Just Good Friends

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Excuse me?”

  “I think you are supposed to distract me while he does something he knows I wouldn’t like.”

  “Like what?”

  The answer was so obvious that Tyler kicked himself for not putting the pieces together sooner. Nathan wanted to pick up Tiffany’s parents, and for some reason, he didn’t want Tyler to be there when he did. And if he guessed right, Nathan took his daughter along to convince them that they wanted to be grandparents.

  “I need to go,” he told Ryan.

  “Hold on,” Ryan protested when Tyler was ready to end the video call. “Aren’t you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “Does it have something to do with you and Tiffany being married?”

  “I hope you’re not going to tell her parents that we’re not really married.” Then, thinking of the other thing Ryan could blab, he added, “I also hope you’re not telling anyone else in our family that we are.”

  Ryan chuckled. “No on both counts. Beth explained everything to me. She also said she will be going to the zoo with Tiffany and your non-in-laws.”

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “Yep. It’s nice when someone else has meddling parents instead of me.”

  “Well, in this case, it’s not my parents or hers. The meddler is Nathan.”

  “Yeah, but I heard about her parents and Thanksgiving weekend.”

  “Okay. That’s true. In that case, they do meddle.”

  Ryan chuckled again. “I’ll let you go so you can track Nathan down and minimize the damage he’s doing.”

  Tyler rolled his eyes. “Lucky me.”

  After saying good-bye, he ended the video call and got up. He grabbed his coat and walked over to Carmen who was on the phone.

  “Six thirty.” Carmen wrote the time down on a memo sheet. “I’ll let him know. Thank you.” She hung up the phone and looked up at Tyler. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “Nathan didn’t happen to tell you where he was going this morning, did he?”

  She shook her head. “All he said was that he had to take Amber somewhere.”

  “Great.” So he could be at the hotel right now or already be at the building where Tiffany worked. “Does he still have that cemetery plot in the city dump?”

  “Yep. Why? You think he needs one in a sewer, too?”

  “Probably, but even I can’t confine him to something that disgusting.” Even if he deserved it. “I’ll be out until I find him.”

  “You really think he’s up to no good?” she called out as he went to the elevator.

  He pressed the button and turned to her. “This is Nathan Rudolph we’re talking about.”

  “Good point. Who do I send the sympathy card to?”

  “Tiffany Clark.”

  The elevator doors opened, and he stepped into it. He got to the lobby just in time to see Nathan, who was holding his daughter, open the door as Tiffany’s parents and a less-than-happy Tiffany entered the building.

  “This is where it all began,” Nathan told them. “Of course, back then, it wasn’t this big, and it wasn’t this specific building. I rented this one when my company expanded to the point where I needed it.” He glanced over at Tyler and waved. “I think you’ll recognize someone over there.”

  They turned to him, and since Tiffany’s parents were watching him, he forced himself to remain calm enough so he wouldn’t barge up to Nathan and demand to know what he thought he was going to accomplish by interfering in his life.

  “Good to see you this morning,” her dad said as he walked over to him.

  “Good to see you, too,” he forced out, hoping his irritation with Nathan wasn’t as obvious as Tiffany’s was.

  “How did your meeting with Ryan Jackson go?” Nathan asked.

  “Probably the same as it would have if you had our research team do it,” he replied, hoping Nathan understood that Tyler knew full well that the meeting was bogus.

  “Ryan is Tyler’s cousin,” Nathan told her parents. “I like to throw a little business his way from time to time. Not that he needs it, of course. He has one of the most successful advertising companies in the country. But I like to support those I like.”

  “Support,” Tyler mumbled. “That’s what you call it?”

  Nathan glanced at him as if he couldn’t believe Tyler even had to ask the question. “That’s exactly what I call it.” Then, without missing a beat, he gestured to the elevator. “However, as Tyler has pointed out, we do have a research and marketing department right here in this building, and I’ll be happy to show it to you right now. It’s on the second floor.”

