This client could change my life.
This client is infuriating.
“Oh my God, you didn’t? Okay, yeah, you have to tell me what happened.” He paused, letting out a laugh. “I would’ve died.”
Anger radiated through me and, finally, I could take no more. I stood from the table, shoving my chair back. I grabbed my things.
“Hey—hey—ho—hold up. Hang on.” He put his fingers over the speaker. “It’ll just be a minute,” he promised, already returning to his conversation. “Sorry, man.”
“No, it won’t be a minute,” I said, shaking my head. His attention was pulled back to me.
“Excuse me?”
“You had me booked for an hour, and it’s now been two.” I glanced at my watch, though I knew I was correct. “I’m one of the most sought-after event planners in the South, Mr. Anderson, as you well know. If you have no time for this meeting, I’ll ask that you reschedule. I, for one, don’t have time to sit here any longer. You’ve wasted enough of my time.” I lifted my folders to my chest to cover my light-colored blazer as his eyes fell to my chest.
He put the phone down, looking shocked. “I don’t think you realize how big of a deal this party could be for your company, Ms. Lewis. I’d think that running a little long would be worth it for you.”
“Well—” I dug in my heels. Cumberland was going to kill me. “You thought wrong. You may find planners who will sit and let you walk all over them, but I am not one of those. My time is valuable, Mr. Anderson, and I have other clients to attend to. Losing your business will not be the end of the world for me, but losing my time and attention may well hurt your party. I am the best in the business, which means I don’t have to sit around and get treated like this. I’m sure you’re very used to being able to treat people how you please, but I am not one of your staff. This commission doesn’t mean that much to me, I assure you. I have a meeting in a half hour, and I need to prepare. Your time is up.”
He pressed a button on his screen, standing from the table, and for just a moment, I thought he was going to demand to speak to Mr. Cumberland.
“Are you allowed to speak to me like that?” he asked, one brow raised.
Truth was, I had no idea. Reality was, I didn’t care. I needed this job, but there was no way Cumberland was going to fire me. I’d built well over half of the company’s client list. I was insanely good at my job. But at the current moment, my health had to come first. I needed to pump, and it just couldn’t wait.
“I guess we’ll find out,” I said, keeping my eyes locked on his. I wouldn’t waver. I held out a hand, gesturing toward the door. I should’ve said it was nice to meet him, at the very least, but it wasn’t, and I wasn’t planning to lie.
He shoved his phone into his pocket before adjusting his blazer and walking around the table. When he stopped in front of me, he held out a hand. I stared at it.
“I’m very sorry to have wasted your time, Ms. Lewis. I’ll have my secretary email you with the details of what I would like.” His smoky eyes drilled into mine, a slight grin on his lips.
“Y-you’re still hiring me?” I asked, accepting his hand. His grip was firm, and he nodded solemnly.
“I didn’t get where I am by letting people walk all over me, either. I respect the fighter attitude, Ms. Lewis. Even when it’s me you’re fighting.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say.
“If you ever decide to leave this place, let me know. We have openings for people with your attitude.”
“Thank you. I’m going to be opening my own business soon,” I said. I don’t know why I told him. Perhaps to gain further praise. Perhaps to show I didn’t need him.
“Well, if you need investors…” He pulled a card from his pocket.
“Th-thank you, Mr. Anderson.” I suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed for my outburst.
“Don’t back down, Ms. Lewis. It’s that fighter spirit I’m betting on. Don’t lose it.” With that, he walked past me, phone already out, and he was gone.
From her office, Dannika stood, thumbs up, a question on her expression. I looked down, noticing the dark patches on my blazer. I didn’t have time to talk. I hurried to my own office and grabbed my bags, then walked back to hers. I passed by Mr. Cumberland’s office, staring through the glass walls. His office was double the size of the rest of the offices, but unlike ours, his was empty. Impersonal. Plain. He had no family or friends to boast about on his walls. He barely looked up from his phone call, waving at me as I walked past.
“I’m heading out,” I told her. Her eyes traveled to the stains when I moved my arm from in front of my chest.
“Oh, my God. Do you need a jacket?”
“Do you have one?” I asked.
She jumped up, pulling hers from the back of her chair and wrapping it around me. “There you go. What happened?”
“We got the deal, but it took longer than expected,” I said. “I’ll fill you in tomorrow, okay? I just need to get to the car.”
“Pump while you drive, if you need to. I had to do it plenty of times.”
“Will you let Cumberland know I’m leaving early?”
“Honey, you just secured the biggest client of the year. Cumberland should be kissing your feet.” She giggled, tossing her braids over her shoulder. “Get home and snuggle that baby for me, okay?”
I nodded and darted from the office, planning to do just that.
Thirty-five minutes later, I parallel parked in front of the apartment building and pulled the bags of milk from my pump, careful not to spill any. I placed them carefully into the cooler, shoving my breasts back into my bra and stepping from the car. I crossed the quiet street and hurried up the stairs, twisting my key in the knob.
The apartment was eerily quiet.
“Ben?” I called in a whisper, setting my bags down on the sofa. I crossed through the living room and kitchen and down the hall, heading into the bedroom. “Are you guys napping?” I pushed open the bedroom door, my blood running cold. “Ben?”
