The Organized Bride (Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book 2) (12 page)

Chapter 17

When the elevator doors slid open, MaKayla found David waiting for her with a cup of mint tea and a stack of checks from accounting that she needed to sign. Taking the tea, she asked, “How did you know?”

“Na— I mean, some people have a hard time with Susan. She’s efficient—and a total—” He looked at her and clapped his hands. She could see the moment he decided not to finish that thought. “How’d it go?”

MaKayla’s hands had started shaking the minute she slid into the back seat of her hired car. Dealing with hostile clients was one thing, but she was used to the people she worked with being cooperative—the personality trait usually went with the job.

The whole Natasha thing had thrown her off too. Whatever had happened between her and Gabe was between the two of them. Just because MaKayla and Gabe were married didn’t mean they had to disclose their past relationships. If they’d married for love, sure, that information would and should be shared. But they didn’t marry for love, they married for opportunity.

Tonight was her and Gabe’s standing date night. He’d recommended they go out, and MaKayla quickly agreed. There would be much less opportunity for slipping up while in public. Once she got home, she would barricade herself in her room and devour one of the books on her shelf. In the meantime, she should review the checks and make sure they went out with the five o’clock mail.

“It went fine. I have a list of general to-dos I need to go over with you when you have a minute. Nothing big.”

“I live to serve.” David bowed.

MaKayla rolled her eyes before settling in at her desk, and pulled out the files she’d need to verify the check amounts and recipients. As she popped the lid off her highlighter, she noticed David hesitating in her doorway. She looked beyond him to Gabe’s closed door and wondered whether he was in a meeting or out. “Was there something else?”

David ran his thumb down the doorjamb and wouldn’t look at her. “Have you talked to Brooke lately?”

MaKayla hid her smile and logged in to her computer. “We spent some time together on Sunday. Why?”

“I just wondered if she said anything about anything.”

Guys were so cute when they were trying to act tough. “I forgot to ask her, but I wondered how studying went.”

“It was good.” He walked a few feet into the office. “I mean the studying was intense, but she’s super smart.” Scratching the back of his head, he muttered, “Maybe too smart.”

MaKayla’s heart went out to David. He must really like Brooke if he was willing to embarrass himself like this. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, she’s going to be this awesome lawyer and I ... I’m nothing to look down on, I’m just not a lawyer.”

MaKayla laughed. “David, she’s been surrounded by men who want to be lawyers for years. I would think that if she wanted a lawyer, she’d have one by now.”

David cocked his head to the side. “You think?”

“Yep.”

He went to leave, but stopped at the door. “By the way, I didn’t think of the tea. Gabe did. He would have been there, but his meeting is running long. He texted me with instructions to have it ready for you when you got back. The jerk made me stand by the elevator for ten minutes to make sure I was there when you got off.”

MaKayla’s heart did a funny little hop-skip. Even in the middle of his hectic day, Gabe had found a way to take care of her. She decided she liked his form of micromanaging. “Thanks.”

“Yeah.” David left with a skip in his step.

Sipping her tea, MaKayla pulled out her phone to send a text to Gabe. She didn’t want to bother him, but had a strange need to connect on some level. She’d keep it business. Nothing mushy or flirty. Five drafts later, she hit send.
Thanks for the tea—just what I needed
.

There. Done. Now she could get to work. Setting her phone on her desk, she picked up the first check in the stack. She had just found the charity on the recipient’s list when her phone beeped. Dropping both papers, she scrambled to press the green button.

You're welcome.

It wasn’t much, but the fact that he answered so quickly meant that he dropped what he was doing, or who he was talking to, so he could answer her. She wanted to send another one, but held back. She couldn’t be a distraction for Gabe; she’d promised. Instead of texting, she sipped her tea and dived into her work.

A couple minutes later, she leaned back and threw down her pen in frustration. She couldn’t focus. Who was this Natasha woman and why did a couple of offhanded comments about her get under MaKayla’s skin?

It was obvious that Gabe had a history with this woman. Was it unrequited love? A quick romance? Or had they been together for years, and she broke Gabe’s heart? Is that why he signed up with BMB? To get over Natasha?

MaKayla pressed her lips together. Gabe hadn’t kissed her like a man in love with someone else. She pushed thoughts of their kiss away with all her might. If she started down that road, she could
not
be held accountable for her actions. She needed to keep her mind focused. Snatching her highlighter, she forced herself to think about checks and signatures and donations and not about ex-girlfriends and gravity-shifting kisses.

Chapter 18

Gabe finished his order and handed his menu to the server. The restaurant was a simple one, family-owned and -operated. They served burgers of all kinds along with oversized salads and fries.

