Chapter 8
Friends bring happiness into your life. Best friends bring beer.
“Huh.” I lay my phone down on my desk with a frown on my face.
“What’s wrong?” Hailey asks, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
I place my hand over my erratic heart. “What are you doing? Trying to scare me to death?”
She wrinkles her brow. “I’m standing right beside you. It’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention.” She points to my phone. “What’s going on?”
“Grayson isn’t responding to my messages.”
Phoebe comes running out of her office. “What’s this? Trouble in paradise?”
“Suzie and Grayson are fighting,” Hailey explains except she’s got it all wrong.
“Um, no, Suzie and Grayson aren’t fighting. Suzie’s worried about Grayson is all.” And why am I talking in third person?
Phoebe and Hailey take seats across from me like we’re going to have some kind of girl gab session. Not happening. I wave them away. “Get back to work. Nothing to see here.”
Hailey raises her eyebrow in Phoebe’s direction. “Does she think we’re going to let her off easy?”
“After what she put me through—”
“Us,” Hailey corrects her.
“Right, us. After what she put us through, we are not letting her off the hook.”
I can feel my lips pursing. I didn’t put them through a darn thing. I merely gave their love stories a little push – a loving tap if you will – but my situation with Grayson is completely different. Love is not part of our vocabulary. We’re friends. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Hailey motions with her hand for me to hurry it on up. “Come on. Fill us in.”
There’s nothing to fill her in about. “I already told you. Grayson isn’t answering his messages.”
“Sounds like someone needs to go to his house and check up on him. He may need assistance.” Phoebe winks in case I’m a total moron who didn’t catch her innuendo.
“I don’t know where he lives.”
Hailey snorts. “And you can’t possibly find out.” She motions to my computer. My computer which is full of all kinds of tracking data software.
Phoebe stands. “We have a plan, then. You’ll find his address and go over there and check on him.”
Hailey nods and they both head off to their respective offices. “I didn’t agree to any plan!” I shout at their backs. I get no response from the cheap seats.
Despite not agreeing to this stupid plan, I start up the software I need as soon as their doors shut. I look around to make sure no one’s watching me. What am I doing? It’s not like I’m committing a crime. Geesh. I type in Grayson’s name, and all kinds of stuff comes up, but I ignore it all. I’m not invading his privacy. And finding his address is definitely not an invasion of privacy. It’s not!
I add his address to his contact information in my phone and then sit there staring at it for a good five minutes. Am I seriously going to his place to check up on him? Do friends check up on friends?
“Just go!” Hailey shouts from her office.
“Yes! If I hear you sigh one more time…” Phoebe shouts from hers.
“I’m the eavesdropper in this company, not you guys!”
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” Hailey shouts back.
“Go. Before I make you go,” Ryker growls.
Wait a minute! Since when is Ryker involved in my private life? “It’s none of your business, big guy.”
“You made it my business when you started shouting in the office.”
“I didn’t start it!” Yeah, I know. Real mature.
“No, but I’m going to end it.” Ryker may be a softie when it comes to Phoebe, but the menace in his voice is kind of freaking me out now.
“All right. All right. I’m going.”
I park in front of Grayson’s apartment building ten minutes later. It’s a three-story brick building not too far from the college. I study the building while frozen in place until I remember my mantra just friends. I’m not here checking up on my boyfriend only to discover— Nope. I am not going there. Those thoughts are most unwelcome in my mind.
I march to the building and straight up to the third floor where Grayson’s apartment is. I look around as I knock on his door. Although I’m not a lover of apartment buildings – all those neighbors being nosy – the place looks nice. All the lights are working, and the floor looks clean.
I knock again and end up nearly hitting Grayson with my fist when he opens his door. I yank my hand back when I realize he’s shirtless. My eyes rove over his muscles, and my mouth waters. I would love to get my tongue on those. Stop. No, you don’t, Suzie. Friends. Just friends.
“Sorry. Were you sleeping? I didn’t think soldiers were allowed to be in bed at 11 a.m.,” I sass while forcing my eyes to remain above shoulder level.
“What are you doing here?”
“Someone’s grumpy,” I say and then push my way inside. I shiver when my body rubs up against his. No, not rubs against his. His humongous body was in the way was all. I didn’t deliberately rub up against him. Not me.
Little Susan cheers when we’re inside his place and starts singing Finally while practicing her disco moves. No, we have not met Mr. Right, I tell her.
My brow wrinkles when I see his living room. It’s a mess. “I thought you military types were clean freaks.”
I pick up a pile of clothes to make room for myself on his couch. When I return my attention to Grayson, he’s putting on a t-shirt. Little Susan sniffs and the disco moves come to an abrupt halt. Told you so.
I wait until he moves the magazines on a chair and takes a seat before I start. “What’s going on? You’ve ignored my messages since Sunday.”
“Been busy is all.”
I look around the room. “Obviously, cleaning is not included in this busyness.”
He grunts but doesn’t otherwise speak. Normally, we don’t have any problems keeping up a conversation.
“Did I piss you off?” It wouldn’t be the first time I inadvertently pissed a person off. Not the second either if I’m being completely honest.