  Tyler let the excited parents pass him so he could walk next to Tiffany.

  She sighed and looked up at him. “You’ll never guess what he’s doing,” she whispered.

  “I don’t think I want to know,” he whispered in return.

  They stepped into the elevator, and Amber reached for the button Nathan was going to press. He guided her hand to the right button and helped her select it. “There you go.” The girl giggled, and he grinned. “She hasn’t been to the second floor before. But there’s no time like the present. My dad always told me there’s no time like now to start doing what you love, and I can tell she’s going to love running this business.”

  Tiffany rubbed her forehead, and Tyler sensed Nathan’s seemingly innocent comment had a hidden message underneath it. He’d probably know what it was if he had started this tour with everyone else. But really, it was for the best he didn’t know.

  The tour through the second floor was easy enough. Nathan seemed straightforward enough with the information he was giving them. He even told some jokes that made Tiffany’s parents laugh.

  He used the same jokes with anyone he hoped to gain on board for business purposes. It was something Tyler always admired about him. Nathan had a way of winning people over without seeming to put any effort into it. And just as his business prospects had been charmed by him, her parents were charmed as well.

  Tyler didn’t know why it bothered him that her parents seemed so taken by him. Sure, he didn’t like the fact that Nathan was sticking his nose in where it didn’t belong, but he couldn’t help but wonder if her parents would have preferred it if Nathan had been their son-in-law instead of him.

  He stopped himself before his thoughts went any further. It was silly, of course. He wasn’t really their son-in-law, so there was nothing to worry about.

  By the time they made it to the top floor, her parents were laughing at just about everything Nathan was saying. If they were business prospects, they would have signed a contract with him already.

  “And this is the end of the tour,” Nathan said as he led them off the elevator. “Over here is my wonderful secretary, Carmen. She’s been with me since I started this business almost twenty years ago.”

  “Yes, and I assure you, he’s an even bigger pain now than he was back then,” she said with a teasing grin. “He’s let the money and fame go right to his head.”

  “She stays with me for that money,” Nathan told them, which earned a hearty chuckle from her parents.

  Tiffany glanced at Tyler, and he rubbed her back, hoping to ease some of her discomfort. He knew he couldn’t make her feel completely better, but maybe he could help ease some of her tension. She smiled and edged closer to him.

  Nathan glanced at them with raised eyebrows. Then he turned to Tyler’s office. “And this is where your son-in-law works.”

  Tyler and Tiffany followed, their steps slow. He realized this was awkward for her, but it occurred to him that he didn’t have pictures of her anywhere in his office, and her parents might notice it. Nathan, after all, had a ton of pictures of Amy and their daughter lining his desk. But if her parents did notice, they didn’t say anything.

  “I met Tyler while we were in college,” Nathan rambled as they all stood in Tyler’s office, which overlooked downtown Omaha. “He
was always so quiet and reserved. At the time, I felt sorry for him because he was always in the library studying. But you know, those are the people who make the best employees. I knew that if he could be so disciplined in his studies, he’d take that same level of dedication to his future career. I only hire the best because the company is only as good as the people working for it. And as it turns out, I was right about him. He’s hardworking, punctual, and diplomatic. You should be proud of him.”

  Tyler wasn’t sure he liked being talked about as if he wasn’t in the room or as if he was getting a referral from Nathan. He wasn’t applying for a job, after all. He was supposed to be Tiffany’s husband.

  “We’re so pleased that our daughter married so well,” Tiffany’s mom said, glancing at Tiffany and Tyler with a wide smile. “You don’t mind if I take a picture, do you?”

  Next to him, Tiffany let out a low groan, and Tyler rubbed her shoulder.

  “Of course not,” Nathan told her then gestured to Tiffany and Tyler. “You should take one of them right here in front of the window. I don’t know about Tyler, but I like having lots of daylight when I work. They say it improves your mood.”

