Sunset In Central Park (5 page)

She’d worn glasses for as long as he could remember, and he’d never once questioned her need for them. He’d noticed that she fiddled with them when a situation made her nervous or uncomfortable, as if they offered her some reassurance, but he’d never understood why her glasses would be reassuring. They were possibly the ugliest thing he’d ever seen. The frames were thick and heavy and an unappealing shade of brown, as if they’d been trodden into a patch of damp earth. They were unattractive, and knowing her the way he did, Matt was sure that was the reason she’d chosen them. They were armor. Razor wire, to repel unwanted intruders.

Relationships,
he thought. Was anything in life as complicated?

Claws rubbed against his legs and he bent to stroke her.

Who was going to break the bad news to her that she was cute as hell with or without ugly glasses? The fact that she seemed unaware of it just increased the sexiness level. There was so much she didn’t know about herself.

The cat sprang onto the sofa, digging in her claws, and he gave a humorless laugh.

“Yeah, she’d probably do the same thing if I told her that. Dig her claws in me. Then she’d hide under the kitchen table. You and she have a lot in common.”

Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he took the steps up to the roof terrace.

The setting sun sent shards of red and orange over the Manhattan skyline.

New York was a city of neighborhoods, of buildings that rose tall and proud into the sky, of blaring cab horns, hissing steam and the never-ending noise of construction. It was a city of iconic landmarks: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Flatiron Building. The ultimate
dream destination for many, and he understood that. Tourists arrived and immediately felt as if they were extras on a movie set. You saw them pointing it out.
That’s where they filmed
Spiderman, or
that’s where Harry met Sally.

And it was a city of individuals. The wealthy, the poor, the lonely, the ambitious. Singles, families, locals and tourists—they all crowded together on this patch of land that nudged the water.

“You going to stand there admiring your kingdom all night or are you going to share a beer with me?”

Matt turned sharply and saw Jake sprawled on one of the loungers, a beer in his hand. He swore under his breath. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Jake grinned. “Big tough guy like you? Never.”

“What are you doing here?” Normally he would have been happy to see his friend, but right now he wanted space to process this new information on Frankie. What else didn’t he know about her?
What else was she hiding?

Jake raised the bottle toward Matt. “I’m drinking your beer and enjoying your view. Best view in Brooklyn.”

“You have your own roof terrace. And the reason I know that is because I built it for you. You also have your own beer.”

“I know, but my roof terrace and my beer don’t come with your scintillating company.”

“Last time I looked it was my sister’s scintillating company that was taking most of your time and attention.” He saw Jake open his mouth to speak and cut him off quickly. “Do not even think about telling me what it is about my sister that takes most of your time and attention. I don’t want details. I’m still getting used to the idea that the two of you are together.”

“You’re going to be my brother-in-law. It’s official. There’s going to be a ceremony. In a way you’re marrying me.”

Matt almost cracked a smile. “I’m going to file for divorce.”

“On what grounds?”

“Unreasonable behavior. Breaking and entering and—” he eyed the beer “—theft and misappropriation of property.”

“I always said you would have made a fine lawyer.” Jake leaned back and closed his eyes. “Bad day?”

There had been nothing wrong with his day. It was his evening that hadn’t gone according to plan.

Matt sprawled on the lounger next to his friend. “Have you ever thought you knew someone and discovered you didn’t?”

“Every damn day. What’s her name?”

“What makes you think it’s a woman?”

“If you thought you knew someone and then discovered you didn’t, that person could only be female. Mystery, thy name is woman. And you’re in luck, because Uncle Jake is here to give you advice on that.”

“Or Uncle Jake could just drink his beer and shut up.”

“I could do that, but because I’m your friend I’m going to give you the benefit of my infinite wisdom on the fair sex. Do not expect to understand a woman. You don’t need to. It’s like traveling to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. You can get by with a few phrases and hand gestures. But don’t tell your sister I said that or she’d throw the ring I gave her into the East River.”

“Talking of Paige, why are you up here with me instead of downstairs with her?”

“She’s taking a call. Building her empire.”

“You couldn’t just hang out until she’d finished? What about Eva?”

