Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) (8 page)

I sighed, unable to mask my irritation at his controlling tendencies any longer. “You go ahead. I need to settle my tab.”

Alec pulled a fifty from the money clip in his front pocket and tossed it on the bar next to my glass. “Now can we go?”

I opened my mouth to object but closed it again. There was no point in arguing with him. Besides, he owed me lunch after going over my head to get what he wanted. Alec put his arm around my shoulder when I stood to leave and escorted me through the crowd to the sidewalk.

“Thank you for lunch, Alec,” I said after we left.

“You’re quite welcome. I would have preferred if we’d eaten lunch together though.”

“And I would’ve preferred it if you hadn’t gone over my head to get your way.”

“Fair enough.”

Alec and I walked in silence the remaining distance to the lobby door of the Theisen building. He released my arm and turned to face me.

“I’ll email you the new contract documents as soon as they’re finished,” I said nervously.

He held open the door. “Until then,” he whispered, dangerously close to my mouth. It was more than enough to make me blush. Damn him. Clearly he could see the effect he had on me and it made me wonder why he was purposely trying to get a rise out of me.

I walked to the bank of elevators and waited. Normally I’d take the stairs so I didn’t have to wait, but today it sounded like a good idea. I was still irritated that Tim had committed me to this cruise without talking to me about it first, so I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the office.

As I waited for the elevator I replayed Alec’s words again and again in my mind. “I work hard to secure the things I want,” he’d said. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was he really wanted. Sex? Control? To annoy the hell out of me?

Jonathan wasn’t at his desk when I got back to the office, so I was able to slip by without being noticed. Tim had left a copy of his notes on my desk chair, ensuring I’d see them I guessed. I picked up the stack of papers and began scanning for changes.

Everything seemed reasonable until I reached the page that covered reporting. The new contract called for a weekly in-person status update. I skipped ahead to the budget to see if Tim left any money at all in the contingency account. My mouth dropped open when I saw the changes they’d made there. All travel related expenses were being funded separately by Payne Enterprises with an indeterminate dollar amount.

“Control freak,” I growled.

After I’d regained my composure, I turned back to the page that committed me to a weekly trip to Tampa for the next several months and started editing. I did a final run-through to make sure I caught all the changes. When I was satisfied I’d found them all, I hit save then emailed it to Alec and Lily, copying Tim on the email so he’d know it’d been done.

I shut down my computer and packed up the files that still needed my attention. Since I was leaving town tomorrow I was left with no choice but to take them with me. Stuffing the files in my laptop bag, I turned off the light and made my way to the parking garage and the sanctity of my car.

I pulled out of the parking garage and drove slowly toward home. I hadn’t heard from Spencer all day, so I had no idea if he’d be at home tonight or not. With my anxiety building I gripped the steering wheel tight. I didn’t want to stay at the house with him there, not after that dream last night, or after finding him there this morning.

Just call Anna
, my inner voice coaxed. If anyone had heard from Spencer it’d be Anna.

She answered on the first ring. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, sweetie, how was school?”

“It was amazing. I had meetings all morning so I got out of most of my classes. Prom committee, senior activities committee, French club, there’s so much going on.” That’s my Anna, Ms. Social. She spent the next several minutes filling me in on the details of prom and the upcoming panoramic picture of the senior class they were trying to schedule. Focusing on the road, I did my best to keep up with what she was saying.

“Oh, before I forget, dad left a little while ago. He said he’d be gone until Saturday. You’ll be here though, right?” Anna didn’t like it when Spencer and I traveled at the same time and had only recently come to accept it as a reality for our family. It wasn’t that Anna was afraid to stay home alone, well, with Drew. But what she
was
afraid of was having some place she needed to be and no ride to get there. Drew would let her tagalong with him most of the time, but only if they were going to the same place. It drove Drew nuts that Anna refused to get her license.

“Actually, I have a trip too. I’m leaving tomorrow night, but I’ll call Sara to see if she can stay at the house until dad gets back.” Sara Pike, our part-time housekeeper, also doubled as Anna’s own personal taxi service from time to time. Anna adored Sara and was always excited when she stayed over. They were almost like sisters really. Sara had lived with us while she was in college and the two of them became pretty close.

I hung up the phone, relieved I wouldn’t have to see Spencer again until after my trip but worried Sara wouldn’t be able to stay. I crossed my fingers and dialed her number.

“Hi, Izzy.”

