Business and Pleasure (14 page)

“Wait. Bob? Your ex-CFO Bob?”

“Yes, Becca. That’s the Bob I’m talking
about.”

Both Becca and Nicki stare at me, apparently
dumbfounded.

“Why would he want to kill you?” Nicki’s the
first to recover from her initial shock over my announcement.

“I’m only guessing, but I
think
he
wants me dead because I fired him from Hamilton, and then, when he
tried to become a board member at Neo Corp, I stuck a wrench in his
plans. I also turned him in to the police for blackmailing my
authors.”

“Oh, my God!” Nicki sounds on the verge of
hysterics.

I take her hand and give a reassuring
squeeze, although, technically speaking, I’m the one who deserves
reassuring. Still, I haven’t given them all the details yet, and if
she’s freaked out already, what I’m about to say might send her
through the roof. I draw in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “It
gets worse, I’m afraid. Bob found a way into my hospital room and
threatened me. That’s why Alex is insisting I go stay with him for
a while.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lizzy; this is
insane!”

I don’t remember ever seeing Becca this
upset…not since Mom and Dad died.

“Well, look on the bright side,” Nicki says,
and she sounds like she’s handling this new information much better
than I expected. “Now you get to spend the entire weekend and maybe
longer, with Mr. Hottie, down there. Are you staying with him until
the police find Bob?”

“I don’t really know. He hasn’t said. I’m
guessing that’s the case, but I can’t just lay out of work
indefinitely. Sooner or later, I’ve got to go into the office.”

Becca holds my hand. “Just be careful, okay?
I can’t lose you, too.”

I pat her shoulder in lieu of a reassuring
hug, and then stand. “I’ll be very careful; you can count on it.
Plus, I’ve got Alex looking after me. I’m going to be fine. Yes,
that bastard tried to kill me, but he’s obviously a bad shot; I
mean, look, he hit my shoulder.”

“Yeah, but bad shot or no, next time, he
might get lucky.” Becca seemed reluctant to let the issue drop.

“I know, but honestly, I think I’m as safe
as I can be, for now. I’m not the least bit worried—not with Alex
around.”

They both get to their feet, and they each
take one of my hands.

“Well, enjoy the time you get to spend with
Alex. I can tell how much you two already mean to each other. The
way he looks at you…it’s like you’re the only woman in the
world.”

I cannot help sighing at her words.
From
Nicki’s lips to God’s ears…

“I hope you’re right.”

“I
know
I am. Now, did you pack any
of that hot lingerie of yours? I can’t imagine a better time to put
those flimsy pieces of nothing to good use, can you?”

“No, I didn’t pack any, but now that you
mention it…”

We all three laugh, and Nicki goes to raid
my top dresser drawer, just as Mark steps into the room. Brows
raised, I give him a look.
What’s he doing up here
?

“Sorry to intrude,” he says. “But I wanted a
moment alone with you before you take off with that Prince Charming
of yours.”

“Sure, Mark. What’s up?”

“Well, first things first, Lizzy. I am
so
sorry. I should have come by the hospital to see you, but
I was under cover and didn’t even find out until yesterday. We’ll
find him. I promise you.”

“Thank you. And really, there’s no reason
for you to apologize. I completely understand.”

Mark put a hand on my uninjured shoulder. “I
know you do. You’re one of the most undemanding, understanding
women I know. Any other woman I know would be pounding down my
door, demanding I do something and ‘do something now, damn it’. But
not you. You’ve always understood how things work. You’re also one
of the strongest women I know, and while that’s a good thing—and I
admire your strength—you have a very worried man downstairs who
loves you deeply. You need to let him feel like he’s taking care of
you.”

I wonder what brought this on, and I’m not
sure what Alex caring for me has to do with anything. “What do you
mean?”

“Oh, come on, Liz. You can’t tell me you
don’t know how that man feels about you.”

“He told me he loves me.”

Mark’s smile is huge. “He more than loves
you; the man would’ve taken that bullet for you, if he’d had the
chance. He blames himself. He feels terrible. You need to let him
feel like he’s taking care of you, so he can feel like he’s doing
something to make up for letting you down.”

“But that’s silly; it wasn’t his fault.”

