The Certainty of Deception (4 page)

I grabbed a clump of wet sand, pressing it into the palm of my hand.  A tender smile twitched at the corner of my mouth.  McKenzie changed my whole world that day, and never even realized it. 

Dropping the clay, I reached into my jersey pocket and pulled out my smartphone.  I slid my thumb across the flat panel.  There was something I had to do before leaving the beach.  “Here goes nothing,” I muttered, as I dialed the number.

The phone rang.  I clenched my fist in the dirt, allowing the sand to squeeze between my fingers.  It was cold and wet, but it calmed the nerves that churned in my belly.

“Evans’ Bodyworks, McKenzie speaking,” her sweet voice serenaded me like a siren’s song.

             
The wind pushed from my chest in the most orgasmic of ways.

I closed my eyes and allowed the intense rush of relief blow from my chest.  For the last two months, I’d called her office just to hear her voice.  She’d changed her cell phone number to an Amarillo number after leaving, but Evans’ Bodyworks was a listed number.  As per my agreement with Jared, I never said a word.  I simply listened to her until she h
ung up.

“Hello?”  I shivered with delight at the sweet timbre of her tone.

Since her departure, I’d taken up sending her flowers every Monday, simply to brighten her week.  The phone call was to brighten mine. 

“Hello?  Anybody there?”

Oh, God, that Southern drawl.  She’d commented several times about how much she hated her accent.  “
I sound like a backwoods hick
,” she’d complained.  She didn’t sound like a hick to me.  On the contrary, I could’ve listened to her talk all day long if given the chance.

Drops of rain splattered to the ground.  I looked up at the sky.  It appeared the sun was going to lose the battle of the clouds after all.  Not that I minded, I loved the rain.  The rain held a sentimental value to me.  It was a rainy night where I first made love to McKenzie.  Rain was a good thing.  It brought life and in my case, it brought love.

I closed my eyes to recall the smell of her skin mixed with the rain.  Shadows of
her
danced in the recesses of my mind.  I swallowed hard, thinking of how it felt to have her smooth skin pressed against mine.  Every minor detail displayed with vivid accuracy in my consciousness.  Her shimmering blue eyes sparkled, her playful smile, and the way her golden hair fell in front of her face when it was wet.

“Andy?  Is that you?” she whispered.

Tha-thump.

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of
that
nickname on such beautiful lips.  Only Mickie was allowed to call me that.  Just because my name was Andrew, didn’t mean people should call me Andy.  Andrew or Drew was fine with me, but never Andy.  That was my twin sister’s nickname, after all. 

I sprang to my feet in a single bound, and looked around the beach.  It was still fairly empty.  Just a few runners making their way to their cars before the rain picked up. 

“I guess not,” she faltered.

The sadness in her voice chipped away another piece of my mangled heart.  She missed me.  The evidence was there in the sound of her voice.  Fine, the evidence was hearsay, but this wasn’t a court of law, so it was admissible. She called me by name, hoping it was me on the other end of the line. 

This was what I’d been waiting for.  I needed to know that she missed me too, that I wasn’t alone in my heartache.  I wanted to reveal myself, but I feared it would ruin my upcoming plans.  Only one person knew what I was about to do and that was because he was intricate to my plans.  All I needed was for Jared or Gavin to get wind of my trip to Amarillo.  There was no doubt in my mind that they’d try to stop me.  So, instead of acting on instinct, I sat there like a fool, listening to her breathe.

Click
. 

The phone went silent.

For several seconds I stood, unmoving.  She had spoken to me.  To hear her call me by name was an answer to my prayers.  It only solidified my decision to get off of my ass and fly to Texas.  I’d waited like Jared and Gavin demanded.  Two long, miserable months, I’d waited.  Not a single drop of liquor had touched my lips since that night, no matter how bad I wanted a drink.  I’d been patient, keeping my distance, well, in a way.  Sure, the flowers didn’t equate to distance, but she hadn’t told Jared about them as far as I knew.  I was sure if she had, I’d never hear the end of it.  So, to me, that was a signal that she wasn’t over me any more than I was her.  They were lucky I’d lasted this long.  Patience was not one of my virtues.  The time had come, and I was getting my girl back. 