“Hey, Sara, I need a favor,” I said, getting straight to the point.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Spencer and I are both traveling, and I’m hoping you can stay at the house with the kids for a few days.”

“Of course. I’d love to stay. Brandon is away for some training thing and it’s been so lonely around here.”

“Oh, Sara, thank you. You really are the best.”

“You know I love staying with them, Izzy. How about I come tonight?”

“Sure. Come anytime.” I couldn’t help but think how blessed we were to have someone like Sara in our lives.

When I walked inside the house an hour later I could hear Anna and Drew laughing. The smell of shrimp flowed from the kitchen, pasta and garlic too. Putting my bag down on the entryway table I walked toward the sound.

“Mom,” Anna squealed when she saw me.

“Look, Sara made dinner, angel hair pasta with shrimp and a white wine garlic sauce,” Drew said.

“Wow, thanks, Sara. It smells delicious.”

Sara poured a glass of wine and handed it to me. “I hope it tastes okay. I’m still getting a grip on the whole cooking thing.”

“I’m sure it’ll be amazing,” Drew said.

“I’m so grateful you could come on short notice. I don’t know what we’d do without you, Sara.”

“Don’t be silly, I’m glad you called. I was going out of my mind in that house all alone.”

The timer buzzed. Drew pulled a tray of garlic bread out of the oven. Sara drained the pasta. Anna began setting the table. All three moving in synchronized rhythm. A smile crossed my face as I soaked in the moment, doing my best not to think about how much I was going to miss this when they left for college in a couple of months.

When the dinner mess was all cleaned up, I kissed the kids goodnight, thanked Sara again, with a big hug this time, and headed upstairs to get ready for bed, more than exhausted now.

I picked up my phone to do a final check of email but thought better of it and dropped it on the side table. Turning off the light, I laid my head on the pillow. The moonlight flooded my room, enveloping me like a blanket, soft and comforting with a gentle ease. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

• • • • •

The next morning I woke up early, relieved I hadn’t had another nightmare. After washing up I pulled on my running clothes then headed downstairs for a cup of coffee. Sara was already up and had the coffee brewed. We made small talk while I drank my standard morning cup before I headed out for a run.

Faint shades of orange and blue slowly chased the night away as I ran along Beachview Drive. The pain in my ribs was all but gone now, so I pushed myself harder than I had in days. It felt good to work this hard. The sound of my feet hitting the pavement soothed me like nothing else could. The faster I ran, the harder I worked, the more relaxed I became.

I sprinted up the stairs to shower as soon as I got back. There were several things left for me to do before my trip and I didn’t have all that much time. Grabbing my phone from the bedside table I glanced down at the screen to see exactly how much time I had.

Shit.
I’d already missed three calls. Quickly, I ran through caller ID: Tim, Tim, Jonathan. Given it was barely after seven o’clock in the morning I decided whatever it was they needed could wait until after my shower.

I dried off then slipped on a pair of linen pants and a long sleeve t-shirt. I’d change for my flight later but there was no reason I couldn’t be comfortable now. Pulling my hair into a loose ponytail I headed downstairs to my office.

My phone rang again before I could even sit down at my desk. “Good morning, Jonathan. What’s up?”

“Have you talked to Tim today?”

“Not yet. What’s going on?”

“There’s a picture of you and Mr. Payne on the home page of the Daily News and he’s on the warpath about it.” We all knew the risks of taking on such a high profile client, so I couldn’t imagine what the big deal was all about, not to mention the Daily News was nothing more than a glorified gossip rag, with reporters following around high profile business professionals and local celebrities to garner higher advertising dollars. Tim should be more embarrassed to admit he actually read the trash they call news.

“What is it, exactly, that he’s mad about?”

“A picture is worth a thousand words, Izzy.”

“Alright, give me a second. Let me pull it up.” I fired up my laptop and pulled up the webpage.
Shit.
Sure enough, right on the home page, there was a picture from Hopjacks. Alec was whispering in my ear. I was biting my lip, a wine glass in hand.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

“You don’t have to convince me. I know you’d never cross the line. Tim’s the one who’s freaking out.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling more than a little guilty, knowing how dangerously close to the line I’d been with this client. “I better give him a call.”

I hung up the phone and stared at the picture that was splashed across the page as I waited for the article to print.
Now  you’ve  done  it
, my inner voice snarled.