Mark gently placed both his hands on my
shoulders. “Doesn’t matter whose fault it was. I wasn’t even there,
and yet I blame myself, too. I know how he feels. He loves you, and
you clearly love him. I’m so happy you’ve finally found
someone.”

Tears pool in my eyes, threatening to spill
over. “Thank you, Mark. I have no idea what I would do without
you.”

“You’ll never have to find out. Even if we
aren’t
buddies
anymore, you’re still my best friend. Always
will be…”

Those threatening tears finally fall,
soaking my cheeks and the front of his shirt where I rest against
him. He pats me awkwardly, as if unsure what to do or how to
comfort me with my injury. Taking pity on him, I step back and
brush the wetness from face.

“I’m only a call away, okay?” he says. “Oh,
and by the way, I really like Alex.”

“Thanks Mark.” I look up at him and sniffle,
then offer him a watery smile. He’s such a great guy. If not for
Alex…

Finally, the girls have my bags completely
packed, and we all head back downstairs. Alex is waiting patiently
by the window in the living room. Mark walks over to him and pats
him on the back. A very manly gesture.

“Alright, man. She’s all packed. Take care
of her.”

Alex extends his hand to Mark, and the two
shake, obviously parting as friends.

“I plan on it. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, and don’t worry; we’ll
find that bastard.”

Alex gently places his arm around me.

“You better hope you find him first.”

Mark lets out a laugh. “I don’t know which
fate will be worse… I really don’t.”

I’m amazed we can laugh about any of this,
considering the circumstances, but we are, and honestly, I’m
grateful to have friends who can make me smile, even when life’s at
its bleakest.

“Elizabeth, make sure you text or call me
every day, okay?” Becca’s wearing that worried little frown of hers
again.

“I will, honey. Please don’t stress this so
much. I promise I’ll be okay.”

“Unless you’re, like, too busy doing, like,
you know
something
else
…”

“Nicki!” I cry. Talk about a barely
concealed innuendo. “Get your mind out of the gutter, would
you?”

“Ha. Sorry,” she says, but she’s grinning,
obviously not ashamed of herself in the least.

“No…you’re not. But I’ll be in touch.” I
take Alex’s hand, and as we head out the front door, I say over my
shoulder, “No matter how…
busy
I am with
other…
things
.”

Nicki’s giggle echoes from behind me, and I
smile. Mark, Alex, and I reach the elevator, and as I’m about to
press the call button, Alex squeezes my hand.

“Wait,” he says, and turns back to Becca and
Nicki, who stand in the doorway to our apartment. “Maybe you girls
can come by Sunday evening for a bit?”

The girls start jumping up and down like
teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert.

“Oh, yeah!” Nicki says.

“We’ll be there!” Becca adds.

Alex laughs, and I promise to give Becca a
call later to cement our plans.

“That was very sweet of you, Alex,” I say,
as the three of us wait for the elevator.

He takes my hand. The car arrives, we step
inside, and Mark presses the button for the ground floor.

“They love you,” Alex tells me. “And they’re
worried about you. If having them over so they can check out the
place, make sure you’re going to be okay there and well-taken care
of, I’m more than happy to have them come for a visit.”

Why does he sound like he’s talking about
his place as if it’s ours?

“Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, my love. Now, let’s go
home.”

*****

We make it back to Alex’s place, after a
short pit stop at Hamilton. I’d decided I needed my laptop, so I
can get a little work done. Plus, I have to make sure I’m on hand
via email, just in case Natalie can’t handle every single thing
until I get back, which, if I have my way, will be soon.

I sit down on the long, black sofa, and Alex
drags over an ottoman and props up my feet.

“Honey, you’re very sweet,” I say, “But I
didn’t hurt my foot.”

“No. But this will help you relax.”

He hands my computer to me, and then heads
into the kitchen. I open my email and find at least twenty
manuscripts in my inbox, waiting for attention. Wow, am I am ever
going to have my work cut out for me while I am here.

