs underneath me. “You and I have a lot to catch up on.”
“Do we need beer for this?” she asked, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
“We do.”
Two beers and twenty minutes later, I’d rehashed the last three days and all that had gone down between Zolt and I.
“Oh, my God, Irelyn, that is so—”
“I know, right. It’s crazy.”
“It’s swoon worthy is what it is. To have a man say those things to you and mean it. Ugh. Cory sucks. And so do you, you bitch! I can’t believe you didn’t call me. Your entire life has changed in the course of days.” Rachael threw a pillow at me, but I deflected it with my outstretched foot.
“I didn’t want to intrude on you and Cory’s weekend time. I know he works his ass off at the firm during the week.”
“What are you going to do about Marcus? You are going to do something, right?” She picked up her phone and handed it to me. “Here, call him now. Tell him. How can you not? Think about it, Zolt is waiting for you. You could be with him tonight.”
I sighed. “It’s not that easy. Knowing that Zolt wants to be with me makes it easier. But I have to be smart. After hearing about my parents’ plans, now I’m thinking that I’ll tell Marcus the day Mom and Daddy leave for Quebec. That way they won’t be here to intervene.”
“Good plan,” Rachael agreed, once again pointing her half-eaten lollipop at me. “I hate that you’ll be alone. Though, you’re never alone because you have me.”
“I know. I know. I just need this to end, and soon.”
“Like yesterday,” Rachael smiled, then her expression fell, and worry darkened her gaze. “Are you really scared of him? I mean he wouldn’t get handsy with you, would he?”
I squeezed my beer bottle until my knuckles turned white. “I don’t know what he’ll do, but he won't just let me walk away. You’ve seen the way he looks at me.”
“It creeps me out. It’s like you’re his possession. He won’t like the idea of someone else playing with his toy.”
“It is creepy, isn’t it? That’s what makes this so much harder. It’s doubtful he’d get physical. That isn’t Marcus’s MO. I get the sense he’s more devious.”
“What did Chris ever see in him? I mean, he’s five years older than Chris, and they always seemed out of place with each other. Cory fucking hates him.”
I sighed. “I know. I hate that Cory and Chris were sort of on the outs because of Marcus.”
“Me too.” She squeezed my hand. “Did you know Marcus tried to get Cory to come work for him, but he told him to fuck off? It bugs me that your father is so attached to him.”
“I know. Which is exactly why I need to do this when Daddy isn’t here. But I have to say, I’m finding this trip too convenient. First, he sent Zolt and I on a wild goose chase for an outdated case. Then, he gave Zolt a case to look over that was already settled. One that happens to have a connection to Marcus. Which, by the way, you can’t say anything about, not even to Cory.”
Rachael nodded. “I know.”
“Now my parents are suddenly going out of the country, and are missing one of society’s biggest events?”
“Do you think this has to do with Marcus?” Rachael asked and stretched out her long legs on the couch and wiggled her red-painted toes.
I gave her a one shoulder shrug.
“Maybe. All I know is I have a bad feeling about this. What if Daddy is involved in something with Marcus that he shouldn’t be and is trying to find a way out?”
Rachael sat up and took my hand. “Be careful, Irelyn. Careful with Marcus and careful with Zolt. I know it would be easy to get swept up in the romantic history you and Zolt share. But he told you he was fucked up. Listen to that. In my experience, when guys warn you away from them, there’s a reason. Keep your head about you is all I’m saying on both accounts. Don’t underestimate Marcus, and don’t give Zolt your heart until you’re sure he deserves to have it. In the meantime, fuck his brains out.”
Rachael and I laughed our asses off until she started sensuously licking her lollipop with the tip of her tongue.
“You’re disgusting, you know that? Save that tongue for Cory.” I tugged on one of her ponytails.
“Oh, don’t worry I will.” Her gazed narrowed in my direction.
“Seriously, I can’t believe you and Zolt went down on each other and didn’t fuck.”
We looked at each other and together we said, “Bill Clinton.”
“You totally Clintoned it.” She bit off the rest of her lollipop, and then threw the stick at me. “Well played, Irelyn. Well played. After all, oral sex is not sex. Therefore, it’s not cheating.”
I said nothing, but I could feel my cheeks heat. I was pretty sure Marcus wouldn’t see it that way, but I really didn’t care.
