“Yes I do,” Gloria replied, turning back around.
Edward remained silent, which made Keely feel worse. She wished he’d say something, yell at her. Fire her. Anything was better than silence and staring into the rearview mirror.
Take me out to the ballgame chimed on her cell. She quickly reached into her purse to turn it off. Whoever it was could leave a message.
“You live down Cedar Lane, right?” Edward finally asked, merging into the turn lane on Broadway near the Fountain City Lake.
“Yes, sir. I do.”
“Let me know when we get close to your house.”
She nodded, leaning her elbow against the door and resting her head in her hand. She closed her eyes wishing this day had never happened. Losing the McDaniel account had started this whole downhill tumble and look where it had landed her.
Lord, but it felt longer than five days since she first met Darren. She’d spent every day after work, except for Thursday, with him. Her mother would have been proud. Lucinda would have been ecstatic claiming the gris-gris was working.
A wave of light-headedness washed over her and she shivered. Touching the charm again it felt cool, but not as icy. She shivered again, her stomach clenching.
“You’re strong. You can survive this,” she silently told herself. “Take a deep, cleansing breath.”
Opening her eyes, she saw they were getting close to her house. “I’m the fourth on the right. The next drive after the glow in the dark mailbox.”
“I see it,” Edward said.
“I’ve never seen a mailbox that glows before,” Gloria commented.
“That’s Mr. Brubaker’s. He’s a night owl. But he’s had trouble finding his driveway at night because of poor eyesight. My brother Alex came up with the idea when he still lived here.”
“How thoughtful,” Gloria replied.
“I think Alex was just tired of old Mr. Brubaker missing his drive and ending up in our ditch, waking up the neighbors to get him out.”
Gloria made a silent “O” with her mouth as Edward parked and shut off the engine.
“Thank you for the ride.”
Keely grabbed her purse and opened the door, getting out as quickly as she could. Edward got out too, and stopped her from going into the house.
“I think under the circumstances we should have a meeting with Tate on Monday morning. I’ll fill him in on what has been going on.”
“Nothing has been going on, Mr. Jackson. I assure you of that. Darren and I just met.”
“If you say so. You did lose the McDaniel account to him.”
They hadn’t even met until after that. Keely felt her temper flare. She couldn’t believe her boss would honestly not believe her. “I do say so. If my word isn’t good enough for you, then what is?”
“Let’s save this discussion for Monday.”
Keely nodded, afraid of what she might say if they continued. A silly little slip of the tongue and her job would be in further jeopardy, if not gone.
“Good night.”
“Good night, Mr. Jackson.” She walked to the front porch and waited for them to leave before going inside. Shutting the door, she collapsed against it, sliding to the cool, hardwood floor. How was she going to get out of this mess?
Darren turned off the alarm clock then rolled over, trying to fall back asleep. His heavy lidded eyes stung from lack of sleep, yet when he closed them, he saw Keely’s pained face. He punched his pillow trying to get comfortable, but it did no good. He finally got up and took a hot shower.
Walking into work an hour later, he left on his sunglasses and made a point of avoiding Jama. She’d called several times over the weekend, but he didn’t answer the phone. He’d even skipped Sunday dinner with their mom just so he didn’t have to face her. The last thing he needed was an “I told you so” from his sister.
“Darren, wait up,” Shelby Mitchell called, spotting him going into his office.
“What is it?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Word has it Keely Jones has made a huge faux pas and has lost favor with the Jacksons.”
Darren shook his head. That was the biggest understatement of the day. Keely hadn’t made the mistake. He had. But it sounded like she would pay for his duplicity.
“I told you not to believe office gossip. Rule number two is don’t spread it. Besides, it’s not even nine yet. How did you get the information so fast?”
Encouraged Shelby leaned closer. Her perfume assaulted his nose. “I have my sources. But the word is she was practically in bed with the competition. She got caught playing footsy, passing confidential information under the table.”
Darren shook his head. What an exaggeration of the truth. He didn’t want to hear any more, but he needed to know if he was mentioned so he could curtail the rumors. “Which firm?”
“My source wasn’t at liberty to say.”
“I bet your source didn’t know.”
“Maybe, but it isn’t everyday something like this happens.”
“True.” Darren felt the hole he’d dug for himself getting deeper and deeper.
“I’ve got the Sandusky Water Supply account presentation ready for you to look over. I think you’ll find it most effective.”
Darren nodded, reaching for his smart phone. He scrolled down to his calendar. “I’ll look at it this afternoon, say around three?”
“Great. I’ll see you then.” Shelby turned and left.
Darren had just settled at his desk when Jama stepped into the office and closed the door behind her before he could protest.
“I think you can take the shades off now,” she said, without missing a beat.
Darren reached up and removed them.
“Have you been sleeping?”
He heard alarm in her voice. Did he look that bad? He frowned.
