Chapter 26

Kasey

 

 

Kasey’s energy was electric after leaving Passions Publishing. She’d made quite the impression, this much she knew from the look on Jay’s face as she had walked away, leaving him staring and speechless. Jay Canton wasn’t the type of man to run out of words, but she’d watched as he looked on in silence after she had all but demanded he pick her up for dinner.

 

She hadn’t planned to deny him her address, but when he was so taken aback by her suggestion on how to get it, she couldn’t resist taking it further.

 

Unable to focus on work after such an interaction, she made a detour to visit Nicole at her job. The doctor her friend worked for was in high demand, but he took clients on a referral basis only. In other words, he worked with the ‘who’s who’ of Saint Paul, which often left Nicole with plenty of down time. Far from the run-of-the-mill medical office, Dr. Proctor’s practice was top of the line, complete with lavender scent and calming music when you entered the paisley gray waiting room.

 

“Hello, I’d like to make an appointment,” Kasey contorted her face to match the accent she was struggling to maintain.

 

“I’m sorry, we don’t—” Nicole answered, looking up from the book that had captured her attention. Her broad smile soon became a fit of giggles when her eyes landed on Kasey.

 

The two had always been like school girls when they got together. It didn’t matter how old they got, every reunion was sure to bring on laughter and teasing.

 

“This book is so good!” she whispered, excitement in her voice as she held up the orange and yellow paperback, her thumb still holding her place.

 

“I told you. Kenny is a gem,” Kasey beamed with pride.

 

Kenneth Gregory was the first author she had signed to Rockwell Publishing, and she had shared the first run of his latest novel with Nicole. He was into mystery thrillers, a new genre for Kasey, but she had connected with him from their first meeting. After two lunches, they agreed that a partnership would be mutually exclusive, and the rest is history.

 

“You keep finding them. These publishing houses would be nothing without you,” Nicole shook her head with the confidence of a best friend before typing rapidly on her keyboard. “Okay, let’s go,” she said, grabbing her purse from a drawer.

 

“Where are we going?” Kasey asked.

 

“Oh, I know that look. You’ve got dirt to tell. I need privacy to hear this. Plus Dr. Proctor doesn’t have another client for half an hour.”

Leading her out the office building, Nicole took Kasey to a park across the street, settling on an empty bench out of the way of the wandering dogs and playful children. It was her go-to place during her lunch break to people watch and get a breath of fresh air.

 

“So, you would just be sitting there until the next appointment?” Kasey resumed their conversation about Nicole’s job, the annoyance clear in her tone.

 

“Sometimes I get calls, but regardless, I’ve got Kenny’s imagination to keep me company,” she smiled, gently tapping her purse as she tried to change the subject.

 

“Nicole, that man barely needs an assistant. You know you don’t have to keep working here,” Kasey began another rant for her best friend to do what she wanted.

 

“I know, Kasey. I should quit and release my best seller. You can represent me, and we’ll both get mega rich and live happily ever after,” she teased in a mocking tone.

 

“I’m serious, Nicole. I have the authority to hire you at Rockwell. You could at least read books for me. Besides, you’re already doing that. You should be writing your own stories. I remember those short stories from college,” Kasey reminded Nicole, as if she could ever forget.

 

“They were barely short stories, Kase, definitely not novels. Just let me read in peace,” she rolled her eyes, and Kasey knew that was the end of the debate.

 

“I didn’t come here to talk about your writing career,” Kasey changed the subject with a sigh. There was no reason for her to continue her argument when Nicole was never willing to budge. She saw so much potential for her friend, but it wasn’t up to her to make her life choices, so as usual, she dropped the topic.

 

“Yes, let’s get to the reason you’re here in the middle of the day, Ms. Wright,” Nicole crossed her legs, as if it was finally time for the main event, requiring her upmost attention.

 

“Oh stop. It’s not that big of a deal,” Kasey began, which was far from the truth. It was a huge deal, otherwise she wouldn’t be disturbing Nicole in the middle of the day.

 

“Just spill it!”

 

“Yesterday Jay showed up at Rockwell,” Kasey blurted.

 

“How do you know?” Nicole asked, knowing Kasey rarely worked from the office.

 

“I had to go in and pick something up and he was walking out just as I pulled into the parking lot,” she explained.

 

“Fate.” Nicole placed her hand over her chest in a dramatic fashion that caused Kasey to roll her eyes.