Gabe could have taken MaKayla to an expensive restaurant with candlelight and a live pianist. But those places were for romantic couples celebrating anniversaries or getting engaged, and Gabe’s thoughts didn’t need any romantic encouragement. He could honestly say he was doing everything in his power to stick to their bargain, including picking the most unromantic restaurant in town.

For her part, MaKayla didn’t seem to mind. She’d ordered a burger slathered in horseradish, which surprised Gabe. Didn’t most women enjoy salads? Of course, MaKayla wasn’t like most women. In fact, she wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever met, and it was killing him not to reach across the table and take her hand. Especially since she seemed to have withdrawn into a shell. She’d hardly spoken to him on the ride over and had only offered brief smiles as they decided what to order. There was no flirting, laughing, or playfulness about MaKayla tonight. Gabe decided it was somehow his fault. Maybe he could pull her out of that shell.

Taking a large gulp of ice water helped shock his system so he could think clearly.
Change your thoughts, change your focus.
What’s important? The Center and the race. Relieved to find something safe to discuss, Gabe asked, “We’ve only got a couple weeks until Thanksgiving. What’s going on with the race?”

MaKayla brightened a bit, and Gabe felt his shoulders relax. They were on safe ground.

“We are on our way to a record number of participants.”

“That’s fantastic. How did you do that?”

“The additional advertising with local business helped. I’ve lined up a few radio interviews for next week. The shows are already talking about it, so that helps. And I’ve pulled a few strings to get some of my old contacts from the hotel to sponsor their employees.”

Gabe shifted in his seat. He’d worked so hard to avoid a scandal with Natasha that the thought of one with MaKayla and the hotel terrified him. “I thought you couldn’t contact hotel clients?”

“I can’t contact them for event planning. There’s nothing prohibiting me from using my email list for a charity event.”

“So it’s on the up-and-up.”

MaKayla scowled. “Of course.”

Their food arrived, and they took a moment to get situated. “What about that list I sent you for corporate sponsors who would match donations?”

MaKayla finished chewing and set her burger down. Gabe regretted asking her. He should have let her eat before jumping back into work. If he kept pestering her, she’d never finish her meal.

“Three of them agreed—with a cap.”

“What does that mean?”

MaKayla sighed. “It means they’ll match donations up to a certain point. It’s a safety measure on their part.”

“You don’t seem happy about it.”

“It makes it hard to use it as an encouragement for people to sign up. If Downton Inc. will only match up to five-thousand dollars, people think their entrance fee doesn’t count.”

“Then you’ll have to find someone to match it all.”

MaKayla pushed her plate away. “I’m working on it.”

“You’ll have to schmooze more.” He lifted his glass. “You know how to schmooze, don’t you?”

MaKayla rolled her eyes. “I think I can figure it out.”

He set his glass down without taking a drink. “This is important, MaKayla.”

“I know,” she said quietly.

Gabe crumpled his paper napkin. “I’m not sure you understand.” MaKayla’s jaw clenched, but Gabe continued on, his voice rising. “If we can get the funds, The Center will be able to help hundreds of kids who have suffered from abuse. They’re victims! Forced to struggle through the hardest years of development with a horrible secret. It needs to stop. I’ve worked my tail off to get this charity off the ground, and this race is essential. It needs one hundred percent of your efforts. You don’t ‘try.’ You don’t ‘figure it out.’ You do, and you do it well. I can’t have another failure on my hands; it’s too important.”

MaKayla’s hands clenched into fists. “I don’t know what failure you’re talking about, but it wasn’t mine, and I don’t appreciate getting yelled at for something I didn’t do. I’ve given nothing but one hundred percent since the day I started.” She stood up and grabbed her purse off the back of her chair.

“Where are you going?”

“Home. I have work to do.”

“I drove.” Gabe had the keys in his pocket.

“Brooke’s apartment isn’t far. I’ll get a ride.” She left without looking back.

Gabe, stranded at the table by himself, rubbed his face with his hands. Once again, his past had overwhelmed his better judgment. MaKayla was right. She’d given nothing but her best, and it was always excellent. If she said she tried, it meant she went ten steps beyond what anyone else would do. He should have given her more credit. He shouldn’t have yelled.

He glanced at her hamburger. And he should have let her finish eating.

“Can I get this to go?” Gabe asked the server. MaKayla might be hungry later, and he’d need a peace offering.

***

MaKayla swiped the moisture from her eyes as she crossed the street. Brooke’s apartment was only a block away. Hopefully she was home.

After half a block, her angry tears dried up, though her frustration stayed. She knocked on Brooke’s door and stepped back.