The room was empty. I stepped back into the hall, pushing open the bathroom door. It was empty, too. Where were they?
The nursery was silent, no signs of life anywhere.
“Ben?” I called louder. Where could they be?
I walked back into the kitchen, opening the fridge. Gray’s milk was still in the fridge, only two bags missing.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and clicked on his name in my recent calls. My hands were shaking as I lifted the phone to my ear, ice-cold fear shooting through my body. The nagging feeling that something definitely was not right was back, rearing its ugly head with the memory of the suspicious phone call.
“Hey, it’s Ben. Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now…”
I hung up, a lump in my throat.
Where is my baby?
Chapter Five
I dialed his number again, this time walking back toward the door. I was prepared to head to the police station, dial 911, something. Anything. Everything felt like simultaneously an overreaction and an underreaction.
It rang once before I heard his voice. This time, it wasn’t a recording.
“Hello?”
His voice sent shockwaves through me. “Ben?”
“Palmer? What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone full of worry.
“Where are you?” I demanded, shaking.
“I took Gray to the park… Where are you?”
“To the park? He’s not even two weeks old, Ben.”
“Well, I didn’t put him on the slide, Palm. I just wanted to get out of the house, get some fresh air. Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. I’m home and freaking out because you were gone.”
“You’re home?” he asked, sounding out of breath.
“Yeah, I came home early, and you were gone.”
“I’m sorry, babe,” he said with a light chuckle. “We’re almost home. I was planning to be home and have supper cooked before you got there.”
“What did you think happened? We ran away?”
“I didn’t know what to think.”
“The stroller was missing,” he said, and I glanced to the place in the corner where the brand new green stroller had been sitting before. “You should’ve known I took him somewhere.”
“I didn’t know the two were related.”
He snorted, trying to get me to laugh. “Wait, so you thought someone kidnapped the two of us and someone else broke in and stole the stroller, and the two were unrelated?”
“I hate you.” I laughed. “God, I was so worried.”
“I’m sorry we worried you, sweetheart. I’m walking up to the building now. See you in a minute.”
I stood up, wiping my tears away and hanging my purse on the coat rack. I grabbed the cooler, placing the bags of milk into the freezer and unpacking the lunch I’d merely picked at. When I heard their footsteps outside the door, my heart swelled with joy, and when he stepped inside, I could’ve cried again. I pulled Gray into my arms, scaring him so badly he began to cry, though he immediately calmed when he realized it was me.
“He missed you, Mama,” Ben said. He looked at my shirt, where white, dried milk stains now showed. “What happened?”
“I leaked because a client meeting ran too long.”
“Cumberland knows you have to keep a schedule to keep your supply up,” he said.
I rolled my eyes at his insistence that it should be that easy. “Cumberland couldn’t care less about my supply, but this wasn’t really his fault. As much as I hate to admit it.”
“Even so, babe. You have rights. Whatever happens, you have to keep your supply up. It’s what’s best for Gray.”
“I know that,” I snapped, feeling like I was being scolded. I glanced down at the stroller as he wheeled it away from me without folding it up. “What’s that?” In the basket underneath the stroller was a small, blue bag with green tissue paper sticking out the top.
He looked down, and I was nearly positive I’d seen a hint of dread on his face. “This?” He pulled the bag out and held it up. “Jason brought it by earlier. A gift for Gray.”
“What is it?”
He pulled the tissue paper out and revealed a small onesie with a cute, smiling Earth on its belly. Hi, I’m new here.
I forced a stiff smile. “It’s cute. This was really sweet of him.”
“I thought so. Hopefully he can still fit in it, this chunkster.” He laughed, rubbing Gray’s belly.
“Why did you take it with you to the park?” I asked as Ben moved past me.
He spun back around. “What—oh, I didn’t. I mean, I did, but…when I said he brought it here, I just meant I ran into him outside. He was bringing it by, but he hadn’t told me. I just happened to catch him leaving the building, and I didn’t want to have to come back upstairs.”
I nodded, but I didn’t believe it. I was fighting so hard against my instincts because of my past relationship. It had no place here. Nate was Nate and Ben was Ben, and they were not the same. “Well, please tell him thank you for me. Here, let me wash my hands. I want to feed him.”
I hurried to the sink and scrubbed my hands before returning to Ben’s side and taking my son. I sank into the couch, happily obliging his hungrily bobbing head.
Ben made himself a glass of water, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand once he’d finished gulping it down. “I was thinking pizza for dinner. What sounds good to you?”
“Pizza’s fine,” I said, rubbing a finger across Gray’s cheeks. It was the first time I’d felt at peace all day.
“Excellent. I’m going to take a shower before I get it started.” With that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving Gray and me alone. It wasn’t until I heard the water running that I realized he hadn’t kissed me hello. That was a first.
Ben and Gray were sound asleep on the couch while I typed away on my computer. Anderson’s secretary had sent over a list of his requests, and I was busy drafting my proposal for his event. It would easily be a quarter of a million. I shuddered as the bill continued to rise with each new estimate. It was more than my salary, on an event that would last half a day. Sometimes my job made me sick.
