When I Saw You

by Laura Branchflower

She turned back to the blanket and watched him kick off his loafers, then lower himself down. “Are you planning to join me?” His eyes were alight with amusement.

  She smiled. “Yes.” She followed his lead and began to remove her shoes. “You live in this huge place by yourself?”

  “Not exactly.” He reached into the picnic basket and retrieved a bottle of white wine. “I have a housekeeper and, as I’m sure you’ll agree after tasting this lunch, an excellent cook.” He removed the cork and poured two glasses of the clear liquid.

  “It’s still awfully big even for three people.” She sat down on the blanket beside him.

  “I didn’t build it with the intention of remaining alone.” He held out a wine glass, his eyes meeting hers.

  “Oh.” She felt her face heat up and prayed silently she wasn’t noticeably blushing as she brought the glass to her lips.

  Like the night before, the afternoon seemed to disappear as they talked and ate a delectable assortment of foods, including roasted chicken salad, cheese and crackers, fruit, an assortment of pâtés and pastries.

  “What time is it?” Lia asked hours later. They were lying on the blanket together and she was curled into his side, her head resting on his chest.

  “It’s four.”

  She closed her eyes, wishing he said 3:00 p.m. “I’ve got to go.”

  “No. Don’t go.” He tightened his hold on her. “This is too perfect.”

  “I know, but I have to take my daughter trick-or-treating.” She sat up and pushed her hair back from her face as she stared off towards the river. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a relaxing afternoon. “This was so nice. Thank you for inviting me.”

  He rubbed his hand up and down her back. “Can you come back later?”

  “No,” she said, part of her wishing she could. “I can go to the Kennedy Center with you Saturday night, though. If you still want me to.”

  “I still want you to. Come here.”

  She took his hand and let him pull her down beside him, and then he was kissing her and she was kissing him back, and for a moment she forgot she needed to get home. But Taylor was waiting and that somehow managed to penetrate through the haze. “I have to go,” she said breathlessly, pulling away and managing to sit up.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come back later and listen to the river with me?” He sat up beside her and ran the back of his fingers down her arm. “I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, but I can’t tonight.” She met his lips for a brief kiss, and then as she met his eyes, knew he was going to be the second man to ever make love to her.

  “Good morning,” Lia said as she walked into her mother’s kitchen Sunday morning. She’d attended a play at the Kennedy Center with Eric the previous night and then spent the night at her mother’s.

  “Good morning.” Elaine lifted her eyes from the Sunday paper. “What time did you get in?”

  “Late.” She poured herself a cup of coffee before joining her mother at the table.

  “Did you have a nice time?”

  “Incredible.” Lia recounted every detail of their date, from their dinner at a Georgetown restaurant to the play, and then to late-night drinks at a jazz club in Adams Morgan. “He’s amazing, Mom. I’ve never met anyone like him. He treats me like I’m the most special woman in the world.”

  “You are special,” Elaine said.

  “You’re my mother,” Lia said before taking a sip of coffee. “You’re supposed to think that. He treats me a million times better than Ned ever did.”

  “That wouldn’t be difficult,” her mother pointed out dryly.

  “That’s true.” Lia took another swallow of coffee. “I just really like him.”

  “I know, but you have to be careful.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Lia frowned. “You don’t even know him.”

  “That’s true, but you’re very vulnerable right now. You’ve been through a lot and I just—I want you to be careful.”

  “Careful about what?”

  “Honey,” Elaine began, reaching out and covering her hand. “Don’t get defensive. I’m happy that you’re excited about him. I just know how lonely you’ve been these past couple of years. I don’t want you to jump into the first relationship that comes your way.”

  “Why don’t you like him?”

  “I don’t like him or dislike him,” Elaine said. “I don’t know him.”

  “Exactly, so why are you being so negative?”

  “I’m not. I just want you to take this slow.”

  “There’s something you’re not saying. You’ve been negative about him since day one.” Lia leaned back in her chair. “Why can’t you just be honest with me?”

  Elaine slowly lifted her gaze to Lia’s. “Do you really want to know?”

  “Yes.” Lia nodded. “I really want to know.’

  “I think a man who makes it to forty-two without getting married isn’t interested in getting married.”

  “And you think I am? My divorce was just finalized. And anyway, you’re wrong about him. We discussed this last night. He said he was putting in so many hours trying to get his company off the ground he neglected his relationships, and then the next thing he knew he was forty years old.”

  “You said he’s forty-two, Lia.”

  “I know how old he is, Mother. And I think I’m smart enough to realize when someone is lying to me.”

  “Okay.” She returned her eyes to her paper. “You asked what I was thinking and I told you.”

  “So if he was divorced he’d be perfect?”

  Elaine sighed as she lifted her eyes. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Elaine wasn’t the only one concerned about Eric’s intentions. When Lia arrived at the office Monday morning, Claudia was waiting for her in the cubicle she shared with Carmen. “What’s going on with you and Eric?”

  “Why?” Lia set down her purse.

  “I don’t think he’s right for you.”

  “How could you possibly know that? You barely know me.”

  “I know Eric,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, clearly not wanting their conversation overheard. “He’s a player, Lia.”