“Nah. Like I said I’m busy.”
He won’t look me in the eyes, though. I know when a man is being evasive. Trust me, I have a degree in ferreting out evasive men.
“What’s really going on?”
“Leave it alone. You’re my friend, Suzie, not my girlfriend.” I feel like he slapped me. He’s not wrong. I’m not his girlfriend, but it doesn’t mean I want to hear him growl the words at me.
“Duh. I’m your friend. I’m worried about you. I’m checking up on you. This is what friends do.” At least it’s how girlfriends act with each other. I don’t exactly have any male friends unless you count the uncles who I would never ever check up on. I do not want to know what they get up to when they disappear.
“Really? Like friends tell each other their secrets.” I nod. “Then, Suzie Langley, why don’t you want anyone to know about your brewing? Why is it a hobby instead of a business?”
Geez. Go straight to the heart, why don’t you. “I’ll tell you why my brewing is only a hobby if you tell me what’s going on with you.”
“Deal.”
Shit. I didn’t think he’d go for it. Son of a bitch. Now, I have to tell him. I reach up to tear at the spikes in my hair before I remember I’m growing my hair out. I drop my hands in my lap where I fidget with the strings from the hole in the thigh of my jeans.
“The brewing thing is a dream I shared with my ex. We were going to take the Midwest by storm with our specialty microbrews. I haven’t figured out yet if brewing is a venture I want to take on as a full-time business by myself is all.”
And – big time secret – I’m not sure I can brew full-time without memories of Toby the asshole ex ruining it.
“Why did you guys break up?”
I shake my head. “Suzie’s revelation hour is up. It�
�s now time for Grayson’s revelations.”
He rubs the back of his neck with his hand as he focuses on the ground. “Like I said, I’m busy is all. Going back to school takes more time and energy than I expected.”
I know he’s lying or at least not telling me the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It’s kind of obvious seeing how he refuses to look me in the eye.
I don’t call him on his obvious lies, though. Because he’s right. He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t have a right to push him. Besides, I have other ways of finding out information. Mwa-ha-ha-ha.
Chapter 9
Beer doesn’t ask questions or negotiate. Beer just is.
Wally scowls when he opens the door to find me standing on his front porch.
I ignore Grumpy Gus and wave. “Hi, Wally!”
He motions for me to enter without saying a word.
Geez. Would a greeting kill him? It’s not like I want to be here either, but my research into Grayson’s past came to a dead end. I can tell you all about his credit rating and what schools he attended. Hell, I can even give you his report cards. But can I tell you why the man is depressed? No. Thus, Wally.
I look around Wally’s place as I follow him to the living room. His furniture is modern and sleek. The black leather looks pristine. Does he never chill and watch a movie here? What am I thinking? When does he have time to chill? He’s either at the bar playing poker with the other uncles and Pops or he’s off on some super-secret spy mission.
“What is it with you girls and coming to your Uncle Wally?” he mumbles as he walks to his kitchen and opens the refrigerator to retrieve two bottles of water.
“Who else came to visit you?” I ask when he hands me my water.
“Phoebe.”
My eyes widen in surprise. Phoebe never asked me for his address. “How did she find you?”
“Followed me,” he mumbles.
“Phoebe followed you without you noticing?” I snicker. “I knew we made the right decision hiring that girl.”
Phoebe had no PI experience when she showed up at You Cheat, We Eat. Actually, she had no work experience at all. Like zip, zero, nada. She’d never held a job before in her entire life! She was a total spoiled rich girl, although not bitchy spoiled. More like spoiled as in clueless about the world.
“What do you want, kid?”
I roll my eyes. Uncle Wally may have multiple talents – talents I’m pretty sure the government puts to use in black ops – but being charming is not one of them.
“I need a favor.”
He takes a long drink of his water before speaking, “Let me guess. You want me to do a background check on one Grayson Neill.”
Of course, he knows what I want. The man can probably read minds. I wouldn’t be surprised if the government has perfected the art and is keeping the information from the public. I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist. But I’m not.
What I am is an excellent eavesdropper. No one pays much attention to short girls. They probably should. I’ve heard a bunch of stuff the uncles got up to when they were in the Army. Most of it stuff I wish I hadn’t heard.
“What’s your price?”
Wally grins and leans back in his chair. “This has possibilities.”
I bite my tongue to keep from speaking while he taps his chin and pretends to think of all the possibilities. He knows exactly what he wants, but he likes making me wait because he knows I have the patience of a gnat.
“Fine,” I grump when he maintains his silence for more than two minutes. Yes, I counted. “What do you want?”
His eyes sparkle. “I never thought you’d ask.”
I hold up my hand. “Nothing illegal.”
“As if I would ask you to commit a crime.”
Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he asked me to do something on the wrong side of the law. The man did teach Hailey how to pick locks and hotwire cars after all.
“I want you to give Grayson a chance.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A chance? What do you mean?” I know exactly what he means, and I don’t like it one bit.
“Don’t play dumb with me, kid. You may have everyone else fooled with your happy go lucky act but not me. I know you’re lonely.”