My mind released me from its temporary prison, allowing my heart to say what it needed to say.  “I miss you,” I whispered, breathless.  I sucked in some air, fighting back the tears.

I pulled the phone from my ear.  The screen showed the call had ended.  I locked the screen and tucked my phone back into my pocket.  The rain fell harder from the sky.  Huge drops of water splatter down on me, but I didn’t mind.  My heart was soaring and my legs were strengthened again.  I dashed toward my bike, ready to start my day.  Somehow, I had a feeling, today was going to be a good day after all.

For the most part, my day continued to get better and better which was unusual for a Monday.  Actually it was unusual for any day since McKenzie left, but hearing her call my name lifted my spirit in a way I couldn’t explain.

I rested my head against the back wall of the elevator, crossing my arms
over my chest.  My thumb traced the lavender pinstripe of my vest.  It had been two months since I’d worn the suit that Mickie bought to replace the one we ruined during our romp in the Gulf.  I loved the suit she chose.  It was unlike anything I usually wore, but since it came from her it was my most valued possession.  At the same time, since it had come from her, I found it nearly impossible to wear due to all the memories it evoked.  However, today was a new day, a better day.  Things were about to change, and this suit brought me luck.

The elevator doors opened.  I lifted my head and shoved off the wall, only to see that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.  At the door, Gavin stood, staring at me in the most peculiar way.  He stepped into the elevator, glanced at the number panel and nodded. 

“I guess you had a good day in court?” he noted as the doors closed.

I chuckled, pushing my black framed glasses up my nose, as I returned to my former position.  “You could say that.”

“I could say that?” Gavin repeated in a condescending tone.

My smile broadened.  “That’s what I said.”

“You do realize I already know you won the case.”

“I do.”

“Mhm.”

I tilted my head toward my brother.  His eyes scanned me, analyzing me as any good lawyer would.  “What?”  My smile grew to the point it almost hurt.  I couldn’t remember the last time I smiled like that.

“Nothing.  Nothing at all.  Congratulations on another great job.”

“Thank you.”

“Are we still on for tonight?”

“Um,” I stalled.  I wasn’t interested in dealing with Jared tonight.  I was in too good of a mood to deal with my brother’s new best friend. 

“Oh, c’mon.  Olivia has Morgan doing some wedding shit tonight, and I don’t want to be sucked into it.”

I laughed, reaching over and patting Gavin on the shoulder.  “Fine.  We’re still on, but I will punch Jared in the jaw if he plays on his damn phone all night.”

Gavin rolled his eyes, shaking his head.  “He doesn’t play on his phone
all
the time.”

“Bull shit.  The last time he came to the beach house, he texted with McKenzie all night.  The fucker rubs it in my face that he’s still in contact with her.”

“You’re over exaggerating, little brother.”

“Am I?” I grumbled.  My smile still unwavering.  Not even Jared and his pompous ass could ruin my good mood.

“You are.”

The elevator doors opened.  I shoved myself off of the wall, buttoning my suit jacket as I stepped off the elevator.

The roar of applause stopped me in my tracks.  I glanced back at Gavin who’d followed me onto my floor.  He was shaking his head, but grinning ear to ear. 

“You knew this was about to happen,” I accused him.

Gavin shrugged and pushed me forward with his fingertips.  “You know you love it.”

I laughed as I moved through the crowd.  Associates and colleagues
alike accosted me with congratulatory handshakes and back pats.  It should’ve come as no surprise to me that everyone already knew the details of my win.  Before returning to the office, I’d already spoken with over a dozen reporters, and I could only imagine the number of calls that would be received by our office requesting a statement.  By morning, my face would once again be plastered on the pages of tabloids, newspapers, and websites worldwide; beside my client who took her cheating Senator husband for everything he was worth and then some.  That’s what happens when you become the family lawyer trusted by the rich and famous.  Since my first big win several months back, I’d brought in over ten million dollars in new billables, and today’s win would only add to that grand total.

