Ava
I was at lunch with Hannah when my phone rang.
“Let me just take this,” I said, an unknown number flashing on the screen. Hannah nodded and took a bite of the salad she’d ordered.
“Ava? It’s Caleb.”
“Oh, my God, what a surprise. You never call me at work.”
“I know,” he said, clearing his throat. “This is business related, though. I’m phoning from the office.”
Business? Caleb and I had never done anything business related together.
“What’s up?” I asked.
He hesitated. The sound of chatter all around me was louder than his voice. I blocked my free ear with my hand to hear him better.
“It’s a sensitive issue,” he started. “A client of mine is having issues with his current accountant. I stumbled across information that looks bad and I need someone to go through the rest of the books to find out how far this has gone.”
“You want me to do it? I guess I can have a look at it. Do you want to send it through?”
“That’s that thing,” he said. “It needs to be handled discreetly. I have a feeling this is a lot worse than it looks and if word gets out about this before we figure out what’s going on the repercussions can be bad. I need it to be done as quietly as possible. I’m willing to fly you out and pay for your accommodation and everything.”
I glanced up at Hannah. She studied her salad, trying very hard to pretend she wasn’t listening to what I was saying.
“You want me to come to Tampa?”
Hannah’s eyes snapped up to mine when I said it.
“Please, Ava. This is important. He’s not just a client, he’s a good friend, and I have a feeling it’s his partner screwing him over. He’s under the impression it’s just their accountant but I have my doubts.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, Caleb… I have so much work to do here before I leave…”
To Apalachicola. To go on my little vacation.
“Can you hold out a week?” I asked.
“I think so. I’ve asked him to stall his plans to expand the business just until we can sort it out. Will you be able to come?”
“I can stop by on my way to Apalachicola. Will you make sure everything is in order for me to come through? I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes of this is another person’s work.”
Caleb took sighed. “It’s a little touchy, to be honest. I’m not going to lie to you and say it will be smooth sailing. I want to bring you here as someone I’m training so the partner doesn’t find out what you’re doing.”
“It sounds like trouble to me, Caleb,” I said. “That’s a lot of stories to coverup.”
“I know. It’s a big deal, though. I wouldn’t ask you if I thought I would be easy to handle but you’re the best I know at what you do and I need someone I can trust. Between those two requirements, I have very few options left.”
I thought about it only for a second before I nodded.
“I’ll come through and have a look. I’m on leave from next week Monday. If you’ll arrange the flights I’ll make sure my trip to Apalachicola is postponed with a week or two.”
Caleb breathed out in relief.
“Thanks, Ava. You’re a life saver.”
“Keep me updated with what’s going on.”
Caleb agreed before he hung up.
“Did you just agree to trade in your vacation for more work?” Hannah asked.
I shrugged. “He needed help. It’s complicated.”
Hannah nodded slowly. “Right. And this guy, Caleb? You told me it’s been years since you’ve seen him. You’re just going to drop everything for him?”
I shook my head. “We’re friends, Han. Wouldn’t you do that for me if I asked?”
“Of course. But I know you. We see each other every day.”
“I grew up with Caleb, you know that. And this is business. It’s a client of his. It’s important.”
Hannah took another bite of salad and chewed for a moment, thinking.
“Right. Maybe you’re just trying to get out of seeing your parents. They’ll be disappointed, you know.”
“This is work. They’ll understand.”
I felt guilty. Work was the excuse I always used when I told them I couldn’t see them. It wasn’t entirely false, either. I did work whenever I told them I had to.
“I’m not going to take long.”
“A week or two. I’m willing to bet on two if I know you at all,” Hannah said.
“He just wants me to look at some ledgers, make sure it’s all up to date, and then I’ll move on. I’ll postpone my trip by two weeks. I have three as it is. One week with my parents... That should be enough.”
Hannah stared at me until I sighed.
“It’s no big deal, Han. I’m going away, right? It might be Tampa and not Apalachicola, and it might be for work, not a vacation, right away, but it’s still a change of scenery. I’ve never been to Tampa. It will be cool.”
Hannah shook her head. “You’re the only person in the world that’s convinced more work is the same as a holiday,” she said. “But it’s fine. Tell me about this guy. Is he hot?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that with him. I mean, sure, he’s good looking. But we’re just friends. That’s all we’ve always been. He’s not exactly in the same social class as I am. You know?”
“So, a lot of money, then.”
I shrugged. “You know what they’re like. Not really my thing. Caleb is nice, though. Even if I liked him – which I don’t – it would be weird.”
Hannah put down her fork and looked at me with an irritated face.
“When are you going to settle down?” she asked.
I shrugged. “When I want to. And if I don’t want to, I don’t have to. Does it look like I need a man?”
Hannah shook her head.
“One day I want to know what happened to you that you’re so put off from relationships.”
