A Friendly Arrangement Page 5

  She smiled up at him, respect filling her eyes.

  Alan glared at him before turning his ice-cold stare to Holly. “As far as I’m concerned, our conversation was and still is over. I can’t believe you’re both here without invitations—”

  “We know. I think you’ve mentioned the invitation issue a handful of times in the last three minutes. A donation will be made, and we don’t plan on staying for dinner.” Roth shook his head at the man. Hadn’t he heard one thing either of them had said?

  “You’re right. I do need to calm down. And now that I have, I find it pretty interesting that Holly was dating my brother this morning, and come evening she has a new boyfriend.” He turned toward Clark. “Are you still upset that I fired her?”

  Could Alan be any more of a doofus? Roth turned to study Holly’s profile, and his heart crashed against his ribs at the tears glistening in her eyes. She recovered within seconds, blinking rapidly and standing tall.

  “Mine and Clark’s relationship has nothing to do with the work I do for you. Why can’t we keep our relationship professional?”

  Roth pushed his anger aside and pressed his palm into her back as another show of support. She lifted her chin. “You said yourself I was the best assistant you ever had. I know I went above and beyond. Hell, there were times I didn’t even charge you for the extra hours I put in.”

  Roth’s jaw went stiff as he gritted his teeth to keep from jumping in and adding to what Holly had already said. It wasn’t his place. He’d said more than he probably should’ve, but he didn’t like the way Holly was being treated. And worse, he didn’t like to see her upset.

  Alan took a deep breath and pinched the tip of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. “None of this matters, Holly. You shouldn’t be here. And you shouldn’t have used your previous position with me to find your way in. Everyone here purchased a ticket, and it’s not fair that you haven’t. As for a donation, that’s a moot point. Either you leave quietly, or I’ll have security escort you out.”

  Clark’s head jerked toward his brother. “Is that really—”

  Alan held up a hand to silence his brother. “Stay out of it. You’ll thank me later.”

  “Maybe we could work out a new contract? New terms? A different rate?” Holly’s voice filled with desperation. She wanted to save this contract so badly, and Roth hated seeing her go to the lengths she mentioned.

  Alan shook his head. A tiny light of victory filling his eyes as he smiled. “I’m not interested, Holly. Face it. You and Clark are over, and so are any business dealings you’ll have with me.”

  Holly sucked in a breath and pushed back her shoulders. “You’re making a huge mistake, Alan. You’ll never find another assistant who will work as hard as I did. All the short-notice special projects, working late into the night to help you meet deadlines… There is no reason my personal relationship with Clark should enter into my working relationship with you.”

  “Well, it does.”

  “I wish you’d reconsider. Think about all I’ve done.” Heartache coated her tone as she reached out to grip Alan’s arm, and tiny beads of sweat lined her now ashen brow.

  “We’ve said enough.” Alan wiped her hand off his sleeve, and she flinched as if his touch burned. His lips thinned into a straight line.

  Holly’s mouth opened, then closed, and she blinked several times. Her bottom lip trembled, and she went another shade paler. She glanced at Clark, and her eyes widened when he gave her a shaky smile and then turned on his heel and walked back toward the bar.

  “B-but…Clark.” Holly choked on her words as her eyes followed Clark’s back. She blinked rapidly, and her hand fell to her side.

  “Your desperation is showing. Clark won’t help you, and neither will I.” Alan lifted his chin to signal the security guard.

  “I don’t want Clark’s help. I want to apologize. Again. I feel so horrible…”

  “Neither of you should be here. Let’s call it a night and not make any more of a scene than we already have.”

  Alan might not be a very understanding employer, but the man was right on that count.

  Roth silenced Holly by placing his hand on her arm. For the second time in a matter of minutes he’d heard enough. They needed to make a discreet exit before they hit the eleven o’clock news because, with each word out of Alan’s mouth, Roth found it more difficult not to take matters into his own hands. His dislike of the man and the way he treated Holly—and his own brother—sent Roth’s blood pressure sky-high.