The next day at work was crazy. Daddy had forgotten—or rather his assistant had—to inform me the firm was hosting several attorneys from a Boston law firm; the same firm where Zolt had spent the last three years. With Daddy's absence, it fell to me to play hostess. Why, I didn’t know. I wasn’t a lawyer, and my name wasn’t on the firm letterhead. Whatever. It was what it was. I greeted each one of them with a smile and a handshake.
“Hello, I’m Irelyn Wilkes. Welcome to the firm. I’m sorry my father isn’t here to greet you himself.” I shook a man’s hand, though I couldn’t remember his name. He was tall, lanky, and unimpressive. I thought he had mousy brown hair, but I didn’t really care. When I came to the only woman in the group of four, I stopped, taken aback by her beauty. She stood just an inch shorter than me, which made her at least 5’7”. She was fashionably thin and dressed impeccably. Her red hair sported a cute pixie cut, which made her hazel eyes pop.
I hated her immediately.
“Marcy Kelt,” she said, returning my firm handshake with one of her own.
I hated her even more when she leaned in and asked, “Zolt Hamil is working here, correct?”
“Uh, yes,” I answered, hoping my surprise didn’t register in my voice.
“Mmm, good.” She licked her perfectly bowed, red lips. “I haven’t seen him in months. I can’t wait to get reacquainted.”
“Oh. So you know Zolt?” God, I wanted to slap that knowing look off her face. I drummed my fingers on the side of my leg to stop from doing so.
“Where’s his office? I think I’ll pop in and surprise him.”
Several answers scrolled in my head. I could misdirect her, run to Zolt’s office, and interrogate him. But as host, that would just make me look stupid. And as future girlfriend, I’d look jealous. Which, of course, I was. I was probably as green as Elphaba from Wicked at this very moment. I was that jealous. Obviously, they’d slept together. However, according to Zolt, he didn’t fuck the same woman twice. I assumed that held true for Marcy. At least, I hoped it did. I also hoped it wouldn’t hold true for me.
“His office?” Marcy asked, and returned me to the here and now.
“Right. Down the hall, first right, and his office is the second on the left.”
“Thanks,” she said and sauntered down the hall in his direction.
“Fuck,” I mumbled under my breath. Could this week get any worse? First, I had to deal with Marcus being home, and then finding out my parents were leaving for a month or more. Now this? What if Zolt changed his mind? Marcy was here, available, and ready to spread her legs for him.
Damn it! I needed to get rid of Marcus pronto. And I needed to make sure Zolt didn’t sleep with Marcy while she was here. How the hell was I supposed to do that?
I stomped back to my office, shut the door, and then fell into my chair. I had a ton of work to do, but all I wanted to do was have a good pout.
An hour later, my phone rang and pulled me from the oh-so-boring research I was doing.
“Yo, bitch. What up?” Rachel’s voice sang out from my phone.
“Oh, you know. Same ole, same ole.”
“Really? Cory called and said there’s some hottie in Zolt’s office. I guess he’s working on a case with him. Dude, you need to get in there and stake your claim if you already haven’t.”
“I haven’t,” I sighed.
“Why the fuck not?”
“Well, because I don’t have a claim. Not yet, anyway. Until I get rid of Marcus, I can’t expect Zolt to sit around and wait for me, even if that’s what I want him to do.”
“Screw that. Go in there and make your presence known. Zolt will react to you, and if she has a brain in her head, she’ll get the message loud and clear,” Rachel advised.
“I don’t have anything to talk to him about. We aren’t working on anything together. It would be too obvious without an agenda.”
“Hmm?” She paused for a moment. “Ooh, I know. Plan an impromptu outing for tonight. How about Suede? I love that bar.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, tapping my pen on my desk. “Crap. Marcus will end up coming. Ugh. I don’t want him there with Zolt.”
“Yes, you do. Make Zolt fight for you.”
“No, Rach. That’s the last thing I need. I’d rather Marcus not have any idea about Zolt. It will make breaking up with him so much easier if he doesn’t realize why I’m doing this.”
“I suppose,” she said, then her voice grew serious. “You’re doing this because he’s an asshole and he’s bad for you? Right? Zolt is just the icing on the cake?”
“Yeah,” I answered dreamily. “He is.”
“So what time for Suede?”
