Untouched Perfection

by Mayer, Kristin

  On our way down to the car, I wanted to explain myself. “I hope you don’t think it’s rude that I didn’t introduce you to Brooke.”

  “No, I want you to have someone you feel safe to talk to.”

  Is he seeing someone, too? No questions. Let him reveal it in due time. But Garrick understood me in a way I thought impossible. No crazy expectations. No pressure. Just a man and a woman attracted to each other.

  We drove across town to the office, pointing out restaurants we liked. The tension eased as time progressed, and I thought about my situations. I was in the car with my boyfriend, who rested his hand on my knee. Boyfriend. Garrick hadn’t used the word, but we were in a relationship. Is it exclusive? I hoped so.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “Are we umm… exclusive?”

  “Yes. I don’t share well.”

  The possessive tone sent a thrill through me. This is what I wanted. To lighten the mood, I said, “Duly noted. I won’t ask you for a cup of sugar if I run out.”

  A hearty laugh filled the air. I loved this side of him. “For you, I’ll make an exception. Only you.”

  Only me.

  Before I had a chance to swoon for too long, he said, “You seem more relaxed.”

  “I am. Talking to Brooke helps.”

  “That’s important. When is your next appointment?” Again, his comments came without judgment.

  We turned into the secured parking lot. “Wednesday. With all the changes this week, I think it will help.”

  He turned the car off. “You and Sawyer will have reserved parking spots next to me. Access has been restricted to the floor, and all the codes have been reset. If you give me your keys, I’ll arrange to have your car delivered—unless you’d like me to take you to get it.”

  “Thank you.” I fished out my keys. “I don’t want to go back to the apartment.”

  Garrick showed me the way up the private entrance. It was posh with the onyx walls and slate floors. Silver rails gleamed. The metal doors opened, and we entered a light gray hallway with three doors. “Annie arranged for the two vacant units to be cleaned today. You should find everything in order. If there’s anything you need, let me know.”

  “Which one do you live in?”

  “The one at the end of the hall. It’s larger.”

  Unlocking the first door on the right, Garrick began the tour. The Shaw International color scheme filled the apartment—white walls, black furniture, modern decor. The apartments were large. The living area and kitchen were combined into one giant great room, and the bedrooms were at the end of the hallway. Each bedroom had its own bathroom. Slate floors, granite countertops, top-of-the-line appliances. “These are nice.”

  “We can change anything you want.”

  I leaned up and kissed his lips. His arms wrapped around my waist. Desire to take it further filled the air, yet we held back. “I’d like to see your place.”

  “This key card will get you into whichever apartment you choose—and mine, as well, just in case you need anything.”

  “This apartment is perfect.” I took the key card. It wasn’t like he was giving me a key to his place, but in a sense, it was.

  Garrick touched my cheek. “How about a tour of my place?”

  Thankful for the reprieve, I nodded. His apartment was bigger and decorated a little more lavishly in the same colors. I loved the slate floors. In the light, they faintly sparkled. In the living room, soft black leather furniture beckoned a body to curl upon it. A large round marble table filled the dining area. It was white with black distressed lines. I loved it. “I think you have a thing for black and white.”

  Hands in his pockets, he looked around the room. “I guess I do.”

  No pictures or knickknacks lay about. “You were right; we are minimalists.”

  The tension in his shoulders eased. I ran my hands along the black granite countertop of the bar off the living room, wanting to change the subject. “Have you heard anything from the police? Do they have any new leads?”

  Garrick seemed to snap out of his thoughts. “Not yet. I’m working on acquiring whatever information they may have. The police aren’t cooperating. Human resources is dealing with the manager of the complex. I had them look over the office today more thoroughly, and it seems you’re not the only tenant whose paperwork had been misplaced.”

  “Oh no.”

  Garrick worked to relax his tense jaw. My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out of my bag. “It’s Sawyer. I need to answer her.”

  “Would you like a drink?”

  “No, thanks.”

  Garrick poured himself a drink as I read my text.