“Eva is watching some movie where everyone is kissing and crying so I thought I’d enjoy the sunset and catch up with an old friend.” He eyed the beer and grinned. “And
then you showed up. So what happened with Frankie? What did you find out that you didn’t know before?”

“What makes you think this has anything to do with Frankie?”

“Because I’ve known you a lot of years.” Jake took a mouthful of beer. “And you’ve had feelings for Frankie for every single one of those years.”

“How the hell do you know that?” He shifted uncomfortably. “Am I that easy to read?”

“No, but you’re protective of the people you care about, and you’re extra protective when it comes to Frankie. You don’t need to be an expert in human relationships to see that she matters to you. As far as I can see, it’s always been Frankie.”

“Not always. I was engaged to Caroline.”

“A temporary lapse from which you recovered, fortunately for our friendship.”

“You didn’t like Caroline?”

“She was the female equivalent of a hand grenade, a small curved object designed to cause maximum destruction.” Jake paused. “She had me fooled for a while, though. Frankie is nothing like her.”

Matt didn’t disagree. He and Caroline had met in college and their relationship had been more like a kick in the balls than a blow to the heart. It had lasted twelve intense months and it had woken him up to what he wanted. Not just wanted,
needed.
Trust. Honesty.

“Frankie hides a lot.”

“Maybe, but the difference is that Frankie doesn’t hide it because she’s manipulative or conniving. She hides it because she’s scared. I joke about women being difficult to read but Paige is pretty much an open book and as for Eva—she’s not just an open book, she’s an audiobook. Everything
she feels comes out of her mouth with no filter. Which makes it simple for guys like me. But Frankie—” Jake pulled a face “—she’s different. She’s guarded.”

“I know.” Matt didn’t mind the fact that she was guarded. What he minded was the fact that she was guarded around him. Why would she feel the need to wear glasses around him? Didn’t she trust him?

“What? You expect her to open up and spill all her secrets to you?” Jake shook his head. “You expect too much.”

“I expect trust. Is that too much to ask?”

Jake shrugged. “It’s everything. Trust is serious. More serious than sex. Think about it. When you trust someone, you’re giving them the power to hurt you.” He drained his beer. “That’s scary stuff. Like saying, ‘Hey, here’s a really sharp knife. Stab me in the chest with it anytime you like.’”

“I would never hurt Frankie.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“So what is the point?”

“She had a rough time growing up, you know that. Her mom is scary. Remember the last time she visited? She pinned me against the wall. I almost lost my virginity right there in Frankie’s kitchen. It’s no wonder Frankie is guarded.”

Matt remembered Paige telling him that boys had hit on Frankie at school, assuming she was like her mother and that sex was guaranteed.

Like mother, like daughter.

“I don’t know how to handle it.”

“You’ll figure it out. Getting wounded creatures to trust you is your special gift. If you don’t believe me you only have to look at that damn cat.”

“Are you comparing Frankie to a cat?” Matt shook his head. “How did you ever get any woman, let alone my sister?”

“I used my abundance of natural charm.” Jake yawned. “How’s work? You never return my calls. Are we breaking up?”

Matt was too preoccupied to smile. “I’m snowed under. I’m in the middle of a big project and I’ve lost a key player.” His skill lay in design and hard landscaping and much of that was already completed. They still had to deal with lighting and furniture. He’d planned three log seats, and had completed one of them. His problem was the planting and it would remain a problem until he could find someone to take Victoria’s place. “I need to try and recruit someone with Frankie’s skills.”

Jake shrugged. “So ask Frankie.”

“What?”

“Why bother trying to find someone like Frankie, when you can have Frankie. If she has the right skills, give her the job.”

“She already has a job.”

“So you’ll need to be creative. Find a way.” Jake paused. “The best way to get someone to trust you is to spend time with them. You have the perfect excuse right there under your nose.”

Matt stared at Jake, wondering why that solution hadn’t occurred to him. “Sometimes,” he said, “you’re not a bad friend.”

“I’m the best friend on the planet. You love me. That’s why we’re getting married. And we’re going to live happily ever after.”

“Until I divorce you.”

“You couldn’t afford to divorce me. We haven’t signed a prenup.”