We set the plans for early evening, and I disconnected from Rach. Then, I called Suede and had them reserve an area. Since the firm frequented the bar often, they always made sure to accommodate us.
I stared at my phone, knowing I needed to call Marcus and tell him my plans. I couldn’t take the chance of lying, and telling him I was still sick, only to have someone else rat me out. Seriously, Marcus seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere.
Hitting his speed dial number, I chewed on the edge of my finger, waiting for him to answer. Maybe I’d get lucky and it would go to voicemail. Actually, I was kind of surprised he hadn’t called me already.
“Irelyn,” his smug voice echoed over my phone.
“Marcus,” I replied. “Hey. The firm has a few visiting lawyers in from Boston, and I’ve arranged for an outing tonight.”
“Tonight’s not good for me,” he said expectantly, as if I’d change it to a more convenient time. I closed my eyes and bade myself not to snarl a reply. What the fuck? This wasn’t about him. Not everything in the world was designed with Marcus Xavier in mind.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but they’re only here for tonight.” I spoke slowly and in an even tone.
“I suppose you’ll have to go. I’ll try to come later. Where’s it at?”
I almost lied to him, and the words poised on the tip of my tongue. I could tell him a different place, and then make up a story to cover my lie. Instead, I said, “Suede.”
“Fine. I’ll come if I can. No promises.”
“Fine,” I parroted. Maybe the fates would be with me and I’d escape having to see him tonight.
Like always, Marcus disconnected without so much as a good-bye.
“I. Hate. Him!” I said and banged my head on my desk. How the hell did I let this happen? A useless question. It didn’t matter how. What mattered was how I’d fix it.
First, I’d go to Zolt’s office and personally invite him, and as Rach suggested, stake my claim.
I stood, shook out my waves, and straightened my black, Herve Leger, Scalloped A-line dress. With purpose, I walked down the hall to Zolt’s office. Marcy maybe a skinny lawyer, but I was the founding partner’s daughter with a rockin’ bod. That wasn’t conceit on my part. I worked my ass off, literally, to keep in shape. When you like to eat real food, you had no choice. And, I could be a lawyer if I wanted to be. I just didn’t want to be. That skinny bitch had nothing on me. Except for sleeping with Zolt. But that was history, and I’d do my best to make sure it stayed that way.
When I got to his door, I stopped before knocking when I heard the sound of laughter. Her laughter.
Bitch!
I sucked in a breath and knocked on the door.
“Yes,” Zolt’s voice answered.
I opened the door and stuck my head in. “Hi, s
orry to interrupt.”
“Irelyn.” Zolt’s voice reflected the excitement his crystalline-blues sparkled with. “You’re not interrupting. Come in.”
I opened the door and walked in.
Marcy turned her head in my direction, but her body stayed perched on the edge of Zolt’s desk. She offered me a forced smile. I’d obviously intruded on whatever plan she had working.
Zolt sat, relaxed in his chair with his arms resting behind his head.
He looked so good. The dark plum shirt and his black tie did wonders in showing off his assets. Not surprising. The man knew how to dress himself. That made me want him even more.
“I just wanted to make sure you received the email I sent out about Suede? I need to call and confirm the head count.”
“I’m in,” Zolt said, smiling. “I assume you’re going?”
“Of course.” I offered the sweetest smile I could muster. “I’ll be your cruise director for the evening.”
“How quaint.” Marcy stood and smoothed her beige pencil skirt. She ran her finger up Zolt’s arm. “If Zolt is going, then I’m definitely in.”
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text and she frowned. “Boss is paging me. Better get to work.”
Yeah, good idea since that’s why you’re here. Stupid cow.
“Later, Zolt.” She leaned down and brushed his lips with hers.
It took everything I had not to rush her like a linebacker and take her skinny ass down.
Zolt jerked his head back and gave her a ‘what the fuck’ glare.
“Sure, Marcy. Great,” he said with a note of irritation in his tone.
Marcy strolled across the room to the door. She stopped when she reached me, looking me up and down.
“Nice dress. Last season, isn’t it?”
My mouth dropped open a tad, and then I smiled. “Actually, this is from his upcoming fall collection. Mom’s a friend of Herve Leger.”
“Hmph.” Marcy turned and walked out.
Fucking cow!
I pushed the door closed and glared at Zolt.
“Meow,” he said, snickering.
“Really, Zolt? I think you can do much better than that?” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder.