“However long that’s going to be,” I mutter
under my breath. We haven’t had a chance to discuss any of the
details of my visit, particularly, how long he wants me to stay
here. Until I’ve recovered from my injury a bit, obviously…and Alex
seems hell-bent on keeping me around until someone nabs Bob. And
then, the girls are coming over on Sunday, so I’ll be here until
the end of the weekend, at least…

“Oh, what difference does it make?” I ask
myself, “I’ll be here as long as I’ll be here. Meanwhile, I need to
get some work done.”

I open one of the email attachments, ready
to dig in to the first manuscript.

“I brought you some water and your pain
medication,” Alex says, returning from the kitchen.

“But I’m not hurting right now,” I protest,
frustration over the amount of work I have piled up making me sound
harsher than I intended. All I want is a few hours of peace, so I
can accomplish something tonight. A few
uninterrupted
hours.

“
Just look at you
.” I can hear
Nicki’s voice in my head, chastising me for being such a
workaholic. “
Only
you
would want to spend the whole night
working, instead of cuddling up with a hot man who thinks you’re
the next best thing since sliced bread
!”

I shake my head and mutter under my breath.
“Shut up, Nicki.”

“What’s that?” Alex stands there looking at
me, holding a bottle of water in one hand and my prescription
bottle in the other.

“Nothing.” Again, I shake my head. “I’m just
not in any pain, that’s all.”

“Which is exactly why you want to take this
now, rather than waiting until later. If you take them like they’re
prescribed—in your case, every six hours—you’ll manage your pain.
If you wait until you’re hurting before you take them, you’ll have
to wait twenty or thirty minutes each time, until they take full
effect.” He set the water on the ottoman next to my feet, and then
twisted the lid off the medicine bottle. He shook two of the pills
into his palm and held out his hand. “Here. Take them now, and you
won’t feel any pain. Then, maybe you can actually work, which will
hopefully improve your mood a little bit. Oh…and make sure you
drink plenty of water, too. Helps them dissolve faster.”

I take the pills and pop them into my mouth
before grabbing the water and guzzling half the bottle in one
swallow. The cold water helps to cool my heated cheeks.

“I sounded like an ungrateful, spoiled brat
there for a minute, didn’t I?” I duck my head, unable to meet
Alex’s gaze. “Sorry.”

“Elizabeth, there’s absolutely no reason for
you to apologize. All things considered, I’d say you’re behaving
remarkably well. If I were in your shoes, I’d be biting off the
head of anyone who’d dare to speak to me. You, on the other hand,
have been incredibly gracious, patient, kind, and, as always,
conscientious. Instead of lying in bed, ordering me about, you’re
ready to dive into your work. You insisted we stop for your laptop,
because you refuse to leave everything to Natalie…not because the
woman can’t handle the work, but because you don’t think its fair
she should have to do so. Now…” He pauses, leans over, and grabs a
throw from the back of the couch, which he proceeds to tuck around
my legs. “I want you to get some work done, and I’ll be right down
the hall, in my office, doing the same thing. If you need me, just
give a shout. Otherwise, I’ll be back to check on you in thirty
minutes or so.”

Throughout all this, I can only sit and
listen, absorbing his words, analyzing their deeper meaning. He
understands me like no one else I’ve ever known. Not even Becca
recognizes the true motives behind my actions, especially when it
comes to business.
Dear God
, I pray silently,
how did I
ever get so lucky
?

But he’s putting himself out for me, opening
up his home, making me his priority. Surely, he has work to do,
business to which he must attend?

“Alex, if you need to go to the office, I
completely understand. I can either wait here, or I can go back to
my place. I mean, Becca’s there, so she can take care of me, and
that way, you don’t have to miss so much work. Honestly, you don’t
need to babysit me.”

“Elizabeth, I can work from anywhere, and I
have a fully equipped office right here. I want you where
I
can take care of you. Now, please, go ahead and work, and then
maybe you and I can relax.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to argue, just
turns and walks off, and my gaze goes right to his butt. He has
such
a perfect ass. Too bad they don’t show so well when he
wears a business suit. I am so tempted to forget all about work,
get up, follow him right into his office, and... Wait. What am I
thinking? I just suffered a gunshot wound, I’m being stalked by at
least one maniac, and Alex and I are both behind on work. The last
thing I should be thinking about right now is sex. I’m acting like
a damn nymphomaniac.