by Hoff, Stacy
Her mother’s eyes instantly went wide, her face pale. “You quit your job? But why?”
“I couldn’t help it, Mom. I’ll tell you later. I’ve got to find Colin.” Stephanie excused herself, working her way past her two brothers, several friends, and a gang of cousins.
“Colin Brandt?” she heard Ana ask her mother in obvious surprise. “Well good for her!”
Stephanie smiled at that, but didn’t slow down. Then she stopped cold, blinking hard in disbelief at one cousin in particular. A cousin who wore a too tight, too low-cut sequined dress. Stephanie’s stomach clenched, urging her to throw up. Adrienne sat in a corner booth, her ass practically in the lap of some guy whose back was turned to Stephanie. The guy was talking to a waiter, probably ordering enough alcohol to make a night with Adrienne a sure bet. Worse, the guy was definitely not Freddie. Stephanie fought back the bile in her throat. Adrienne had broken up Stephanie’s engagement to Freddie for nothing.
Her mother touched her hand. “Please don’t be mad at me for inviting Adrienne. Ever since your Uncle Arnold died, I’ve been beside myself. It’s been too much for me to bear, especially on top of all your father’s Alzheimer issues. I can’t throw Arnold’s only child out of the family.” She choked back a sob. “Besides, Adrienne did you a favor.”
“Mom, I’m sorry. I know what you’re going through. But how could you bring her here? I understand you feel obligated to Uncle Arnie, but—”
“Adrienne got her just desserts. She caught Freddie in bed with some cocktail waitress. Don’t hold a grudge. Adrienne feels stupid. He did to her what he did to you. And she feels terrible she hurt you.”
“Mom, I—” Upon seeing Adrienne’s date twist back around in his chair, Stephanie stopped mid-sentence. Her words died, and her blood went cold. “Oh my God, the guy she’s with is—is—is Colin!”
Chapter 21
Colin couldn’t stand it. Or her. Whoever this crazy girl was. Who kept trying to sit on him and stick her hand down his pants. Looked like she was barely out of high school, too. Disgusting. Maybe he harbored Texas values, but women who acted this way had serious self-esteem issues. Ditto for women who wore not enough clothing. And who wore much too much makeup. Like this one. She looked like a drag queen. Which would be a fine look for an actual drag queen. Not so much for her.
He swatted away another grab at his fly. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” he chastised. “I’m trying not to make a scene because this is a party, but you’re way out of line. Get off of me.” He tried to stand, but she wouldn’t budge from his lap.
“Don’t you get it?” Dragzilla hissed, voice pitched high in incredulity. She pushed herself back down on his lap. “I’m offering myself to you.”
Colin sighed, one long exhale. He hated being rude. Under the circumstances, however, he’d make an exception. He was waiting for his girlfriend for God’s sakes. And, he was a one-woman man. Ms. Hot-to-Trot wasn’t going to change that.
Well, hopefully Stephanie was his girlfriend. He hadn’t heard from her since he’d dropped off the chocolates, but maybe her meeting went overtime. It probably had because Stephanie wasn’t even here yet. Poor thing, she worked too hard.
“Didn’t you hear me?” Dragzilla shrieked.
“Yes, I did. All of North America heard you. My answer is, I’m not interested. Clear enough? Excuse me, please.” He got up, giving her a gentle shove aside so he could do so.
Though a true member of Special Ops would have stood his ground, he headed over to the bar. The bar all the way on the opposite side of the room. Not creating a scene at Stephanie’s party was much more important than acting like he was injected with a needle full of testosterone.
Loud enough for several tables to turn their heads, her mother yelled, “Your Colin? Why that . . . that . . . bitch!” Her mother looked up at the ceiling and shrieked even louder, “Arnold, I’m sorry, but your slut of a daughter is going to have to learn a lesson!”