 

“Don’t go getting all romantic. This isn’t a fairy tale, just a business deal gone horribly wrong.”

 

“You cannot tell me this is still about business.” Nicole was flabbergasted by her best friend’s approach, but she tried to remain objective.

 

“That’s what he said. Jay asked me to dinner to discuss business,” she repeated his words as she remembered them.

 

“And what did you say?” Nicole all but squealed, leaning forward in her seat.

 

“I said no. I couldn’t even understand what he was doing there at my job,” Kasey recounted, the memory still fresh in her mind.

 

“Kasey!” Nicole shouted her disapproval so loud a woman walking by on the street turned in their direction.

 

“Relax! I went back to his office today and caught him off guard. I told him I would go, but now—I just—” Kasey’s voice faded away as her feelings became too blurry to articulate.

 

“What’s wrong?” Nicole scooted closer so that their knees were touching, hoping to be a supportive friend.

 

“I don’t know.” Kasey took a deep breath, running her hand through her long hair before continuing. “In some ways, I’m excited. But then I know I shouldn’t be. He crossed me like no one else, and I don’t think we should work together anymore. Maybe this whole thing is a bad idea.”

 

“Well, what are the pros and cons of going to the dinner? Let’s start there,” Nicole advised.

 

“The major pro is that I’ll get to know his intentions. Why does he even want to meet with me? I’m anxious to figure that out, but he wasn’t letting on to anything when I saw him.”

 

Nicole nodded supportively, and Kasey continued. “It will also let me know if there is a possibility of working together again. You know how well I read people. Before the check comes, I’ll be able to tell if he’s a friend or a foe.”

 

“That’s a good bonus. I’m sure you’ll pick up on a vibe quickly, and you need to know what you’re dealing with. What are the cons?” Nicole asked.

 

“It could all be bullshit.”

 

“What does that even mean?” Nicole twisted her lips, trapping the laugh in her mouth.

 

“I mean, he could be wasting my time and just messing with my head!”

 

“Kasey, it seems like there’s nothing to worry about. Your only con is bullshit. You want to go to dinner, you want to see him, and you want to know if you can trust him. This is the only way to find out.” Nicole spoke like she was reading the results of a test.

 

“I just—” Kasey began, but was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone.

 

A smile spread across her face when she saw it was from Jay. She’d fully expected to receive details soon, but assumed they would come from his secretary. Regardless of whether he’d made the plans himself, Kasey felt special reading the message directly from Jay.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Nicole watched Kasey in amazement.

 

“What? It’s Jay—he sent me the details for dinner. We’re going tomorrow,” she responded, without looking up from her phone as she frantically texted back.

 

“Oh, I’m fully aware of who it is, it’s written all over your face. You look like a teenager,” Nicole teased.

 

“Wait. You think I should delay my response? I don’t want to look desperate.” Kasey looked up, her eyes wide with the need for advice.

 

“You cannot possibly think this is still a business meeting, Kasey. You like him!” Nicole playfully shoved Kasey’s shoulder.

 

“It’s not like that. He’s a big player in the industry,” she shrugged, deciding to send her reply.

 

They were going out the following night to an upscale restaurant, and Kasey was already mentally combing through her closet for the best dress. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she thought of seeing Jay in mere hours.

 

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but maybe it’s more than you want to admit,” Nicole treaded lightly, waiting to read Kasey’s face before she went on. “I know you don’t want a relationship, but it seems like Jay is into you, and you’re clearly into him.”

 

“It’s not like that,” Kasey insisted.

 

The truth was, she hoped it wasn’t like that. Ever since her boyfriend in college called off their engagement at the last minute, she’d sworn off relationships, vowing to never let a man break her heart again. Kasey Wright was about business, and her career came before any of the mess men liked to bring along with them.

 

“Just think about it, and at the very least be open when you see him tomorrow,” Nicole begged, checking her watch.

 

“Is it time for you to get back?” Kasey asked, feeling guilty for hogging all her free time.

 

“Yeah, but this was better than reading the gossip blogs. I’ll need a full report after this date—oh, I mean business dinner,” she winked as the two stood.

 

On the way back to Nicole’s office, they talked more about Kenneth Gregory’s new book, but Kasey’s mind never left Jay. He was all she could think about, as if a mental timer was counting down the minutes until she could see him again.