“W
e had a call from Mega Print. Remember them? We ran their office party last month.” Paige checked all the requests that had come through overnight. “The vice president of sales wants regular dog walking. Can we cover that?”

“I’m on it. I manage everything canine.” Eva slid into her chair and toed off her running shoes. “Matt recommended a fantastic dog-walking business called The Bark Rangers on the Upper East Side and so far our clients are impressed. The owners are twins. My new favorite game is trying to tell them apart. They’re called Fliss and Harry.”

“You can’t tell a man and a woman apart?”

“Harry is short for Harriet. I’ll give them a call.”

Paige frowned. “Matt recommended them? He has a cat. When did he need dog walking?”

“The twins’ brother is a client of his. I think they play poker occasionally. Daniel Knight?”

“The lawyer? I’ve met him. Brilliant by all accounts, not to mention smooth and charming.”

“Single?”

Paige laughed. “Very. He’s also as dangerous as they come. Definitely doesn’t mate for life.”

Eva sighed. “Not my type, then. I’ll have to keep looking.” She perked up as she checked her schedule. “I used to loathe Mondays when we worked for Star Events, but now I love them.” Through the floor-to-ceiling glass behind her, Manhattan basked in a pool of blazing sunshine. Urban Genie operated out of Jake’s company building—he ran a digital marketing firm and had generously let them use one of his boardrooms as they got their own company off the ground. “I love running my own business. And my blog followers tripled overnight so the work side of my life is perfect. Which, of course, means that my love life is totally crap because everyone knows both parts can’t go right at the same time.”

“You need to teach me how to flirt.” The words came out before Frankie could stop them and Eva stared at her.

“Excuse me?”

“Flirt. You know. That thing you do with men without even thinking about it.”

“Er—it’s true that I flirt if I have someone to flirt with, but it’s been so long since I met anyone I’ve probably forgotten how to do it.” Eva slumped in her seat. “There are so many men in Manhattan. They’re everywhere. And I don’t meet a single one of them. My life is a manless, sexless desert. And the con—”

“The condom in your purse has expired. We know. You keep telling us.” Paige gave her an exasperated look. “It’s boring, Ev!”

“It’s a tragedy, that’s what it is. Here I am, a warm, willing
woman, and no one wants me. And you’re not allowed to comment, Paige, because you’re getting regular sex.”

“I’m going to buy you a brand-new condom.”

“Don’t bother,” Eva said gloomily. “It will only expire again and I’ll feel guilty that it had a wasted life. Anyway, back to flirting. I can rack my brains and try to remember how to do it if that would be any help. Who are you planning on flirting with?”

Frankie felt her face heat. “No one specific. It’s precautionary training. Like self-defense or basic cookery.”

“Basic flirting. Flirting 101. No problem. I’ll book you in for a one-on-one session.” Eva reached for her phone. “When do you want to start?”

“Not now. I need to be in the right mood.”

“We’ll do it over a bottle of wine. It will loosen you up.”

“You think I need loosening up?”

“Let’s put it this way—your starting point is glaring at every guy as if you’re thinking of stabbing him between the shoulder blades with a sharp implement, so we have a way to go.”

“Am I that bad?”

Eva exchanged glances with Paige, who shook her head.

“You’re lovely as you are. Why do you want to flirt?”

“I hate being tongue-tied when guys say things. I want to memorize a few swift, witty comebacks, that’s all.” She watched as Eva slid her phone into her bag. “Why have your followers tripled?”

“Not sure. It might have been the photo I posted to Instagram.” Eva opened the drawer of her desk and selected a pair of shoes with heels that could have doubled as a lethal weapon. “I took a photo of a cupcake and it looked delicious.”

“Were you in the photo, too?”

“It was a selfie.” Eva slid her feet into the shoes with all the delight of Cinderella discovering the glass slipper fitted.

“Were you dressed at the time? Because there’s your answer.”

“I was dressed!”

Paige was sending a response to the vice president. “Be grateful she wasn’t eating a banana or that might have qualified as Most Embarrassing Moment.”

Frankie didn’t respond.

Right now when it came to Most Embarrassing Moment, she had the edge.

