Under His Spell (15 page)

“T
EN BUCKS SAYS
you just screwed up the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

Jim looked up from his garage worktable. It was midafternoon on a glorious spring day. The garage door was up, letting in sunlight, birdsong and his brother, Rick.

“What?” he said, though he’d heard every word.

“I said, you screwed the pooch on this one. Fracked the goat. Been a big—”

“I got it. I got it.” He pushed back from his table and glared at his brother’s silhouette as Rick moved through the maze to the worktable. “And you’re wrong. This was not my fault. She and I…well, we just didn’t fit.” It was a lie, of course. But it was a lie he’d been telling himself all morning, and so he was rather attached to it at the moment.

“Uh-huh. So tell me more.” Rick leaned back against the edge of the water table. The very table where Nicky had…

“You’re not a shrink, Rick. You own a nightclub and
sometimes tend bar. That does not give you a free pass into my brain.”

“Don’t need a pass. I’m your brother.”

Jim didn’t say anything. He just shrugged and looked away. But Rick had a way about him, a silent presence that made even the most closemouthed patron slowly sputter into speech. And for all his posturing, Jim was no different. After a minute or two of silence, he spun back to his desk and started talking. He picked up a pen and started doodling, too, but it was his mouth that was really running.

“I’ve been lonely lately, you know,” he said. “I work alone, I live alone. I even consult in e-mail now. Don’t even talk to people over the phone. The most contact I get in the human world is amateur night, and that’s not people. That’s performing.”

“The answer to loneliness is to get out and meet people.”

He nodded. “I know. And I was starting. And then, wham, Nicky’s right there sitting on my front porch.”

“Yeah, uh, remind me how that happened. Last thing I knew you were getting drunk and moaning about how the high school volleyball player didn’t even remember you. And then bam, she’s your pizza-night date and looking hotter than the latest issue of
Corporate Babe.
”

Jim arched a brow. “You do not seriously read that magazine, do you?”

Rick shrugged. “It’s not a magazine that is usually
read.
”

There was no answer to that. “I’m tired of living through the Internet and in this garage. I’m ready for something more.” He looked up at his brother. “I want a wife, kids, the whole nuclear family.”

“And you thought Nicky was a piece of that package.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. I mean, we fit in certain ways.” He prayed he wasn’t blushing too red. “But I didn’t know if we could do the rest. The family thing.”

“And what did she say? Does she want a family? From what Tammy says, she’s corporate track the whole way.”

Jim didn’t answer. He’d filled up his piece of paper anyway, so he busied himself with ripping off the sheet of doodles and throwing it away. Rick, of course, wasn’t in the least bit fooled.

“You didn’t even talk to her about this, did you? You just created pizza night and were surprised when it blew up in your face.” Rick laughed. “God, for a genius, you sure are a moron.”

“I just wanted to know—”

“If she fit. Yeah, I heard.” Rick leaned down and grabbed the crumpled piece of notepaper out of the garbage. He smoothed it out and inspected the lines and squiggles. “You know, Jimmy, you can see patterns where other people just see scribbles.”

“Actually, those
are
just scribbles—”

“Listen to me, moron. I’m about to give you a life lesson.”

“You do know that you’re the younger brother, right? I’m supposed to educate you.”

“Yeah, well, when I decide to go back to school, you can be the instructor. Right now, I’m the one with all the experience.”

Jim thought about arguing, but his younger brother
was
ten times more experienced with women than he
was. “Fine, Obi-Wan. What does the Force have to say on my love life?”

“That you have this pattern in your head of what you want, and you’re looking for the right pieces to drop into it. Buddy, that’s not love, that’s a jigsaw puzzle. If you want a wife and family, you better start with talking to the woman and finding out what she wants.”

“Sex. More sex. And only sex.” And she had to be hypnotized into that. He pulled out Nicky’s fantasy schedule and handed it over. Then he immediately regretted the action. This was more than he wanted to share with anyone, but it was too late. His brother had already scanned the list and let out a low whistle.

“Um, wow. I think I need a cold shower.”

“She is the hottest woman in bed I’ve ever had. That I’ve ever imagined.” He pulled the schedule back and tucked it carefully back in his pocket.

