Chapter 8
Shelby
I shut Christian’s office door behind me and strode back to my office, springing in my heels. Yeah, that’d gone well and all the anger from my conversation with Hannah had faded fast during our talk. Christian had taken all my ideas seriously, even when I’d suggested a remodel of the Abernathy and Banks logo.
I whistled under my breath but stopped – Betty walked toward me, grinning. “Well, hello there,” she said.
“Hey,” I replied. “How have you been?”
“Lonely now that you’re not in your office anymore.” She tapped my upper arm with the end of her pen. “It was so much easier to gossip when you were just around the corner.”
“We should catch up,” I said. I wasn’t upset with Betty. She was a co-worker and she’d made her own observations about what’d happened around the office. She was a good source of information and funny, most of the time. When she wasn’t pissing me off, of course.
“Totally. Hey, it’s like,” Betty paused and checked her watch, then continued, “basically the end of the day. Let’s grab a coffee in the caf and have a chat. I need your advice on something.”
“Sure. Let me just grab my purse,” I said. I hurried into my office, grabbed my handbag, then clicked off my computer monitor. I swept the half-eaten Snickers bar back into my bottom drawer, then slapped it shut, too.
I met Betty in the hallway and we chatted our way to the cafeteria. Idle stuff and nothing too important.
“I hear you’re back with Tyler,” Betty said, and looked over either shoulder as if she expected a listener to pop out of one of the paintings.
We entered the cafeteria together and halted in front of the coffee machine. So much for not talking about important stuff.
“Well? Did I hear right?” Betty asked, and fetched two mugs from the nearby counter.
The cafeteria’s sparse tables were empty at this time of the day and I was grateful for the privacy. “We are,” I said. “Back together, I mean.” Shit, did I really want to discuss this with the office gossip?
“That’s awesome.” Betty placed my cup under the spout first.
I jabbed a button for plain black, then backed off a step. “Thanks. I think so, too, and so does he. We’re happy.” For now. Ugh, I couldn’t help the negativity and that sucked. I half-expected something bad to happen to end the dream of Tyler and me together. It was ridiculous.
“I really think it’s great. I could see how badly the break-up affected the two of you. And I had this feeling that Anthony wasn’t the one for you,” she said.
“Anthony!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, that will never happen. I mean, I don’t want to sound like a dick but he’s just not my type.”
“Oh good,” Betty said, and handed me my coffee mug. “Then the path is clear for me.”
“All yours, hon,” I said.
Betty made her coffee next, then we sauntered to one of the tables, took our seats, and relaxed. I practically inhaled the coffee and let happiness wash over me again. Hannah had stamped it out with her darn rational arguments. And what she hadn’t squashed, I had taken care of by accusing her of sabotaging me.
My cheeks grew hot at the memory. I’d have to call and apologize. This was what Tyler did to me – it’d already started again and I had to get a hold on things before control slipped from my grasp.
“What did you need my opinion on?” I asked, and focused on Betty instead of my concerns.
“Well, I have a date tonight,” she said, and thumbed her horn-rimmed glasses. She pushed them up her nose but they slid back down again. “And I am super nervous. It’s been ages since I’ve been on a proper date.”
“As opposed to all those imaginary ones.”
“Exactly. There’s a difference between my Tom Hiddleston fantasy dates and an actual, real, live breathing individual across the table.”
“Who is it? Anyone I know?” I asked.
“Maybe. Mark, from accounting.” She let out a tiny squeal of excitement. “I’m going crazy from nerves. Okay, so I need advice on what to wear. We’re going to a fancy restaurant. But they have a dance floor and they play jazz music. What should I eat? Like, a salad? I don’t want him to think I’m a pig, you know?”
“Hey,” I said, and touched the back of her hand. “Slow down. You’re totally freaking out.”
“I am, aren’t I? I’m totally freaking out. I can’t help it.”
“Breathe,” I said, and winked at her. “Okay, so for something like that I’d go with a dress. Not too short in case you do end up dancing. Something that shows off your curves but doesn’t give the whole game away, if you know what I mean?”
“No ticket to skank town?”
“No,” I said. “And as for eating, gosh, Betty, eat whatever you want. Have Lobster Thermidor. You want this guy to know who you are and if you’re going to confine yourself to a salad, then you’re not really being yourself.”
“Wait, so you just eat whatever on a date?”
“Of course,” I said. “And I always offer to split the bill. That way I don’t feel bad about the five course meal I just shoved down my gullet.” It was so true it actually made me laugh. I was a foodie. Pigging out on dates was my trademark.
“Okay, so, something that doesn’t give away the milk, uh, and eat what I want, and offer to split it,” she said.
“Correct.” I drank some more coffee. Abernathy and Banks stocked the good stuff, but it was still from a machine. I’d have preferred a cup from a local store. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, though.
“I think I’ve got it,” Betty said. “Sorry, I know it seems –” She pressed her lips together.
“What?” I asked.
Betty nodded to the exit, which was at my back. “Company.”
I scraped my seat back and turned.
Anthony strode into the cafeteria without his usual swagger. In fact, he didn’t look too happy to see me. I hadn’t spoken with him all morning, but I’d figured he had his own business to attend to. From what I’d heard, thanks to Betty, of course, his dad kept him busy because he didn’t want anyone to think Anthony had it easier by virtue of being his son.
“Maybe I’d better go,” Betty said.
“Don’t,” I whispered.
Betty froze halfway out of her seat.