  “A player?” She was completely lost.

  “Yes. He likes to sleep around.” She lowered herself into Carmen’s chair and waited for Lia to sit down before continuing. “He likes the chase.”

  “The chase?”

  “Once he gets you into bed he’ll lose interest.”

  “Did you sleep with him?”

  “Me?” She seemed taken aback by the question. “No. No, I didn’t sleep with him.”

  Lia knew she was lying. She’d probably dated him and still had feelings for him. “But you know other women who have?”

  “He’s a predator, Lia,” Claudia said, meeting her eyes. “Trust me on this.”

  When Lia met Kay for lunch, she was still stewing over her earlier conversation with Claudia. “Do you know Eric Nettles?” she asked as soon as they sat down.

  “Eric Nettles,” Kay repeated, looking up as she thought. “Isn’t he a bigwig with Buznet?”

  “He’s their COO. I met him the other night at a reception and he seems really nice.”

  Kay smiled as she leaned forward. “Did he ask you out?”

  Lia couldn’t help smiling as she retold the events of the past several days. “He seems so nice.”

  “He sounds great.”

  “And then this morning, the weirdest thing happened.” Lia recounted her conversation with Claudia.

  “Yeah.” Kay scrunched up her face. “I wouldn’t take anything she says too seriously.”

  “You wouldn’t?”

  “Definitely not.” She shook her head. “This is the problem with the B2Bs. You’re in constant competition.”

  “So you think Claudia likes him?”

  “As a client,” Kay said. “I’m assuming he was one of he
r clients?”

  “He is her client, but —”

  “Not anymore,” Kay said. “He’s your client now.”

  “What?” Lia pulled her eyebrows together. “Why?”

  “That’s how it works. The elite clients have one B2B they communicate with—not two. If he has an issue with Zurtech, he’ll complain to you.”

  “I wasn’t trying to steal him from Claudia. I just liked him.”

  “It’s the way it works. There’s nothing to feel guilty about—it sounds like he went after you, anyway.”

  “No wonder the B2Bs are so rude to me,” Lia said. “They’re probably afraid I’m going to steal their clients.”

  “Probably,” Kay agreed, “but if you don’t, you’ll be fired, so…” She shrugged. “It’s not like you have much choice.”

  “How did I not get this?” Lia felt stupid. “Bonuses are based on client satisfaction, so I clearly need clients.”

  “I never mentioned this before because I like Claudia,” Kay began, her voice low, “but she gets around. She sleeps with a lot of men.”

  “So you think she slept with Eric?”

  “I don’t know. I know she tried to sleep with my husband.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Kay held up her hands. “Before I ever met him. He was at a reception and he said she was all over him and even asked him if he wanted to go up to one of the bedrooms on the second floor.”

  “Bedrooms? There are bedrooms on the second floor?”

  “You didn’t know that?”

  “No. Why are there bedrooms?”

  “For the out-of-town VIPs,” Kay said. “It’s just a perk Stan offers.”

  “It seems strange.”

  Kay shrugged. “I don’t think so. It’s also convenient if someone has too much to drink. I know the B2Bs occasionally spend the night.”

  “Hi.” Kathleen placed a tray on the table beside Lia. “You aren’t going to believe this.” She was looking at Kay as she sat down. “Stan just fired me.”

  “Fired you or transferred you?” Kay asked. “You were transferred, right?”

  “What’s the difference?” She picked up a carton of yogurt from her tray. “It’s not like I have a choice in it.”

  “True, but fired means you’re out of the entire complex.”

  “I’ve worked my ass off! This is unbelievable.” She tossed the yogurt back on the tray. “I don’t even know why I bothered.”

  “What did he say?” Lia asked.

  “Nothing. Just the standard, ‘It’s not working out.’ Can the two of you keep a secret?” Kathleen asked. “Because if what I’m about to tell you leaks out, Steven could get fired.”

  “Steven?” Lia frowned in confusion.

  “He’s Kathleen’s boyfriend,” Kay said.

  “And he works in payroll,” Kathleen added, glancing around. “So can you two promise not to repeat what I’m about to say?”

  Lia considered leaving, not sure she wanted to partake in office gossip, but she was too curious. “I promise.”

  “I asked Steven to look at Carmen’s pay,” she whispered. “Her bonus pay last month was five thousand dollars.”

  “No!” Kay breathed, clearly surprised. “He has to be wrong.”

  “Afraid not,” Kathleen said, continuing to whisper. “I saw it with my own eyes. She’s made over a hundred forty thousand dollars so far this year.”

  “Wow.” Kay set down her fork and leaned back in her chair. “That means she makes twice what I make.”

  “Now do you believe Stan’s sleeping with her?” Kathleen asked.

  5

  Joseph slipped off his two-thousand-dollar Berluti shoes after entering his two-level Pennsylvania Avenue condo. He set his briefcase inside his study to the left of the foyer and then took a few steps down into the large open space comprising the main level of the modern condo. He crossed to a wet bar beside the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of scotch. The condo’s main level hosted a large great room with an unobstructed view of the Capitol Building, and an ultra-modern kitchen done in various gray tones.

