Chapter Fifteen
With coffees in hand, I turn down the hall toward Craig’s office. He looks up from his desk, his eyes too bright for a Monday morning. “Coffee? For me?” he asks, taking the cup I offer. “You’re wonderful. To what do I owe this honor?”
“Your suggestions for the brief were brilliant. I really appreciate your help.”
He waves a hand. “It’s what we do. If I didn’t have help when I first started out, I’d probably have locked myself in my apartment. Someone would’ve found me days later, starving and muttering to myself in a corner.”
“Doubtful. By the way,” I say coyly, “a thank-you for your dating advice is in order. It was good.”
He sets the coffee on his desk and folds his hands beneath his chin. “You have my attention. Do tell.”
“An Englishman asked me out, and I said yes.”
“You little vixen! Give me the down and dirty.”
I curl into the chair across from him and tell him about Lachlan and the journal and his stylish hair and playful eyes.
“Damn. He sounds like a great guy. Congratulations, sweet Katie.”
“Thank you. I’m excited about putting myself out there again. Scared, but excited.”
“Don’t be afraid. No risk, no gain.”
“No risk, no loss.”
“Argumentative and terribly pessimistic.”
I laugh. “Duly noted. I have reason to be, though. Brad’s summer excuse still stings.”
“Don’t let it. You would’ve broken up with him anyway. He saved you the trouble.” He pulls the lid from the coffee cup. Steam rises, and he blows on it. “You ordered this extra hot?”
“No,” I say absently. He’s right. I would’ve broken up with Brad as soon as the opportunity presented itself. “You know what? You’re right. I was waiting for a good time to do it, because I didn’t want to hurt the guy. Stupid, right?”
He takes a tentative sip of his coffee. “Not stupid. Considerate. But,” he says, going in for a heartier sip, “in the future, don’t prolong things because you’re afraid. Rip off the bandage.”
I laugh. “How are you so good at this?”
“Practice. Look, there are a couple fundamental universals in love that I’ve come to understand. One,” he says, holding up a finger, “no one likes to feel rejected, so if you are, get past that shit in a hurry or you’re going to sink in it. And two,” he says, holding up a second finger, “when you really click with someone, you’ll know.” He pats a hand to his heart. “Right here. I’m not talking lust, I’m talking really liking, or even loving someone. You just know. Listen to that. Feel it. And you’ll be great.”
“You either have amazing parents or you’ve had great relationships, because what you described? I want that.”
“Then be open to it. It’s available to everyone.” He smiles. “And you’re right about something.”
I raise a brow. “What’s that?”
“Amazing parents and some great relationships. And, more importantly, I know when to end things. Like Blake. We went out a few times and that was it. No harm, no foul. Now off you go. I have work to do, but let’s do lunch today.”
As I round the corner, I see a light shining out from under Kenneth’s door. I rush to my office and dump my briefcase on my desk, scrambling to turn on my computer. He’s never specifically said I need to arrive before him, but it’s implied by his heavy sighs and agitated candy smacking if I show up after him.
I hate his candy smacking. I hate his stupid stress balls. And don’t get me started on the cherry air freshener. Flipping to a fresh page of my legal pad, I uncap my blue pen and write, Things I Thought I’d Like:
Fighting for the underdog
Financial security
The challenge
Well, two out of three isn’t bad. And if I think about it, Dr. Culpepper could be considered an underdog of sorts. Well, maybe not. He’s connected—he could’ve easily retained any number of amazing attorneys. My pen moves on its own as I draw a large X across my list. It speeds up, scribbling over the words until the page tears.
Craig and I return to our suite after lunch to find a woman screeching at Patty and flapping her arms. He sighs. “It’s always something. Should I call security? She looks unhinged.”
“Uh, no? Maybe we should see what she wants.” I step forward as Craig trails behind me. “Hi, Patty. Everything okay here?” I look at the woman. She has a cell phone in one hand and an acid green Daum frog in the other.
Patty gives me a stricken look, and the woman spins to face me. “Did you call her Patty?”
Craig puffs his chest and steps forward. “What is it you need?”
“My boyfriend left his phone at my place last night,” she seethes. “He’s been texting love poems to someone named Patty, and I came here to confront him, but this woman here won’t let me go to his office.”
“Because he’s not here!” Patty screeches.