  Sawyer: Hey, Mom is stable. She was lucky. The snowmobile malfunctioned and crashed. The doctors have stopped the internal bleeding.

  Me: I’m so sorry I haven’t texted you this morning. Can I call?

  Immediately, the phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Knoah.”

  Hearing her voice intensified the guilt that I hadn’t checked up on my friend. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. Sawyer, Jessica was murdered last night. I was with the police this morning.”

  “What? Are you serious? How? When? What happened?”

  I leaned against the wall. “Yes, I’m serious. The police questioned me for a while since the lease in the office still has my name on it. They are not able to locate the original copy.”

  Sawyer gasped. “Were they after you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m living in one of the apartments above Garrick’s office until we get this figured out. It’s safe. There’s room for you here, too, if you want.”

  “Yeah, count me in. I don’t want to be there anymore, either.”

  “Do you want me to go ahead and pack up the apartment? I’ll hire someone to do it because I don’t want to go back. The apartments here are furnished, so I can find a storage unit.”

  A beeping alarm came from Sawyer’s end of the call. “They’re changing Mom’s fluids. Let me step out in the hall.” The background noise became quieter. “I can’t ask you to do that. I can take care of it when I get back.”

  “It’s not an issue. I’m currently not working, remember?”

  Her sigh was heavy with defeat. “Mickey called and fired me since I left her in the lurch.”

  This news filled me with rage. What happened to our boss? She’d always been distant, but never cruel. “What a bitch. I don’t understand what is wrong with her.”

  “Me, either. But it doesn’t matter. I was done with the whole deal. The wig-wearing monkey wore me out. I need some calm in my life. And Mom is going to need some help.”

  Sawyer calm? Not possible.

  “What are you going to do?”

  She said hello to someone before answering, “I’m going to work with Cameron now. It’ll allow a flexible schedule. He needs someone to keep him organized since he landed Kurt’s account. Kurt put the condition in his contract for one completely dedicated person, and I’m the lucky girl.”

  Oh geez. This spells trouble.

  “He wants to offer you a job, too.”

  This whole thing felt like a bad idea. I liked Cameron, but I wasn’t going to cross those lines with Kurt.

  “That’s sweet, but I think I’m going to look into doing PR. We’ll see. I’ll figure it out.”

  “I know you will.”

  “What happened with the snowmobile? You said it malfunctioned?”

  “The brakes failed and Mom crashed. Dad watched the whole thing. She’s okay, and that’s what matters.”

  “That’s terrible. I’m glad she’s okay.”

  The background noise grew a little louder. “Me, too. Tell Garrick I said hi. You two play nice… or maybe not so nice together.”

  My cheeks heated. “I will. Keep you posted. Bye, Sawyer.”

  I clicked off the line before she said anything more.

  “Sawyer is fine staying here with me. I’m going to have our stuff put in storage u
ntil we figure out where to go next.”

  “Good.” Garrick took a few steps toward me, and my lips tingled with the darkening of his eyes. “Do you want to eat out tonight or call something in? Grocery delivery isn’t happening until tomorrow.”

  “Why don’t we go grocery shopping, and I’ll cook something simple?”

  His nose grazed mine. “That sounds very domestic.”

  “It is. It’ll be fun.”

  My eyes closed as his lips moved closer to mine.

  “You are beautiful.”

  Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

  Garrick stepped away from me, annoyance at the interruption clear on his face. No. No. no. I needed to feel his lips against mine. He went to the intercom by the door and pressed a button.

  “Mr. Shaw, your mother and sister are here.” The intercom clicked off.

  A feminine voice replaced the guard’s. “Garrick, it’s your mother. Why won’t security let me up?”

  His family. I looked at Garrick, eyes wide.

  “We don’t have to do this now. I can send her away.”

  No. I was all in. Might as well meet his mother. “No, don’t send her away. It’s fine.”

  Garrick studied me for a moment before pressing the button. “Come on up.”

  A nervous giggle flitted free. “We’re jumping relationship hurdles at the speed of light.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better.” He rubbed his forehead. “My family can be overwhelming at times.”

