A Friendly Arrangement Page 2

  She laughed outright. Roth always had a way of helping her forget her troubles. “I can’t take credit for any type of sewing, but I could really use some rescuing tonight. Are you on a deadline?”

  “Just finished up the last piece for a special order due in a few weeks.” He locked his fingers behind his head as he settled farther in his seat. Bulging biceps drew her gaze, and a twinge of excitement pulled at her tummy. His chair rocked back and forth slightly as he studied her with a lopsided grin. “Don’t tell me you need my help in some role-playing fantasy.”

  “You wish.” And from the attention you’re paying his biceps you are, too.

  “What would you say if I told you that you were right?” He wiggled his brow.

  A warm flush settled over her skin. How come the very idea sent a shiver of excitement through her body? She didn’t even have time to try to come up with an answer before his face sobered and his chair went still.

  “I thought you had plans with Clark. Some big charity shindig or something. Isn’t that why you canceled coupon-poker night?”

  “We canceled coupon-poker night because you were going to be out of town and I had plans with Clark for a charity event.”

  “You know how I hate living out of a suitcase. I sped up the process in L.A. so I could get home sooner.” He sounded drained, as if even the mention of travel wore him out and tested his patience. He removed and folded his glasses before putting them in the case on his desk. “What about your plans with Clark? He back out?”

  “We broke up. But I still need a plus one.”

  He jerked his attention to her. “You okay?”

  She nodded. Her throat swelled and her eyes filled with tears as she recalled this morning with Clark. The pain of their conversation would gnaw at her for a long time to come.

  “You don’t look okay. As a matter of fact, you look kind of pale.” His shoulders tightened, and the lines around his mouth deepened. He looked as tense as she felt.

  “No. I just feel bad about how things ended.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair, freeing the length at his nape, before kneading his flesh as he twisted his neck from side to side. “I’m sorry, Holl.”

  She raised one of her own hands to her neck. How would his big hands feel on her neck? Her shoulders? Her… Just the idea eased most of her tension away, and another array of shivers overtook her flesh.

  For the second time in a matter of minutes, thoughts of Roth being more than a friend made her flesh come alive.

  He closed his eyes for a second, and his mouth parted and relaxed. His full, perfectly shaped lips guaranteed he’d be an awesome kisser, and his image only fueled her daydream. Her stomach flipped, and she tried to moisten her lips with an almost dry tongue.

  Holly Haggerty, what the heck are you thinking?

  He let out a sigh and then gave her his attention. “So, what happened?” he asked.

  What happened was that I was daydreaming about kissing you, and I liked it. Good thing he couldn’t hear her thoughts. Heat spread across her face as he studied her with a growing intensity. Had she entered an alternate reality where her best friend looked decidedly better than he had a week ago? Maybe the awareness that tugged her toward him lately had finally taken a solid root.

  “As Grams would say, I’m in a pickle. A pickle that spiraled out of control. If I wasn’t so frustrated, scared, and confused, I’d cry. But I don’t have time.”

  He leaned forward. “What’s going on?”

  She took a deep breath as he stood and grabbed her hands. She drank in his warmth and comfort, and for the first time all day she had a sense that things would be okay. “It all started this morning. Well, actually it started a few weeks back when I introduced Clark to my family.”

  “I thought that was taboo.”

  She nodded. “Usually it is. I don’t know what I was thinking. Right after he met them, he started acting differently. Then this morning, he stopped in to bring me a muffin on his way to work, which is something he never does. Come to find out he really wanted to talk. I’d sensed he’d had something on his mind for days, but I had no idea what a huge bombshell it’d be.” Her emotions were still raw from earlier. But she’d done the right thing. She may feel like a jerk for hurting him, but deep down in her gut she knew that any hurt he experienced now had saved him from a deeper pain in the long run.

  “He changed the rules of the game, didn’t he?” Roth’s eyebrow raised a notch.

