The One That Got Away (22 page)

W
hen Serena pulled into her garage that night, she still felt aftershocks in her soul from her confrontation with Tony. As of the moment she���d exited his office, he had left her request unanswered. She had no doubt that he was weighing it, though: the way his face morphed into a whipped child's the moment she'd asked him to leave, he'd clearly taken her seriously. Viewed through the lens of her ex's admirable accomplishments during his time in her hometown—securing Rowan's national expansion, taking on the twins, starting a meaningful relationship with a sister as thorough and respected as Audrey Jacobs—Serena felt about two feet tall asking him to abandon it all.

The animated confidence in his eyes had crumbled in slow motion, an incremental process that began the minute he heard her request. That sight haunted Serena throughout the afternoon and still hung in her memory as she shut her car door. Squelching a sob, she stepped around Jamie's Explorer, wondering what to make of the fact that he was even here. He had agreed to pick Dawn up from school so that she could work late, but she'd expected him to keep their older daughter at Fritz's for the night along with Sydney. Turning the key in the garage door's lock, she allowed herself a hopeful moment. Jamie couldn't keep their family separated forever.

Jamie, Dawn, and Sydney sat around the kitchen's marble-topped island, slices of LaRosa's pizza before each of them. Tapping the pizza box in the center of the island, Jamie turned cold eyes toward Serena as she set down her leather attaché. “Well, well, Mommy's here, girls. Pull up a chair and get something to eat. Once you do that, you and I need to talk before Sydney and I head back to Fritz's.”

Serena wanted badly to let her shoulders slump, to give in to the fatigue hunting her, but she'd never do that in front of her girls, especially not when Jamie was acting an ass. “Fine, I can eat,” she said flippantly, shrugging out of her suit jacket and rolling up the sleeves of her blouse.

Ignoring Jamie, she chatted Sydney up about school first, then probed around the edges for signs of life from Dawn, who sat nibbling listlessly on pizza crust. The girl's funky attitude was out for a jog this evening, her rolling eyes and recurring sighs informing the family she didn't care to be bothered. Based on the child's edginess, Serena sensed that the inevitable had finally happened: Glenn had forced her to walk the plank.

When they'd finished eating, Jamie sent Sydney upstairs. “Go get yourself a couple more outfits, baby,” he said. “Choose 'em carefully so Mommy won't have to choose ones for you; then you can play on the computer for fifteen minutes. Okay?”

“All right, Daddy,” Sydney replied, smiling wide. Serena knew her baby had already mentally fast-forwarded past the boring task of packing and was eager to log on to
LizzieMcGuire.com
or some comparable nonsense.

As Sydney rushed up the steps, Jamie snorted violently before turning to Serena and shoving a long finger toward Dawn. “When's the last time you had a real talk with this girl?”

She felt the judgment embedded in her husband's tone but paid it no mind. She rose from her stool, ready to wash the night's silverware. “You have a point you're trying to make, Jamie?”

“Sit down for once,” he said, a red tinge invading the whites of his eyes. He cracked his knuckles, then crossed his arms as if applying a self-straitjacket. “I can't even raise this mess myself,
Serena, I'm about to lose it as it is.” He cast a sympathetic glance at Dawn. “Can you tell her?”

Dawn sat with her head over a plate piled high with abandoned crusts. Shoulders slumped, she at first seemed as tuned out as earlier, but as her cheeks caved in and her brow tightened, Serena saw her daughter fighting to suppress deep emotions.

“What is it, baby?” Serena leaned forward, a hand on Dawn's shoulder. When Dawn remained silent but her head began to vibrate from her effort to choke back a sob, Serena's eyes darted back to her husband. “Jamie, what's going on?”

When Jamie responded by angrily breaking eye contact and slamming a fist against the counter, Serena hopped off her stool and placed both arms around Dawn's shoulders. “Baby,” she whispered into her ear, “it's Glenn, isn't it?”

