by Deb Julienne
“Hello to you too, sis. Where’s Trent?” Several photographs had been added to Trent’s office walls, a few of the wedding and honeymoon as well as the December cover of the magazine.
“Stop the cuteness. He’s not here.” Sabrina glared at him.
He gave her an exaggerated grin. “Glad you think I’m cute.”
“Knock it off. What’s with Angel? She’s not picking up her cell.”
“I know.” He gave her an apologetic shrug. “She did the same to me.”
“I’ve been calling her for three days straight.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m worried about her. That and she has a couple of books she’s holding for me. I’m anxious to get them.”
Travis put his hand in his jacket pocket and felt the satin cover of the book he’d found under the couch. Could the book in his pocket be the same one she was talking about? His cheeks warmed as he recalled certain parts of it. He’d read it cover to cover. Between the comments from those crazy old women and a few things Angel had done to him, he had a feeling the book was responsible.
“I repeat, what did you do to her?” Sabrina’s words came out calm but through gritted teeth.
“Now you sound like Trent. Why do you assume I did something wrong?”
Sabrina crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Okay, okay, but honestly—I don’t know what happened.” Travis sat back in Trent’s chair and loosened his tie.
“How did your date go?” she asked. “She was fine when you left the restaurant.
“We had a great evening, but when I woke up Sunday morning she was gone.” He never wanted to feel that kind of alone again.
Sabrina’s jaw dropped. “Oh crap—you slept with her?”
He didn’t kiss and tell, so he chose to remain silent even if he couldn’t prevent the flush heating up his face.
“Enough said.” She dropped in a chair across from him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“I don’t know her very well yet, but I don’t get the impression she sleeps around.”
“I never said she did.”
“No, you don’t get it. If she’s as innocent as I was, this will bother her big time.”
He wasn’t about to speak out of turn so he settled for, “Why do you say that?”
“Because if that’s the case and she slept with you on a first date, it’s eating her up inside.”
Travis unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Do you think that’s all it is? I mean, I woke up and she was gone. At first, I was pissed because I thought she’d dumped me. The more I thought about it, though, I knew something wasn’t right.” Travis hoped this was the case, rather than her dumping his ass.
“Typical guy—that’s all it is? Geez Travis, that’s not how it is.” Sabrina did an embellished head smack for emphasis. “If I hadn’t been married to Trent and known he loved me as much as he did, I’d have reacted the same way she did. In fact, I told him I didn’t want to see him again after I kissed him the first time because I felt awful for practically attacking him the way I did. It took Kat to make me see there was nothing wrong with kissing him passionately. Believe me, I get it.”
“Then explain it to me, please.” Travis clutched a paperweight.
“It’s no secret I had a crush on Trent for years.”
“It was to me.” He rocked the chair.
“I can’t help it if you were stupid and clueless.” Sabrina flung her arms wide open.
Sabrina’s flippant response made him chuckle.
“I fell madly in love with him from the minute I laid eyes on him,” Sabrina said wistfully. “Angel told me she doesn’t believe in love at first sight. I wouldn’t have either if it was anyone else but Trent. Only there’s no other way to explain it. I’m sure someone hurt her badly and she never got over it. By the way, how did you find her?” Sabrina bit her bottom lip.
Travis sat up straight at Sabrina’s assessment that someone had hurt Angel. He drummed his fingers on the desk. “I called Trent and asked him where she worked.”
“About that…” Sabrina’s smirk said more than words could.
“What?” He leaned back in the chair, trying to act calm, but he leaned so far back the chair almost tipped over. He grabbed the desk just in time. He crossed his arms, ignoring Sabrina’s amused expression, and waited for the bottom to fall out.
“How did you react when you found out about her shop?”
Travis sat up and clasped his hands then tilted his head. “Would it have hurt one of you to give me fair warning about what I’d be walking into? She told me she sold intimate apparel, not the rest.” He stood and began pacing around Trent’s office.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Sabrina snickered. “Her place is a bit daunting, but once you get to know her and understand what her shop is about, you’ll realize what an asset she is.”
“I already do. Some old ladies came in while I was in the store—”
“Oh, so you met the Blue-Haired Brigade?” She chuckled. “Mitzi and Vera are quite the divas, aren’t they?”
“Don’t forget Hazel, although she’s tame by comparison.” Travis picked up an award the magazine had received. Trent’s reaction to those women was an honest one. They were positively scary.
“Hazel must be new to the group.”
“I guess. After Angel explained her methodology to Hazel, I was stunned. I never considered any of that stuff before. Sheer unadulterated genius. And not only that, she genuinely cares about those old bats.”
“Be nice. You’ll be old someday.”
He put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, but I’m telling you, I wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley. They’d take down Dracula without a spike.” Travis shivered then abruptly sat down. The mere thought of those women made his knees weak.
“You have no idea. They nailed Trent big time.”
“Oh really? Care to share?” He raised an eyebrow, curious to discover if Trent’s embarrassment had been as complete as his.