“I know it’s bad. Shelby caught me when I got here and dropped the little bombshell on me.” Jama looked pointedly at him. “So you didn’t take my advice and now Keely is suffering big time for it. Whether she really slept, and I use that term figuratively, with the competition or not, the rumor mill has her doing it. Her professional reputation is ruined. If Jackson and Jackson fire her, then it will be next to impossible for her to get another job in this town.”
“And it’s my fault.” Darren rubbed his forehead with his hand. He huffed, and then shook his head. “I really was going to tell her. I had it all planned out for when I took her home after our date. Everything would have been fine if we hadn’t run into Edward Jackson. Who knew he’d blow our being together out of proportion? You know, he called me a head hunter.”
Jama chuckled in spite of the situation. “He could have called you worse.”
“Don’t rub it in, Jama,” he warned. “Keely won’t even talk to me. I’ve called her three dozen times since then, but all I get is her voice mail. I’ve stopped leaving messages because I don’t want to sound like I’m pleading.”
Nodding, his sister crossed the room and hugged him. “And what lesson have we learned from this, little brother?”
Darren groaned. “I should have told her immediately that I was the competition. They always say hindsight is perfect vision. I wish I’d had that wisdom.”
“We all make mistakes. What matters is what we learn from the situation. By the way, how are you going to rectify it?”
Darren shrugged.
“May I make a suggestion?”
“Why not, you’ll do it anyway.”
Jama grinned, patting him on the back. “Get on the phone and call Edward Jackson. Explain to him what you told me the other day. Tell him how your relationship with Keely had nothing to do with business and you didn’t discuss any of her clients when you were together. Explain how all you wanted was to get to know her.”
“Jama, do you honestly think that man is going to talk to me after he thinks I tried to seduce information out of his top executive? Or that he’d believe anything I had to say?”
�
��It can’t hurt.”
Darren propped his elbows on the desk and cradled his head in his hands. “I’ll think about it.”
“And if you want to get Keely back?”
“I do, but that isn’t an option right now.” He looked up. “If she loses her job, then I doubt it will ever be an option.”
Jama’s expression looked sympathetic.
“Don’t have pity on me. I did this and I’ll figure a way out of it. In the meantime, if you want me to step down as Account Director I will.”
“Now wait a minute. You’re personal life may be screwed up, but I still have confidence in your ability to lead the team to victory. I’m not going to shoot the quarterback because he threw an interception.”
“Thanks. Just promise me you won’t cut me any slack because I’m your brother. Let me have some dignity around here once this leaks out.”
“When have I ever cut you slack?” She smiled.
Darren chuckled. “Never.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
After Jama left, he swiveled away from the door and leaned his head against the high back of the chair, closing his eyes. Things would work out. He’d just have to be patient.
Keely closed the door to Edward Jackson’s office and headed back to her own. She held her head high and looked her co-workers in the eye as she passed them. Some were huddled in little groups talking, and she knew it had to be about her from the looks they gave her. She wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cower. She’d done nothing wrong. Naively going out with the enemy wasn’t a criminal act. Thankfully Tate had convinced Edward no real damage was done.
“Uh, Keely,” Sue said when she passed by her desk.
“Yes?”
“This just arrived for you by courier.” Sue handed her a gold foil wrapped box.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Closing her office door, she carried the weighty box to her desk. Removing the sealed envelope, she sat down as she took out the embossed card.
May this brighten your day – D
“Why can’t he just leave me alone,” she muttered, ripping into the foil paper to find a ten-pound assorted box of Godiva milk chocolates.
Dang! He’d have to send me chocolates.
She lifted the lid and the sweet, heavenly fragrance of milk chocolate filled the air. She reached for a caramel chew, popped it into her mouth and sank back against the chair, enjoying the decadent morsel.
“Hmmm.”
Just then her phone buzzed.
She chewed slowly, mentally willing the phone to combust. She needed alone time.
“Keely?” Sue called over the intercom.
Groaning, she grabbed for the handset. She swallowed the rest of the candy before speaking. “Yes?”
“You have a call on line two and you won’t believe who it is.”
“I’m not in the mood to play games, Sue.”
“Jama Wright.”
Keely sat bolt upright in the chair, “What?”
“It’s Jama Wright from Wright and Associates. Should I get rid of her?”
“No. I know who she is, Sue. I’ll take the call. But Sue, not a word of this to anyone.”
“Sure, Keely.”
Keely hesitated a moment before punching line two. She took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders and wondered what Jama Wright could possibly want to talk to her about other than Darren.
“This is Keely Jones.”
“Hello, Keely. Jama Wright here. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”
What an understatement, but Keely decided to roll with the flow of the conversation. “No, not at all. What can I do for you, Jama?”
“I hoped we could get together for lunch later this week.”
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Keely took a deep breath before answering. “Under the circumstances, Jama, I don’t think that would be such a good idea.”
The line went silent for a moment and then Jama spoke again. “Yes. I understand your reservations. But if it’s privacy you are concerned about, we could have lunch at my condo.”
“Exactly why do you want to get together? We’ve been competitors for months now, and suddenly you want to get friendly. If it’s about Darren, then I have nothing to say. He hid his identity from me. He got caught. And I came out looking like an idiot.”
