After staring at the city lights from the parlor window, he paced restlessly to the bedroom balcony, slowing briefly to grab the drink he’d forgotten he poured off the bar. Maybe if he put on some music he could relax.
Who was he kidding? He wouldn’t relax until Mia came back, until she was in his arms. They would have a great night together. He wouldn’t ruin it by thinking about work, much less laying the firm’s problems on Mia’s lap. After he returned to New York, he’d find a way to land the new client without involving Mia. His father would be disappointed at first, but—
He heard her soft knock and smiled. Although he’d given her her own key card, she never used it. He opened the door. She stood there with her small carry-on, her eyes bright. Too bright. Had she been crying? He drew her inside, got rid of the bag and held her face in his hands. They looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Once he started kissing her, he couldn’t stop.
12
AFTER MISSING THE final boarding call and being summoned by an airline employee, Mia lumbered toward the jetway with the enthusiasm of a woman about to be thrown in the slammer. She had no choice but to get on the plane and join Shelby, who’d boarded earlier, or forgo the flight, and pay a lot of extra money just to be put on a standby list tomorrow.
While the clerk validated Mia’s boarding pass, Mia itched to turn around for one last look at David. He’d driven her and Shelby to the airport, even though his flight wouldn’t leave for five hours. Mia had begged him not to because it was silly for him to hang around the airport when he could be sitting at the pool bar, but he’d shut her up by kissing her soundly and that was that.
The woman smiled, returned the boarding pass. Mia hesitated. As much as she wanted that last look, she was feeling ridiculously emotional, and wouldn’t it be just wonderful if she got all teary. For God’s sake, this wasn’t a goodbye. Not really. He’d be in New York tomorrow. Poor guy had to take a red-eye flight home, which was the only last-minute seat he could get.
Mia turned one last time, to see him put his cell phone to his ear. He wasn’t even looking her way, his concentration fully on the call. Smiling at herself, she kept on going. All that should-I-or-shouldn’t-I nonsense for nothing.
Since she was the last passenger, some of the ground crew were right behind her, and she hurried on board. The flight was full, and she peered down the aisle toward the middle of the plane, searching for Shelby. Due to David’s failed effort to get on Mia’s flight, she already knew it would be a shoulder-to-shoulder ride to Dallas, where she and Shelby each had to catch separate connecting flights since Shelby had to go back to Houston for two days.
Just as Mia started to pay attention to seat numbers, Shelby put up her hand to get her attention, and bless her, she’d left the aisle seat for Mia.
“Hey, I thought for sure you were going to miss the flight,” Shelby said, as Mia opened two overhead bins and, not surprisingly, found them full.
“I almost did. They were about to page the first person on standby.” Mia shut the bin, and sighed, eyeing the vacancy under the seat in front of hers.
Shelby drew up her much shorter legs and indicated the empty spot in front of her. “Put your carry-on there.”
“You sure?”
“It won’t bother me. You’ll never have room for your legs.”
“Thanks.” Mia stowed her stuff, sat down and buckled up.
“Well, obviously David couldn’t exchange his ticket. Sorry.”
Mia shrugged. “He was even willing to give up his first-class seat, but both our flights were oversold, with long standby lists. And then, the real kicker, we finally realized he’d flown with a different carrier.”
Shelby chuckled. “Yeah, that would be a problem. Oh, well, it’s not like he’s staying and you’re leaving. You’ll see him when he gets back.”
Mia inhaled deeply.
“Right?”
She shrugged. “Yep, he said he’d call.”
“Okay, there is something hugely wrong with this picture.” Shelby twisted in her seat so that she faced Mia. “An hour ago you two were all over each other, now this act of indifference. Which, by the way, I don’t buy for a second.”
“We weren’t all over each other,” Mia said crisply, though she should’ve known better than to let her guard down and not act as if everything were perfect. She didn’t need a barrage of questions from Shelby.