I shoot daggers at him. “Don’t you dare presume to know what I’m feeling.”
He’s right. Of course, he’s right. I told you the government had perfected mind reading! Because there’s no other way he could possibly know about the gut-churning loneliness I’m feeling. I cover it up entirely too well with my jokes and klutziness. Confession – I’m not as klutzy as you might think. But he shouldn’t know it!
My daggers have no effect on Wally. I mentally add sharpening my daggers to my to-do list. “Don’t you dare presume I’m like all the other schmucks you have fooled.”
Oh, goodie. A distraction. “Who are you calling a schmuck? You’re not calling your brothers-in-arms schmucks, are you?”
“Don’t change the subject. You’re not going to divert me from the issue here.”
Damn it. He’s on to me. “What is the subject?” If I can’t distract, I’ll delay.
He leans forward in his chair and places his elbows on his thighs. He narrows his eyes on me before answering. “You know darn well what the subject is. But before you act all innocent again, I’ll remind you. If you give Grayson a chance – a real chance – I’ll do your background check.”
“Grayson doesn’t want a chance. We’re friends. Nothing more.”
But we want to give Grayson a chance, my inner voice reminds me. I call her Adult Suzie because she’s always pushing me to act like a grown-up, something I have no intention of ever doing. But then Little Susan joins in on the act. Yeah! We want to make the sweet love to him. Since when does Little Susan speak with a Spanish accent? I shake my head to try and force all the crazy thoughts out.
Wally only stares at me in response. And stares. And stares. Until I burst out with another lie, “There’s no chemistry between us!”
He tilts his head back and laughs. He laughs and laughs until he has to wipe his eyes free of his tears of laughter.
“I don’t know what’s funny.” And I’m back to lying.
“What’s funny is you thinking no one can see the chemistry between you and Grayson. A blind person could see the electricity jolting back and forth between you two.”
They can? “Doesn’t matter. We have agreed to be friends, nothing more. Neither one of us is looking for a relationship.”
“How do you know Grayson isn’t looking for a relationship?”
“Hello! You were sitting right across the table from him when he said he isn’t ready for a relationship.” I pause. Have things changed from when we had that particular conversation? “Did Grayson tell you otherwise?”
“No. But your curiosity is a dead give away.”
And I fell for it. Ugh. “Doesn’t matter,” I repeat. “I am not looking for a relationship.”
And I’m not. My body may want to tangle in the sheets with him, but my head knows better. I’ve learned my lesson. Men are extremely dangerous to your health and should be avoided at all costs.
Wally shrugs. “You’ve heard my terms. What is your response?”
“I do not accept.” I stand. “Thank you for listening to me. I’ll see myself out.”
I stomp through the living room and yank open the front door. I’m annoyed. How dare Wally deny me? He’s supposed to support me. Uncles are supposed to help you out when your own father isn’t on your side. Hasn’t he read the manual?
“Wait!” he calls after me, but I don’t stop.
If I do, I’ll probably break down and cry. And how embarrassing would that be? No. Happy-go-lucky Suzie does not cry. At least not in public. I practically run to my car. As I’m starting my ignition, I look up and see Wally standing on his porch with his arms crossed over his chest. He does not look happy. He’s not the only one.
I’ll figure out another way to find out what’s
bothering Grayson. Trust me. I can badger like no one’s business. How do you think Phoebe and Hailey ended up happily in romantic relationships? Without me, they’d both be single and miserable. I got this.
Chapter 10
Why did you get a divorce? My doctor told me I wasn’t allowed to touch anything alcoholic.
I look up when the bell over the door at You Cheat, We Eat rings. “Good morning,” I greet the man who walks inside. He startles and takes a step back when he hears my voice. What’s his problem? It’s not like my voice was overly cheery. Confession: It totally was.
I study the man as he stands in front of the door. He doesn’t look like our normal client. Although we’ll find any cheater – whether male or female – we usually end up with the wives as clients. He’s also dressed in a suit I would bet a crate of my Holiday Brew is custom made. Consider my curiosity officially piqued.
“Welcome to You Cheat, We Eat. How can we make your life better?”
“I need to hire a PI,” he answers.
“Perfect! You Cheat, We Eat is a PI firm.”
“And you specialize in adultery cases?”
The name kind of gives it away, doesn’t it? “We sure do.” I point to a seat in front of my desk. “Why don’t you have a seat, Mr.…”
“Cafferty.”
“I’m Suzie. Why don’t you give me a bit of background and then I’ll check if one of our PIs is available.”
Check if someone’s available? As if. I can see from the corner of my eye both Phoebe and Hailey have crept close to their doors to listen in on our conversation. Phoebe is being nosy. She doesn’t take the adultery cases. The woman can’t be inconspicuous if she tried. And she does try. But she’s entirely too beautiful and elegantly dressed to not stick out, although she doesn’t wear her Louboutins every day anymore.
Mr. Cafferty takes a seat on the chair I indicated and folds his hands in his lap. I’m not fooled. He’s not calm. His knuckles are literally white from him clenching them.
A Soldier for Suzie: A Military Romantic Comedy (Love will OUT Book 3) Page 5
