Next to You

by Julia Gabriel

  “I am.”

  “By yourself?”

  “No. I went shopping for hot tubs this morning.” She was acutely aware of Jared watching her. “With Jared. We just grabbed some pizza on the way back.”

  “Who’s Jared?”

  Phlox looked across the table at him, warily. He held out the check and a credit card for the waitress, but she could tell he was still listening to her conversation with Zee as well.

  “He’s been taking care of my place while I was gone.”

  “Ah. Good. Hey, the reason I called is that my mother has invited us to her movie premiere next month. You up for that?”

  “I guess. Sure. Are we going to be a corporate sponsor on this one?” She held back a sigh of frustration. The universe was conspiring to keep reminding Jared that she was his employer.

  “If you want to. We could visit some west coast accounts while we’re out there, too.”

  “We could.”

  “When are you coming back to town?”

  Phlox closed her eyes. “Next week, I suppose. Unless you need me sooner.”

  “Nope. Just need to know when to reactivate your card key.”

  Phlox hung up and set her phone down on the table.

  “Everything okay?” Jared asked as he signed the check.

  “Yeah. Zee’s mother has a new movie coming out. She’s invited us to the premiere next month.”

  “That sounds like fun. You must go to a lot of stuff like that.”

  She shrugged. “Zee enjoys it more than I do. I’m more of a homebody. Plus, she usually has a date for these things. I usually don’t.”

  “Well, Hollywood. Good for the brand, right?”

  “Um ... right.” Sometimes Jared didn’t sound like a caretaker. Like maybe he watched too much CNBC on rainy days or something.

  He stood and moved behind her chair. Phlox expected him to pull the chair back for her. He had impeccable manners, more so than most of the guys she had dated. Instead, he laid his hands on her shoulders and leaned his cheek—his good one—against hers. It was such a sweet gesture, not sexual at all, though the smell of him this near was awakening certain parts of her body. She sighed. She was so falling for him.

  “Come with me to the movie premiere,” she said.

  He pulled his cheek away from hers. “I can’t.”

  He turned and walked away from the table. Phlox grabbed her purse and hurried to catch up to him. She shouldn’t have asked. It was an impulsive decision and impulsive decisions were usually foolish ones. At the car, he opened the passenger side door for her.

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “You can’t take your caretaker to a movie premiere. People would have a field day with that.”

  “You wouldn’t be there as my caretaker. You’d be my date.”

  “Your ugly date. I would just be a distraction, Phlox. You should find someone better to take.” He walked around to the driver’s side and got in.

  “I might have to revise your job description, after all,” she said as he pulled the car out of the restaurant’s grassy parking lot. “Add ‘attend events with company owner.’”

  “You could do that. But then I would quit.”

  “You’d give up a job rather than go to an event with me?”

  “I would.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Makes perfect sense, Phlox. I’m a caretaker because it doesn’t require me to see a lot of people. And they don’t have to see me.”

  They were quiet as the miles sped by. Her heart was heavy in her chest. Not a good sign. She should have known better than to ask. She didn’t want things with Jared to end when she had to return to the city. But only seeing him in Connecticut meant barely seeing him at all.

  Chapter 19

  The expression on his brother’s face was priceless.

  “Jake, I’d like you to meet Phlox Miller. Phlox, this is my brother, Jake.” Jared considered whipping out his phone and capturing Jake’s open-mouthed speechlessness for posterity. He’d preserve it for Aidan and Emma so one day he could say, “This was the one moment in your father’s entire life when he did not have some smart-ass remark to make.”

  Yeah, I brought a woman. A beautiful woman.

  That was the cat that had Jake’s tongue. Jared had never been in the habit of bringing women home before. There had never been any point to it. With Phlox though … he knew they had no future together, not a real future that entailed anything more than screwing each other silly whenever she came to her house in Connecticut. Eventually, she would meet someone in New York with whom she could have a real relationship and then Jared would be out on his ear. Employment at will and all that.

