by Leanne Tyler
“Oh yeah. But you know I much prefer the guy making the first move. Call me old fashioned, but I think that is the way it should be. I just don’t think it’s going to happen though. Not after I hit his truck.”
“It sounds like that could have happened to anyone. Remember how I met Darren?”
Sue nodded, popping the pills in her mouth and taking a swallow of the cold water. “I guess you’re right. We could have ended up in the duck pond.”
Keely rubbed her stomach and chuckled. “And just because he got carried away talking about himself shouldn’t be a deal breaker either. Cut the boy some slack. Just imagine if you’d been living in Alaska for three years and finally had some beautiful person to talk to. Wouldn’t you get diarrhea of the mouth too?”
What? She blinked, wondering why Keely had said that. Had she mentioned Alex had been in Alaska? She didn’t think she did, but she must have. Otherwise how would Keely have known?
Alex clipped the leash on Duke’s collar and led him over to his truck. He opened the passenger side door and the dog jumped inside. His sister’s car pulled into the drive, and he waved.
“Glad I caught you,” Keely said, getting out of her vehicle. “Duke has a vet appointment on Friday afternoon that I forgot to mention. Will you be able to take him or should I?”
“And you had to drive all the way over here to tell me about it?” he asked.
“No. I wasn’t paying attention as I drove home and ended up over here. Force of habit I guess.”
He laughed. “I can do Friday. I’m about to take Duke for his jog. You want to join us? You can walk.”
“I’m not dressed for it. Besides, even if you offered me a pair of your sweats and a t-shirt, I don’t think they’d fit anymore. I gained another three pounds this month. The doctor said it’s normal to gain since I lost weight in the beginning, but I do have to watch it.”
“So you’ve been to the doctor today?”
She nodded and ducked back inside the car, grabbing a few photos from her purse. “Here are my latest ultrasound images. They’re 3-D so you can kinda tell what the baby will look like. Isn’t it adorable?”
Alex looked at the black and white image and noted the contrast that looked like a face. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“Darren and I want to be surprised. So we asked the tech to keep the sex a secret. We’ll find out when the baby is born.”
“Doesn’t that take some of the fun out of having modern technology?”
She shrugged. “It’s our choice.”
He handed her the images back, but noticed her staring at him. “Well, the kid is going to be cute. I can see it looks like you a little.”
She grinned, looking at the photo. “I thought so too, but Darren pointed out the chubby cheeks and said it reminded him of his baby picture.”
“Don’t believe him. The kid looks like you.”
Keely took a deep breath and rubbed her tummy, staring intently at him again. “So, are you having a good time being back home?”
“Yeah. I got settled in at work and started a new case study this afternoon. The drive out to Oak Ridge is a killer, but I’ll soon get used to it again.”
“Anything new going on?”
He reached inside the truck and turned on the ignition, putting the window down, and then turned it back off before he shut the door. “What are you fishing for?”
Duke popped his head out and Keely petted him. “You got together with Phil and Brandon right? Was it like old times?”
“I guess. I really didn’t spend much time with either. Brandon was hanging with a few of the bridesmaids and Phil was busy playing host. But for the most part the night wasn’t bad.”
“You didn’t meet anyone?”
“Keely, what are you wanting to know?”
“I just thought maybe you met someone interesting.”
He shrugged. “I got paired up with Phil’s fiancée’s sister, Sue, for dinner. She seemed nice.”
“Just nice?”
“Yeah. Kinda on the snippy side. She ditched me after dinner, but I didn’t mind by that point.”
“Really?”
“What more do you want me to say? It’s not like you know the girl.”
Keely shook her head and frowned. “Well at least you’re meeting some new people. I know it can be lonely being single. I don’t want you turning into another Mr. Brubaker. I don’t think the neighbors could take it.”
He laughed so hard he bent over at the waist. “I don’t think you have to worry about that, Keels.”
“Good. I better get going before Darren gets worried. Think about coming over for dinner one night soon.”
“Okay. I will. See ya.”
She got back in her car and started the engine, rolling down her window. “Bye Duke.”
The dog barked, his ears perked up and he tried to leap out the window. “Whoa boy, hold on there.” Alex stepped toward the truck door to block his path and waved to Keely. However, Duke kept barking and trying to come out the window.
Alex turned and caught the glimpse of something white moving across the backyard. He waited a few minutes, watching to see if he saw whatever had caught the dog’s eye, but he didn’t. Turning back to Duke he ordered, “Stay,” and ran around to the driver’s side to get in.
He put up the passenger side window and cranked the air conditioning. The cab cooled before they went half a mile. Duke sat at attention the whole way to the Fountain City Duck Pond, barking a few times at nothing in particular. Alex had never seen the dog act like this before, and he wondered if maybe the white blur he’d spotted wasn’t another animal in the area. He reached over and patted Duke on the head as he parked his truck.
Duke barked again.
“It’s okay, boy.”
Sue carried three bags of groceries into her apartment, sitting them on the kitchen counter. A light flashed from her answering machine and she hit the play button.
