Chapter Eight

Reed

The look on Laurie’s face as we stood at the curb laughing our heads off was worth the risk I’d taken squeezing Irene for Intel.

“You played that like a pro,” I said between guffaws. “Sorry if I ruined your dinner… it looked delicious. I love ahi.”

“You weren’t ruining anything. In fact, you rescued me. Nice out with that sob story. So very old-school. I wanted to burst into song about love gone wrong, but I’d sound like coyotes howling at the moon.”

Damn. The moment she referred to her singing as howling, I started wondering if she’d ever howl for me. She looked even more beautiful when she was all smiles and laughing hysterically. Younger. Hotter. Irresistible. And still so fucking familiar for some reason.

“Nice try, evasion man. Still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here. How did you find me?”

“Before you say anything else, let’s get outta here before you know who comes looking for you. I get the strong feeling he doesn’t like to lose.”

She nodded as I took her by the elbow and moved us farther down the sidewalk. As our laughter dissipated, I looked into her big blue eyes. Ones I could get lost in if only she’d let me.

“I just wanted to tell you that I felt bad about our date the other night. I had no idea that Olivia would be there. I haven’t seen the woman in over a decade, so I’m really sorry for what she said. The rich and entitled are always rude, it seems. They don’t know any other way to be. After you ran out… I just couldn’t leave things hanging like that. I asked Irene to set us up again, but she refused. Said you had your reasons for leaving. I hope it wasn’t because of me or how I acted?”

“No, not at all,” she said, jumping in to explain. “And I’m sorry for ditching you like that. It’s my problem, not yours. That Olivia, she just… triggered me.”

“Aw, come on, now,” I teased, wanting to keep the banter and the light mood alive because I didn’t want to let go of Laurie. Not yet anyway. “You’re not hitting me with the old ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ line, are you?” I asked, walking us at a snail’s pace down the street. The more time I could spend by her side, thawing the icy shell around her, the better.

She wrapped her coat around her shoulders as we walked and heaved a sigh.

“I suppose I am, but it’s true. My departure the other night had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me and my demons. Don’t ask me what they are because if I told you, then I’d have to kill you,” she said, stopping just long enough to face me with that sexy twinkle in her eye. “Now, are you going to tell me why and how you busted in there with the fake husband act to blow my date out of the water?”

I’d never blushed in my life, but at that moment, I felt hot color crawl up my neck and onto my cheeks. She’d hit the nail on the head on her first try. It was like this woman had some kind of twisted window into my soul’s motivations. I shook my head. That couldn’t be true because a few days ago, I hadn’t even known that Laurie Arnold existed. Now, the question was, did I have a reasonable explanation? Would it be the truth?

“It’s just like you said. To rescue you.”

“Oh, Reed. I’m calling bullshit. First of all, how did you know I needed rescuing? And second, how did you know where to find me? I’m beginning to wonder about the integrity of our mutual acquaintance. She’s the only one who knew I’d be at the restaurant with Cody. Or maybe, you’re some kind of crazy stalker dude?”

I ignored the last part. It hit far too close to home after my multiple hours spent on Google Chrome.

“Don’t be angry with Irene. I kinda wheedled it out of her who you were with.”

“Wheedled?” Laurie asked, narrowing her eyes. “You mean used your masculine charms on her?”

I shook my head. “The point is, I… it bothered me that you were seeing someone else before I even got the chance to get to know you. I hoped you’d want to get to know me. Away from theaters and fancy restaurants.”

She fixed me with a frown and drew her coat closer. “Isn’t that against agency policy? Dating your clients in private?”

“I’m not real clear on the rules yet,” I admitted with a chuckle. “I’ve only done it once. Er… I’ve never really done it at all. But if we simply bumped into each other on the street, Irene couldn’t say anything about that.”

“This was hardly a bump, Reed. I don’t think we should see each other like this. I own a business too, and in Irene’s defense, it’s a difficult task to keep employees on the straight and narrow. Kind of like herding cats.”

I stared into her face for verification. She’d just conceded an important personal fact about her life, and as if she recognized her admission, she clamped those lush lips shut and didn’t expound. She probably had a point. And I didn’t have an answer. All I knew was I wanted to be around her, and for her to be around me, not underwear boy. I’d beg forgiveness from Irene later for making her give up the information.

“I’ll take you home if you want,” I said with a valiant effort to keep my disappointment off my face. “But since we’re here and it’s such a nice night, how about a walk by the river? The bridge is up ahead, and the park just on the other side. Get out of this noise and traffic?” South Broadway boomed and hustled with cars and lights and people.

“Are you asking me to venture into a dark, secluded area with someone I hardly know?” she asked, her frown transforming into a wry smile.

“Ah, but you do know me,” I said in my best Captain Jack impersonation. “And, I’ve been fully vetted by Irene. Background check and all. I promise, I’ve never committed a felony. Now misdemeanors, those I can’t vouch for.”

A smile played on her lips. “I guess I do know you when you put it like that.”