Sabrina leaned forward in one of the brown leather chairs on the other side of the oak desk in Trent’s office. “You’d already left to go back home after Christmas. I took him to Angel’s and set it up so that Angel made sure Mitzi and Vera were in the store to help me extract a portion of my revenge. They made sure to nail him in the aisles, offering advice on lubricants, lotions, massage oils, and God’s knows what else. He ran out of the store like his butt was on fire.”
He threw his head back laughing so hard he almost tipped his chair over again. “I wish I’d seen that. How come I’m just hearing about it now?”
“Trent kept his humiliation to himself. However, in light of your situation and since you’re in such desperate need of help, I decided to share. Just don’t harass Trent too much because he’s still smarting over it.” Sabrina lowered her head, trying to hide her amusement, but her shoulders convulsed.
“I bet he is.” He could only imagine how bad it was. A few minutes in their presence had been more than enough for him.
“What do you plan to do about Angel?” Sabrina clasped her hands and leaned on the edge of the desk.
“I don’t know what to do. I want to talk to her but she keeps pushing me away. You really think it’s because someone hurt her?” His fists clenched at the thought of anyone doing her harm.
“I can’t help you out there. I’m just pitching my best guess. I wish I could be of more help.”
“How can I get her to listen? There’s no privacy in her shop. Every time I look around at the products the wrong head starts doing my thinking and I know that’s not how to reach her heart.”
“Men are hopeless.” Sabrina bowed her head then shook it. “You need to show up at closing, bring her some dinner. Once she locks the door, tell her you want her undivided attention. What do you plan to say?” Sabrina picked up the framed wedding picture on Trent’s desk and smiled.
“I have no idea. I don�
��t know what I did wrong.” Travis scratched his cheek, replaying their night in his head.
“Good, go with that. Claim the blame, apologize for being a clueless bastard, and tell her you want to find out what you did wrong.”
“And if she still won’t talk?” he asked.
“Okay, I have an idea. Practice doing something men are terrible at...listening.” Sabrina seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. “I suggest you do and make it good.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes. I don’t want to lose her.”
Sabrina stood up, dumbstruck. “Really—you like her that much?”
“Yes. She’s different from every other woman I’ve met. Just being with her makes me feel young and stupid again. She’s playful and yet she’s not the least bit intimidated by me. In fact, she enjoys slamming me every chance she gets.” Travis relished the way Angel’s eyes ignited in retaliation to his taunts during their silly game.
“As opposed to all the women who’ve thrown themselves at your feet begging to do your bidding.” Sabrina cocked her head then headed toward the door.
“Exactly. She’s genuine, strong, and independent in an understated way.”
“Be sure to tell her that. She’ll respect your honesty.”
“What else? Come on, Sabrina, help me out. Can’t you talk to her for me?” Travis got out of the chair and walked with Sabrina toward the door.
“What is this, high school? You’re a big boy, Travis. Time for you to suck it up and make her the priority.” Sabrina stopped in front of him and patted his arm. “The more I think about it, the more concerned I am. I know she has some serious family issues, but I also got the impression her past has left her a bit scarred. Go easy and don’t push. Shut up and listen when she’s ready to talk. That’s all most women really want…someone to listen. We don’t expect you to fix things—just listen and show that you care.”
“I do care, very much.” Did Sabrina really think he was insincere?
“Then you’re half way there. Good luck.” She pressed a hand to his cheek then patted it.
“That’s it—good luck?” He expected more than that.
“What do you want me to do—pat you on the head? If she means so much to you, go pick up a beautiful bouquet of flowers and stop whining.” Sabrina’s lips pressed into a thin line. “If she matters, just do something to show it.”
“So much for expecting sympathy from you. Instead, I get attitude. I see where I stand.” He stuffed his hands deep into his pants pockets, shoulders hunched.
“Waaa, waaa, waaa. Quit crying, put on your Superman undies, and get out of here. I have to get back to work. Trent is out of the office for the day.” She escorted him out the door.
“Thanks for the pep talk. I’ll call you if I get shot down.”
“Sure. You know where to find me.” Sabrina stopped and clutched the doorframe after she opened the door. “And, Travis, I mean it. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
* * * *
Travis stood outside Angel’s shop. He sucked in a breath then let it out. He adjusted the gardenia plant in one arm, hoisted the bag of takeout food in the other, and juggled the cardboard holder to keep the drinks from spilling. He considered knocking, but he was afraid she’d lock him out. No, he needed the element of surprise on his side.
“It’s now or never.” He pushed through the door and let the bell announce him. The shop was empty. “Lucy, I’m home.”
Angel shoved the curtain aside and stood barefoot in the doorway to the back room. She blinked then frowned, as if she remembered she was supposed to be mad at him. “What do you want?” Angel was even more forlorn than earlier in the day, and yet she was still incredibly gorgeous. Her hair was mussed, her makeup smeared, and her red cashmere sweater had several strands and strings clinging to it. She lifted a foot and rubbed her big toe against the calf of her other leg.