Craig takes the woman’s arm. “It’s time for you to go.” She flails as he attempts to steer her to the door. Patty has turned a sick shade of green rivaling the frog. Just as I’m about to step around the counter to comfort her, Kenneth strides in with Thomas Lowe.
The woman jerks free from Craig and launches at Kenneth, pounding his chest with the phone. “You bastard!”
Thomas tucks his thumbs in his belt loops and raises a bushy eyebrow. “Kenneth, manage your business elsewhere. We have a reputation to uphold.” With that, he strolls down the hallway to his office. Kenneth pulls the woman from the suite, shushing her. Craig and I stare at each other, struggling to find words.
The sound of the woman’s voice travels through the door. “I hate this fucking frog!” And then we hear a thud.
“Do you think I should go check on them?” Craig asks quietly.
But Kenneth marches in, his handkerchief pressed to his temple as blood trickles down the side of his face. “Don’t say a word about this. Katie, get me some ice immediately.”
I nod and give Patty what I hope is a sympathetic look before rushing to the kitchen with Craig close behind. He shuts the door and stands against it. “What the hell was that about?”
I blow out a breath and explain the whole sordid thing.
“Oh, Patty,” he says, shaking his head. “She could do so much better than Kenneth.”
“Yeah. That’s a big mystery, isn’t it?”
“There’s no accounting for taste.”
I laugh. “I’d better get this to Kenneth.”
“I’ll call you later to get the scoop. Good luck today. He’s going to be at his finest.”
“Thanks.” I hurry down the hall to our offices. His door is shut, so I tap on it lightly. “Kenneth? May I come in?”
“Yes.” His voice is gruff, and I steel myself before pushing open the door.
“Here’s your ice.” I hand it to him, and he removes his handkerchief. A red bump the size of one of his Atomic Fireballs juts from his temple. There’s a cut, but the bleeding has stopped. “Do you need anything else?”
A snide laugh trickles from his lips. “Do I need anything?” he repeats. “What I need is a fucking moment of peace!” he shouts, pounding the ice pack to his desk.
“Sure.” I turn and leave his office, grinding my teeth as I refrain from slamming the door.
I walk up the sidewalk to the gym and spot Ryan standing outside near a parked car. I pick up my pace, but the sight of a girl with him causes me to falter. She leans against the car door, her long legs stretched out in front of her. She laughs at something he says, making her lips bloom like a rose. I can’t see his face, but the casual slope of his shoulders as he leans in to her tells me all I need to know. My stomach twinges.
He looks up as I draw closer, and I wrestle a smile onto my face. Throwing me a brief wave, he says, “I’ll be just a sec,” before turning back to the girl. She tugs on her long, auburn braid, looking impatient with the slight interruption. The fading sunlight catches tiny gold hoops that form a line up her ear. And to think I could only muster the courage to get one piercing in each ear.
Jasmine pushes the big dust mop in my direction as I tuck my shoes into a cubby. She stops near me and juts her chin toward the window. “Ryan should be in any second.”
“Okay.” The need to know who he’s talking to burns inside me. “Who’s he out there with?” I ask, as though I’m only mildly curious.
She shrugs. “Not sure. You know Ryan.” She laughs to herself as she pushes the mop in the opposite direction. Her phone buzzes in her pocket, and she stops to look at the text. “What the actual fuck?” she mutters.
“Everything okay?”
“No. No, it’s not. Fucking Roland got my cell number somehow, and he keeps texting me as if we’re dating. He’s delusional.”
“The computer guy again? Can’t you block his number?”
She twists the mop with so much force she has to realign the handle. “Of course I blocked him. Now he’s texting from another number.”
“So how do you know it’s him?”
She tosses her phone to me. “Read it.”
I scan the words.
Hi, sweetheart. I haven’t heard from you, and I can’t reach you at the gym. You must be working too hard. Would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight? I can order food from Garden Grill. —R
“Oh, geez. That’s weird.”
“Tell me about it. And how the fuck does he know that Garden Grill is one of my go-to places? It’s like he’s spying on me.”
I pass her phone to her. “Do you think he put spyware on the computers here?”
Her eyes go wide. “Could he do that without my knowledge?”
“Pretty easily. If he did, he can read every single keystroke. So if you’re sending personal emails, he’s seeing all of them.”