Laurie was so easy to talk to I felt like I’d known her for years instead of days. The park pathways were well lit, and she seemed relaxed enough with me by her side. If there were any homeys hanging about, I was still in shape enough to protect both of us, provided they didn’t take a tire iron to my bum knee. The river rippled quietly alongside us, and her blonde hair glowed in the lamplight, appropriately forming a halo around the crown of her head. My fingers itched to reach out and touch it, find out if it felt like silk too.

“Tell me about your work,” I said as we strolled. “You said it was in IT, and you own a business, but that covers a lot of territory.”

“Yes, I use that term broadly, since most people wouldn’t understand what I really do. It’s actually in the medical field, and the tech stuff is just the supporting framework for it.”

“Medical?” I asked in surprise. My thoughts went immediately to Jess, and the stab of regret of having left her in Milo’s care while I embarked on this crazy mission to pry Laurie loose from that boxer brief douche and sock enhanced crotch. “You mean like medical research?”

“Not exactly. I run a company called MediGo…” she slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with regret for letting her personal information slip out.

“MediGo, huh?” I parroted casually, prompting for more information.

Laurie blew out a long breath and slowed her steps, her grip on my elbow dragging me back a bit. “You’ve never heard of MediGo?”

After her initial hesitation, she asked the question matter-of-factly, like I should know what it meant. I didn’t but hoped she wouldn’t hold it against me. I hadn’t spent much time reading the Wall Street Journal while on the road. I’d spent most of my time not trying to throw up into the paper bag in the back seat pocket of the plane.

“Sorry, no.” I couldn’t tell if her smile indicated her pleasure or her disbelief. Either way, it was a thing of beauty. “Tell me about it. I’d really like to know.”

“Well, it’s a long story so let me know if you get bored. When my mother got sick about ten years ago, I was the only one around to look after her. It’s stressful when you don’t know where to turn for help or who to believe, and painful to watch someone you love suffering.”

I know what you mean.

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard for you.”

She nodded and resumed our pace. “It was. We didn’t have great insurance coverage, either. I’d just graduated from college and didn’t have a job yet. I went online a lot, looking for answers, remedies, other people who were in the same boat caring for a family member. The information was fragmented, scattered all over the internet, with support groups only for specific illnesses. It was overwhelming, even for me, and I’m a self-confessed computer geek.”

“You don’t look it.” She looked like a supermodel, but I kept that observation to myself.

“Oh? I suppose you think all computer geeks look alike?” she asked, her formerly kind tone now laced with annoyance. Shit. It seemed I kept stepping into an invisible pile of it. If she’d just tell me where it was located, I’d avoid it next time. “Overweight, pimple-faced, and bespectacled, no doubt? Probably freckles, too?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, backpedaling. “I meant that someone as pretty as you must have better things to do than sit at home with a computer. Prom and shopping and all that girlie stuff.”

Laurie looked up at me for a moment, a hint of sadness on her face. I’d been shooting for my words to be considered a compliment, but as usual, I hadn’t said the right thing. Even after all these years, I still couldn’t figure out the complexity of women’s emotions. They were an enigma. And a really smart one like this even worse. My temples pounded under the strain.

“I really didn’t, at the time,” she said. “All I could think about was helping my mom. Anyway, I got the idea to create something where everyone affected by a disease, not just the patients and the healers, but their families and caretakers could communicate and share information all in one place. So, I built MediGo. It’s both a social media platform and a comprehensive database. Something that had never existed before. It launched five years ago and has over two million subscribers today. It’s helping people cope, and learn, and navigate our complex medical system. Exactly what I designed it to do.”

My jaw hung open at her revelation. Not only beautiful but smart and talented too. She had it all, the whole package. I felt truly humbled in the face of her accomplishments.

“You built it? That’s incredible. That’s amazing. You’re amazing,” I said, meaning every word.

“Yet you’ve never heard of it,” she reminded me with an ironic grin. “So maybe not that amazing.”

“I’m ashamed to say so, now that you’ve explained it to me. Wish I would have known about it sooner. Something like that could really help.”

“Why, do you know someone who’s ill?”

I let out a breath and watched it dissipate in a cloud of vapor in the crisp October air. I had nobody but Milo and Tania to understand and empathize with my troubles. What if Laurie could help me? If I could talk to anyone else about Jess, who better than a person with a history-making online medical database?

“Yes,” I said after a pause. “My daughter Jessica was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia several months ago. She’s undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic.”

Laurie stopped walking and turned to me. “Oh, Reed, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something so painful.” I felt her hand slip from the crook of my elbow to interlace her fingers with mine. I squeezed her hand in response. “How are you managing? You should log on to MediGo. For real. There’s tons of resources and people who can help.”

“I will now that I know it exists. Her doctor has high hopes for a new drug that’s just been approved. We’re going to try it as soon as I…” I broke off, realizing I was on the verge of saying something I didn’t want to admit. “As soon as it can be arranged.”

“That’s good,” Laurie said. “By we, I assume you mean you and her mother. Do you have other family nearby? A support network? That’s so important. Crucial, really.”