Her friend settled back. “You know I would’ve given my seat to him,” she said, “but the movers will be at my apartment early tomorrow morning, and I have to be there.”
Feeling guilty, Mia smiled. “Then you’ll drive to New York the day after.”
“Yep, I’m still bringing my car. I know it’s probably crazy, and who knows, I may end up getting rid of it. Hey, did you get another text from Lindsey?”
“No, but I assume she booked another flight before she canceled today’s.” Lindsey was staying a few days longer, which initially pissed off Mia, until she realized her reaction was one of pure jealousy and not because they had a lot of work waiting for them.
“One would hope.” Shelby’s brows arched in amusement. “I think the girl’s in love.”
“Seriously?”
“Have you ever seen her act like she has this week?”
“You have a point.” Mia worried her lip. Lindsey had always been more shy and not as invested in the college dating scene. Mia knew she was being selfish, but she hoped their friend’s involvement with Rick didn’t screw up their plans for the new business.
As if she’d read Mia’s mind, Shelby sighed. “I can see it now. You two riding off into the sunset with your respective hunks, and me left to juggle Anything Goes.”
Mia shook her head. “Lindsey maybe. It’s not like that with David and me.”
Shelby’s gaze narrowed in an expectant frown. She waited as if there were supposed to be a punch line. “It’s not like that with you and David?” She laughed. “You are so full of crap.”
“I’m telling you, it was nothing. We were in Hawaii. No obligations, no hectic schedule. We had fun. I hope we’ll still be friends.” She shrugged. “I think we will.”
Shelby’s hazel eyes darkened with concern. “You almost sound like you believe that.”
“I do. We’re going to be very busy. I don’t have time for him, and frankly, he won’t have time for me.” Mia made a show of getting comfortable, laying her head back and closing her eyes. “Think I’ll grab a nap.”
She knew Shelby was still staring, and she could keep staring until they landed in Dallas, for all Mia cared. She wasn’t ready to have this conversation. She was too emotionally raw. Despite her brave words, she was a mess.
DAVID WAS SURPRISED to see his uncle Harrison’s office door open at seven-thirty the next morning. After a brief knock, he entered as his uncle’s head came up. Harrison set aside the contract he’d been perusing and stared at David over his reading glasses. “You look like hell.”
“Red-eye, and I haven’t been home yet.” He wore the same clothes he had worn on the plane, khakis along with a yellow tennis shirt under a navy sports jacket. Totally inappropriate attire, but this was too important to delay.
Harrison anxiously glanced past him. “Is she here with you?”
“No. We had different flights.” It was impossible, David knew, for someone to have visibly aged in the span of eight days, but his uncle’s face looked drawn, his hair thinner and grayer, the combination packing a good five years on him. Most notable, however, was his cluttered desk. The man never tolerated anything out of place.
His dark eyes grew bleak. “She turned us down,” Harrison said flatly.
David chose his words carefully. “She doesn’t want to practice law anymore.”
“What? How could she not want to practice law? She’s brilliant. She’s—Jesus. This doesn’t make sense.” He shook his head as if the act alone would turn the tide. “I thought she signed on with another firm.”
“That had been my assumpt
ion, as well.”
“So she doesn’t have another job?” Harrison’s frown lifted with hope.
“Not exactly. She’s starting her own business.” David checked his watch. He didn’t have much time. “Look, I’ve been trying to get in touch with my father but he won’t pick up his cell, and I’ve gotten the house’s answering machine twice.”
“He’s with your mother,” he said distractedly while staring out of his large plate glass window overlooking the Manhattan skyline. “Some charity golf thing in the Caymans.”
“If I’d known about that, I’d forgotten.” This time David reached for hope. “I’m surprised he’d leave. Something happen I should know about? Did we land another client?”
“No lifelines. You know he doesn’t want to worry your mother, so he couldn’t back out.” His uncle leaned back in his chair and met David’s eyes. “He had a lot of faith in you getting Butterfield back, figured you’d buy us some time.”