“He never meant for that to happen. He planned to tell you.”
Keely silently groaned. “I really don’t want to have this conversation with you. My relationship with Darren is none of your business. If I talk about it with anyone, it will be him.”
“Point taken, Keely. But you haven’t taken his phone calls. Give the poor messed up soul a chance, will you?”
The line went dead and Keely stared at the phone. “You’ve got some nerve Jama Wright, calling me up to defend Darren’s actions.”
She reached for her purse and turned on her cell. Twenty missed calls and eight messages. Reviewing the call log, she saw more than half were from the same number. Obviously that meant Darren had tried to reach her unsuccessfully over the weekend. Hesitating, she finally punched the code to listen to the messages.
Message One: “Keely, It’s Darren. I need to talk to you. Call me.”
She hit delete.
Message Two: “Keely, I want to explain. Give me a call.”
Delete.
Delete.
Delete.
Message Six: “Damn it, Keely. Give me a break. Let me explain. Call me.”
Delete.
Each one sounded genuine with remorse, tempting her to call him if only to hear him out. But her stubborn streak won out. She wasn’t ready to do that yet.
Chapter Nine
Driving home from her jog with Duke, Keely felt disheartened that Darren hadn’t been there. He hadn’t been there all week. She’d psyched herself up for the possibility only to be let down. His absence made her feel dismissed like she wasn’t special enough for him to fight for. He’d even stopped calling her cell phone.
She didn’t want to spend another Friday night at home alone. Breakfast at Tiffany’s was showing at the Tennessee Theater tonight and she’d be there.
She deserved the treat. Work this week had been grueling; perhaps a little more so since both Mr. Jacksons were watching her closely.
Slamming the car door, she put Duke in his lot and unfastened the leash from his collar.
When she walked into the house, a chill ran down her spine and she felt the gris-gris grow cold. Without thinking, she touched the amulet and rubbed it with her fingers to warm it, but that didn’t work. The gris-gris had a mind of its own.
Keely tried to ignore the cold of the amulet. She showered and dried her hair, but the stone did not warm.
To take her mind off of it, she dressed in a straight-line black dress similar to the Givenchy Audrey Hepburn wore in the movie. She also put her hair up in a chignon and carried a sheer black scarf in lieu of a hat. By the time she left the house, she had almost forgotten the tell-tale sign of the gris-gris.
The crowd at the Tennessee Theater was off so she had her pick of seats in the balcony. She settled in the center, near the front, and waited for the film to begin.
Darren walked into the darkened theater moments before the film started, hoping Keely would be there. He’d purposely avoided the lake this week, but sitting at home tonight had gotten to him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. How beautiful she’d looked last Friday night for their date. How she’d talked about loving Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Previews of upcoming summer features showed on the big screen as he settled into an empty row in the balcony, the best place to watch a movie. He spotted a female sitting alone two rows ahead. Something about her looked familiar, and made him think of Keely. Perhaps the way she tilted her head. He had the urge to move closer, but Moon River began playing and the opening credits rolled.
Laughing at Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi fuming
over Holly Golightly’s constant buzzing his apartment, Darren heard a familiar giggle.
Keely?
Glancing around the darkened theater, he tried to make out the faces of every female nearby. But none resembled the face he searched for.
A few scenes later when Mag Wildwood fell like a tree, he heard Keely’s laugh again. Paying closer attention to the direction the sound came from, he realized Keely was the lone figure two rows ahead of him.
Again, he wanted to move closer but hesitated unsure how she’d react to him joining her. Instead, he spent the rest of the film watching her reaction and longing to have her beside him. When the houselights came up, Darren didn’t know whether he should get up and leave quickly or hang around, letting Keely spot him.
Her face glowed, evidence that she’d enjoyed the film. However, the moment she laid eyes on him all joy drained from her features and annoyance replaced it.
“What are you doing here?”
“The same as you.”
She crossed her arms and a black scarf dangled near her elbow. “You came here alone to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s? I find that hard to believe. Did you enjoy it?”
“I know you did.”
His statement caught her off guard. He watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other before speaking again.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to leave.”
“Retreating won’t solve anything.” His words stopped her in her tracks.
She swung around and he was glad for the space between them. The look in her eyes told him he didn’t want to mess with her tonight. But that didn’t stop him from speaking.
“Look, Keely, I know you’re angry. You have every right. If I were in your position I’d be livid. All I ask is for you to give me the chance to explain why I didn’t tell you right away that I was Jama Wright’s brother.”
She swallowed and tapped her foot. “You mean you’ll tell me why you lied? I’ll give you two minutes.”
Not long, but he’d make use of every second.
He took a deep breath, and closed the space between them. “I didn’t know who you were at first, not until Litton’s as you’ve figured out. And I could have told you then, but we were just getting to know each other. I really didn’t want to risk you walking out on me, especially since it had taken some doing to get you to say yes to dinner in the first place.”
The Good Luck Charm (The Good Luck Series) Page 6