I looked over at my husband, peacefully sleeping with Gray on his chest. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t bother me that they’d left the house without telling me, but it was irrational to be mad. Ben was in charge of his care. Of course they’d be going places without letting me know. So why was it bothering me so much?
I closed the laptop and laid it on the coffee table, standing up. Ben had finished up the dishes, but the dish towel lay on the counter. I grabbed it and walked to the bathroom. His clothes lay on the floor. I knew he’d get them in the morning, this wasn’t my job anymore, but it still bothered me. I couldn’t sink into a nice, luxurious bath while a pile of dirty clothes sat festering on the floor. I scooped them up, walking toward the bedroom to put them into the hamper, but groaned when I realized it was already overflowing. He needed to start a load, but he was exhausted. I pushed the anger from my mind, smiling sadly at the spit-up covered shirt on top of the pile.
Sighing, I heaved the hamper into the hallway and opened the washer. I tossed the dish towel in first, then reached in his pants pocket and pulled out change, a tissue, and a receipt before throwing his pants and shirt in as well. I laid the pile on top of the dryer and began sorting through the hamper, separating our clothes from Gray’s. When the laundry had been started, I grabbed the receipt, ready to throw it away and toss the change in Gray’s piggy bank when I looked it over.
Gary’s Grill
It was date stamped for that day at noon. He’d stopped for lunch.
I’d never heard of the place, but the address showed it was a few blocks from the park. My eyes trailed down the receipt, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Why had he ordered two meals?
I forced myself to inhale a sharp breath. I couldn’t panic. I walked back to our bedroom and put the hamper away with shaking hands, then shoved the receipt into my pajama pants pocket before returning to the living room. I touched his arm, causing him to stir.
He sniffed, rubbing his eyes before he opened them. He looked at me, then around the room, then down at his chest where Gray lay.
“Are you ready for bed?” I asked.
“Mhm,” he said as I lifted Gray. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“You had a long day.”
“Not as long as yours,” he said, shifting his weight around so he could sit up. “Did you finish the show?”
I shook my head. “I turned it off when you started snoring. I had emails to deal with anyway, and I didn’t want you to miss it.”
He kissed my cheek. “Thanks, babe.” When he stood, he stretched, then lifted his coffee cup from the end table and walked it to the sink. Noticing I hadn’t moved, he walked back toward me. “Is everything okay?”
“What all did you do today?” I asked, trying to keep my voice lighter than the weight I felt in my chest.
“What do you mean?” He sat down on the coffee table across from me, seeming concerned, albeit sleepy.
“When you were out.”
“We…went to the park. Walked around for a bit…walked around the neighborhood.”
“That was it?”
His eyes narrowed at me, his expression conflicted between laughter and confusion. “I think so… Why do you ask?”
I folded my hands across my chest. “Did you go out to eat?”
He was still for a moment, then recognition filled his expression. “I grabbed lunch at a little restaurant near the park, yeah. How did you know?”
“Just you?”
“Well, I took Gray, obviously. As much as he wanted to stay behind…Palmer, you’re scaring me. What’s this about?” He reached for my knee, his finger tracing the pattern on my pants.
I pulled the receipt from my pocket. “Were you h
ungry enough to eat two meals?”
His brows knit together as he reached for the receipt, reading it over. When he looked up at me, his eyes were wide. “I forgot, I’m sorry. I…paid it forward, or whatever it’s called. There was a woman there with a young girl, maybe four or five. She ordered the girl’s meal but didn’t have enough for her own. I felt bad. It was just a couple bucks, Palm. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
My hands were shaking, my stomach tight as I stared at him, trying to decide whether to trust him. He’d never given me any reason not to. Besides the suspicious phone call, I guessed.
“She told you she couldn’t afford it?”
“No. Of course not. She wasn’t like…a panhandler or anything. She didn’t even want to take it when I offered.” He shook his head, standing from the table. “She ordered two meals, but when they told her the total, she asked them to take hers off. I just figured…I’d hope someone would help you out if it were you there without enough money.” It was reasonable enough, I couldn’t deny it. “Becoming a dad has softened me, I guess,” he teased. “You aren’t mad, are you? I know it’s your money.”
“It’s not my money, Ben. We talked about this. It’s both of ours. And, of course, I’m not mad. I just…I was worried you were cheating on me or something.”
His expression went cold with shock, and he shook his head once again, leaning in so his forehead rested on mine. “Hey,” he said. “I could never cheat on you. I’m not that guy, Palmer. You know that. I know you were hurt in the past…but I would never do that to you. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered, feeling tears well in my eyes. I hated talking about my past, but we both knew it affected everything I did then. Being cheated on after an eight-year relationship causes everything you thought you knew to go to shreds. I’d only recently begun to accept myself again. Ben coming along a year ago, Ben loving me like he had… It saved me. He saved me. Gray was our surprise, but Ben hadn’t run away. He’d loved me through all of it. Married me. Fallen for me despite my growing belly and flaws. I felt more foolish than ever. Of course he wasn’t cheating. “I’m sorry.”
The Liar's Wife Page 3