“He's seeing, like, two other girls, Mom,” Dawn replied, her shoulders shaking so hard Serena had to struggle to hang on. “He said—he said he can't wait around until you two let me ‘grow up.' It's not fair!”

“Well, that's life, honey,” Serena said, kissing the back of her daughter's head. “We'll get through this. I have plenty of experience with—”

“That's not it, Serena.” Jamie softened his grimace as he looked in Dawn's direction. “Go ahead and finish, Dawn.”

Dawn met Jamie's eyes, holding his gaze for a moment as if gathering strength from it, then turned to Serena. “Yesterday, I went to see Mr. Gooden at school. You know, Glenn's new foster father?”

Serena bristled in literal horror. “Baby, why the hell would you do that?” After the day he'd brought her home from Glenn and Ben's, Tony had promised to keep away from her family altogether. Now Dawn had sought
him
out? Serena realized right then that her request of Tony today hadn't been outrageous; it was the most sane idea she'd had in months.

Dawn had her hands clasped together, her face down as if embarrassed. “I only went to see Mr. Gooden 'cause I figured he could help me get Glenn to admit he really loves me. I thought
Mr. G was a good man, you know? I mean, Ben and Glenn really admire him, so I thought he could help reach them.”

Serena sighed wearily, shooting an exasperated glance at Jamie and noting that he'd hardened his glare again. “Well, I'm sure Mr. Gooden told you that you and Glenn's breakup was none of his business.”

“No, no,” Dawn said, her head shaking but her eyes still on her plate. “He, uh, said that Glenn would come to his senses soon, that he'd realize what a great ‘catch' I was. Said I was real pretty, smart, things like that.”

“Oh.” Serena felt her eyebrows raise, not sure what to make of Tony's generosity.

“Then he, uh, well, he uh—” Dawn gulped audibly and blinked away a tear. “He put his hands on my breasts.”

Serena felt her neck snap and found herself asking Jamie a question with slitted eyes.
She didn't say what I think she just said, right?

Both of Jamie's hands were coiled fists. “You heard her.” One fist unfurled as he jammed a finger in her direction. “See what you've brought into our family?”

“Jamie, don't go there, damn you.” A pool of moisture spreading across the tip of her nose, Serena turned her attention back to Dawn. “Baby, what are you saying? Mr. Gooden actually put his hands on you? Are you sure he didn't accidentally rub up against you or something?” Trying to grasp what she'd just heard, Serena wrestled with her own pride. She'd slept with her share of despicable human beings back in the day, but she didn't consider Tony to be one of them.

Dawn's shoulders were shaking again. “It was all a blur, Mom. All I know is he just kept coming at me, scooting closer, reaching out for me, saying how he could help me forget Glenn.”

“I think you should stop with the inquisition,” Jamie said, rushing from his stool and coming over to Dawn. Easing Serena aside, he took his stepdaughter in his arms and kissed her on the temple. Looking over at Serena, he shook his head. “It's bad enough she'll be interrogated every which way but loose when we
report this. Not to mention, how are we gonna report this without going into all the nasty history?”

Still feeling like a figurine in a snow globe that had been flipped upside down, Serena waved her arms gently toward Jamie and Dawn, as if trying to cool a fire. “Just slow down, I'm still trying to understand how this happened. And, Dawn, why didn't you bring this up last night—”

Jamie's growl cut Serena short. “She may have stayed quiet if I hadn't come across this in her room.” Reaching into his pocket, he emerged with a fistful of a wrinkled, slightly ripped red power tie. “She had to fight the son of a bitch off! Can you believe this? His tie came off in her hand, he was so aggressive.” He hugged Dawn up against him one more time, looked into her eyes. “Why don't you go play with your sister? Your mom and I need a minute; we'll work this out.”