  “I bet it does,” her dad agreed.

  When Tyler hesitated to go to where Nathan was waving for him and Tiffany to go, Nathan sighed. “I didn’t realize Tyler was so camera shy. There’s no need to be self-conscious. You look great. Come on.”

  Tiffany trudged forward, so he followed, and soon her mom had a couple pictures taken.

  “Don’t put those on Facebook,” Tiffany said.

  “Why not?” her mom asked. “You’re not wearing that horrible bridesmaid dress.”

  “I just don’t want you to do it, okay?”

  Though she frowned, she consented. “Alright. I won’t post them, even though you two are a good looking couple.”

  “Can I see the picture of the bridesmaid dress?” Nathan asked.

  “Sure.”

  While she picked out the picture and showed it to him on her phone, Tyler wanted to ask why Nathan cared what the dress looked like but figured he already knew. Nathan was nosy and couldn’t help but stick his nose in where it didn’t belong. He’d been that way in college, too.

  In fact, it was on the tip of Tyler’s tongue to tell her parents that Nathan didn’t make many friends because of it, but he chose to keep quiet. While Nathan didn’t make many friends, he did make many business alliances, probably because he knew not to interfere in the lives of his business acquaintances.

  But despite all this, Nathan had proven to be a good friend. And it was this friendship that allowed Tyler to keep his calm during this whole “your son-in-law is such a great employee” spiel.

  Nathan laughed at the picture. “Yep, that’s a horrible dress alright. I can see why Tiffany doesn’t want anyone to see her in it.”

  “At the time, it was the only picture I managed to get of them,” her mother replied. “But now that I have the ones from this office,” she smiled at Tiffany and Tyler, “I can delete it.”

  “Good,” Tiffany mumbled under her breath then looked at Tyler. “I meant, it’s good she’s getting rid of the picture from the wedding,” she whispered.

  “I know what you meant,” Tyler whispered in return.

  “Ah, it’s so sweet when two people in love share confidences with each other,” Nathan commented.

  Tyler turned his gaze to him and gave a slight shake of his head, hoping Nathan would drop it.

  But as it turned out, Nathan ignored him. “You know, these two might not act like they’re in love, but it’s obvious they are.”

  “Oh, we could tell that from the moment we met him,” her dad said, motioning to Tyler.

  He could? Tyler glanced at Tiffany, wondering what she thought of his statement. She shrugged in a way that told him she thought her dad was nuts. Tyler figured she was right. Her dad saw it because he wanted to see it, not because there was anything there.

  “Well, now we’ll come to the end of the tour, and that happens to be where I work,” Nathan said, leading them out of Tyler’s office.

  Glad the ordeal was almost over, Tyler followed everyone else. Now that Nathan had done his part to welcome her parents, maybe he’d leave them alone. Then he and Tiffany could get through the rest of their visit without any more headaches.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was almost time to go home later that day when Tyler got the call from his mom.

  “Tyler, I just talked to Mrs. Clark,” she began in a bewildered tone. “She says she’s Tiffany’s mother, and she told me she wanted to meet with me and your father because you married Tiffany right before Thanksgiving.”

  “Tiffany’s mom called you?” Tyler blurted out, earning a curious glance from Carmen.

  “I just got off the phone with her. She said she is looking forward to meeting me when we go to dinner. She said she wants to meet the parents of her son-in-law.”

  Lowering his voice so he wouldn’t arouse Carmen’s interest a second time, he asked, “How did she get your number?”

  “Nathan gave it to her.” After a pause, she asked, “Is it true? Are you and Tiffany married?”

  “Um, well…” Should he tell her the truth and beg her to understand? Or should he ask her to play along to appease Tiffany’s parents?

  “Because if it is, I think it’s wonderful.”

  “Y-you do?” He stared at his wall, not really seeing the diplomas or awards he’d acquired over the course of his career.