  Overwhelming?

  Dylan’s mom came to mind, and I shuddered. What if they’re like Vivian? My track record with parents was less than stellar.

  His hand touched my shoulder. “We can change our minds and send them away.”

  I forced myself to shake my head. No what-ifs. The challenge kept me moving forward. “I want to meet them. It’s normal to meet parents.” He eyed me, and I clarified. “Yes, I’m nervous. But I want this.”

  The doorbell rang.

  Here goes nothing.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The door opened, and two kids flew into the room. “Uncle Garrick! Uncle Garrick!”

  I hadn’t been expecting his niece and nephew. They had to be Kourtney and Hugh’s kids. They were the only ones with a boy and a girl.

  Still in his business clothes, grey slacks and dress shirt, Garrick squatted and caught the two children as they flew into his arms. “Hey, munchkins.”

  My heart melted as he easily swept up the kids into his arms and deposited one on each hip. If memory served me right, they were around five and seven.

  “What have you guys been doing? I’ve missed you.”

  “We went to MeMe’s pool this morning. And then MeMe and Papa took us to the park. We were going to dinner when we asked to stop and see you.”

  He kissed their heads. “That sounds like fun. I’m glad you came by.”

  The kids looked my way in unison as if they’d sensed someone else in the room. Curious stares came my way from everyone. This was beyond awkward. Garrick opened his mouth to speak when the little girl asked, “Who is that?”

  “This is Knoah, my girlfriend.”

  Girlfriend. He’d said the word. For a moment, I was filled with elation until I noticed the silence. The room grew awkward. For the first time, I noticed Hastings standing behind everyone. Garrick frowned but set the kids down and walked over to me. When no one said a word, my doubt began to grow.

  Do they hate me as much as Vivian does?

  His mother smiled. “How long have you been together?”

  “Not long,” Garrick replied. “Knoah’s going to live here for a bit due to some unforeseen circumstances.”

  She approached me, her face open and friendly. “Knoah is a beautiful name. I’m Suzette, Garrick’s mother.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Shaw.”

  She flicked her wrist. “Pssh. Call me Suzette. Mrs. Shaw makes me feel old.”

  “Thank you, Suzette.” I held out my hand, but Suzette hugged me instead.

  “I’m a hugger. I can’t help it.” She pulled back. “Since my son has lost his manners, let me introduce you to everyone else. This is Kourtney, my eldest daughter. These are her kids, Derrick and Savannah. Hugh, her husband, is at home playing cards with Garrick’s father.”

  Kourtney joined us. “Nice to meet you. I’m a hugger, too. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t. It’s nice to meet you, as well.”

  I felt only warmth from Garrick’s family, and it brought a smile to my face. Nothing like Dylan’s. I knelt to greet the kids, who slowly walked over to me. “Hey, Derrick and Savannah. I’m Knoah.”

  “How old are you?”

  The little girl tilted her head. Her mother scolded her, but I waved it off and answered, “I’m twenty-six. How old are you?”

  “I’m seven. Are you going to be my aunt and have babies with Uncle Garrick? He’s almost thirty.”

  “I—uh—” Babies? Marriage? That was megawarp speed. I was at a loss, and my jaw snapped shut.

  Kourtney shook her head. “I blame the princesses. Savannah thinks anyone who’s dating should get married and live happily ever after.”

  That eased me. Marginally.

  “Mom, MeMe is always saying Uncle Garrick needs to settle down and have kids of his own. He loves kids. He loves us.”

  Kids?

  My breathing sped up. Calm down. You need to calm down.

  Garrick stepped in front of me. “How about ice cream? I think there’s some in the freezer.”

  The kids took off with Kourtney following behind.

  “I’m so sorry, Knoah.”

  “It’s okay.” Or not. I had a million unanswered questions now. And a small ache formed in my chest. On his bucket list, he’d put that he wanted a family.

  Garrick placed his hand on my lower back. I knew I should say something, but I was still speechless. Hello, warp factor nine. A little fissure formed in my heart.