When they were alone, Serena was still reeling, unable to find the right response to her husband's righteous anger and her own protective concern for her child. Jamie, on the other hand, was fully equipped and ready to go. Stepping closer to Serena, he slapped the tie's remains onto the counter and cupped her chin, raising her eyes to his. “I don't know what kind of game your boyfriend is playing, but you may as well know: his time is officially up.”

A
s he chaired Rowan Academy's Monthly Business Review—a meeting in which school administrators, Whitaker Holdings executives, parent liaisons, and selected community leaders identified new challenges and solved old ones—Tony struggled to concentrate. As he completed his wrap-up of the major issues identified during the day's session, two things competed for his attention: an upcoming visit from Zora, who had agreed to come in and perform another reading and motivational speech, and his girlfriend's increasingly pissy vibe. Audrey had said barely a word during the morning's review, a frighteningly odd occurrence at work or at home.

Tony knew she was still digesting the many revelations he'd shared the night before. His showdown with Serena, as well as her dramatic request that he go back where he came from, had been too monumental to hide from a woman he was falling in love with. As he lay in bed with Audrey, relaxing in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking, he had opened up, hoping for a meaningful step in the growth of their relationship.

It was not to be. “You were with
Serena Kincaid
?” Flying forward in bed, Audrey had said his ex-lover's name with the reverence usually reserved for living legends. “God, that's depressing.
Here I land a man who seems perfect, and it turns out he's in love with a woman who's even more flawless.” Climbing out of bed, she'd punched Tony's shoulder. “Damn, Tony, I've wanted to
be
Serena since I met her through Inroads, back in college. She doesn't just seem like the woman who has it all; she overcame some mess to get where she is.” She'd crossed her arms before disappearing into the bathroom. “Tell me you're joking. Please.”

It all seemed cute at the moment, but since then Audrey hadn't been herself. For one, she'd stayed in her bathroom so long that she was still in there when Tony had left to meet the twins at home; she hadn't even bothered to walk him to his car for the usual good-night kiss. To top it off, she hadn't delivered her usual early-morning, sexually profane wake-up call, either. He'd known he was screwed before he'd even left the house this morning.

With the monthly review over, he cut his conversation with Larry short and sprinted after Audrey as she headed out into the school's front hallway. “Hey,” he said, falling into step but keeping his hands to himself. “Remember me?”

Her trusty clipboard held against her chest, Audrey kept her shoulders up and her back ramrod straight. Her eyes peered forward as if she barely sensed his presence. “I have a parent-teacher conference to supervise,” she said as if speaking to herself. “The teacher is basically burnt out. If I leave him to his own devices either he or the mother's likely to go postal.” She glanced toward him finally as she said, “And sorry, but this was so last minute, I'll be tied up when Zora gets here. I'll have to catch her on the next go-round.”

She might as well have come to a sudden halt and hit him with an openhanded slap. Tony stood still for several seconds as Audrey continued her bustling pace toward her office. When he recovered, he followed behind until he reached her office doorway. Just inside the threshold, she had taken a seat at her conference table with a wild-haired woman, a skinny boy with eyes full of mischief, and an overweight, balding man who sat straightening his tie and wheezing with exasperation.

“Pardon me, good people,” Tony said, knocking on
Audrey's open door. “You'll have to excuse me and Ms. Jacobs for a second.”

The balding man, who Tony guessed was the teacher, glared at him impatiently. “I don't know who you are, sir, but if you need Ms. Jacobs, I suggest you see her secretary to schedule an appointment.”

“Rest assured, my brother,” Tony replied, stepping all the way into the office and locking eyes with Audrey. “Ms. Jacobs knows
exactly
who I am.” He stepped aside, extending an inviting hand toward the doorway. “If you'll excuse us and have a seat out in the reception area, I swear this will only take two minutes.”