  He squeezed Holly’s upper arm and leaned toward her as she sniffled. “Holly, he’s not going to listen. He doesn’t deserve you or your talents. Let’s leave.” He had a few more words he’d like to say to the other man as their eyes dueled, but why bother? Alan had already proven to be the type of guy who didn’t hear what didn’t meet his purpose.

  Holly may have been wrong in coming here tonight, but Alan should’ve let her make a rebuttal earlier. That wasn’t too much to ask. She had always been fair, and she expected the same in return.

  Alan’s lips curled into a heartless smile as the security guard approached them from the side. “And here’s your escort now.”

  Roth shot the guard a stern look that stopped him in his tracks. He took Holly’s elbow and said, “We found our own way in, and we’ll find our own way out.”

  They might have entered through the kitchen, but they’d leave by the main exit. He steered them toward the doors. Pride surged through him as Holly’s back stiffened, and she flicked a section of her long, black wig behind her shoulder with the attitude of royalty. The security guard kept his distance but followed them—along with several pairs of curious eyes from various guests—out the front entrance. The doors swooshed closed behind them and locked out the buzz of activity in the room.

  Once they were outside in the cool early April air, Roth steered them off to the side and out of sight. He released a breath and turned Holly in his arms until they stood toe to toe, nose to chin.

  “That certainly didn’t go as I’d hoped.” Her chin quivered in full force now, and she pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, taking a gulp of air. Her watery gaze met his. “I’m sorry for getting you involved in this.” Her shoulders shook as a sob escaped, but she gave her best effort and managed a watery smile.

  He pulled her into his arms and squeezed her close, rubbing his chin on the top of her head.

  “This is a mess. What the heck am I going to do?” Her voice came out muffled as she spoke into his shoulder.

  “Hot Neighbor Guy to the rescue.” He was rewarded with a half laugh as she let out a shaky breath.

  “Haven’t you rescued me enough for one day?” She blinked up at him, her eyelashes thick and spiked from tears.

  “I won’t keep track if you don’t.”

  She sighed and sank into his arms. “You give the best hugs.”

  “Hugs give your body the push to release oxytocin—”

  “And the more oxytocin in your body, the better you can handle life’s stresses. Remember, we watched that Discovery Channel show together.” She fisted the material of his costume in her hands when he squeezed her tight. “I can feel my stress detox already kicking in.”

  “Hot Neighbor Guy’s got you covered.”

  Chapter Three

  Roth’s breath lodged in his throat as he rubbed Holly’s tense back. The tears, combined with the pain and fear in her voice, brought out every protective instinct he possessed. Along with a few he didn’t even know existed.

  He flexed his fingers, wishing he’d had the satisfaction of decking Alan for the way he’d talked to Holly—the way he’d treated both her and Clark.

  With every fiber of his being he wanted Holly to feel better. She should always be smiling and laughing. Always. She worked hard and didn’t deserve all the frustration she’d gone through today.

  The wind whipped around them, and the goose bumps flecking her skin nudged his palms as he massaged her neck and sh
oulders. His hands dropped to his sides when she stepped back and hugged her middle, rubbing her upper arms vigorously.

  “Get over here.” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind a large column to block out some of the wind.

  She blinked up at him, the ends of her lashes spiked from her tears. “I’ve always been a planner, Roth. Everything that’s happened today has totally upset my plans for the future of my business. I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. It’s surreal.” Her voice sounded small, unsure. Scared.

  He didn’t like it, but all he could do was offer his comfort and listen.

  She brushed her hand over the top of her head, removing the wig and slapping it against her thigh as she bounced up and down in an attempt to alleviate the chill from the wind. “I know this may not seem like such a huge deal, but to get why this is all so hard for me, I think you need to hear the entire story.”

  His gut contracted. “You mean there’s more than your finances and the women’s shelter?”