“Who says anything happened? Maybe I’m just not the dating type.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Maybe you’re just not telling me everything because it hurts too much. But it’s okay. I’ll find out one day who broke your heart so much that you don’t believe in second chances.”
I laughed off her comment and changed the topic. I didn’t want to talk to her about my love life or my lack of commitment. I didn’t want to tell her why. Talking about James was uncomfortable. Talking about TJ was embarrassing.
God, going to Tampa would bring back all sorts of horrible memories. There had been a time when I’d dreamed of going to Tampa. When I’d been so close… That had been the plan until I was told that I wasn’t good enough for him. Going there now would be weird.
But Tampa was a big place. The chances that I would run into James was practically zero. I didn’t move in the same circles as he did and I would just be in town for a couple of days on business. I would sit in an office, pouring over books, before I would leave and never look back.
I wouldn’t see James. I didn’t even know that he still lived in Tampa. Chances were that he’d scooped up the millions he was to inherit and he’d left to travel the world the way he’d told me he wanted to do.
A week later I boarded a flight from O’Hare International Airport to Tampa International Airport. Caleb had gotten me a first-class ticket. I had enough space to recline my seat all the way and the flight attendant offered me champagne as a welcome drink.
After two and a half hours we touched down in Tampa and first class was let out first. I walked to the conveyor belt, collected my bag and walked through to find Caleb among all the other people waiting to receive their guests.
A sign read ‘Ava Fischer’ and when I looked up I looked into the liquid eyes I knew.
“Oh, my God,” I said, walking to Caleb and wrapping my arms around his neck. “I can’t believe how long it’s been.”
Caleb let go of me after hugging me and took my luggage for me. I walked next to him, holding onto my handbag.
“It must have been ten years, at least,” he said.
“I know. You haven’t changed one bit.” I looked him up and down. Caleb was still as put together as always, although I had to admit that he’d become a lot more handsome since I’d seen him last. He’d filled out the way boys do when they became men and his suit hugged his body as if there was a lot to see beneath it.
Maybe Hannah had a point. Maybe seeing if it would be more with Caleb wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Of course, that wouldn’t happen – we were just friends and I wouldn’t be here long enough. Besides, I was still me.
“You’ve changed a lot,” Caleb said.
“In a good way, I hope,” I said.
Caleb smiled. “A very good way.”
We walked to the parking lot and Caleb led me to a black Mercedes AMG GT.
“Driving in style,” I said. He grinned and nodded.
“It’s the little things,” he said. When everything was loaded and I was strapped in next to him he started the car.
“I’m going to take you to the hotel to drop off your stuff and then go straight through to the Quad Corp offices if you don’t mind.”
“Jumping right into it,” I said. “Sure.”
“It’s important. I’m sorry. We’ll go out to dinner or drinks or something tonight, after we assess what needs to be done, okay?”
He nodded. “As long as we get to catch up I’m happy.”
Caleb weaved through the city. I looked out of the window, watching sky scrapers crawl by. We stopped at the hotel.
“I hope this is okay,” he said.
He’d set me up in Le Méridien in downtown Tampa. Large Grecian pillars reach up three stories to support the high roof and big double doors leading into the lobby.
“You didn’t have to go this far,” I said, turning around to look at the grounds.
“You’re really doing me a favor,” Caleb said.
I signed in and received my key. I didn’t have time to look at everything, to stop and awe at the beauty and the luxury. I dropped my luggage off in my room and we made our way back down to the car.
“Right, tell me about what’s going on with this job,” I said when we sped toward the office.
“I’ll discuss it all with you when we’re with my client. I want to include him in everything. I feel he’s been left out of the loop for too long.”
I nodded. We parked in the underground parking of a tall building and rode the elevator up to the lobby where we signed in at the front desk. The receptionist waved at Caleb as if she knew him well. We took another elevator up to the top floor.
When the doors slid open I stepped out onto marble tiles. Plants decorated the corners with marble statues decoration the place like it was a museum, not an office.
“Morning, Lauren,” Caleb said to another secretary. “Is he in yet?”
“Waiting for you, Mr. Thompson,” she said and smiled.
Caleb smiled back. “Thank you.”
We walked across a plush carpet through a section that looked a little bit like a luxury restaurant, complete with an espresso station, a double fridge and a table and chairs with a center piece. Caleb knocked on a heavy brown door.
“Enter,” a man called from inside.
Caleb opened the door and let me walk first.
My eyes fell on Caleb’s client. The man stood behind his desk, wearing a suit that looked like it had been tailor made. My eyes fell on his and I stopped breathing. His face fell, too, and he glanced at Caleb before turning those emerald green eyes back to me.
I swallowed hard, unable to catch my breath. My tongue was thick in my mouth when I finally spoke.
“James?”