  “Of course, I do. I don’t know why you’d keep this from me and your dad. We always thought you and Tiffany would end up together.”

  “You did?”

  “You two have a certain chemistry together. Anyone could see it.”

  “They could?” Just what planet was she on? There had never been anything between him and Tiffany. No spark. No excitement. Nothing.

  “You two always got along so well. You know what the other’s thinking and are the first ones to come to the other’s aid. That’s what husbands and wives do for each other. They sacrifice for the best of the other. Since you and Tiffany already do that, it’s natural that things would evolve into more.”

  He rubbed his eyes. This was getting worse by the minute. Tiffany was going to freak when she found out what was going on. “Mom, I can’t explain everything right now. It’s complicated.” The explanation was going to take a lot longer than a few minutes, and he wanted Tiffany with him when he gave it.

  She chuckled. “Young people think things are more complicated than they really are. But trust me, it’s not.”

  If only she knew… But he was exhausted, and the last thing he felt like doing was explaining it all to her, especially when he could hardly figure it out himself.

  “Well, promise me you and Dad won’t say anything to anyone until I’ve had a chance to explain it to you,” he pleaded.

  “Alright, we won’t. I know you’re at work, so I won’t keep you,” his mom said. “I just wanted to say there’s no reason to be afraid your dad and I won’t approve of you running off to elope without telling anyone. We’re happy for you and will do whatever we can to support you both. So if there’s anything you need, just let us know. Oh, and we look forward to having dinner with everyone.”

  Then she said good-bye and hung up. Tyler stared at the phone for a long moment then slowly put the receiver down. Things had just gone from doable to out-of-control, and it was all because of one person. Nathan. Why would Nathan give Mrs. Clark his parents’ phone number? Did he like to see Tyler suffer?

  After his shock wore off, he bolted up from his desk and stormed over to Nathan’s office, not bothering to knock on the door before he opened it.

  “You gave Tiffany’s parents my parents’ phone number?” Tyler demanded.

  Nathan glanced up from the document he was reading. “There’s no need to thank me.”

  “Thank you? You expect me to thank you?”

  “I just told you that you don’
t have to thank me.”

  “Why are you doing this to me? Don’t you understand that by interfering in my life, you could be ruining it?” He didn’t intend to yell, but the more he talked, the louder his voice got. If anyone could bring out the worst in someone, it was Nathan.

  “Lots of good things can come from lying, if you know how to do it right.”

  Tyler groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Seriously?” Since Nathan stared at him in a way that indicated he had no idea why Tyler didn’t agree with him, Tyler snapped, “This isn’t a game, Nathan. You’re messing with people’s lives.”

  With a sigh, Nathan pressed the button on his phone to get Carmen’s attention. When she answered, he said, “Bring something in to help calm Tyler’s nerves.” He released the button and sat back in his chair. “I didn’t do anything that any other good friend wouldn’t do.”

  “A good friend?” Tyler gestured to him. “A good friend? You really think that you’re a good friend?”

  “Yes.”

  He groaned. “Now I understand what poor Amy went through all those times she came barging in here to tell you to stop meddling in her life.”

  Carmen came in with a dictionary and handed it to Tyler.

  “What is this for?” Tyler asked. Did she want him to look up a bunch of words to call Nathan?

  “Throw it at him,” she said. “It’s the thickest book we got. It should make you feel better.”

  “When I asked you to come in here with something to help him,” Nathan began, “I was thinking of headache pills or some ginger ale to soothe his stomach. The poor man’s obviously in distress.”

  She peered over her glasses and clucked her tongue. “What he needs to do is let you have it.”

  “Do you even know what I did?” he asked.

  “No, but knowing you, it’s not good.”

  “Oh come on. When Amy comes here, is she or is she not happy to see me?” When neither Tyler nor Carmen answered, he said, “Exactly. My methods always work. You honestly think I don’t know something about relationships?” He pointed to Tyler. “This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to him.”