The color drains from her face. “That’s freaking scary.”
“Yeah. No kidding. I’d get someone in to check it out sooner than later. From a different company obviously.”
She nods. “Thanks. I’ll tell Javier right after his class.”
Grabbing a rope, I step onto the freshly clean mats to start my warm-up. Questions I could’ve asked Jasmine roll through my mind. She seems so invincible, but this man makes me worry. At least she has all the guys here to help her out.
Ryan bursts through the door, and I stumble on the rope. “Hey, Katie. I’ll be there in a second.”
“Sure.” I abandon the rope, leaving it on its hook, and begin wrapping my hands. Ryan talks with Jasmine at her desk. It’s hard to tell if he’s super excited or angry. Maybe he just met that girl and they’re going out on a fun date. I yank my wrap across my hand, pulling it tight as I circle the fabric over my palm. If only there was a YouTube tutorial on how to wrap up my feelings. It’s clear I met Lachlan in the nick of time. I’ll have to add him to my gratitude list.
Ryan pads over and takes one of my hands. “Uh, I’m thinking you might want to keep at least a little feeling in your fingers.” He slowly begins to unravel my work. “How about we redo these so you’re not cutting off your circulation.” His smile is bright, and I wish I could throw my arms around him in a hug.
Instead, I shake my hands once they’re free from the vise I created. “Good idea. I didn’t realize how tight I’d made them. Thanks.”
“I’m here to help.”
I worry my lip, struggling to come up with a way to ask about that girl without sounding overly interested. Or nosy.
He looks at me, brows high. “Hey, you okay? First the wraps and now you look lost in thought.”
Once again I force a smile. “Nope! I’m great. I was just thinking about work.”
“Okay. Then this will be a good break for you. We’re going to start with a few light punches to get you ready. Do a jab, cross, then hook.” He holds up the focus mitts and nods.
I get into fighting stance and throw the jab. Ryan holds the right pad a bit higher, in anticipation of my punch, but I graze the side of it. “Sorry.”
“No prob. Keep your eyes on the target.”
I bite my lip, concentrating, and hit solidly this time, landing my punches with precision.
“Thatta girl. Five more like that, but relax your shoulders. Keep it loose, Katie. Come on.”
I shake out my arms and tell myself to focus on the mitts and nothing else. I reset my stance before firing off my next punches. The noise in my head disappears as my body takes over and does what it knows how to do. I finish strong and blow out a breath.
“Good work. Now you’re going to do the same sequence, but we’re going to add a cross and a knee strike after the hook.”
“Knee strike? I don’t think I’ve done that yet.” He usually remembers what I’ve worked on.
“Grab my right shoulder, pull down, and bring your knee up, keeping your toes pointed down. In order to maximize your power, you have to visualize pushing your knee through my spine. Got it?”
“I think so.” Good thing my gloves are on. I shouldn’t touch his shoulders with my bare hands. I might not stop there. My cheeks flame at the thought.
“We’ll take it slow the first time.” He grabs some small rectangular shields instead of his usual focus mitts, and heat rushes through me as I imagine him saying those words in an entirely different setting. I look away, tightening the strap of my glove.
He holds up the shields. “Whenever you’re ready. Focus on your form, not power.”
I tap my way through the punches and place a clumsy gloved hand on his shoulder and try to move my knee the way he did.
“Really throw your weight into the knee strike. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive. Pretend I’m a thug who’s grabbing your purse.”
“Right,” I say with a half laugh. “I don’t plan on getting mugged anytime soon.”
“I’m serious. Don’t hesitate, or the bad guy wins. If you’re ever in a dangerous situation, you need to get in, attack, and get the hell away. Now try it again.”
I straighten at his serious tone. I try to imagine how it would feel to get mugged, but my mind won’t let me go there. Instead, I picture his hands in that girl’s hair, now loose from its braid, as he presses her up against the car, kissing her aggressively. I throw my punches and grab him hard, adrenaline coursing through me as I use my knee with a force I didn’t know I had.
“That’s it! Again!”
I punch him and grab him and wish to God I could kiss him. I miss the shield and almost knee him in the face. He dodges my strike in a sleek move. I step back, my heart pounding. “I’m sorry.”
He laughs. “Don’t be. Workplace hazard. I don’t know what got into you, but you were fierce. That was awesome. Did you feel the difference?”
