“Well, we can’t possibly leave something unchecked,” Jenna said. “And we’re kind of under some time constraints here. Check out is Wednesday morning, so we have the rest of today, tomorrow and Tuesday, really. Two and a half days.”
Two and a half days. Then this would be over. Zach would go back to his well-ordered life, and she’d go back to the wreckage of hers and begin the rebuilding process.
Zach frowned. “Yeah. Two and a half days. Saturday through Wednesday is kind of a short honeymoon, isn’t it? Doesn’t seem like nearly enough time.”
“I scheduled the full week originally, but Elliot has big meeting set up for Thursday afternoon, so we were actually going to fly back Wednesday evening.”
“Must have been a big client to want to give up time with you.”
Jenna shrugged. “The honeymoon was an afterthought. Elliot put all his energy into the wedding.”
Zach didn’t seem happy about the time frame. But he didn’t have to stay the whole time if he didn’t want to.
“Look, I know I’m keeping you away from work,” Jenna said. “If you need to get back, I’ll be fine. You’ve been a huge help. A great friend. But I’m fine. Really.”
His mouth tightened. “You want me to leave?”
“No, of course not. But I’d understand if you needed to. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I’m here because I want to be,” he said, still frowning at her.
“I know,” she said. “It’s just that Elliot…whenever he was away from work too long, he started to get kind of…antsy, you know? He always had meetings set up. Was away most evenings, taking clients out to dinner and such.”
“You never went with him? Lots of those guys take wives and girlfriends when it’s social, even if they are partially discussing business.”
“He never asked,” Jenna said quietly, pretending it didn’t bother her. But it had always made her feel like she was just a sidecar to his life, not fully integrated. “He always made them sound like just business meetings, nothing social. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t fit his image or something. Like I was the belt that didn’t go with his shoes. But then other times, I felt like the trophy he wanted to show off. It was weird.”
Zach finished his cone, popping the last bite neatly into his mouth and wiping his hands on the napkin before replying.
“Maybe it was the client he was meeting with,” Zach said. “Maybe having you there would have been too distracting. And some of those guys are a little handsy. He could have been protecting you from gropers.”
“Now you’re sticking up for him?”
“Just trying to make sense of it,” he said. “I would…” He paused then smiled. “I would think that he’d want you with him as much as possible.”
“There is one guy he was really tense about. He’s met with him several times lately, and when he came home—well, I got the impression that things were not going well.”
“Do you remember the name?”
“Drake something, I think he said.”
“Drakeport.”
“You know him?”
“Yeah.” Zach wadded up his napkin.
“So, about you and Elliot,” Jenna said. There was a lot of overlap between the two of them that she had questions about. “You guys were roommates in college?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Elliot was…Elliot. Outgoing, charming, came from money. As established, I was kind of the opposite.”
“You’re charming,” Jenna said in his defense, but she knew what he meant. Zach had a fun personality and an amazing sense of humor when he wanted to show it to you. But he totally could withdraw into his own little word when he was uncomfortable or when he was intent on puzzling something out.
“Anyway, we started a data analysis firm our last semester of college, and it turned into IDS.”
“But you have your own company now,” Jenna said. “What happened?”
He paused, and she noticed the muscle in his jaw working. He was choosing his words carefully. “We had some differences of opinion.”
“You ended up leaving.”
“Yeah.”
“And haven’t spoken since.”
“Not really, no.”
There was a lot going on there, under the surface. “And that’s how you knew about my cousin Niki,” she said, it suddenly dawning on her. “She and Elliot and I hung out a lot that summer her parents got divorced, and she stayed with us.” That would have been between Elliot and Zach’s junior and senior year in college.
Zach nodded. “She made an impression on him,” he said, not quite meeting her eyes.
“I’ll bet. She had a major crush on Elliot that summer.”
“And that didn’t bother you?”
“Not at all. Elliot and I were just friends. Out parents were very close, and I saw Elliot quite a bit socially when they’d get together. Honestly, though, he barely looked at me. It wasn’t until after my parents passed that he showed any romantic interest in me.”
“And you never had a girlhood crush on him?”
“He was good-looking,” she said with a shrug. “But I never tried to date him or anything.”
Zach grunted.
“Are you jealous or something?” she teased.
“It’s just kind of strange that he’d come around after your parents were gone and propose so quickly,” Zach said, narrowing his eyes.
She laughed. “You think he was after my money?”
“Maybe.” Zach wasn’t laughing.
“Well, the joke’s on him, then, because there wasn’t much money left. It turned out that the last few years, Dad’s company hadn’t been doing so hot.”
“The recession hit people pretty hard.”
“Yeah. So I got the house, which had some equity but had lost a lot of value. Most of the cash went to paying off debts. There was no life insurance. I think Dad was kind of riding things out, trying to push off creditors, waiting for the markets to improve.”
Jenna licked her cone, thinking about what Zach had suggested. Could Elliot really have thought she had money he could use to infuse his business?