  He couldn’t give her a real relationship, couldn’t go to a movie premiere with her, couldn’t take her on an official date. Not that he didn’t want that. He did. He wanted to date her like a normal person. But the danger to her company was too great—especially now, with his father’s last appeal pending. The last thing he wanted to do was tie that nightmare to her company’s brand. It was bad enough that his own company, Accendo, had been saddled with it. Founder and CEO Jared Connor, whose father is on death row for …

  He couldn’t be seen with her at an event where there would be photographers and people interested enough in Phlox Miller’s date to look up who he was. Say, doesn’t her caretaker look a lot like … ?

  He couldn’t give her a real relationship, but he could bring her to meet his family. He could give her that. He couldn’t tell her who he really was—not yet anyway—but he could reveal this tiny layer of truth. This part of his family, the only family he had left anyway. Maybe that would be enough to keep her around for now. And he wanted to keep her around—or keep himself around since, really, she held all the cards. Maybe, if he could keep himself around long enough, he’d figure out a solution.

  Not that there wasn’t some danger in introducing her to Jake and Mina. They might let something slip. They weren’t used to being around Jared with someone else in attendance.

  But it was the best he could manage under the circumstances.

  Jared watched his brother’s face change as he pieced together the present situation. He glanced at Phlox. “So my brother is taking care of your property?”

  Phlox nodded. “We’ve become friends.”

  Jake turned back to Jared. “So that’s why you were asking about Phlox Beauty.”

  Jared tried to shoot him a look.

  “Well, never thought I’d see the day when you’d be working for a cosmetics company. Might do you some good, though,” Jake added.

  “Wait,” Mina said as she turned to Phlox. “You’re Phlox Beauty?”

  “Phlox is the president,” Jared answered. He was startled by the little surge of pride he felt at those words. Phlox was no Silicon Valley groupie like the women he’d pretended to date before.

  Mina affectionately swatted Jared on the arm. “You never told me you knew the president of Phlox Beauty.” She took Phlox by the arm and led her into the kitchen. “We need to talk.” She shot an exasperated look over her shoulder at Jared.

  Jared watched them go. Phlox had agonized over what to wear today—finally taking his suggestion to wear the Bermuda shorts and tank top—when all she needed to make a positive impression was her business card. Mina was short with dark hair and an olive complexion, physically the polar opposite of Phlox. But there was no way Mina wasn’t going to like her, and not just because Phlox ran a hot beauty brand.

  As soon as the women were out of earshot, Jake began laughing.

  “You’re an asshole, you know that?” Jared said.

  “Yeah. I believe you’ve told me that a time or two. Seriously, dude, why didn’t you tell me you were bringing someone? It would have been okay with us. And can I add that to your bio on the web site? Currently working in the cosmetics industry.”

  “I didn’t want you to make a big deal out of it. Besides, it’s not serious.”

 
Jake quirked an eyebrow at him. “Jared Connor with a woman, that’s the biggest deal I’ve heard about in years. Excuse me while I go write a press release.”

  “I’m banging my boss. It’s been done before.”

  Jake nailed him with a look that said he wasn’t buying a minute of that bullshit. And it was bullshit. Maybe the first time had been banging the boss, had been just Jared taking what was offered. But it wasn’t anymore. It was more than that now. That was the problem.

  “She know?” Jake added.

  “Nope. I’m just the caretaker.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “That’s going to end well. Better hope the kids don’t ask you to take them for a spin in the Maserati.” He sighed. “Quick, before they come inside looking for their favorite uncle, we need to chat.” Jake ushered him into his home office.

  “I have a feeling I already know what you’re going to say.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you do. I just want to reiterate that I don’t think you should go. There’s a much better chance of it going unnoticed if you’re not around. He’s just another inmate in San Quentin that way, not the father of a tech billionaire.”

  Jared nodded. His brother was probably right.