“I came bearing gifts.” He placed everything on the counter. “I chose not to bring roses,” he said, pointing at the gardenia. “I hate the idea of them dying. I brought something that’s alive and growing, like us.” He handed her a drink. “Iced tea with lemon, ginger, and honey. As for dinner, I wanted to make sure you ate something good. You said Mexican was your favorite.”
She sniffed the air and sighed. “Th-thank you, but why are you here? I don’t believe we have anything left to say to one another.”
“Good, you can listen.” He went to the front door, locked it then flipped the closed sign around before heading back to her. He adjusted the plant, turning it until it was just right, and then grabbed the food bag. “Can we go in the back room?”
Her mouth dropped open. She peered from the plant to the bag of food.
He rolled his shoulders. “I have all the time in the world.”
Finally, she shrugged and pushed through the curtains, letting them fall back into place.
Not to be deterred, he followed and set the food on the table. He unpacked the Styrofoam containers. “We have chile verde.” He lifted the lid, and green chili scented steam rose. “And chicken enchiladas in red sauce.” The enchiladas were topped with a healthy layer of cheese. Both containers also had rice and beans, and the savory fragrances rose from each container. “Take your pick.”
Instead of taking one container or the other, she cut the entrée in half for them to share. A girl after his own heart. Once she split the entrée, she grabbed her plastic fork and her dinner and took a chair on the far side of the room.
“I hoped I’d wake and find you still in my arms.”
Angel played with her food, only taking small bites and avoiding eye contact.
“When I found you gone, I was crushed. I thought you’d dumped me.”
She whipped her head up, a frown marring her pretty face. She opened her mouth to say something then closed it.
“After the enchanting evening we had, I couldn’t understand why you’d leave. I’m just an ordinary dumb guy, but I remembered all the things we talked about, the deeper things. I just couldn’t believe the wonderful woman I was with could do something so cold and insensitive.”
She jerked forward then dropped back, opened her mouth, and took a bite of rice. “That was a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“Saturday night was nice.” She set her container in her lap and bowed her head. Even in the dim back room an element of a flush covered her cheeks.
Travis was disappointed she’d purposely avoided sitting at the table with him.
“It was more than nice.” He angled his seat so he was facing her.
She finally looked over at him.
His heartbeat sped up.
She stood up, turned away, put her food on the file cabinet then covered her face. “True, but it was a mistake for us to have s-sex. I need you to know I-I don’t do that, especially on a first date.”
“I’m sorry things went too quickly. It wasn’t very considerate of me not to have picked up on that.”
Angel turned to face him. “Actually I’m not the kind that sleeps around on a first date, not at all. I don’t do that. I don’t know what I was thinking. Obviously, I wasn’t.”
“Well, we’ve actually seen each other a few times and with the phone calls and all, we’ve kind of been exclusive for a few weeks at least.” He took a bite of his food. It was damn good, but his appetite was gone. He closed the container and set the fork on the lid.
“You’re not listening.” Her shoulders heaved.
Her reaction just didn’t make a lick of sense. “Fine. So you had a bad breakup—I get it. I’ve had bad breakups myself and swore I’d never go out again.”
“It wasn’t just a bad breakup. I’m through.” Angel sniffed.
“You’re what, twenty-four?”
“No, twenty-six.” She opened the file cabinet, slammed it shut, and rubbed her temple again.
“Aren’t you a bit young to be so jaded about men?”
She spun around and snapped. “Drop it—now!”
“I
can’t. I’m falling for you and I’m not ready to let go without a fight.” Travis stilled. He had to make her see how much he cared.
Angel scowled, gritted her teeth at him then fled the room in a huff.
He stood to go after her.
* * * *
Angel did an about-face and flew back through the curtains. “How dare you say that? You don’t even know me.” Angel couldn’t contain her outrage. The last thing she wanted to hear was Travis using the same words Grant had used all those years ago. She’d given herself to him and then he’d betrayed her in the worst possible way. “I want you to leave.”
Travis shuffled his feet. “I’m not leaving until I find out what I did wrong.”
“Fine—it’s not you. It’s me. There. You’re off the hook.” She pointed toward the door.
“I don’t want to be off the hook. I want to know why you’re so hell-bent on throwing away something I believe is the real thing.” He took a step toward her.
She crossed her arms and held her ground. “Oh, please. Knock off the love-at-first-sight crap.” She wanted the romance of his promises, but she didn’t trust her luck, even if he did play her body like the entire string section of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.
“Believe what you want. I’ve never felt this way before and I have no intention of walking away until you convince me we don’t have a future.” Travis furrowed his brow, his jaw set as he held her gaze, almost daring her to kick him out again.
Angel had a stubborn streak, too, but her will was stronger. “Well, you’re going to have to let go because I have no intention of seeing you again.”
“At least let me leave knowing why.” He removed his jacket, laid it on a box, unbuttoned his cuffs, rolled up his sleeves, loosened his tie, and then planted his butt on the stool.
“Fine. I’ll tell you. Then I expect you to walk away and leave me alone. Deal?” Surely once he learned the truth, he’d understand. Angel hoped so because she wanted so badly for him to accept her even after he heard the terrible truth about her past.