“You know, he did call me after I received my inheritance,” she said. “But some of the issues took a while to move through the lawyers, and I didn’t start settling the mess they left the estate in until after we were engaged and I’d moved in with Elliot.”
“So he didn’t help you deal with all that? Seems overwhelming.”
“It was. But Elliot was busy.” Jenna had waded through all of that on her own. “I mean, Tommy helped me some and gave me the number for a financial advisor, but as far as Elliot, no. He was busy with his business and really didn’t have any idea of what I was dealing with. It was a nightmare sorting everything out.”
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry, Jenna. Elliot should have been there for you. And your parents should have made sure things were in order. That’s a big burden for one person.”
She shrugged. “I’m not exactly destitute, but I’ll need to find a job as soon as I get home. I’d been working part time at Sunrise when Elliot came knocking at my door again,” she said. “But that was more for something to keep me busy, rather than a career.”
“And it’s where you met your friends?”
“Yes,” Jenna said, smiling. “They sort of adopted me.” She missed them. She so wanted to tell them about Zach, although she was sure they were getting an earful from Chuck already. But really, what would she say? That she’d met a friend of Elliot’s a few days ago when she’d run out on her wedding to another man and had spent the week banging him silly? Maybe not.
“I can see why having them there for your wedding was so important,” he said, a scowl on his face. “And it makes me want to punch Elliot even more.”
Jenna was flattered by his urge to stick up for her. “I ca
n’t see you punching anyone,” she said.
“What do you mean? I took you kick-boxing.”
“Yeah, but that was hitting bags full of sand. Not a person.” She finished her ice cream cone and wiped her hands. “Not that I think you’re a wimp or something. I just think you’re too…logical to let a burst of testosterone convince you to try to settle something with your fists. You’re more of a long-game guy, I think.”
His face relaxed a fraction. “You’re actually right. I’ve never punched anyone in the face before.” He leaned across the small table and laid a kiss on Jenna. A slow, lingering kiss that tasted of vanilla. “I can think of much better uses for testosterone.”
She pulled back, smiling. “Nap time?” she suggested, already getting her purse from the back of her chair.
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Mr. Ruiz,” Marcy said when she picked up on the second ring. “Always nice to speak to you before six a.m.”
Shit. Zach glanced at the pineapple-shaped clock on the wall. “Sorry. I lost track of time.”
“What can I do for you this morning?”
“I—” Jenna stirred in bed, and Zach didn’t want to wake her up. It had been after midnight when they finally cuddled under the covers together and fallen asleep. Well, Jenna had fallen asleep. Zach had lain awake all night staring at the ceiling and thinking. Thinking about what Jenna had told him about Elliot and his client.
“One second.”
Zach slipped on the pair of discarded khaki shorts from the night before and went out to the deck, closing the door behind him.
Sea air hit him in the face. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending shots of pink dancing across the waves. Seagulls squawked overhead, thrilled to have the beach nearly to themselves so early in the morning. Only one newlywed couple jogged along the beach in matching spandex and bright pink windbreakers and caps.
It really was kind of nice here. He could see why Jenna picked it. Too bad he hadn’t been able to do much relaxing. He’d either been worried about Jenna, making love to Jenna, or worrying about what Elliot had been up to.
Zach paced the deck. “I need whatever you have on IDS. And I need my laptop. We’re totally rewriting our pitch to Tower Media.”
Marcy, as nonplussed as always, went straight from a dead sleep into business mode, though he could hear a kid in the background asking about waffles. Sometimes Zach forgot that Marcy had a life outside his office, a family. “Sarah was able to dig up a little bit on the financials. He’s lost clients over the last year,” she said. “From what we can tell, his client portfolio is down sixty to seventy percent. And he’s made some bad financial moves.”
Zach’s gut feeling was spot on, and with what Jenna told him last night about his being all freaked out about Tower Media, along with the wedding, he was in full-on Hail Mary mode. He was desperate to get the client on his list, to the point of making up figures? And what about Jenna’s fortune—or lack thereof? Zach had a strong suspicion that Elliot’s sudden interest in Jenna had a lot to do with her inheritance. The timing just fit. An influx of cash was just what Elliot needed right now. No wonder he was so desperate to “reschedule.” The thought made Zach sick.
“He’s desperate. And he’s going after Tower Media,” Zach said. “Jenna said he’s been in intense talks with his people the last few weeks, and the meeting is Friday morning. We need to pitch him first.”
“Yes, I know. I also got a copy of the draft of his pitch.”
That set him back on his heels. “How did you manage that?”
“I know a guy. Actually a gal. Don’t ask.” Marcy cleared her throat. “Based on our research, there are a lot of things about the business in there that just aren’t accurate. I’ll email it.”
“You are the best, Marcy. I don’t think I tell you that enough.”
“You never tell me that, Mr. Ruiz,” she said. “I’m having someone from the local store send over a new laptop. Once you set it up, you’ll be able to access the files on your laptop here through our server. I’ll have Dillon call to walk you through it.”