  “Plus if you’ve got a girlfriend now …”

  “She’s not a girlfriend.” He didn’t want Jake latching onto that idea too much, given the unlikelihood of that ever becoming reality. “We’re just hanging out.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “Well, whatever. Leave the past where it is. That’s all I’m saying.” Jake looked toward the kitchen for a moment. “You have enough money to be happy, Jared.”

  “Money doesn’t buy happiness.”

  Jake was quiet, considering his words. “True. There’s a beautiful, successful woman in my kitchen right now who thinks you’re a fucking caretaker. And yet, here she is. For some reason, she agreed to come meet the caretaker’s family.”

  “It’s my magic dick, bro.”

  “You made meeting your family a condition of her getting the magic dick? Come on, Jared. I may be your little brother but I’m not an idiot. Obviously, you like this woman.”

  “Her customers are women, Jake. I’m not going to tie her brand to a man who killed his wife.”

  “Fine,” his brother sighed. “But you gotta let go of it, man. You just do. For yourself. For the next woman you meet.”

  “Hard to let go of it when it’s staring me in the mirror every morning.”

  “Godammit, Jared.” Jake shoved him hard. “You know, some days I wish you had left me in that house.”

  He shoved Jared again, daring him to fight back. Jared pushed back, but not as hard. He had a good thirty pounds on his brother and a hell of a lot more muscle.

  But Jake wasn’t backing down. “Because you know what?” Jake’s voice was louder now. “I can’t live much longer with the weight of this—of you—hanging around my neck.”

  They were finally having this fight, the fight they had needed to have for years. But today wasn’t the day to do it. The kids were around … Phlox was here.

  “You should have just left,” Jake spit out. “Saved yourself.”

  Jared grabbed his brother by the shoulders and stared him hard in the eye. “That never crossed my mind. It was both of us or neither of us.”

  Jake shoved at Jared’s chest one last time, then stalked out of the room, nearly running into a determined Mina who had come to break up the fight. Jake swept past her, leaving her glaring at Jared. He could see the million things she wanted to say to him, flashing across her face. Jared knew why Mina wanted to go back to work. She hated being dependent on him, on her husband’s brother. Hated that Jake would never quit working for Jared.

  But instead, she said simply, "We’re eating outside by the pool.”

  * * *

  “Uncle Jared!” Aidan and Emma launched themselves at him from the pool deck.

  “Whoa, whoa,” he laughed. “Let me set down this tray or we’ll all be covered in ketchup. And your mom will put me in time-out.” He could feel the pool water leaching from their still wet swimsuits into each leg of his jeans. He placed the tray of hamburger buns and condiments onto the picnic table, then scooped his niece and nephew up into his arms.

  “Mom never puts us in time-out. Only Dad does that,” Emma informed him.

  “Yeah, I can see how that might be the case.”

  Aidan and Emma regaled him with tales of their summer so far, until they all heard the soft laughter of Phlox behind them. The kids’ heads snapped around, their faces a mix of curiosity and suspicion at the stranger in their midst.

  Jared set the two of them back down on the ground. “Guys, this is my friend, Phlox. Phlox, this is Aidan and Emma.”

  “Phlox is a weird name,” Emma pronounced.

  Jared shot Phlox an apologetic look.

  “You’re absolutely right,” Phlox said. “It’s a totally weird name. I always wanted a normal name like Emma or Olivia.”

  “What does it mean?” Aidan asked shyly, peeking out from behind Jared’s legs.

  “Oh, it’s a flower.” She looked around Jake and Mina’s spacious back yard. “There’s some over there.” She jogged over to a mass of pink flowers tumbling over a boulder in the back corner of the yard. She snipped off a bloom and brought it back. “This is phlox. See?” She kneeled down to show Aidan, then Emma.

  She was a natural with kids. Emma was a confident enough child to jump right into a conversation with her, but even Aidan let go of Jared’s leg and let himself be drawn into Phlox’s orbit.