Stephanie paused long enough to see her mother knock over an empty chair in her attempt to get to Adrienne. Then Stephanie turned and left the party. Walking back up the stairs, she heard her mother screaming at Adrienne, her brothers joining in the fracas, yelling along with their mother. She also heard her friends calling her name. Blinded by her tears, if any of them were trying to catch up to her, she couldn’t see them. Refusing to let them fall, she blinked them back. No more spilled tears over men.
Sprinting up the last stair, she pushed open the exit door and hailed a taxi. A checkered cab pulled up immediately. She jumped in, closing the door just as the people from her party ran out. They were too late. The cab made the light and flew down Broadway.
“Sixty-Ninth Street and Amsterdam,” she directed.
This couldn’t be happening. She gave up her job to protect Colin. Colin, who dumped her for Adrienne. Adrienne, who broke up her engagement to Freddie. Stephanie rested her head on the back of the grimy bench, not caring her beautiful hairdo would be ruined. After all, so was her life. Her bold choices had left her with nothing. No steady income. No steady man. And now, once again, no writing career. Ever. Because what could she write about love? Not a thing.
Colin’s head snapped around to the commotion at the party. Everybody was shouting. What the hell was going on?
Oh, they were screaming at Dragzilla. Made sense. She probably tried to shove her hand down someone else’s crotch.
Wait, Stephanie was leaving. Leaving? That didn’t make sense. She had arrived, and left, without saying a word to him. And where the heck was she going?
He slammed his glass of Johnnie Walker Black down on the bar and ran after her. “Steph, wait up!” he called, bounding up the steps behind her. She didn’t turn around, though. Didn’t seem to hear him. A few feet ahead of him, the outer door of the restaurant shut behind her. He grabbed it open, but begrudgingly held the door for an old lady determined to push herself through first.
“Thank you, dear,” she said in a crackly voice. “Aren’t you a nice young man?”
“Thanks, ma’am. Excuse me.” He bolted, just in time to see a cab pull away. The back window sported the view of a woman. One with elaborately styled, reddish hair.
“Steph!” He shouted after her.
His stomach lurched as the cab sped away. She was gone.
Gone.
Chapter 22
The brand-new dress was already off, draped carefully over the overstuffed chair in her bedroom. Standing over the bathroom sink, Stephanie carefully twisted out the first bobby pin from the zillions in her up-do. The pin’s removal gave her scalp a sharp tug. It must be stuck from all the hairspray. Giving up, she went to the bedroom to change out of the new bra and panty set, their price tags still on the bedroom floor. Kicking the tags toward the nightstand, she realized she hadn’t even taken off her cobalt-blue high heels.
As she yanked open the closet door to put the stilettos away, the door’s full-length mirror caught her eye. She straightened up, staring intently at it. Her outer self was cool and distant. Her inner self was a hot, emotional mess. Her thin, shapely body was perfectly composed. Her mind, perfect chaos.
Forgetting to change, she walked over to her bed and sat down, almost dizzy from all the thoughts swirling around. She tried to clear her head and apply logic. She’d get through this. She had to.
Financial issues first. Money was an easier problem to tackle than a lost love life. So until she found another job, her expenses would have to change. Drastically. Who knew how long it’d take to get a new one. The good jobs for New York based networks were limited. And the higher up the chain-of-command, the harder it was to land a job. She’d need to get started ASAP. Tomorrow would be a busy day as she called up headhunters.
A moment later, Stephanie realized her lower lip was burning from biting so hard. She immediately rele
nted but looked down to notice her hands were clenched in fists as well. She released her hands and made an effort to breathe in deep. In. Out. Repeat.
Her heart raced at breakneck speed. Why is everything crashing down on me? Maybe she was just one of those people who experienced bad shit. Often. Who couldn’t take her emotional security for granted. Ever. Because around the corner, something lurked in the dark. Ready to ambush. Waiting to kill off her happiness. She was in New York, but for all the difference it made, she could be back in the Everglades. Back in the tiny lean-to. Smiling into the night, while the water moccasin lurked. Or back in the marshlands, walking blithely while the alligator skulked. But the real animal she was afraid of was man. Not attacking her, but abandoning.