Zach heard the click clack of key strokes in the background, as well as the television set, tuned to a children’s program. How many kids did she have? He thought about the picture on her desk. Just the one son, he thought. No, not her son. A young nephew she had adopted and was raising alone. She’d needed a few days off over the last year for court sessions and home visits.
Marcy had always been behind him 100 percent, ever since he’d started the business. She’d left IDS and stuck with him when Zach was forced out, and she was a huge part of his success. And she was right. Although he paid her a good salary, he never told her how much he appreciated her. This job—Zach’s hours—had to be hard on her as far as the kid was concerned.
“I’ll refine our pitch based on the new information and anything else I can find out here. Have the team review it. I’ll be back Wednesday afternoon, and then we’ll pitch Thursday morning, if we can get on Drakeport’s schedule.” That would be the tricky part, getting the meeting moved up so they could pitch before Elliot.
“We will be on the schedule. I’ll let you know the details when I have them.”
“You know a gal over there, too?”
“A guy, actually. I might have made the acquaintance of Mr. Drakeport’s executive assistant when you decided we were going after the business.” She paused, and Zach could hear the smile in her voice. “It turns out he was a big supporter of Dogs Across America, and when I attended the luncheon a few weeks ago and you donated a big check, he called to thank you.”
“I don’t remember a big check.”
“I know.”
Sounded like him. He was probably wrapped up in whatever analysis he was doing and completely unaware of the people or other things going on around him. He lived like that a lot, apparently.
“Well, that’s…impressive.” Zach was ready to disconnect then paused. “Marcy—pencil yourself in for two weeks of paid vacation when this is over. Take your nephew to Disney or something. Use my credit card—hotel, travel, food, souvenirs, passports, whatever.”
Silence on the other end of the phone.
“Marcy?”
She cleared her throat. “Yes. Thank you, Mr. Ruiz. I have—I have to go now.” She swallowed hard. “Florida agrees with you, Zach.”
The phone disconnected, and once again Zach was left confused by people. Marcy was not what anyone would call excitable. But he’d expected…something. He had no time to dwell on Marcy’s odd behavior, though. He had work to do.
But then, inexplicably, he punched the contact for his mom and dad. His mom was an early riser, and Zach knew she’d be out of bed and busy already.
“Zach?” She picked up on the second ring. “What’s wrong?”
“Hi, Mom. Nothing’s wrong.”
Silence.
“Then why are you calling? Not that I don’t love hearing from you. I do—it’s just you don’t call.”
Guilt smacked Zach right in the chest. “I know. I’m sorry. I just…well, just wanted to say hello, I guess. See what was going on with you and Dad.”
Silence again. “We’re fine. Your dad spends most of his time puttering around in the yard. We joined the Y. They have a Silver Sneakers program over there.”
“That’s great.”
“Are you at work?”
“No, actually. I’m in Florida.”
“You took a vacation?” His mom sounded more surprised that she should be. People took vacations all the time. Not Zach, but people.
“Sort of. I’m here with a friend.”
“A friend?”
Her voice reflected even more surprise. “Yeah. A friend. She was having a hard time, so I’m spending a few days here.”
“She?”
“W
hy do you keep repeating everything I say?” Zach tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. It wasn’t his mother he was irritated with. She just brought into sudden focus the fact that he rarely went on vacations or had friends that he helped out. She hadn’t said that, of course, but it was true.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Zach?”
And now he was regretting calling her. “I’m fine. Absolutely fine.” Except that he was in love with a woman he couldn’t have, and it must be making him do strange stuff. “How are Anthony, Mike, and Grace?”
“Grace is good. She’s having a hard time, missing Greg, but he should be home on leave in a couple more months. We’re helping out as much as we can.”
“I’ve wanted to visit and see the baby,” Zach said. “I’ve just been busy.” More guilt. This was why he didn’t call home very much. It made him feel like a terrible son, grandson, and brother.
But then again, maybe he was.
“I know.”
“How are Abu and Tito?”
“Loving life,” she said. “I think they’re playing in a poker tournament this weekend.”
He could only imagine how much fun they’d have with that. A pang of longing hit him square in the chest. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to drown it. “Well, I have to go. Big presentation coming up. Tell Dad and everyone else I said hi.”
“All right.” She paused for a moment. “I’m glad you called, Zach. We miss you.”
And there it was. The killing blow. Could someone die by guilt? As tight as his chest felt, he was pretty sure it was possible.
“I’ll call more, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” There was a note of worry in her voice that hadn’t been there when she picked up. Zach had put it there.
Zach disconnected and just stood, looking at the ocean. He loved his family. He really, really did. So why didn’t he call more? Go visit? Being with Jenna made him realize that he’d sort of kept them on the back burner, like they’d always be there. And that just wasn’t true. Sure, he’d given them things, though they’d never asked or expect more from him than his presence. But he’d never given them himself. He’d never given anyone even part of himself.
The Anti-Honeymoon Page 13