Ouch. I was getting it with both barrels tonight. But for some reason, all my confessions tumbled out without any hint of shame or regret.

“No, just a few good friends. Jessica’s godfather, actually. Her grandparents have passed away, and her mother… well. Let’s just say she’s not in the picture.” I watched her face as it registered genuine concern. She’s a beautiful angel of mercy to me right now. I’ve never seen a woman look better. “Did your mother recover?” I asked, deflecting the focus back to her like I would a puck into the corner.

“She had a long remission, but in the end, the disease took her. But through it all, I realized that the worst thing about being terminally ill isn’t the disease, it’s the fear. Fear of pain, fear of being alone, of leaving your loved ones behind, and fear of what’s next. What’s beyond death.”

Her profound words along with the depth of emotion behind them struck a deep chord inside me. Fear had a pretty big grip on me right now. It felt like it might squeeze my heart into a bloody pulp every time I thought about losing my little girl. But to me, Laurie seemed fearless. Starting her own company and taking charge of her life and whatever it threw at her. I admired that. Something I needed a big dose of to sustain me.

“You don’t seem the type to be afraid of anything,” I said. “Look what you’ve accomplished. That took guts.”

She flashed a thankful smile, but underneath it, I noted something else. Something akin to sadness. “Oh, I have fears, trust me.”

“Like what?”

“Dancing in public.”

I laughed. “Oh, come on. That’s nothing. You know what they say, ‘dance like no-one’s watching.’ That’s all you have to do. Of course, a little liquid courage never hurt anybody. Especially for me. Even though coordination would be high on my list of talents in my past life, that doesn’t transfer to the dance floor. When I bust a rug, it kind of looks like a cross between a seizure and crumping.”

“Yeah, well, I’m even worse. I guarantee it. Maybe you didn’t trip in your four-inch platform heels in front of five hundred people at a formal ball. Yeah, complete face plant. Then you’d change your tune.”

I started to laugh, honored that she was letting herself be so vulnerable in front of me, a man she barely knew. “How long ago was that? Who in that room do you think you’ll ever see again in a million years? No one, that’s who. You should dance if you feel like it. Who cares what anyone thinks?”

She snorted, an adorable sound that made her blush. “Easy for you to say. I’ll bet you’re twinkle toes in a ballroom in spite of all your self-deprecation. Don’t they teach you that at escort school?”

Smart. And a smartass to boot.

It reminded me of someone I used to know. Shaking my head, I eradicated the image of Harper Payne. The one woman I’d regret until the day I died. I tossed Laurie a patronizing glare, anxious to get rid of all memories starring Harper.

“I’m pretty fast on my feet,” I said with a twinge of pride. “At least I used to be.” I turned to face her as an idea struck me. “Tell you what. Let me take you dancing. If you trip again, I’ll be there to catch you. Promise.”

“Dancing?” she repeated, looking like I’d just suggested we base jump off Broadway Plaza. “No way in hell. No thank you.”

She waved her free hand in a flat gesture, and I was glad to still be holding the other so she wouldn’t split and run away again. I gave it another squeeze in silent support. If she’d give me another chance, I’d love to squeeze some of her other parts, namely her full tits.

“Okay. But the offer’s open if you change your mind.”

We’d completed the walkway loop and were standing pretty much where we started, at the entrance to the park. I saw her shiver and realized we’d been strolling for almost an hour.

“You’re cold. I should take you home. Unless, of course, you want to catch up with The Amazing Underwear Man. Maybe he’s still at the restaurant.”

Laurie rolled her eyes heavenward. “God. Anything but that. Why don’t you just walk me up to South Broadway again and hail me a cab? I don’t want to trouble you further since I’m not paying for your company tonight.”

“I thought we had that settled?” Her talk of paying me lanced a thread of annoyance into my gut. Jesus. Why couldn’t she just lay down the sword for two seconds and be spontaneous? Enjoy her life? Probably that conservative computer geek persona. It seemed she’d taken it up like a cloak and enveloped her body in billowing folds of nerd gone wrong. “You wouldn’t have to if you’d just give me your phone number.”

She waggled her index finger at me. “Nuh-uh. Against the rules. I’m sure you’ve charmed women with that sexy grin since you were old enough to use it. I’m not that easy.”

You’re the hardest woman I’ve ever met.

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” I said, mimicking her words from our first date. I didn’t want to just pile her in a cab and possibly never see her again. It seemed crazy, but I felt something special between us. Laurie tugged at my heart strings as well as my cock. If I looked toward my future, Jess was healed, I had a few bucks in my pocket, and Laurie squirmed underneath me.

“I really should go home. Re-think my dating strategy.” She looked at me as if trying to memorize my face before sending me off to war. She seemed attracted to me. I just couldn’t understand the walls she was building. Just when I thought they’d come tumbling down, she slapped more mortar on them with her trowel. “You pulled a bonehead stunt tonight, but I had more fun in the last hour than I have in the past year. Thank you.”

I did what she asked and got her a cab. But as it pulled away, I couldn’t help feeling like I’d lost my best friend.