She’d spent the whole of Sunday reliving the moments that had followed Matt’s discovery that her vision was perfect. Feeling as naked and exposed as a snail that had been extracted from the protection of its shell, she’d virtually pushed him out the door.

Had she even said goodbye?

She couldn’t remember. All she remembered was planting her hand on his chest—a strong chest, very muscular—and giving it a good, hard shove. Of course, Matt being built like a linebacker, he could have resisted if he’d wanted to. He hadn’t. Which either meant he’d been as keen to exit the apartment as she was to see him leave, or that he’d been weakened by the shock of discovering that she was wearing glasses when she didn’t need to, and embarrassing didn’t begin to describe
that
moment.

Frankie squirmed in her seat.

What must he think of her?

She wanted to slink under the table and never come out again, but that would be about as mature as her reaction when he’d raised the subject on Saturday.

She wished she could put the clock back.
There were so many more dignified ways she could have reacted. A light, flirtatious response would have been perfect.

“Did you see Matt yesterday?” She kept her tone casual and Paige glanced up from the screen.

“Briefly. Why?”

“No reason. I wondered if he mentioned anything.” Like the fact that he had a deranged woman living in his apartment. A deranged woman with perfect vision.

“He mentioned he’s overloaded with work. I promised to feed Claws tonight because he’s going to be late. He’s going to owe me big-time for that favor. I might need a bodyguard.”

“I am generally considered to be a people-pleaser and the fact that I’m not volunteering to do it in your place tells you what I think of that cat.” Eva stood up. “I’m willing to call the Bronx Zoo if you like and ask if they have any tips for feeding predators. Maybe we could open the window and poke a piece of meat through with a long pole.”

“I’ll feed her.” Frankie shrugged as they both looked at her. “Why not? She’s just a cat.” And it would give her an opportunity to leave a note in Matt’s apartment. She’d apologize for being rude. Then she wouldn’t have to do it face-to-face.

Which meant that she could add cowardice to her other flaws, but never mind.

Turning back to her work, she answered an email from a client who wanted flowers delivered to his wife on a monthly basis.

“Claws isn’t
just a cat.
She is a psychotic cat,” Eva said. “She scratched me so hard last week I thought my bone was going to fall out through the hole.”

Paige shuddered. “That’s vile.”

“It was vile. Lucas Blade could use that animal in one of his books as a murder weapon.”

“What did you do to her?”

“Nothing! I was trying to hug her! She was abandoned and mistreated. I was trying to show her that not all humans are evil.”

“You have to let her work that out for herself, Ev. You can’t love someone who doesn’t want to be loved.”

“Everyone wants to be loved. If they don’t, it’s because they’re afraid.”

Frankie pressed Send on her email. “Or because they think that love is just too much trouble.”

“That’s another way of saying they’re afraid. Don’t worry, I learned my lesson. I’m not going near her again. From now on I’ll be projecting my positive feelings from a safe distance.” Eva’s phone rang and she picked it up and wandered out of the room, the fabric of her tiny scarlet skirt skimming her long, tanned legs.

Frankie stared after her, wondering how it felt to be that sexually confident. “Did she forget to dress? If she goes outside wearing that skirt there will be a riot.”

Paige jabbed the charging cable into her phone. “She looks amazing, doesn’t she? We went shopping yesterday when you were lost in your book. Your response to stress is to read, ours is to shop. How was it, by the way?”

“I didn’t make it past the third chapter.”

“That’s not like you. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Frankie—”

“It’s Matt.” She closed her laptop. “He found out I don’t need to wear glasses.”

“He— Oh.” Paige let out a long breath. “How? When?”

“Saturday night. He came down looking for Claws. I was on my own and I wasn’t expecting anyone. I was reading and cooking and—I wasn’t paying attention. Long day.” She closed her eyes briefly. “I can’t believe I was so careless.”

“Is it really such a big deal?”

“It’s a huge deal.”

“Why?” Paige sat back in her chair. “Frankie, it’s not as if he’s a stranger. Matt has known you since you were a kid. He knows pretty much everything there is to know about you.”

“He didn’t know I wear glasses even though my vision is perfect.”

“How did he react?”