“Jeez, man, if you don’t want her, can I have her?”

“Touch her, talk to her, and I swear to God, Rick, I will gut you from nose to dick.”

It took a moment of stunned silence for Jim to realize what he’d just said. Even longer for him to absorb his absolute raw fury at the idea of his brother—of anyone—getting near Nicky. Of doing anything on her list with her.

“Jesus, I’m a Neanderthal,” he moaned.

He looked up to see his brother smile. Rick didn’t do that often, not the full-blown grin that transformed his flat face into something verging on handsome. But he was grinning right now, and Jim just rolled his eyes. “Did you come here for a reason? Or just to torture me?”

“Just wanted to know how deep you’d fallen, big brother.”

“What are you talking about?”

“In love, moron. You’re in love with Nicky.” Then he gestured at the pocket that held Nicky’s sex schedule. “Hell, after seeing that, I think I’m in love, too.”

“Get the hell out of here.”

“Not yet. One last piece of advice. She’s a person, Jimmy. You gotta see her as a person who has her own schedule and thoughts and patterns.”

Jim arched a brow at his brother. “And tell me again how many happy, committed relationships you’ve had.”

“Those who can’t do…teach.” He grabbed the phone from the far side of the desk and passed it to Jim. “Send her flowers, then call her. Tell her you were an ass and you want to start again. Grovel like a worm.”

“I told you,” Jim snapped, his temper getting the best of him. “She doesn’t want more. And look, I like sex as much as the next guy, but…” He shook his head. “What if she doesn’t want more ever?”

Rick laughed. “Every woman does eventually. You just have to show her you’re the guy who can give it to her.”

Jim slumped, the fight and the anger going out of him. “But how? I’ve been thinking about it all night. How do I convince her?”

Rick shrugged. “Groveling is all I got, buddy. Anything beyond that, and you’re on your own.”

N
ICKY LOOKED AT THE FLOWERS
on her desk. Two dozen red roses. Just days old and they were starting to wilt. She reached up to stroke one dark red petal, taking a moment to revel in the softness against her skin. Then she leaned in to smell them and winced at
the not-so-pleasant-anymore scent. Why didn’t things last longer?

She picked up Jim’s note. It was written in a girlish round scribble. She’d seen Jimmy’s handwriting—a neat, block lettering reminiscent of an architect’s—which meant this note had been written by the florist, but the message was all his.

“Date 3 will be better. Give me a chance. Please call me.”

She’d e-mailed him instead. She’d told him she wasn’t angry, she just had a lot of work to do and she’d contact him on the weekend. A cooling-off period was probably for the best anyway since things had been moving at light speed between them. She just needed to refocus on her career for the moment, and she’d get back to him soon.

That’s what she’d said, and she’d meant it at the time. She really did have to figure things out. She’d managed to pare down the possible layoffs to a little over one hundred, but it was still crisis time at work. She had to stay focused.

It was all true, and it was also all a lie. It was
always
crisis time at work. Multimillion-dollar corporations always had something important going on that would affect thousands of people. Now was no different than any other day of the week. So why was she running scared? Why had she cut Jimmy off just because her pizza and fantasy play night had turned into family night?

She sighed. Even back in high school, Jimmy had known what he wanted and gone straight for it. He’d told her that night after prom that he was going to invent something special by the time he was twenty. That he would have his own company, and become a bajillionaire by the time he was thirty.

She’d scoffed that night in the diner, but he’d gone out and done it. Everything he’d planned had come true for him. She, on the other hand, had managed exactly zero of her plans. She’d planned on a career in something environmental and meeting Mr. Right by the time she was twenty-five. She hadn’t planned on getting cleaned out by her boyfriend, living in a homeless shelter or working her butt off in a plastics firm.

So what did that have to do with Jimmy? Only that he clearly wanted more than a nightly sex fest with her. It wasn’t just family night. He was the one who’d wanted a first date and was now pleading for a third. Sure, she liked him. Sure, she wanted a relationship and a family…someday. But she didn’t have the time just now, not for a full relationship.

She even wrote the words down on a piece of paper and placed it on top of his note so as to remind her of what was important.