She blinked back the memories. She’d never think of their time in the Everglades again. At least here in New York, she belonged. If bad things were going to keep taking her by surprise, better at home where she was the most secure.
Though she wondered how secure things really were here. Nothing at all was settled. Not even her lease. So what home did she really have?
Looking around her apartment only enhanced her melancholy. All this, gone. Her apartment, her most tangible proof of success. She’d worked so hard for this place. Where would she move? Not back to her mother. Maybe nearby, though.
Taking another deep breath, she tried to calm down. A studio apartment not too far from Brooklyn Heights could work. Frankly, it’d have to. Not fancy. But certainly viable. She could sell off some of her furniture. Get money and save on moving expenses at the same time. Achieve open space for a tinier place. She gave a wistful glance over at her oversized Ethan Allen couch and matching loveseat. It’d taken three months of endless shopping to find the perfect throw pillows.
She shook her head in a physical attempt to shake off her thoughts. None of it mattered. Not the furniture. Not which apartment she got. All that mattered was being able to stand on her own. Depend on herself, and no other. She’d be damned if she were fool enough to depend on anyone else again.
Williamsburg would be affordable. She’d look there first thing in the morning. After calling the headhunters. Grab the classifieds, call a broker, and get busy. A lesser lease would give her stability. Lord, if there was one thing she needed right now, it was stability.
Standing outside the restaurant, watching Stephanie’s cab drive away, Colin made himself a promise. He wasn’t going to let her birthday end this way. No way. But how was he going to go after her? He grabbed his smartphone and started scrolling through. She was most likely headed home. Something had obviously upset her. Badly.
He hoped it wasn’t him. Did his asking to see her at the office violate their “no contact at work” policy? She couldn’t be mad at him. He’d been discreet. Unless, someone opened the bag to find the chocolates. He had stuffed the box way down, within two other bags, and a layer of tissue paper over that. Did Teleworld thoroughly inspect all packages for employees? He felt flush. His heart raced. Maybe his military days really were way behind him. His note had been discovered, and she thought he’d betrayed her wishes.
Or maybe she thought he was some kind of obsessed nut case. A stalker. He had to go apologize. Explain himself. She had to give him a second chance. God, he really was acting like an obsessed nut case. He needed to calm down if he was going to do this. Showing up obsessed and hyper was not going to endear her to him.
Time to think through his plan of action. He paused, looking down Broadway. The cab was long gone. Did he even have her address?
A bohemian looking young woman came up to him. At least it wasn’t Dragzilla. This one looked much more normal and clear-headed, though her frown matched his own. “I’m Ana,” she said simply. “I work for Teleworld. I’m sorry to meet you like this.”
Sweat beaded and his heart rate sped up. He had been found out. Now someone Steph worked with knew they were together because he was at her party. Damn it, this was all his fault! But wait, that made no sense. Stephanie invited both of them, so the fact this gal knew must be okay.
“Yeah,” he said cautiously. He wasn’t going to give away any information.
“I am—was—Stephanie’s executive assistant. She quit today. Did she tell you?”
“Quit? What happened? Why did she quit?” Unconsciously he made a fist. If Mark did something to hurt her—
Ana interrupted his thoughts. “Not sure. Something happened during her meeting with Mark. She walked into her office after that, shoved some personal items into an empty box, gave me hug, and walked out.”
“What? She didn’t say anything?”
“Yeah, she did. She said, ‘I just quit.’ Nothing more. I didn’t go after her. I knew I’d see her tonight. I wanted to give her some time to calm down.”