“I don’t know. I pushed him out the door without asking.” Remembering made her want to crawl under the table. “There were a million things I could have said or done. I could have smiled and said I manage fine without my glasses in the apartment but no, I gave him a shove that would probably have injured someone less powerfully built than your brother.”

“If he upset you, I’ll kill him.” Paige sounded annoyed. “Did he say something tactless?”

“I didn’t give him the chance. It wasn’t his fault. It was me. All me.” She dropped her head in her hands. “What is
wrong
with me? I’m a sane, independent woman. I’m good at my job—”

“You’re excellent at your job.”

“Yeah, I really am. And I know I’m a disappointing daughter, but I’m a great friend even though I don’t hug enough for Eva.” She lifted her head. “All I’m saying is that in every other aspect of my life I’m pretty normal and function well. Why am I such a basket case around men?”

“Do you seriously need me to answer that?”

“No, but I should have the emotional intelligence not to let the antics of my mother affect my life like this. Matt said he liked me in my T-shirt—he paid me a compliment and I responded as if he’d covered me in anthrax.”

“This is why you want to learn to flirt?”

“I want to learn to be
normal
.” She looked at her friend in despair. “What am I going to do?”

“Do you mean about the glasses, Matt or men in general?”

“All of it! How can I wear glasses around him knowing that he knows? I’ll feel stupid. And what do I say next time I see him?”

“Whether you wear glasses or not is your choice, Frankie. If you feel more comfortable wearing them, then wear them. And as for what happened on Saturday—” Paige thought for a moment “—you should probably talk to him about it.”

“I was leaning more toward pretending it never happened.” If she could ignore it, she would. “I could leave him a note saying sorry I was weird.”

“You don’t have to do that, Frankie. He knows you.”

“You mean he knows I’m weird.”

Paige smiled. “No. I mean he knows what you grew up with. I don’t understand why this bothers you. This is Matt we’re talking about. Not some stranger.”

It was precisely because it was Matt that it bothered her. Exposing the depth of her hang-ups to a guy she’d known forever and found attractive was mortifying.

Generally she didn’t care what men thought about her, but she cared what Matt thought.

“You’re right. I should have an adult conversation. But I can’t turn ‘hey, I wear glasses but I don’t need them’ into anything that sounds remotely mature.”

Eva walked back into the room. “That was Mitzy. She wants to officially be one of our clients, and before either of you say anything, I know she’s never going to be our biggest earner, but I love her. What’s the matter with you two?” She peered at Frankie. “You’re wearing your doomed face and Paige is wearing her problem-solving face. What’s happened?”

“I have a doomed face?” Just for a moment Frankie wished she had Eva’s confidence. Never in a million years would she go out in public wearing a skirt that short.

“You have the face you wear when things are going wrong.”

Paige stood up and picked up some pages from the printer. “Matt worked out that she doesn’t need glasses.”

“Oh.” Eva’s brow cleared. “Is that all? I thought something awful had happened.”

“That is awful.”

“Why? Wearing glasses is part of who you are. It’s part of your individuality.”

“You mean my hang-ups.”

Eva shrugged. “Hang-ups are individual. The important thing is that you mustn’t be afraid to let people know the real you. That’s what intimacy is.”

“I don’t want intimacy! That’s why I wear the glasses—to repel intimacy.”

“Yes, but—” Eva caught Paige’s eye. “But I strongly defend the right of the individual to wear whatever they like, so I’m making no comment. Is that why you want to know how to flirt? So that next time he talks about your glasses you can turn it into seduction?”

“I wear the glasses so I can be sure I never reach the point of seduction.”

Eva looked baffled. “I love you, but I will never understand you.”

“That goes both ways. And if you don’t comment on my glasses, I won’t comment on that thing you call a skirt.”

“Hey, I am rocking this skirt.” Eva’s cheeks dimpled into a smile as she rotated her hips in a sensuous movement that would have caused multiple collisions had they been in public. “Don’t you love it?”

“I’ve seen wider hair ribbons, but yes, it’s cute. Now tell us about Mitzy.” She needed to stop thinking about Matt and focus on work. “What does she need from us? If she can get me early copies of all Lucas Blade’s releases, I’ll do pretty much anything for her.”