“Alec Payne, billionaire entrepreneur, reportedly in town to finalize the purchase of the Bayfront Stadium, spotted having a romantic lunch at a local restaurant yesterday with an unnamed female companion,”
the headline read. Good, they hadn’t mentioned my name. I quickly scanned the article.
“The two were later seen in what could be described as an intimate embrace outside the Theisen building,”
the article said. Double Shit!

My phone rang again. I took a deep breath then answered it. “Good morning, Tim.”

“Have you seen the picture on the Daily News?”

“I’m reading the article now.”

“What the hell happened after I left you two yesterday?”

“Nothing. I finished the glass of wine Mr. Payne ordered for me and then he walked me back to the office. End of story.”

“Yeah, well, this picture tells a much different story.”

“I can see that,” I snapped, annoyed by his assumptions. “Fortunately, my name isn’t mentioned and neither is Dimarco’s. And now we know to watch out for reporters when Mr. Payne is around,” I added, doing my best to minimize the issue.

“I’m having second thoughts about you taking this trip now, Izzy. Maybe you should have Steve run point on this project.” Triple shit. He wasn’t just mad, he was pissed. Tim had never pulled me off of a project before.

“Are you serious?” When Tim didn’t answer I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. “If that’s what you really want I’ll email Ms. Roberts and Mr. Payne today to notify them of the change.”

“Let me know when it’s done.” He slammed the phone down in my ear and I had my answer. I ran my hands through my hair, unable to believe this was happening. I’d told Alec I was only interested in a professional relationship. I told him there were strict guidelines at Dimarco. I even tried to ward him off but I’m the one in trouble?

“It’s so unfair!”

“What’s not fair?”

I looked up from the article only to find Drew standing in front of my desk. “It’s nothing, just work.”

“That doesn’t look like nothing,” he said pointing at the picture of me and Alec. I rubbed my forehead, not him too.

“Pictures can be deceiving, Drew.”

“So you’re telling me you’re not having a glass of wine and biting your lip as that man,” he leaned over my desk a little farther, “that billionaire, pushes a strand of hair off your shoulder?”

“Drew, please—”

“Answer me, Mom. Were you on a date with that man? Are you cheating on dad?”

“Of course not!” I stood in protest. “I was at lunch. Alone. I had no idea Mr. Payne was even there.”

“So you admit you know him.”

“Yes. He’s a new client. He was having lunch with my boss when he saw me eating alone and he stopped to say hello.”

“Has dad seen this?”

“There’s nothing to see, Drew. Now I just told you what happened and I’m not going to discuss it anymore.” I sat back down, staring down at my desk. “Why aren’t you in school anyway?” I asked, desperately wanting to change the subject.

“Ya know, I’m not as blind as you think I am.” Drew stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind him.

“This is so unfair!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Drew was mad at me and my boss had asked me to step down, all because of one stupid picture. We weren’t even having lunch together. And I certainly wouldn’t call it romantic.

Leaning back in my chair I took a deep breath, and typed out the message. This was out of my hands and I was just ready to get this over with.

Date: April 16, 2015 07:45 AM

To: Alec Payne; Lily Roberts

Cc: Tim Howard; Steve Lange

From: Isabella (Izzy) James

Subject: Personnel Change

Mr. Payne and Ms. Roberts,

Effective immediately Steve Lange will be running point on your project. Steve has been involved with the project from inception and I expect a seamless transition.

Sincerely, Izzy James

Issues & Reputation Management

Dimarco

Maybe this was best. My life had gone from bad to worse since meeting Alec Payne. His words rang in my ear again. “Dangerous, dangerous game,” he’d said. I wondered now if this was what he’d meant.

That familiar tone announced a new email. Great, it’s from Tim. I’d already done what he asked. What could he possibly want now? I double-clicked on the message and braced for the worst.

Date: April 16, 2015 07:50 AM

To: Isabella (Izzy) James

From: Tim Howard

Subject: Ultimate

Izzy,

Perhaps I overreacted. You’re still running point.

Use caution.

Tim Howard

VP Issues & Reputation Management

Dimarco

Just when I’d convinced myself this change was for the best. Silently I wondered if Alec had anything to do with Tim’s sudden epiphany, until the tone sounded again.

Date: April 16, 2015 07:52 AM

To: Isabella James

From: Alec Payne

Subject: Personnel change

Isabella,

In case you haven’t already heard, your request is denied.

I’m sorry about the picture. Preston will pick you up at seven thirty.

Until then,