  Uncle Who? Jared smiled at the sight of the three of them, their heads together, gabbing away like old friends. Would she forgive his lies if she understood that Aidan and Emma were the reasons behind them? Right now, Aidan and Emma believed that their other grandparents had died in the same house fire that had burned their uncle. If Jared told Phlox who he really was, would she understand how important it was that Aidan and Emma not have a grandfather who was a murderer?

  In retrospect, he should have faked his own death and moved to Lichtenstein or Nepal, some place where they didn’t worship socially awkward technology billionaires. Hindsight and all that. He was stuck now. As long as he remained out of sight, he remained mostly out of mind. Occasionally, a reporter would call Jake looking for him. Jake always told them that he was “out of the country at the moment.” If he reappeared, the media would start calling him for his comments on the technology industry, people would want him to serve on boards and shit, he’d get invited to speak at conferences and schools. And any time any of that got reported on, it would say, “Jared Connor, founder of Accendo … Connor’s father is on death row in California for killing his mother.” That would lead back to Jake, who lived a life of quiet anonymity as long as his famous older brother wasn’t around, and that would lead back to Aidan and Emma.

  He didn’t have to imagine how their teachers would look at them, or the parents of their friends. Been there, done that.

  “Are you going to marry Uncle Jared?” he heard Aidan whisper to Phlox.

  “He’s never had a girlfriend before,” Emma added solemnly.

  Phlox glanced over at him, an amused smile gracing her lips, before turning away with the kids to discuss the matter further.

  “Do you think I should?” he heard her say.

  “He can be grouchy sometimes,” Emma advised. “Just so you know.”

  “Thanks for telling me.” She tugged at Emma’s wet pigtail. “Anything else I should know about him?”

  “Mom wants us to let her know if he drives too fast,” Aidan said.

  Jared held his breath, hoping they wouldn’t mention the Maserati.

  “And dad used to punch people who made fun of Uncle Jared when they were kids. So don’t make fun of him.”

  Oh god. Well, at least they had moved on from the car.

  “I would never make fun of him. I think he’s rather dashing, don’t you think?”

  Emma gave him the side-eye. He c
ontinued to pretend he couldn’t hear them.

  “Our dad is handsomer, right Aidan?”

  Aidan looked torn. Should he side with his uncle or sister? “Yeah,” he allowed finally. “But Uncle Jared is more fun. ‘sides, Dad’s already married.”

  Jared loved those kids so much it made his heart hurt—even if they were talking smack about him to the closest thing he'd ever had to a girlfriend.

  Chapter 20

  In the gloaming, Christmas lights twinkled from the trees on Jake and Mina’s patio. A platter of burgers had been polished off, along with a bowl of pasta salad and a bag of potato chips. Phlox drained the rest of her Coke. From across the table, little Aidan gazed enviously at the shiny red can. He and his sister were drinking milk. She had no doubt that if she weren’t here, Jared would be sneaking soda to his niece and nephew. They had him wrapped around their little fingers, especially Aidan. He looked at Jared like he was some god down from Mount Olympus for a visit.

  She was surprised when Jared asked her to come along to Boston and meet his brother’s family, but she’d been happy to accept. He was such an enigma, she’d jump at any chance to see another side of him. He was doing a great job with her property—she had no complaints about his job performance—but there was something about him that wasn’t quite caretaker-ish. And his brother wasn’t a mechanic or a bus driver or a tattoo parlor owner either.

  Jake and Mina lived in a tidy Colonial outside Boston. Not a huge house, not a McMansion by any stretch of the imagination, but clearly they were reasonably affluent. Jake had said he was a financial manager and Mina was looking to return to her marketing career as soon as she found a nanny she liked. Had Jared’s scars changed his career options that much? Maybe Jake was helping support Jared? Phlox was dismayed to realize that she had no idea how much she was even paying Jared.

  Nor did she want to know. Of all the people to fall for, she had to pick an employee. Why couldn’t she just like David Cook? That would be simpler all around.

  The day here had been nice, though. She liked Jared’s brother and sister-in-law. Mina was a customer of Phlox Beauty, too, so they’d had plenty to talk about. And the kids were adorable.