Guilt cut deep. David had a lot of nerve wondering how his father could have left. Not when he himself had been gone a whole week, cavorting with Mia. “I know.” David rubbed his stubbly jaw. He desperately needed a shave and a shower. “I want this prospective client’s name and number.”
His uncle’s eyes narrowed. “Of course, but why?”
“I want to meet with him myself. If I can’t convince him that we’re the best firm for the job, then I’ll take another run at Mia.”
Harrison shook his head. “You’re wasting your time. Your father and I have both met with his current attorney. The man’s quite adamant.”
David hadn’t slept for one minute on the plane, and he was dead tired. Briefly he closed his eyes and scrubbed at his face. “I have to try,” he said, not missing the curious gleam in Harrison’s eye. “Anyway, what’s the harm?”
“You have to ask?” His uncle pointedly looked past him through the open door. “Time isn’t on our side, David.”
He looked over his shoulder. It was still early, but quite a few employees already had arrived. Even so, the place was deathly quiet without the usual Monday morning chatter. In some of their hands were cups with the corner coffee kiosk logo. Up until last week, the firm had provided coffee, Danish and bagels each morning. Obviously the cutbacks had started.
“What have they been told?” David asked, taking a deep breath as he turned back to Harrison.
“Not much. For the record, I don’t agree with that approach. Your father and Peter made that call.”
David agreed with Harrison. Uncertainty was debilitating. But he continued to keep his opinion to himself. At the moment, he didn’t feel he had the right to weigh in. Hell, he’d been off having fun with Mia instead of having to look into the employees’ faces, tense from wondering who might be laid off first.
She’d been his confidante, his right arm for a week. He’d shared more with her than with any woman in his whole life. The pull to call her was strong, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Not until he made this right.
MIA SPLASHED ice-cold water on her face, gazed blearily at the alarm clock she kept in her bathroom as a second line of defense and seriously thought about taking another shower just to wake up. It was crazy that she could be this exhausted after conking out the minute she got home from the airport the night before last, and then sleeping through half of yesterday. Apparently, she’d grossly underestimated the effects of jet lag.
Or her ability to shove David out of her mind.
“Aaargh.” She squinted at her blurry reflection in the mirror. “Get a grip, Butterfield. He’s only been back for one day.” She dried her face and glanced again at the clock. Twenty-eight hours to be exact, so why hadn’t he called already?
She muttered a curse and vigorously rubbed her eyes. This was exactly what she’d feared would happen. She was obsessing on when David would call, or if he would, or why he might not. It was insane, juvenile, completely useless, and yet her resolve melted after an hour. Of course she could always call him. No, absolutely not.
She’d given herself one day to recuperate before she had to dive into work. First, she had to purchase two new computers, go to the printers and proof the invoice and contract templates before the batches were run, and then pick up the keys to their new office and have new file cabinets installed. The place was small, configured in the shape of a shoe box, formerly leased by a dry cleaner who received and distributed laundry but did the work off premises. The cool thing was that while the front already had a counter and was large enough to accommodate a desk, a computer and the cabinets, the back led to an alley wide enough for pickups and deliveries for when they needed to transfer merchandise.
The warehouse she’d leased could’ve been in a more ideal location, but the price was right. While it would hold their initial inventory of bikes, power tools, sports equipment, party supplies and camping gear, there was still room to accommodate twice as much merchandise as they grew with demand.
She was excited to show Lindsey and Shelby everything. The office would be a big surprise since it was located only a block from the loft that she’d be sharing with them. Although there’d be some schlepping back and forth from the warehouse a couple times a week, more if they got really busy, she couldn’t complain about the short commute.
Just thinking about Lindsey arriving tomorrow, and Shelby two days later, Mia got excited, and she decided she didn’t need that second shower after all. She went to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater. Officially it was spring, but the March air was still chilly, which she very much resented after that balmy week in Hawaii.