The door swung open. Brooke took one look at MaKayla’s watery eyes and pulled her in for a hug. “What did he do?” she asked.

For just a moment, MaKayla regretted coming. Brooke was as overprotective as sisters come, and she’d hate Gabe forever if he broke MaKayla’s heart.

“Stupid guy stuff,” answered MaKayla.

Brook pulled her into the apartment and shut the door. “Spill.”

MaKayla let the story tumble out, her hands shaking. “It just makes me so mad. I’ve done nothing to warrant that kind of treatment.”

Brooke took MaKayla’s hand and smoothed out her tight fingers. “Anger is an emotion that covers other emotions. What are you really feeling?”

MaKayla glared at Brooke. “Sometimes I hate that you’re so smart. Can’t I just be angry?”

Brooke smirked. “You’ll feel better when you deal with the real thing.”

MaKayla folded her arms and sat on the bed. With a sigh, she explained as much as she could about Natasha.

Brooke nodded. “Ah, so it’s jealousy, which stems from insecurities. Why do you feel insecure with Gabe?”

MaKayla squeezed her eyes shut. “Are you sure you’re going for a law degree? You’d make a great shrink.”

“Avoiding the question.”

“Yep.” MaKayla jumped to her feet. “And I’m going to avoid it all the way home. I need a ride.”

Brooke shook her head but grabbed her keys. “When you’re ready to face it, let me know.”

Makayla brooded in the passenger seat. Brooke turned the radio up and let her stew. She was such a great sister.

The only explanation for Gabe’s outburst could be his past with Natasha. What had that woman done to the man? Whatever it was, it left behind some serious scars. Still, MaKayla felt like she was missing something else. There was more to this than an ex-girlfriend. It irked her that Gabe wouldn’t confide in her.

Brooke dropped her off with a hug and a “you can get through this.” Entering through the front door, MaKayla was surprised to see Gabe sitting in the entryway. “Hi,” she said.

“Hey.” He held up a white box. “You didn’t finish and I thought you might be hungry.”

“Thanks.” MaKayla took it and headed toward the kitchen.

Gabe followed. “I wanted to apologize for tonight. I shouldn’t have said all that stuff.”

“Thanks.” MaKayla waited for him to elaborate, to tell her what had happened with Natasha, but he turned away.

MaKayla  placed her hands in her lap as she remembered Susan’s hostility at their first luncheon. “Who’s Natasha?” she blurted.

Gabe pivoted so quickly his hands flew out and he knocked a picture off the wall. MaKayla jumped, and Gabe dived for the frame. It didn’t break, and he took a moment to place it back on the wall. “Who told you about Natasha?”

“Susan.” MaKayla was still reeling from his reaction. “She said she had to babysit your girlfriends and Natasha was the worst of the bunch.”

“Let’s get one thing straight. There weren’t a bunch of girlfriends; there was one.”

Though the adrenaline slowed, MaKayla’s heart still beat much too fast at the thought of another woman in Gabe’s arms. “Natasha.”

“Yes, Natasha. I imagine that Susan did have to babysit her.” He rubbed his fingers across his forehead.

“So, she did this job before me?” A big part of MaKayla screamed for answers. She wanted to know everything. How they met? How long they were together? Why did they break up? Did they live together? How long after they broke up did he marry MaKayla? And the list went on. It was like a computer program generating error messages over and over in her head.

“Yeah.” Gabe leaned into the wall as if trying to escape this conversation. One look at his miserable eyes and MaKayla couldn’t force herself to pound him for information. He was obviously upset by the breakup and probably wasn’t over Natasha yet.

The thought made MaKayla fold her arms, as if she could protect her heart from the incidental damage caused by a woman she had never met. If Gabe was still in love with Natasha, why had he kissed her? Not that he’d tried since their encounter in the library. That alone should have told her something. She thought he was being a gentleman, but maybe there was something more, something he wasn’t ready to conquer. There were a thousand reasons for that stricken look on Gabe’s face, and try as she might, the worst ones were the hardest to dismiss.

MaKayla cleared her throat. “Well, I guess that explains Susan’s hostility. I guess I’ll just have to keep proving that I’m capable and one day she might lighten up.”
Or move, or get fired, or fall down a flight of steep stairs ...

“I’m sure once the ball is over, she’ll see that you’re more than capable.”

“Thanks.”

Gabe stared at the picture on the wall. MaKayla left him there and hurried to her room. The fact that Gabe hadn’t given her a straight answer about Natasha—or any answers, really—didn’t escape her notice. Maybe one day he’d trust her enough to open up. If not, she’d have to move on.

That was the plan, anyway.