  She pulled her hands from his grip with a frustrated sigh. At least Roth would understand her reasoning for the breakup. They shared the same three common bonds: to work hard in their careers, keep relationships light, and avoid the C and L words—commitment and love had no place in their lives—and no kids required. Period.

  “I don’t understand why he had to ruin a good thing. I liked him. I liked us. Just the way we were. Sometimes men don’t make sense.” Her last sentence ended on a whisper.

  I’m sorry, Holl. I liked him, too.”

  “From the moment he met my family, all of our conversations seemed to include something about the future—no matter how many times I tried to steer things back to safer subjects. You know I don’t do future. At least that kind of future. I thought he understood that, too.” She shook her head. “Talking about next week is about as far in the future I can handle, and he was yapping about planning a vacation next summer, looking for a place together… What possessed me to bring him home for Sunday dinner?” She’d opened up like a sieve, unable to stop her rambling thoughts from spilling between her lips.

  “Don’t let guilt eat you up. Maybe he liked the cozy comfort of family time. Seeing your family gathered around the dinner table, kids playing in the background, homemade apple pie in the oven…” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes this time. “Quite the ‘Kumbaya’ moment.”

  Holly cringed inwardly. He’d just described Sunday dinner at her folks to a tee. She brushed aside the mental image of her mom gushing over Clark the night she’d brought him home. The way her brothers and dad had included him in their conversation about best baseball teams and up-and-coming players. Even Grams had practically spoon-fed him her special pie.

  One of the main reasons she didn’t bring guys home was because she never wanted to set up her family for disappointment. They didn’t need to get attached or have reason to think she might finally be ready to settle down. And lately Holly’s Husband List had been the main topic of conversation with the women in her family. Especially since Holly’s cousin Becca got married a few months ago.

  Had Holly—maybe subconsciously—brought Clark home to dangle him like a carrot so they’d stay off her back?

  “It doesn’t matter at this point,” she answered herself and Roth. “Introducing him to my family might have been the beginning of the end. I wish they’d understand that I’m not opposed to having a guy in my life, but I don’t hear wedding bells, babies crying, or the ding-dong of the doorbell in my cozy suburban Cape Cod. As far as I’m concerned, any guy I have in my life can keep his own place. We’ll live our own lives, and come together when it’s…well…”

  “Mutually satisfying.”

  Their gazes held and locked. Holly’s urgency lowered a notch along with her blood pressure. “I wish my family got me as easily as you do. Sometimes I wonder if you’re really my twin instead of Hailey. Two like minds and all. For twins, Hailey and I are polar opposites.” She stopped her second bout of rambling by biting her lip. Her habit of going on and on drove her insane but always made Roth smile with an indulgent grin.

  “Anyway, game over for Clark and me.” Her words came out more flippant than she felt. Holly’s head throbbed at the memory of her conversation with Clark that morning. As soon as he mentioned the L word, she had broken out in a sweat. Then when he suggested getting a place together, her stomach had hit the floor. When they’d met nine months ago, they’d been on the same page. Or so she thought. What happened?

  “I really am sorry
about Clark, but you have to trust your instincts. You probably saved him from a bigger heartbreak later on.”

  “Even though that’s exactly what I thought, it doesn’t make the reality of it any easier.”

  He tweaked her nose playfully, in the same manner her dad always had when she’d been a kid and things didn’t quite work out the way she’d planned. His lips twitched as he fell back into his chair. “How come none of the women I date think like you?”

  She shrugged, chuckling softly. “Because you and I are a rarity. At least around here. If we were smart, we’d be each other’s plus one.”

  His eyes widened. “As in dating?”

  She waved away her words with a frustrated growl and paced back and forth in front of his desk. “If you really think about it, why do we even have to date at all? How come it’s not acceptable to go anywhere alone? If you do, everyone seems to shoot you looks of pity, worry, or silent nods with compassionate smiles. The worst are weddings.”