  She nodded. “It’s a blow to my dream, everything I’ve worked for. This was the year I’d planned to expand. I was on track, and I was going to put out feelers to add a few more clients, then hire one or two assistants. Alan is a big account, but with help I could’ve tried for even bigger accounts. Maybe clients out of state. But now I have to put out feelers for an entirely different reason. I’m starting over at square one, and I admit I’m afraid. So many things lay in the balance.”

  She let out a frustrated growl as she scuffed the bottom of her boot against the sidewalk. “I want to be optimistic, but today has been craptastic to say the least. I can’t help but fear that I won’t find a client in time. That I’ll have to go back to the nine-to-five grind. I don’t want to punch in and out. I don’t want normal. I want to be my own boss or someone else’s boss.”

  Her voice rose with each word, and his heart tore in half at the defeat and doubt lining her face. Her nose glowed red, and the wind had plastered a deep rosy hue to her cheeks.

  “Come on. We can talk while we walk, before one of us freezes.”

  “With the way my day’s gone, that’ll be me.” She waved away her words, her chin trembling. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to have a pity party for one.”

  “I have faith you’ll snap out of it.” He tucked her against his side as they moved away from the building.

  “The biggest disappointment is that I’d hoped after this year my parents would finally understand what I’ve been working toward. That they’d be proud of what I’ve accomplished on my own. I wanted to prove myself. Show them I’d made it. I did it my way.” She swallowed hard, pressing her fingers, along with the wig still in her grip, against her forehead. “Instead, I’ve failed. All along they’ve wanted me to conform and play it safe. Have a normal job, a normal career, a normal life. What if they end up—”

  “Your family loves you, Holl. They only worry about you.” Like I do. Roth could understand both sides of the coin. Her desire to be different, and their desire to make sure she had a safe life.

  “I know that. I really do.”

  “Being self-employed is hard. It’s only natural that they don’t want to see you struggle, worry about finances, have stress. And you have to admit, working the ‘normal’ way of life would alleviate some of that.”

  She touched his cheek and smiled. “I don’t want them to see how worried I am. But how can I hide something like this from them? I have to figure things out before they notice how serious this really is.”

  “Remember, they only want your happiness.” He hugged her to his side.

  “Yeah, I know. Too bad they want to see me happy on their terms. I want to be happy on mine. Most of my life I’ve conformed to their beliefs. I think having a twin made it worse.” She warmed the side of her face by rubbing it against his shoulder.

  “This is off subject, but did you two dress alike growing up?” How come he could picture Holly frowning as she was forced to wear a frilly pink dress that matched her sister’s?

  Her genuine laughter eased the tautness stretching across his shoulders. “Right down to our days-of-the-week underwear and socks. That’s right, we had days-of-the-week socks.” Her smooth voice danced around them. “My mom and dad made us do everything together. Piano lessons, art classes, sports. Even when I wanted to play tennis, we ended up on the volleyball team, because that’s what Hailey chose, and she was older. You’d think they’d have allowed us to at least pursue our own interests.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Ouch is an understatement. In high school when I wanted to try out for cheerleading, Hailey said it was lame, and mom vetoed the idea. I went anyway, and Hailey showed up and tried out, too.” Holly grimaced, but a tiny giggle escaped. “I found out later Mom learned from the office lady I’d signed up for tryouts, and she signed Hailey up on the spot. She always thought we had to do everything together. Be the same.” Holly sighed. “I bet she had to drag her back to school to try out. Of course, we both ended up making the squad. To this day I still think it was the twin factor. How cool to have twins on the team at competitions and games.”

  Roth squeezed her shoulder as they walked, enjoying her story. Picturing Holly going against her mother’s wishes to try out, he could almost see the steel of determination in her eyes, how she’d stand tall, lift her chin.

  “They sure know how to drive me insane.” Her voice didn’t hold the same stern conviction.

  She may get annoyed with her family and fight to be her own person, but the deep-rooted affection spilled out in her tone when she talked about them.