  Joseph frowned as he removed the latest issue of Money magazine from his pile of mail, his eyes on the image of Richard Eastman III displayed across the cover. He glanced at the table of contents and then was opening the magazine to a specific page, his eyebrows pulled together as he read.

  “You fucking bastard,” he said aloud minutes later, tossing the magazine on his coffee table. “Fucking bastard.”

  The intercom beside the front door buzzed and he crossed to the foyer before pushing a button and speaking into the intercom. “Yes?”

  “Ms. Paige is here to see you. May I send her up?” the doorman asked.

  “Yes.” He unlocked the door and opened it slightly before retracing his steps back into the family room and dropping down onto his large leather couch. He picked up the stereo remote and within seconds, the Boston Pops’ rendition of the 1812 Overture filled the room.

  When Kathy entered the condo a few minutes later carrying a bag of Thai food, Joseph was stretched out on the couch, his hands linked behind his head. “Hi,” she practically yelled. “Could you turn that up a little louder?”

  “What?” He touched his ear.

  “I said,” Kathy began, pausing as she set the bag on the coffee table and picked up the remote, “could you turn that up a little louder?” She began to push the down arrow on the remote.

  “Don’t.” Joseph grabbed the control and turned the music back up. “I want it like that.” He brought the hand holding the remote to rest on his chest and lay back down, closing his eyes.

  “Well, I don’t! It’s hurting my ears.” She took the remote from him and again turned down the volume. “Why do you want it so loud?”

  “Because,” he said, sitting up and glaring at her, “that’s the way I like it.” He took the remote, turning it off altogether before coming to his feet.

  “Where are you going?” Kathy asked.

  “To take a shower,” Joseph answered.

  Moments later, he dropped down on the gray comforter on his bed and lay back against his pillows, throwing his arm over his eyes. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

  “Joseph?” Kathy came into the room. “Are you okay?”

  “No. Would you get the prescription bottle from the cabinet in my bathroom?”

  Within moments she was back, sitting down beside him on the mattress, a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of pills in the other. “These?”

  He lifted his arm from his eyes and squinted at the bottle she held towards him. “Yes.”

  “How many?”

  “Two. Thank you.” He took the pills from her hand, placed them on the back of his tongue and swallowed them down with water.

  “Are you sick?” She touched his forehead.

  “Your perfume is making me nauseous. I have a migraine. I need to be alone.” His eyes were closed and he didn’t open them as he spoke. “Would you turn everything off before you leave?”

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “Quiet. I just need quiet.”

  When he next opened his eyes, it was 9:00 the following morning. After brushing his teeth and using the bathroom, he left his bedroom and walked slowly, gingerly across the hardwood floor leading to the stairs.

  Moments later, he was leaned back against the counter in the kitchen, watching the coffee brew.

  “How’s your headache?” Kathy came into the room dressed in a short silk robe.

  “It’s gone.” His eyes swept the length of her body as she approached. “Where did you sleep?”

  “In the guest room.” She stopped before him, moving her hands up over his bare chest. “You were mean last night.”

  “I’m sorry.” He kissed her forehead before stepping around her and taking a mug from the cabinet. “Do you want some?”

  “Have you ever seen me drink coffee? How long have we been dating?” She watched him pour coffee into his mug. “What happened las
t night?”

  “I had a migraine.”

  “You were also in a terrible mood.” She moved up behind him, running her hands up and down his bare back.

  “A migraine will do that to you.” He took a swallow of the hot liquid, one hand resting on the counter, the other holding the mug.

  “If you had a migraine, why did you have the music so loud? I would think that would make it worse.” She began squeezing the muscles of his shoulders.

  “I didn’t know I had a migraine then. God, that feels good.”

  “What happened in a forty-five minute period to put you in such a foul mood? When I called to get your order for the Thai food you sounded fine.”

  “Could we get the oil out and do this right? I need a good massage.”

  Five minutes later he was stretched out, completely naked and facedown, on his bed as Kathy’s oil-soaked hands worked the muscles of his shoulders, neck and back. “Are you going to answer my question?”

  “What question?”

  “The one about the terrible mood you were in when I arrived yesterday.”

  “I’d rather just enjoy your hands right now.”

  “Joseph, I’m not going to let this go,” she said, her hands pausing. “You’re always shutting me out.”

  “Please don’t stop. It felt so good.”

  “Then talk to me.” Her hands were once again moving. “What happened last night?” When he didn’t answer, she stopped the massage. “I’m not going to do this unless you talk to me.”

  “We’ll talk when you’re done.”

  “No. If you want me to do the massage, you’re going to talk to me now.”

  “Please.” He turned his head and met her eyes. “I don’t want to talk while I’m getting the massage. It’ll ruin it.”

  “Do you promise we can talk when I’m done?”

  “Yes.” He turned his face back into the pillow as her hands once again began to move. “I promise.”

  “I have to get up,” Joseph said several hours later, his arms tightening around Kathy.

  She moaned as she turned her face into his chest. “It’s Saturday.”

  “I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “You can stay in bed. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “No you won’t. Where do you have to go?”