  Roth laughed. “I was just in those shoes last month.”

  “Me, too. It’s as if others don’t think it’s possible to have a good time on your own. Why can’t people understand some of us are actually happy without a plus one?” She spun around to face him, hands on hips.

  He jerked one shoulder as if he’d already lost the battle when it came to making sense of that part of life. “Seems like everything and everyone is geared toward couples.”

  “Except most TV dinners,” they said in unison, and then laughed.

  “As for me, most of my troubles start with a few well-meaning friends who know the perfect someone.” Roth rubbed his chin.

  “Oh. My. God. I know. Why is it that to be normal you have to fall into the couple mold?” Her mind drifted to her family and all their suggestions for her future. The stress banded her chest until she could hardly breathe. She paced again, tugging the costume back up onto her shoulder and then combed her fingers through her hair. “Why is it that everyone thinks you need to work nine-to-five instead of working from home, or live in a stamped-out community with a white picket fence and a Stepford spouse, and have 2.5 kids hanging off your leg to be happy?” Her voice raised an octave with each word.

  His chair groaned as he rocked back and forth again. “Sounds like you’ve been talking to your mom.”

  She turned to face him, rolling her eyes. “It’s the same conversation we’ve had for years, and it’s wearing thin. I think she believes if she keeps repeating it I’ll suddenly agree.”

  “Your mom has spunk.”

  “That she does.” Holly plopped down into the overstuffed chair that didn’t go with any of the other sleek, modern pieces in his home. She flung her hands across her middle. The costume slid down her shoulder and came to rest in the crook of her arm.

  “Okay, I get the deal with Clark, but that doesn’t explain how you want me to rescue you tonight. Or what the deal is with the costume.” Roth’s expression sobered.

  “This is where the pickle gets juicy.”

  He leaned in, resting his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers. “I’m on the edge of my seat.”

  “Literally,” she said. His smile made hers bigger. “This is going to be lengthy. Do you need a potty break before I get started?”

  “No worries, I have a bladder of steel.” His eyes drifted to the Superman costume again, and he wiggled his eyebrows as she laughed.

  “Nicely played.” She took a breath. “Okay, here goes. After Clark left this morning I got a call from his brother, Alan.”

  “He’s one of your clients right?”

  “The biggest. Our contract is up for renewal later this month, and he informed me that he wouldn’t be renewing it, and that as of that very minute my services weren’t needed, even though he’d already paid up until the end of the month.”

  Roth leaned back, brushing his hand through his hair. “Man, Holl, that’s tough.”

  Even though she’d sounded strong, she swallowed hard, fighting the sting of tears at the back of her throat as she relived the moment when she’d lost his contract. “You have no idea.”

  “So he nixed the contract because you broke up with his brother?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Tell me about it. Without Alan’s account, I’m in a huge pile of doo-doo. He is—was—my biggest client. He threw a lot of work my way.”

  “You’re awesome. You’ll have no trouble finding a new client.” Roth’s brows creased further as if he didn’t understand her dilemma.

  “Thanks, but it’s not that easy. Finding a new client could take weeks, months even. My bank balance can’t handle that amount of time. I didn’t think Alan would ever end our contract, not after all the years we’ve been together. He’s always raved about my work…” Her voice trailed off, and the room grew silent. She licked her lips. “But besides all that, the biggest bummer is that in order to replace the revenue Alan generated for my business, I’m probably going to have to find two or three new clients, and that’s going to cut into the time I donate at the women’s shelter.”

  She squeezed the skin between her brows, closing her eyes to fight back the emotions building inside. She wouldn’t cry. She’d get this figured out. And talking to Roth definitely helped.

  He waved his hand back and forth. “Wait. Wait. Wait. Women’s shelter?”

  “I’ve been devoting some of my know-how to help out down at the women’s shelter on Bridge Street.”

  “I remember you saying something about that.” Respect laced his words.