Her cell phone rang. She froze for a second, trying to recall where she’d left it. The bathroom? No, the kitchen when she’d turned on the coffeepot. In her rush, she jammed her little toe on the corner of the dresser, and she limped the rest of the way.
She saw that it was Lindsey, and her heart thudded. “Hey, Linds.” Mia glanced at the microwave clock. It was still early by Hawaii time. “You must be at the airport.”
“Not exactly.”
Mia frowned. She took another confirming look at the time. “Are you in Chicago already?”
“I’m still in Hawaii.”
She leaned a hip against the counter and stifled a sigh. The hesitant tone told her Lindsey wouldn’t be showing up tomorrow as planned. No sense in making her feel bad. “Bet you’re having better weather than we are here.”
“I’m sure,” Lindsey said, with a nervous laugh, and then paused. “You’re going to kill me.”
Mia forgot about her injured toe, put too much weight on her foot and winced. “Promise I won’t.”
“Looks as if I won’t be back for another two days. Is that going to totally screw up everyone?”
“Nope. I expect Shelby will be late, too. I think she underestimated the drive here.”
“Then you’ll be all alone. I can still get a flight—”
“Lindsey,” Mia interrupted, drawing out her name in warning. “Don’t you dare. I’m fine. Besides, we’re our own bosses now.”
Lindsey laughed. “I think we have to actually get the business off the ground first.”
“And three or fours days are going to make a difference? I’m assuming you’re still with Rick.”
Lindsey sighed. “It’s crazy, right?”
Mia smiled. “Go have fun. If you need more time, it’s okay, too. I have everything covered.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet David. But I will when I get there.”
Mia swallowed. “Yep. Now go.”
After they hung up, Mia dropped her phone on the counter and stared at it as if it were the enemy. She could call him to make sure he’d arrived safely. Nothing wrong with showing concern for a friend. Right. Not a single thing transparent about that move. She exhaled with disgust, and picked up her phone. Who she really needed to call was Annabelle. Damn, she hoped she was back.
DAVID ARRIVED AT the restaurant eight minutes early. He’d never been here before and wasn’t impr
essed with the drab decor. Heavy brown drapes, dark tan-colored walls adorned with too many autographed pictures of celebrities and tablecloths the shade of mud made the room dreary. Lit candles provided some relief, but not a single one sat straight in its holder.
Left up to him, he never would have brought a client, prospective or otherwise, to a place like this. He preferred Renae’s; however, when he’d invited Mr. Peabody to dinner there yesterday, the man had flatly refused, referring to the popular Manhattan eatery as overpriced and pretentious.
This basement restaurant was Peabody’s choice, a very interesting one considering the person he represented had to be filthy rich. The potential client still refused to be identified unless he decided to hire Pearson and Stern. Not entirely unusual, and in fact, such reticence often spoke to the affluence of the person, but David was frustrated and annoyed that he was forced to deal with a middle man, especially another attorney.
The blond hostess offered to seat David, but he declined, opting to wait for Peabody on an uncomfortable straight-back chair sitting against the wall near the hostess’s stand.
He consulted his watch, mostly out of habit, and then checked his phone. No messages and no missed calls. And certainly no surprise. He’d been hypervigilant to the point of twice imagining his phone had rung when it hadn’t. As much as he wasn’t ready to talk to Mia, a part of him was disappointed that she hadn’t called him, either. Hell, he hadn’t been this foolish about a boy-girl phone game since middle school.
He glanced at the door, though not expecting Peabody for another five minutes. This was good timing, he thought, and pressed speed dial before he chickened out. He’d check in, explain he was at a dinner meeting and couldn’t talk. She’d understand. After the fourth ring, he was sent to voice mail. In the middle of leaving a brief message, a seventy-something balding man with a thin face and a bulbous nose walked in. He wore a shabby brown suit that matched the drapes and carried a hat in his hand.
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