“Hey, sis. Kimberly here. The dress shop called and your dresses have arrived. They want to schedule a time for my bridesmaids to come in for a final fitting. Would one evening after work be better for you or would a Saturday? Give me a call so I can get this taken care of. Thanks.”
She sighed and hung her keys up on the peg by the refrigerator. She looked at the calendar and saw nothing written on it for the month. “What a surprise. I’m available any freaking time she wants. How much more humdrum can I get?”
Emptying the bags, she put away the groceries before she called her sister back. “I can do any time. Whatever works for the others is fine.”
“Gee, you sound so thrilled.”
“Sorry. I’ve had a headache all day.” She curled up in her comfy armchair in the living room, hugging the throw pillow to her chest as the last rays of sunlight drifted through the window.
“Sue, you’ve been like this ever since I told you I got engaged. Amenable to whatever I need, but the underlying tone of your voice holds a note of irritation. Are you sure you aren’t upset that I’m getting married before you? I know you said it didn’t matter, but maybe deep down it does.”
She closed her eyes and winced, hugging the pillow tighter. “Kimberly, I couldn’t be happier for you. Really. I think Phil is a great guy and you’re going to be very happy together. I just wish I had someone in my life already. If you hear anything in my voice it’s frustration that I’m single. Suddenly my single status is like a big neon sign flashing loudly in my head which isn’t helping my headache today.”
“Okay. Then let’s go out Friday night. Just you and me. It’ll be like old times, before I met Phil.”
“You’re on.”
“Now go take something for that headache,” Kimberly said. “I’ll let you know about the fitting.”
“I will. Bye.” Sue got up and went into the kitchen. She opened her purse, searching for the aspirin bottle. Instead she found the lock and key from the party and grimaced. She tossed the combo into the trash and the gris-gris chilled her.
Without thinking, she retrieved the item and the coldness from the gris-gris subsided. Testing the waters, she held her hand over the trash and began to loosen her grip on the lock. The gris-gris turned cold, but when she brought her hand back away from the garbage can it warmed again.
“Unreal.” She laid the lock and key back on the counter. She’d have to talk to Keely about the powers of the necklace sometime. Popping the top off the pill bottle, she took two capsules and washed them down with water before she went to lie down on the couch.
Chapter Four
“Come on Alex, you know you want to come with us,” Phil cajoled over lunch Friday at a local fast food joint. “Since Kimberly and I got engaged it isn’t often that she tells me I can have a boy’s night out with her blessing. Not that she keeps me on a tight leash, but because we’re doing the wedding ourselves and there’s so much to do that we’re normally busy every minute of every weekend.”
Alex listened to his buddy and relished being single. “I kinda promised my sister I’d have dinner with them one night this week and I haven’t made it over there yet.”
“One night doesn’t mean tonight. It can mean tomorrow night. What do you say?” Phil crumbled his burger wrapper and put it inside the paper bag along with his other trash. “Can I tell Brandon it’ll be the three amigos tonight?”
Alex grinned and nodded. “Yeah. I’m in.”
“All right!” Phil stood and slurped the last of his fountain drink before they walked to the trash receptacles. “Pick me up at seven. I’m taking my car into the shop to be worked on over the weekend.”
“What about Brandon?”
“He’ll meet us there. He’s got a thing after work not far from where we’re going.”
“Where exactly are we going?” Alex asked, getting a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach that his friend wasn’t being totally straight with him.
“It’s a surprise. Trust me. You’ll love it.”
“I don’t know about that.”
Phil laughed and waved, opening the glass door. “See you at seven.”
Alex dumped his trash and pulled out his cellphone. He dialed Keely’s number, but it went to voicemail. Hanging up without leaving a message, he went to his truck and turned on his GPS device. He punched in Wright & Associates and did a lookup for the address and directions. Perhaps it was time he saw where his sister works before he took Duke to his vet appointment.
He found the office building easily enough and public parking wasn’t too far away. Downtown sure had changed in the three years he’d been gone. The new movie theater and Mast General Store garnered more foot traffic than he recalled. He liked the fact that the company his sister now worked for was located in a refurbished older building as opposed to the pretentious glass building where Jackson and Jackson had been.
Pushing the glass turnstile door, he went into the lobby and took the elevator up to the sixth floor. He stepped off leaving the old behind. The space was totally modern in look and feel and a receptionist sat behind a desk waiting to greet him.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to see Keely Jones.”
“Certainly. One moment while I buzz her.” The woman punched a few buttons on a lighted panel and spoke into the ear wig that she wore. “She’ll be right out if you want to have a seat.”
“Thanks.” He walked over to the cushioned waiting area and sat down, picking up a magazine. But before he opened it, his sister appeared and he laid it back on the table.
“Alex?” Keely said, planting her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here?”
“I had time to kill after I had lunch with Phil before I take Duke to his appointment. I thought since I was close to downtown I’d swing by and see where you work now. I hope I didn’t come at a bad time.”
“No. I’m just eating lunch in my office. Come on back with me and I’ll show you around. My assistant is out to lunch, but maybe she’ll get back before you leave. I’d really like you to meet her. You probably don’t remember me talking about her, but she came with me when I left Jackson and Jackson.”