Audrey turned her head away from Tony, her lips pursed as she found herself oddly speechless. Tony knew her well enough by now; her desire to show strength by kicking him out competed tough with Audrey's desire to keep an orderly appearance, and he knew the second urge would ultimately win out. “I am so sorry,” she said finally, a calm and earnest look washing over her face. “I forgot about an urgent matter Mr. Gooden, from our administrative office, needed help with. Please, do excuse us and I promise I'll be right with you.”

When the mother had huffed her way out and the edgy teacher was through sliding Tony a series of looks that could kill, Audrey shut her door and stood in front of it, arms crossed. “I'm going to say this once, and one time only,” she said, her voice low. “You have scared me senseless, Tony Gooden. Two reasons,” she said, extending a matching number of fingers and shutting him up as he stepped forward. “First, like I said, I learn I'm being compared to Serena Kincaid. Second, I realize you withheld a pretty damn important part of your history from me.”

Tony searched Audrey's face, feeling out the weight of the insecurities and anxieties filling her. “Well, you may as well know there's more to come. You can't freak out when I've only just started opening up.”

“I know, I know,” she said, rubbing a hand over her forehead before crossing her arms again. “I'm just processing all this, Tony—that's all, okay? We'll get through it—” A fist began banging her
office door, and Audrey grimaced and turned toward the door as it nearly leapt from its hinges. “Okay, did they not hear me say I'd be right with them?”

“Yeah, they're trippin',” Tony said, chuckling. As the door rang anew with another set of fist-pounding, he stepped alongside Audrey and placed a hand against the small of her back. “This is my fault, anyway. I'll give you some space, call you later tonight.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Maybe we can do breakfast with Zora in the morning?”

Audrey smiled wearily, ignoring the insistent bangs on the door. “I'd like that.” She let him draw her close for a quick peck on the lips, then stepped toward her desk. “Wave them in, please.”

“No problem.” Tony stepped to the door. “Calm down out there! I'm coming out now.” He pulled the door open, still running his mouth. “Ms. Jacobs is all yours—” When he saw who was on the other side of the door, who had been doing the banging, Tony's words caught in his throat like a clump of peanut butter.

Jamie Kincaid stood there with Dawn close at his side. For a quick second Jamie looked as shocked to see Tony as Tony felt seeing him; Dawn, for her part, cowered behind her stepfather. Unlike their last meeting at Jamie's and Serena's, however, Tony's old nemesis recovered quickly this time. His neck still pivoting from a double take, Jamie rolled his shoulders and flexed both hands. “This is poetic justice, you being here,” he said loudly. Smiling with satisfaction at the sudden attention he'd earned from the half dozen other people seated nearby, he whipped back toward Tony. “You've had this coming forever, you skinny-ass rat.”

As Jamie drew back a fist, Tony heard Audrey's shriek, then felt his nose collapse in on itself as Jamie's punch pressed into his face. Nose and mouth dripping blood, Tony dropped to his knees. Grabbing at the nearest wall, he was vaguely aware of Audrey as she flew past him with a paperweight raised, shouting something defiant in Jamie's direction. Licking blood from around his mouth and gathering himself, he felt the pieces fall into place.

He wouldn't have Dawn here if this was about Serena.
The previous day's events suddenly made sense, and Tony knew instantly
what was going down. He'd set up his share of the mayor's enemies during his years in Chicago's city hall; this was more personal turf, but dirt was dirt and he knew it better than most. That didn't quell the horror invading him, though, as he crawled toward Audrey and Jamie, who argued fiercely as a growing crowd flooded into the office. Struggling to get onto his feet, Tony wished against all reality that he could shut Audrey's ears against Jamie's throaty accusations.

The white noise in his head relented and he heard Jamie's words clearly as he jabbed a finger over Audrey's head. “I will sue and shut this place down if I have to!”
Of course you will,
Tony thought, though he found himself unable to speak the words. He was in the perfect box, one with no escape hatch.
My word versus hers.
For the first time since the moment of her request, Tony realized that Serena had been right. Only problem was, she'd been too late.