  She nodded. “I work on their website, help with the books, and organize events—generally whatever they need help with. They’d mentioned a few times that they’d eventually like to hire me, but I don’t know if that’ll ever materialize. It’s good just knowing that all the money coming in goes toward what really matters: helping women in need. But, if I have to take on additional clients to cover the income I lost from Alan, my extra time will be eaten up elsewhere. I really don’t want to give up the shelter. But I also know I can’t work twenty-four seven. I’d spread myself too thin, and my work would suffer. I’d be no good to anyone. And I really wanted to help with the upcoming fund-raiser they have in the works. A lot of donations are going to start rolling in for the auction that’s planned, and I wanted to put in some extra time. Really make a difference.”

  “I love your passion for the cause.” He rubbed his chin as if contemplating all she’d just spilled. “How’d you get involved with them?”

  “I told you about Lauren?”

  “Your friend who died last year?”

  Holly nodded. “She’d actually stayed at the shelter off and on through the years. They helped her try to break away from her boyfriend. Even though in the end they weren’t able to help her, they have helped so many others.” She waved her hand in front of her eyes, giving Roth a watery smile. “Sorry, I always get emotional when I think of her. After she died, I went down to the shelter to offer my help. And I feel good for the little I manage. I only wish it were more.”

  “I’m sure you’ve done more than you realize.” His gaze softened, and he nodded. “And how does me rescuing you and the Superman costume come into play?”

  “When Alan and I talked this morning he didn’t let me get a word in edgewise before he hung up on me. And he refused my call when I tried to call him back. I need to talk to him. Try to get him to give me a chance. So much depends on keeping our working relationship intact.”

  He nodded. “Okay, I can see that.”

  “Showing up tonight may be the only way I can convince him to hear me out,” she said.

  “And this is the part where I come in?”

  She grinned, relief pouring through her. “Exactly. I was supposed to go to the DeVos Children’s Hospital fund-raiser tonight with Clark, but obviously that isn’t going to happen.” She pulled the costume from her arms and spread it across her lap, smoothing the fabric with her palms as she fought for cal
m. “Alan will be there, and if I can get in to talk to him, maybe I can get my job back. I’m ready to beg if I need to.”

  Confusion filled his eyes. “Then go. Track him down and talk to him. You don’t need me. Or Superman.”

  “But I do. Tonight’s theme is Couples Through the Ages. I can’t wander in by myself. I’d stand out like a sore thumb. Plus, I could really use some moral support, because Alan is a tough cookie. My palms are sweaty just thinking about what I’ll say once I see him. If I see him.”

  “Gotcha.” He nodded slowly, the line between his brow disappearing.

  “There’s a little more,” she said sheepishly.

  “Okay?” He dragged the word out.

  “I’m sure Alan has taken me off the guest list. We wouldn’t be able to stroll in the front door. We’d have to go through the kitchen entrance. Are you okay with that?” Holly felt like an outlaw. Her twenty-sixth birthday was only weeks away; shouldn’t the life she thought was in order be a little easier than this?

  Her stomach spun at the way Roth frowned at her as he stood. She craned her neck to see his eyes. Silence filled the room, and the only sound in her ears was the steady pump of her heartbeat.

  “I admit to sneaking into a few movie theaters through the back entrance when I was a teenager, but it’s not anything I’m interested in doing now.”

  “I know. I feel guilty for even suggesting it, but the tickets are sold out. I plan on giving a donation to the hospital to make up for sneaking in. I’m desperate, Roth. Alan refuses to take my calls, and I know he’ll sic security on me if I go to his office.”

  He studied her in silence and then smiled. “I know your heart’s in the right place. Let’s do it.”

  Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you for rescuing me yet again. You’re the best.”

  “Besides the donation, I have a condition.”

  She laughed nervously. “As long as it doesn’t involve reciprocating plumbing services or baking a cake, I’ll agree to anything.” She held the costume out toward him and frowned when he didn’t take it.