Edge of Disaster (19 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

I drove straight to Pearce’s after work. I knew he was home because I texted him before I left work. When I walked in the door, he knew something was wrong.

“What’s happened?”

I looked at him, and I was so furious that tears puddled in my eyes. I abhorred getting like this...being so angry that I cried.

“Why didn’t you tell me the Middleton’s owned MedSoft?”

His face fell. That sight told me a million things that his words didn’t.

“I’m sorry Alexia. I should have and I don’t really know why I didn’t.”

Then I asked the one hundred thousand dollar question. “Were you responsible for me getting my job?”

“No, absolutely not.”

“Did you have anything at all to do with it?”

“Yes. Lisbeth called me and told me you needed a job. She said you’d lost yours at the restaurant and were searching for one. I had her shoot me your resume and I took it to my uncle. I said I knew you but could not vouch for anything else. I asked him if he could at least see that you got an interview and that you were Lisbeth’s personal assistant. He called Gran and she told him Lisbeth couldn’t say enough about you. That was the extent of my involvement. I swear this to you Lexi. I would never lie to you about this.”

Those damn eyes of his, those perfectly sexy eyes were telling me the truth. I would know it anywhere.

“Dammit Pearce, why the fuck didn’t you tell me? I looked like a fool today when I found out.”

Those stupid tears did it then, and gushed down my cheeks like a freakin’ rainspout. I frantically tried to wipe them away, but there was a damn flood of them. I shook my head and bolted out the door. I made it as far as my car before those strong arms were hauling my ass back up the stairs.

He never said a word. He just made all those soft, sweet comforting noises that your mom makes when you’re little and you fall off your bike and scrape your knees. I hadn’t had that kind of comfort from her in so long, I just felt my fingers clinging to his shirt and anything else I could grab a hold of.

When the damn flash flood finally stopped, he handed me a handful of tissues and I wiped my face and blew my nose.

Wow, that was cool. Bucketfuls of tears and now a nose full of...eww, never mind.

I finally got up the nerve to look at him and I was trying to figure out what to say.

“Why do you do that to yourself?” he asked.

“What?” I sniffed.

“Self-torture. Babe, you know me well enough by now to know that if I ever do anything that involves you, I ask you first. I would never take it upon myself to insist on someone hiring you. Do you even know my uncle? The one that runs MedSoft?”

I shook my head because I had no idea what his name even was.

“Uncle Will is the biggest...let’s just say, he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to. He wouldn’t have hired you unless you had something to offer the company even if you’d been related to the Queen of England. I’m serious Alexia. He’s a tough nut. So to say you were hired because you dated me was a joke to begin with. By the way, his name is William Bennington. His mom is a Middleton. So are you gonna tell me what happened?”

I didn’t even want to talk about it anymore, but I knew I had to. I told him the whole icky mess.

“Shit Lex, I can’t believe those two little fucking twerps ruined your celebration. You are amazing to have gotten that kind of promotion. I’m totally serious here. You can call my dad right now and he’ll vouch for me and what I’m trying to tell you. Uncle Will had to approve your promotion, and knowing him, he’s probably even forgotten that you and I know each other. We haven’t had any formal engagement announcement party yet so I doubt he has a clue. He’s gonna die when he finds out that his new Associate Marketing Director is my future wife.”

Apparently Pearce’s dad and “Uncle Will” weren’t the best of friends. Not to mince words, as Pearce said, Henry thought Will was an ass! It was nice to hear that the big boss at the company you worked for was an ass.

Pearce was laughing at me. “Stop it! I have to work for the man and now he’s going to be super hard on me.”

“No, he won’t Alexia. He’s going to make sure you succeed, because he promoted you without knowing any of this. So he’ll want us all to think he found this little gem all on his own. And honestly, by all rights, he really did.  But honey, I’m so proud of you. I know how hard he can be to work for, and to see how you’ve excelled and grown. I’m wowed by it all.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah. I knew it was there and that you had the talent. I just wanted you to see it too Alexia.”

“Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Yeah. I love you madly honey.” And he kissed me.

After a minute, he pulled back and said, “Your lips taste salty from your tears. I’m so sorry I made you cry.”

Wrapping me in his arms, he picked me up and carried me over to the couch, where he sat down and tucked me right next to him. “I know this is kinda lame, and now you probably don’t feel like it, but is there anything you’d like to do to celebrate?”

“Yeah, sit right here and let you baby me.”

“That can be done with no problem at all.”

We decided to order in from the local Thai restaurant that delivered.

********

Memorial Day weekend rolled around and we’d all planned to hang out on Pearce’s yacht on Saturday. Those plans were nixed though, because we woke up to pouring down rain. We all decided the right thing to do was to move the party over to Susan and Henry’s.

Justin went to pick up Terri, which wasn’t the easiest, because she was still wearing her cast and wasn’t allowed to put any weight on her leg. Of course Justin was most attentive to that and made sure she followed her doctor’s orders. Things weren’t great with them, but I didn’t ask and she didn’t tell.

Henry and Pearce lugged out the Big Green Egg and started making ribs and all sorts of other smoked things. They both loved to cook on that thing and they always turned out award winning food.

Susan, Ava, Avery and I sat inside and discussed wedding plans. The following Saturday we were all, along with Lisbeth and Terri, going on a wedding dress hunt. I had several appointments at the top bridal shops in Charleston so it would be an all day affair.

“Ava, can you tell me who Angel Sanchez is?”

“Oh my God. You don’t know?”

“No! Justin laughed at me and said he’s a major league baseball player and Lisbeth says I’ll be wearing a gown designed by him on my wedding day.”