  “At least your parents were involved.” Not that he could fault his mom, but he could find plenty of faults with his father’s parenting techniques. He mentally shook his head. His family wasn’t the issue.

  “Your parents weren’t?” She slowed her pace as she glanced up at him.

  “My mom tried, but I’m sure it was hard with three boys. We were all off in different directions.”

  “Mom and Dad tag teamed it.” She chuckled. “They had an easy time with Hailey because she always did as she was told.”

  “And you caused trouble?”

  She shrugged. Her mischievous laughter sliced through the cold air. “I wouldn’t say trouble, but I did force my independence.”

  He nudged her playfully with his hip. “I can picture you the rebel. We probably get along so well because I was the rebel, too.”

  “I can see that.” She bumped his hip back. “You’re already making me feel better.”

  “Good.” He liked her positive attitude. Glad he could help by listening.

  “I believe everything happens for a reason. Even though today sucked, I know I’ll get this all figured out. It’ll just take time.”

  “Exactly.” He glanced down at her with a ready smile, only to find the worry that had just eased from her brow moments ago had returned full force. She chewed her bottom lip.

  “My main concern is what my family will say when they hear about Clark and my job. It’s just another foot in the door for them to bring up how I should be more like Hailey. But I won’t follow their rule book. She’s achieved her dreams. She worked her awesome nine-to-five, married her high school sweetie, popped out two kids, signed a twenty-year mortgage, and committed to two designated vacation spots each year. I’m happy for her, even if I sound bitter.”

  She laughed, but she didn’t sound bitter in the least. Holly sounded like a strong woman who knew what she wanted but just didn’t know how to get it. He respected her, and she’d figure it all out.

  “I really want my family to understand that just because we’re twins doesn’t mean we have the same dreams. I’m not an extension of her. I’m an individual.” She dragged her hand through her hair. “I know at my age I should be over this, but I can’t seem to let it go. My entire life has been a struggle between embracing my twin and trying to pull away to be my own person.”

  “Just make sure you’re not trying so hard
to be different that you’re missing out on what you really want in life.”

  “What?” She wiggled out from under his arm and stopped. “Oh. My. God. Did my mother call you? To paraphrase Grams, are you two in cahoots? There’s no way that I want what Hailey has, any more than she wants what I have.”

  He laughed, and all the tension in his muscles eased. “Calm down, tiger. I’m just making an observation based on my own past. I tried so hard to fit in to what my father wanted, I almost missed doing what I loved. And, anyway, how could I be in cahoots with someone I’ve never met?”

  She shook her head in mock annoyance and walked past him. “Trust me, the lack of an introduction wouldn’t stop her. She has ways of finding out things about me that I never imagined she could.”

  He fell into step beside her as they crossed Michigan Street and made their way toward Canal Street Park. “If it makes you feel any better, I really do understand your tug-of-war with your family.”

  Her head snapped up. “But you’re successful. Even if you had some challenge in the past, your family must be so proud of all you’ve achieved.”

  He grunted. If she only knew. “I wasn’t the scholastic overachiever Omar was, and I didn’t make the sports world stand on edge like Jared. Do you really think my dad was excited when his average son told him he wasn’t going into the family business because he wanted to design jewelry?”

  “Well…” She slowed even further as she patrolled his face with a mixture of empathy and surprise in her eyes.

  “He wasn’t. Like you, I had to forge my path on my terms. Much to the annoyance of my father.” A bitter laugh escaped his lips. He didn’t really want to go into his family history and relive his pain and inadequacies, but if he could help Holly out in some small way by sharing a little bit, he’d share. “I’m sure you’ve figured out that there was a lot of tension in my family, especially between my father, Omar, and me. My father’s lack of parenting skills is the main reason I’ve decided I’ll never have children of my own.” He hoped the picture he painted helped things become clearer for her. They’d both mentioned over late-night bottles of wine or beer that they didn’t plan on falling into the trappings of marriage and family, but he’d never told her that his main reason was because of his father.