“Yeah.” I can’t look him in the eye. I place my gloved hands on my hips and step in a small circle, trying to breathe. “I’m going to grab some water. I’ll be right back.” I tug off my gloves as I walk to the cubbies. Sweat streaks into my eyes, and I dab at them with my shirt. Maybe I should step out and get some fresh air, because God knows I need it. What the hell was I thinking? I uncap my water bottle and sip slowly. Even though I want to drain the entire bottle, I know better. I’d only end up with a cramp. And I certainly know better than to have any more thoughts about kissing Ryan.
“You can keep your gloves off.”
I startle at his voice behind me.
“Okay.”
“You were really amazing just now. Could you feel the rhythm you were in? It was like something clicked. I’m really proud of you.”
But how would you feel if you knew the reason behind it? It’s a question I don’t want the answer to just now. Maybe ever. I wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment.
When I reach my apartment, I’m not surprised to find Lauren’s out. She’s been spending more and more time at Paul’s lately, which is great. He’s a good guy. But I hate feeling like I live alone.
After a quick shower, I decide to embrace the quiet. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on my unopened mail and the phone messages I’ve ignored.
I casually flip through the envelopes that Lauren has left out for me on the kitchen table as I play my messages on speaker. There’re two from Kenneth—no surprise there. The third is Lachlan with his lovely English accent. “Hi, sweet, I’ve made a reservation for Saturday at Cacciotti’s. Eight o’clock. See you there.” I play the message again, letting his words ease over me. Closing my eyes, I remember just how handsome he was and how he sparked an immediate curiosity in me. Our date will be amazing. I know it. But will he get my mind off Ryan?
Shaking the thought away, I listen to the next message. Hannah screeches into the phone.
“Katie! You have to call me! I’m engaged! He really did it! Call me back as soon as you get this. Bye!”
I sink into the chair, a stupid grin on my face. He really did it. Her phone rings once, twice, then a third time. Just as I think it’s going to shoot me to voicemail, she picks up.
“Katie! Oh my gosh! Can you believe it?”
“No! Yes! Are you freaking out? This is so exciting! I wish I could jump through the phone and hug you.”
“Me, too! I’m totally freaking out, but calm at the same time. Does that even make sense? I couldn’t wait to tell you. I didn’t want to leave a voicemail, but I was so excited, I just spilled it!”
“I’m so glad you did. So fill me in! How’d he propose? Where? When? All of it.”
Hannah flies into a detailed play-by-play of the proposal. I pace circles around the kitchen, phone close to my ear, soaking it all in. He asked her at his parents’ house when both families were there. Pressing a hand to my chest, I say, “I’m going to cry. It’s all so sweet.”
“It was amazing.” She pauses, and I can picture her waving her hand in front of her face as though it’ll calm her. “And for the not-so-great thing,” she begins, and the change in her tone stops my pacing. “I’d always imagined I’d have you as a bridesmaid. You’re my best friend.” She sniffs, and her voice wavers. “You know I would love to have you, but Alex has already asked his brother to be his best man, and his two best friends are going to be his groomsmen. We want to keep the numbers even, so I’m having only my three sisters as my bridesmaids.”
Tears fill my eyes, but I shake them away. It really is for the best. Hannah’s wedding should be how she and Alex want it. It’s their day. And to be honest, I’d make a terrible bridesmaid. I’d probably have to bow out of a cake-tasting expedition because I’m stuck writing a brief. “It’s okay. Your sisters will be perfect.”
“Thanks for understanding. God, I love you. Okay. Wait! One of his groomsmen lives near you, I think—somewhere by the beach. We should introduce you before the wedding. How cool would it be if you two hit it off? He’s great, and—”
“Whoa. Let’s focus on your wedding. I’m happily single at the moment.”
“Fine. But if you change your mind, I can set something up. Now for the other good news: we’re going to have the wedding in L.A., so we’ll be coming down to look at venues. We’re hoping for a Saturday in July or August.”
“Yay! Keep me posted on when you’ll be here, and we’ll meet up, okay?”
“I will. Love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We hang up, and I stare at the wall in front of me. Hannah. Getting married. It seems impossible yet entirely normal at the same time. They make a great couple. My heart swells to see her dreams come true.