“See you tonight,” Gavin called out.  I glanced over the crowd to see him back inside the elevator and the doors closing.  I couldn’t wait to move up to the thirtieth floor where all the senior partner offices were.  I was currently a
senior partner, but if my billables kept climbing, I knew my father would have no choice but to finally grant me membership on the board.

Wise and Associates might be a family business, but it was imperative that we Wise men proved our worth to the board.  My father wouldn’t accept anything less than our best, and above all, I wanted to prove my self-worth.  Five years ago, my father convinced the board to promote Gavin to Chief Financial Officer of the firm.  It opened so many doors for him, and I wanted my chance to advance as well.

I continued meandering through a sea of associates, all congratulating me on my win.  I accepted the praise with a smile.  Hell, I deserved it.  Work had basically taken over my life since McKenzie left.  It was either work myself into the ground or drink myself there.  I preferred the former. 

It felt like an eternity had passed before I reached my office.  Not that I minded the hero worship, but I had more pressing matters on my mind. 

Outside my office, my assistant, Ethan Montgomery, sat in his cubicle, typing away.  His jet black hair was slicked back in a pretentious style.  He wore thick rimmed glasses that managed to accent his dark brown eyes. 

Ethan replaced Holly Morrison, my former assistant, after I had my fill of her leaking my schedule to Olivia.  When I first discovered what Holly was doing, I was furious.  My kneejerk reaction was to fire her on the spot, but Gavin reminded me of an indiscretion involving me, Holly and a drunken Christmas party rendezvous.  Termination was not an option.  So, I arranged to have her transferred to Mergers and Acquisitions, also known as admin hell, but not before I had a little fun of my own.  

I became suspicious of Holly about a month after McKenzie and I met.  I’d already started pulling away from Olivia.  It was no secret that I didn’t hold her in the regard she desired.  I was not in love with Olivia and I never would be. 

The occurrences started out as miniscule chance meetings.  Olivia would show up at client lunches, claiming it was pure coincidence.  Then the
coincidences
grew on a larger scale.  Her appearances became more frequent, and at inappropriate locales, such as courthouses, meetings, and other events.  Whenever I confronted her about knowing my whereabouts, she’d claimed I’d told her or McKenzie had mentioned it.

To confirm my suspicions about Holly, I scheduled a personal appointment on my calendar.  When Holly approached me about the entry, I informed her that I planned on having
a special lunch with Olivia, but it was to be a surprise.  Then, on the date I had scheduled, I waited until almost lunchtime to extend my invitation to Olivia.  Little did she know, I’d also text messaged McKenzie and invited her to join us.  Olivia and I agreed that I would pick her up on my way to the restaurant.  However, when I arrived at her office, I was floored by the way she was dressed.  Not only was her attire inappropriate for work, but it was downright slutty.  I took my jacket off and handed it to her, demanding that she show some dignity and cover herself.  That started one hell of a fight.  When she refused to change, I refused to take her to lunch and left.  I would not be seen in public with her dressed like a hooker.

That turned out to be the best decision I’d ever made.  I spent the day with McKenzie, and realized I was without a doubt falling in love with her.  Seeing that oversized Oompa Loompa hitting on McKenzie at the bar sent me into a terrible rage.  I wanted to rip his overpriced, capped teeth right from his head. 

After we ditched the Oompa Loompa, we spent the most wonderful day together.  It ended with us in the freezing cold Gulf and a near kiss.  Not to mention me going home and rubbing one out to the memory of her wet clothes clinging in all the right places, and her swollen lips aching to be kissed.  I cherished that memory, along with the suit I was wearing, which had been a result of my sweet girl’s guilt over that swim.