  Suzette waved it off. She had no idea how big of a deal this was. “How does a family dinner next weekend sound? I know Melissa and Marcus would want to meet Knoah. And of course their kids. It’ll be fun.”

  I stopped and stared, frozen. Each sibling was married with two kids. Quickly doing the math, I calculated over fifteen people, including me, at dinner. That was a lot of people to meet all at once. A lot. Completely different from my family of three. I took a slow, deep breath to calm down.

  “We’ll have your favorite, Garrick. As long as Knoah likes Italian. Do you?”

  Wait. She’s talking to me. “Yes, I like lasagna.” Oh wait, should I have assumed Garrick’s favorite dish?

  His mom beamed.

  “We’ll see, Mom.” Garrick looked over his mom’s shoulder at Hastings. I’d forgotten he was there. “What are you doing here?”

  “I need to speak with you. It’s important.”

  A sense of uneasiness spread through me as Hastings strolled into the room. Suzette shook her head. “Come on, Knoah. Let’s head to the kitchen while these two men chat about work. Goodbye, Hastings. It was good to see you.”

  Hastings softened. “You as well. Tell Henry I said hello.”

  “I will.”

  Wait. Suzette seemed to like Hastings. Why?

  Hastings nodded toward Suzette. “Good to see you. It’s been a while. Thanks for letting me catch a ride up.”

  “Of course. Don’t be a stranger. It’s been too long.”

  Linking arms with mine, she led us out of the room. With Hastings around, that uneasy feeling had made itself known again. What’s up with him? I swore I could feel his eyes follow me out of the room.

  As we rounded the corner, I heard Hastings ask, “Girlfriend?”

  Suzette patted my arm. “He’s an old friend of Garrick’s. They have some things to work out.” When I said nothing, she continued. “He got a seat on the board of one of the companies GS Industries acquired without Garrick knowing. They used to be so close as kids, but then they sto
pped. Garrick never said why.”

  I filed that information away. GS Industries had recently been in the spotlight due to false reports of excessive layoffs blown out of proportion. Garrick confirmed that things had spun out of control. I wondered if Hastings was on that particular board. Did he intentionally let things get out of hand? Why?

  Giggles came from the kitchen.

  This was unlike anything I’d ever experienced with Vivian. In the two minutes I’d known Suzette, I felt closer to her than I ever did Dylan’s mother.

  We rounded another corner and entered the kitchen. The children were eating fudge bars at the glass-topped table. Kourtney nodded to Savannah, who hopped off her chair and walked to me. “I’m sorry, Knoah. What I said was rude. You’re Uncle Garrick’s first girlfriend ever. I got a little excited.”

  First girlfriend. Ever.

  I knew this, but hearing it from someone other than him made this leap of faith we were taking more special in so many ways.

  Though she completely took me off guard, this little girl was only seven. I kneeled in front of her. “You’re too sweet. Do you think I could have a fudge bar with you guys?”

  Her face lit up. “Yes. Uncle Garrick keeps them in his freezer just for us.”

  Kourtney handed me a fudge bar, and we moved over to the table. “Mmm, this is good.”

  The cold, chocolaty goodness coated my tongue. Actually, it occurred to me that I was famished after not eating much all day.

  “I’m five.” Little Derrick decided to talk to me. He held up five chocolate-covered fingers.

  These kids were beyond precious. I’d always wanted a family. I held up five fingers, too. “Wow, you’re a big boy.”

  “He’s not as big as me,” Savannah chimed in.

  I always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. I envied the closeness I saw between brothers and sisters. Derrick reached for me. Somehow, I managed to finagle him into my lap while holding my fudge bar. Of course, I got fudge on me in the process, but I loved it.

  Savannah asked, “Can I sit in your lap, too, Knoah?”

  “Sure. That’s why I have two legs. One for each of you.”

  Savannah climbed up, and we all took a bite of our treats. Some of the fudge dripped on my pants, but it didn’t bother me. “So what was your favorite thing at the park?”