Anthony stopped beside out table. “I need to speak to you, Shelby.”
“And hello to you, too,” I said, and hazarded a grin.
“In private.” He gave Betty the side-eye.
“I was just leaving,” she said, and scrambled away from the table. “I’ll see you later. Fill you in on the date.” She was out of the cafeteria in two seconds flat. I mentally nicknamed her a traitor. I could’ve used the company, right now. Or maybe a witness.
Anthony took Betty’s seat. He nudged her mug aside with his knuckles and some of the coffee slopped over the side. He didn’t bother grabbing for napkins.
I did it for him and layered the papers over the spill. They soaked up the coffee, white to brown in milliseconds.
“Leave it,” he said, and grabbed my hand.
I tugged my hand from his grasp. “Are you okay? You seem a little, I dunno, jumpy.”
Anthony gazed past me at the cafeteria door. “I’m fine. We need to talk, though, and it’s serious.”
“Okay?”
He tried taking my hand again but I feigned reaching for my coffee cup. Anthony meant well, no doubt, but I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I heard you got back together with Tyler,” he said.
“What is this, the hot topic today? You’re the second person to ask me,” I said, and tried keeping my good mood up. God, what would Anthony have to say about this? He’d made such a big deal about me being better off without Tyler in my life. How he’d been bad for me and I deserved way better – meaning I deserved Anthony, of course. Ugh.
“People are interested in you, Shelby. Do you blame them?”
“When it infringes on my privacy, yeah I do.”
Anthony clicked his teeth and the noise filled the emptiness of the cafeteria. “I’m going to tell you something and I need you to keep an open mind, all right?”
“Okay,” I said, and frowned.
“I have to warn you. I’ve heard things about Tyler. He’s a thief, an actual criminal. Remember that day he stood you up? On your birthday?”
How could I forget? I didn’t speak. Settled for a nod.
“He didn’t make it because he was doing something illegal. He was out on a job. He does things that will put you in danger.” Anthony inhaled. “He gets things other people can’t get and he’s good at it.”
“What?”
“I’m serious. Guns, jewelry. That kind of thing. He’s a criminal, Shelby.”
“How do you know all of this?” I didn’t believe it for a damn second. Anthony had showed his hand – he’d do anything to keep me and Tyler apart simply because he thought we could have a future.
We couldn’t, of course. I didn’t feel anything for Anthony and if I’d ever had a glimmer of attraction it’d evaporated the minute he’d thrown his fit and called me a tease.
“I have my sources,” Anthony said, at last. “I know people who know the guys he works for. They’re bad guys. They hurt people.” He ground his teeth. “They kill people. Please, Shell, I’m worried for your safety. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
What was it about Tyler that turned everyone into a skeptic? He made me crazy with love and he gave everyone else some kind of allergic reaction. My sister thought he was bad news and I trusted her. Anthony claimed he was a criminal, but I didn’t trust him when it came to this.
“Shelby, promise me you’ll break up with him,” he said, and placed his palm over my hand.
The warm, clamminess of his skin made me want to hurl. “No,” I said.
“What?”
“I won’t break up with Tyler.” I slipped my hand out from under his and grabbed for napkins again. I wiped the moisture off the back of my hand and shook my head. “This is becoming ridiculous. I know why you’re doing it, and I’ve had enough.”
“Doing what?” Anthony sat back and folded his arms. This had to be my two millionth rebuttal.
“This,” I said. “I’m not interested in dating, okay? Please, just stop.”
“This isn’t about us,” Anthony said. “I’m just looking out for you.”
“There is no us, Anthony. And I don’t need anyone to look out for me.” I started to rise, and he caught my wrist. “Let go of me.”
He released me, immediately. “He’s a criminal. You’re in danger.”
“No. I’m not. I’m not going to stand here and listen to these lies. I’ve had enough, do you understand?”
“It’s not a lie.” Anthony banged upright and his chair tipped over. He rammed his fists down on the table. “He’s a fucking scum bag and you’re too fucking dumb to see it!”
His raised voice unnerved me, and a wave of fear washed through my body, leaving me cold. But I refused to let him bully me. Instead of quaking, I raised both eyebrows, tilted my head back and looked down my nose at him. “Classy.”
“Yeah, that’s what I am,” Anthony said. “Unlike you, you fucking whore. Cheap. That’s what you are. Cheap as fuck and sleeping with a felon.”
“Whatever you say, daddy’s boy,” I replied.
He flushed bright red and walked forward, shifting the table with him. It bumped my legs and I stumbled back. This was getting physical, and the wave of fear I felt earlier came back, bigger and colder. I started to fall.
From behind me, a strong pair of hands took hold of my upper arms and steadied me. That familiar scent, motor oil and cologne, embraced me and my rage petered away. I looked behind me, already knowing it was Tyler.
He glared at Anthony over my head. “You done?” he asked. “Huh? You done harassing my girlfriend?”
“Fuck you,” Anthony said, and his lips writhed.
The noise had drawn a crowd of the other office workers. Betty peeked around the jamb, wide eyes magnified by her glasses.
Anthony spotted the crowd. He twitched toward Tyler and me, then stopped, still gnashing his teeth. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. A beat passed.
Anthony stormed out of the cafeteria. “What the fuck are you looking at?” he screeched at the onlookers. People jerked out of his path.
I leaned against Tyler’s chest. His arms folded around me and held me. He kissed the top of my head. “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.
“I thought you’d never ask.”