“Nice suit,” Ethan noted without looking up at me.  How he did that I didn’t know, but the man had a gift. 

“I know,” I stated with complete cockiness.  Yeah, I’m an arrogant prick.  Who could blame me?  “Any messages?”

Ethan glanced up from his computer, handing me a stack of messages.  “Also, your father is on line three.”

I swallowed hard.  All of the air in the room instantly siphoned out, leaving it hollow and vacant.  “Did he sound pissed?”

“Was he supposed to?”

“No.  I guess not.”

Thirty-three years old, and my father still managed to make me feel as though I was a child.  I glanced down at my messages.  “What about my travel arrangements?”

“Working on them now.”

“Fantastic
.  Let me know when everything’s finalized.”

“Yes, sir.” 

Without another word, I stepped into my office, closing the door behind me.  For the most part, my office was my sanctuary. 
Long ago I discovered that the more comfortable a client is, the more open they are with their attorney.  So, I had my decorator design my office to feel almost like home.
 
The back wall was nothing but windows, giving me the most amazing view of the Gulf of Mexico.  In the center of the room was a sitting area, complete with an overstuffed sofa and armchairs.  On the opposite side was a long glass table for when I needed to stretch out my research.  My disaster of a desk, sat to the side of the room, allowing me to see my wonderful view of the water along with the rest of my office.

I dropped into my chair
and stared out the window.  Dark clouds hung low over the gulf.  The rain had stopped for a while, but the clouds refused to disappear.  The tide swelled, crashing against the shore.  I watched as the wind swayed the palm trees that shaded the coast.  My mind drifted back in time to a day, much like this.  McKenzie, dripping wet, her eyes filled with desire, as I made her mine for the first time.  I rubbed my fingers over my scalp and smiled.

A quick shake of the mouse brought my computer to life.  I opened my email to find the delivery confirmation from the florist.  At that moment, I knew a dozen gerbera daisies were sitting on her desk with a note that read:
Thinking of you
.

“Drew,” Ethan’s voice resonated from the intercom.  “Your father is still holding.”

I rolled my eyes and picked up the phone.  “This is Drew,” I answered.

“Andrew.”

The instant I heard my father’s voice, every hair on my body stood on end.  “Father.”

“I understand you had a good day in court today.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Was going to court necessary?”  My father had a strict policy; stay out of court if at all possible.

“Yes, sir, it was.”

“No settlement could be arranged?” Annoyance colored in my father’s timbre. 

“Not one that was acceptable.”  Sure, I probably could’ve settled, but then my client wouldn’t have gotten half of what I procured for her today.

“Andrew,” the discontent in his tone only disintegrated my ego more, “if you ever wish to run this firm one day, you need to stop acting like a child and think like a lawyer.  You gamble with our clients every time you refuse to settle, and while you’ve been lucky so far, that luck will run out.”

It was futile to argue with my father.  Jonathan Wise was known worldwide for being the toughest negotiator alive.  I both revered and feared my father. 

“Yes, sir.”

“Now,” he continued as though I’d not spoken, “regarding Miss Hamilton.”

Every bit of my winner’s high was gone.  I already knew what was coming. 

“What about her?”

“Has she consented to the paternity test yet?”

“Morgan informed her that it’s safe for the baby now, but she’s not yet consented.”

“Hmm. I see.”

I bit my tongue.  It took everything inside me to maintain my control.  My father was baiting me.  This was a tactic I knew all too well.

“I assure you.  She will have the test done.  You have my word.”

“Your word is worthless, Andrew.  Actions are more valuable.”  He paused.  My pulse quickened.  The man was hundreds of miles away, and still I felt as though I was sitting in front of him, getting in trouble for stealing the Bentley when I was sixteen.  “Have you consider what you will do if the test confirms the child is yours.  Do you plan to do the right thing by this family and marry Miss Hamilton?”