They all laughed, but Ava said, “Well, they’re both right, but Lisbeth is dead on. You will be wearing Angel Sanchez on your wedding day. His gowns are to die for.  Just wait and see.”

“Darlin’ have you and Pearce thought about the reception?” Avery asked.

“You know, we really haven’t talked much about it. I want to leave it up to him. I don’t have many requirements. You all know my family won’t be involved so I think it’s more important for Pearce and you all to make those decisions.”

“Why Lexi, we’ll hear none of that! This is your day and you get to decide!” Avery exclaimed.

“I think you misunderstand. I want to be involved and all, but as far as the venue and the number of guests, I’ll leave that up to Pearce. I’ll put in my two cents when it comes to music and decorations and that type of thing.”

“What about the church?” Susan wanted to know.

“Well I was raised in the Episcopal Church too, so that’s where I’d like for the ceremony to take place, if that suits you all.”

The three women looked at each other and in unison all said, “St. Phillips.”

“You don’t mean that beautiful old church on Church Street, do you?”

“The one and only,” Avery announced.

“Is that even possible?” I asked, doubt lacing my every word.

“Lexi, the Middleton’s have been members there for generations. You and Pearce will be married there...that is if that’s what you want dear.”

I was in near shock. People all over the world would die to get married in that church. Okay, that was a huge exaggeration, but still.

“Hell yeah I wanna get married there!” They all let out a big whoop!

Pearce happened to be walking by at that time, stuck his head in the room and asked what in the world was going on. Avery informed him we were planning his wedding and he just laughed at us.

“You don’t mind?” I asked him.

He headed straight for me, picked me up and said, “Honey, I’d marry you at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas if that’s what you wanted.” Then he gave me a loud lip smacking kiss. I giggled like a school girl.

“Before you run off, what are your thoughts about the reception?”

“Huge.”

“Huh?”

“Huge. I want to show you off to everyone I know. And you’ll have a ton of work colleagues you’ll have to invite, plus all the family connections. Sorry sweetheart.” He looked at me sheepishly.

“Oh, it’s fine. But where should we have it?”

“I think I’m passing this one off to Mom and Gran.” He backed away and smiled, making a hasty retreat.

“Always the pleaser he is,” Avery observed.

“That he is,” I said under my breath with a knowing smile.

We heard several voices and a big commotion which told me that Terri had arrived. It was quite a process because with her came a wheelchair, crutches and other various things. Her disposition had become quite snarly and I knew it was frustration over her situation of not being able to walk, but I hoped she didn’t show that side of herself today.

Susan pulled me aside and mentioned that it might be good if I spent a little time with her alone at first, since this was her first visit here. I agreed so I cut Justin off before he wheeled her in the main living room and had him make a detour to the smaller one down the hall.

Once I got her parked, I shooed him out of the room and gave her a hug.

“Wow, quite the place here, huh?”

“Yeah, but you’ll love his family. I wanted to talk a bit with you first and then take you on a mini tour since I can’t push this contraption up the stairs.”

“Yeah, no shit, huh?”

“So, how’s Terri these days?”

Her answer plowed into me like a freight train and I wasn’t expecting it. “Why the fuck don’t you ask Justin, Lex? He can tell you. He can tell you how I feel about him whoring around.”

I reeled with the vehemence of her words. “Terri, I...”

“Shut up Lex. You knew and didn’t say a word to me. I have one question for you. Why?”

“It wasn’t my place to tell you. It was Justin’s. It was his sin, not mine. Just like it was my place to tell Pearce about mine.”

Her face crumbled like a cookie with my answer. Then her whole body shook as she started to sob. I put my arms around her and told her how sorry I was. I knew she was hurt, but this was more than just a reaction to Justin’s infidelity.  I don’t think they had even gotten to the point of exclusivity in their relationship, so this was coming from some place far deeper.

When things started to subside, she finally wheezed out, “Look how the tides have turned, huh?”

“Doesn’t matter Terr. You were there for me and I’ll always be here for you.”

“I’m so fed up with this leg thing.”

“Patience never was your virtue.”

“No shit Herman.”

“Um Terri, I think it’s Sherlock.”

“Oh.” Then she giggled and we both started laughing. And then it got worse. It turned into one of those remember when moments. We were hooting before it was all over.

“Shit Lex, I shoulda come over here a long time ago.”

“I tried, but you wouldn’t move your ass out of your house.”

I saw the lines etched around her eyes that weren’t there before and it seemed that sparkle in her eyes wasn’t quite as bright as it used to be.

“I’m sorry this has all been so awful on you. But maybe next week, when they take this tree trunk off your leg, things will get better.”

“I’m really scared Lex. What if I can’t walk right? What if I can’t run anymore?”

“I think you need to take it a day at a time. What does Justin say?”

“We don’t talk much really. As soon as this mess is over, I’m done with him.”

I knew things were tough between them, but I didn’t know it had come to this.

“Does he know?”

“Yep. He still blames himself and he overcompensates and then there’s that whole thing with those women.”

I sighed and didn’t know what to say. If she felt that way about what he did, then I was thinking she really must have thought I was a scumbag.  Throwing caution to the wind, I addressed that gray elephant.

“Did you think I was that low when I was behaving like that?”

“You had a reason to.”

“And you don’t think he did? So you think that while he sat and watched you go through surgery...surgery that may I remind you, he was familiar with because he performs those kinds of procedures and knows what they entail...and watched you in pain and agony for days and now sees how you’re still dealing with it, that he didn’t have reason to?”