“I don’t believe it,” he muttered. His heart lifted, and he felt guilty about that. But without her job to keep her in New York, he had a shot she’d move to Texas. A guy could hope. He didn’t want to be apart from her anymore but hadn’t figured out a way for them to be together. Over a thousand miles from each other was damned far away.
“Go to her, Colin. I’ve already written the address down for you.”
Colin felt a large grin break out across his face. “Thanks, Ana. You’re all right.”
“I’m better than that. I’m Stephanie’s right hand. Always going to be.” Then she stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out an earth-shattering whistle. Stepping two feet into the street, she shot her right arm straight into the air. “Taxi,” she called at ear-piercing volume.
A checkered SUV pulled over seconds later. When it stopped, Ana grabbed the back door and opened it for him. She made a sweeping gesture, shooing him in. “Go to her,” she said.
“Thanks.” Colin scooted in.
Ana slammed the door behind him and the cab took off.
“Where to, buddy?” the cab driver asked.
Colin hurried to open the scrap of paper Ana gave him. As he unfolded it, he remembered his conversation with Stephanie, the one right after they’d made love for the first time. “Upper West Side. And step on it.”
Stephanie’s financial machinations were interrupted by the piercing sound of the intercom. Hopping off her bed, she went over and hit the button. “Yes?”
The doorman answered back. “You’ve got a visitor, Ms. Lang.”
“I do? I should have guessed.” She sighed. “If it’s my mom, better send her up.”
“No, it’s a gentleman. He says his name is Colin Brandt.” A minute passed before the doorman spoke again. “Ms. Lang? Hello, Ms. Lang? Can you still hear me?”
Forcing the words out of a constricted throat, she answered, “Send him up.”
Chapter 23
No sooner had she put on her pink terrycloth robe and hastily tied the belt, did the doorbell ring. She opened it to see him standing there. Handsome as ever, donning a black bowtie, slacks and sport jacket. His light blue button-down shirt matched his eyes. No one could ever look as perfect. “Before I ask what you’re doing here, Colin, I need to know how you even got my address.”
“Ana,” he said simply.
That figures. She nodded. “What can I do for you? Any questions about the show, you’ll need to speak to Ana again since I quit this afternoon.”
“I heard. Can I come in? Or do we have to talk out here?”
She stepped aside from the doorway and made a sweeping gesture over to the living room. “No need to have a seat,” she said, closing the door behind him. “I doubt this will take long. So, what I can do for you?”
“You can tell me why you ran out of your own birthday party. And why your family went crazy.”
“Of all the people in the world, I’d think you’d understand.”
“I don’t understand. One minute I’m waiting for you at your party, and the next
minute I watch you take off, and everyone is screaming at each other so loudly I’m surprised nobody called the police. Or maybe they did, I have no idea. Right after Ana gave me your address, I took off after you.”
“What the hell do you think happened? They were screaming at Adrienne for seducing you. I can’t believe I’m not screaming at you, too. But I’m glad I’m calm. I’ve survived this situation before, and I’ll do it again. As for my slutty cousin—”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Are you kidding me? Adrienne was practically wrapped around you. A tourniquet couldn’t get much tighter.”
“That was Adrienne? I didn’t even know who she was. I was at the bar waiting for you when this brassy-looking brat started talking my ear off. I tried ignoring her and walking away, but it wasn’t easy. I figured if I couldn’t shut her up, I could at least drink enough not to care.”
His words buzzed around her like angry bees. “Is that true?” she asked quietly. Dizzy, she walked over to the couch to sit down.
“Yes, it’s true. For God’s sake, Steph, I told you back in the ’Glades I would never want to be with a woman like her. I only want you.” Sitting down next to her, he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “Why were you so late anyway?”
“Dramatic effect.”
“Well, it worked. You certainly got drama.” He laughed.
Despite her nerves, and her doubts, she let out a small laugh, too. “Yeah. I guess I did.”
“Look, it’s you I want to be with. Only you. You should know that. My note was pretty blunt.”
“What note?”