“Career first. Get back to work.”

So she did. Until her sister burst through her office door. Susan stomped in, planted her feet right in front of Nicky’s desk and glared. She even planted her fists right on her hips. But she didn’t say a word.

“Um…hello, Susan,” Nicky said slowly. “What are you doing here so late on a Thursday night?”

“I don’t know, Nicky. Why would I be here?”

None of the smart-ass remarks that came to mind would help matters, so Nicky kept her mouth shut.

“Okay, how’s this?” snapped Susan. “You’re fired as Emily’s godmother.”

Nicky’s eyes widened. “Fired? But why?”

“Appointment with the priest? Tonight at five-thirty? Ring any bells?”

Nicky frowned, abruptly sifting through her piles
of papers to pull out her phone. “No. It was later in the week.”

“Thursday
is
later in the week.” Susan leaned forward. “
Today
is Thursday.”

Nicky grabbed her phone and pulled up her schedule. “I put in three reminders so I wouldn’t forget. I remember it specifically. I was driving to the bar and talking to you. You told me—”

“That you couldn’t forget, Nicky. This was your last chance.”

“I know! That’s why I put in the reminders. Three of them…” She started punching buttons, paging through date after date of don’t-forget messages and must-be-done-now notes. But in all that mass of notes, there wasn’t one about the meeting with the priest. “Wait…”

Then she remembered. She’d been
driving.
She’d already had a few near-death experiences because she’d been typing in notes while driving. So she didn’t put in the reminders then. She’d planned on doing it at the bar. She’d gone in intending to do it, but then Professor Thompson hadn’t been there, so she had to e-mail him to try to reschedule. She’d planned on putting in the reminders right after that, but then Jimmy had swiped her phone. He was doing his Magic Man act. Then she’d been hypnotized, and…and…and she’d never gotten around to putting in the reminders.

“Oh god. I screwed up. Again.”

“Yeah. You did.”

She looked up at her sister, seeing the anger set in the tight lines of her mouth. Lord, the last time Susan had looked like that was when…when…crap. It was the last time Nicky had forgotten something important. Dad’s birthday party. And before that, she’d missed the
dress fittings for her wedding. Nicky had ended up at the ceremony in a bridesmaid’s gown held together by pins.

“Susan, I am so, so sorry.”

Her sister didn’t respond. Instead, she leaned over and picked up Nicky’s note, snorting as she read it. Then she turned it around and held it up for Nicky to see.

“Career first,” she said. “Is there a number two? Family? Friends? A life? Is there any room on your list for anything like that?”

“Of course there is!” Nicky returned. “Just…well, just not now…” Her voice trailed away. In truth, her breath was shortening, her body tightening. Was she going to have a panic attack right now? Right here in front of her sister? She couldn’t. She could
not!

“Just not now.” Susan echoed with a sigh, and it seemed as if the sound came from deep in her toes. Then she pulled up a chair—she had to set aside a pile of papers first—and plopped down across from her. “So, what about that guy Jimmy? From high school.”

“He goes by Jim now.”

“Okay. He sent you roses. He seemed like a nice guy. And Tammy says he’s loaded. Some dot com millionaire.”

“Engineering.”

“Again…okay. So what’s going on with you two?”

Nicky shifted awkwardly in her seat. “Nothing special,” she lied.

Her sister wasn’t fooled. “You on a date is special. You looking like a
Pirates of the Caribbean
sex slut is special.”

“I did not look like a slut!” she gasped. “Please tell me I didn’t look like—”

“You looked good. But I saw that leather corset. No
way is that part of your normal corporate uniform.” She waved dismissively at Nicky’s current attire: a dark blue suit with modest lapels and a tailored waist.

“Jimmy’s good,” she said slowly.

“I thought you said his name was Jim.”

“It is. It’s…it’s complicated.”

“Criminy, Nicky. Only you could make a man’s name complicated!” She leaned over and picked up Jim’s note. “So he’s begging for date number three and you’re suddenly buried in work. What a surprise…not.”

Nicky felt her annoyance build. Sure, she was the one who had screwed up, but now Susan was mucking about in her rela…er, personal life. No way did she even want to think the word
relationship.