He nodded. “Darren works here too?”
“Yes. It’s his sister’s company. He’s out meeting with a client and Jama’s at the doctor. Did I mention she’s also expecting?”
“No. You didn’t.”
“She’s due any day now, with twins.”
“Twins. Wow.”
“Yeah. Darren and I are just lucky we didn’t end up with twins since they run on his side of the family. Of course my mother-in-law is over the moon to not be having two grandbabies but three so close together.”
“Jama’s married to Duke’s vet, right?”
Keely nodded and opened her office door. “Yes. Kyle Landers.”
He stepped inside and smiled. “I see you got your corner office.”
“I did. And the window view is great. I see Gay Street and the wonderful Tennessee Theater sign out one set of windows and Krutch Park in the distance from the other.”
“Nice. I don’t have a window because the floor where my office is located is underground.”
“I couldn’t work like that, Alex.” She shivered and rubbed her tummy. “Have you eaten?”
“Yeah. I had lunch with Phil, remember?”
“That’s right. Sorry. Being pregnant makes you scattered sometimes, and I seem to stay hungry all the time.” She walked over to the round table where she’d been eating her lunch and sat down. She picked up a carrot stick, dunked it in ranch dressing, and took a bite. “Darren’s office is down the hall and Jama’s is on the opposite side if we’d gone down the hallway in the other direction from the reception area. There’s a conference room between their two offices. Marketing and production is on the fifth floor as well as a few other executive offices.”
He pulled out a chair at the table and sat down too. “I’d hoped to have dinner with you and Darren tonight, but Phil is begging me to go out with him and Brandon. Maybe tomorrow?”
“Sure. No problem. If you can’t make it this week, there is always next. Having dinner with Darren and me is an open invite. I don’t want you to feel pressured. You have your own life to live.”
“I appreciate it. A home cooked meal sounds great anytime. Far better than take out or frozen entrees.”
She giggled. “You sound like Jama. She couldn’t cook before she married Kyle. I know it’s different. You do know how to fend for yourself, but why bother cooking for one, right?”
“Yeah. You got that right.”
“Not that I’m pushing you to get married,” she said, opening her yogurt. “I know how it felt when Lucinda started talking to me about it. She gave me a necklace that holds magical powers and told me how it would draw my soul mate to me. It was supposed to help me find the one I was to be with. Kinda like her giving you that bottle of potion to carry. You do carry it with you?”
He nodded and grinned. “Afraid not to after the call I got Sunday afternoon. She said now that I was in town it was imperative that I kept the bottle with me at all times. And that I didn’t want to tempt fate. I have a feeling it’s more like tempting Lucinda to come after you with her bag of voodoo.”
Keely laughed, scraping the last of the yogurt from the container and then licking the spoon. “I know you don’t put any stock in her voodoo, but I haven’t been disappointed. I’m quite happy with Darren.”
“To each his own.” He shifted in the chair. “So you’re really okay with me not coming tonight?”
“Yes. Go have fun.” She reached for her bottle of water, unscrewed the cap and drank half of it, then she looked at her watch. “I don’t want to run you off, but I have a meeting in forty-five minutes. I need to review my presentation one last time.”
“Is that my cue to go?”
“Afraid so. I’m glad you dropped by to see where I work.”
“So am I.” He stood and collected her garbage, taking it to the trash for her.
“Thanks.” She got to
her feet and hugged him before they walked to her door. “So where are you going with Phil tonight?”
Alex shrugged. “He wouldn’t tell me, but he assured me I’d like it.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’ve got a funny feeling about it, but that’s probably me being suspicious.”
“About what?”
“His motives. I keep thinking about that lock and key game. What if Phil and Kimberly are trying to set me up with her sister? You said yourself that couples like to match up their friends. The more I think about it the more I find our getting paired up a little too convenient.”
“Oh that…,” she chuckled and shook her head. “I wouldn’t worry about it. In the end who you date is up to you, not what anyone else says.”
He pulled the bottle Lucinda gave him from his pocket. “Did you forget about this?”
Keely laughed this time, opening her office door. “Don’t be so paranoid, little brother.”
“I can’t help it.” He stuck the bottle back in his pocket and stepped out of her office, bumping into the blonde he’d met the other night. “Sue?”
“Alex?”
Sue blinked, clutching the presentation folders to her chest. “W-what are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” He frowned and looked at Keely, narrowing his eyes for a brief moment before turning back to her.
“I work here.”
“I came to see my sister,” he explained. “I didn’t know you worked at Wright & Associates too.”
“Y-your…s-sister?” She swallowed, glancing from him to Keely and back. Her stomach tightened into knots as she remembered the things she’d said to her about him, even going so far as to call him sexy. Silently she groaned and forced herself to ask for clarification, “Keely’s your sister?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “What a small world.”
“You can say that.” She looked at her smiling boss who didn’t say a word, but reached for the folders.
He noticed the interaction. “Are you her assistant?”
“Yes.” Sue crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
