Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) (10 page)

* * * *

Brenda never appeared in the cafeteria for lunch, leaving Chase feeling both relieved and
worried. When he returned to his office, he caught a glimpse of her out the window in the parking lot climbing into a car with some of the other women from her floor. That didn’t surprise him. A large number of people had opted for lunch off the property today, probably so they could discuss the new company policy and the executive incident which had prompted it.

Despite Dani’s prediction, the phones in personnel had been fairly quiet. She’d deduced before going on her break that the
“don’t ask, don’t tell” rule would remain in effect and the existing office romances would simply be swept under the carpet. Oddly enough, the only affair which would likely get any attention was the one Mason, Tyler, and Mitzi wanted desperately to keep under wraps. A partner’s divorce could mean financial trouble for the firm, especially if Tyler’s wife was able to lay claim to any of the business assets.

One way or the other, Chase didn’t care. All he wanted was to relive his evening with Brenda and forget for a while that she’d chosen Riley over him.

“Hey, stargazer, what’s so interesting in the parking lot?” Dani came up behind him and set a small piece of crumb cake from the cafeteria on his desk. “I just bought this, and I hate myself for it. You have it.”

He looked at the cake. “Thanks, I’m not hungry.”

“Ugh. Now I’ll feel guilty and eat it anyway.” She shrugged and broke off a corner of the cake. She popped it in her mouth and licked her fingers. “So, what’s going on?”

“What? Nothing.”

“You’re zoned out. Are you sick?”

Heartsick, yes. “No. Just tired.”

“Go take a break. I’ve got things covered here. Get an espresso before the cafeteria closes. That’ll pick you up.”

He rose. “Good idea. I need to stretch my legs.”

Dani ate another bite of cake. “That was my plan, too, and I came back with cake. Be careful.”

He offered a half smile and hurried out of the office. Maybe he’d bypass the cafeteria and take a walk outside for a few minutes to clear his head.

He’d just exited into the corridor, headed for the elevator, when a familiar voice stopped him cold. “Chase? Just the guy I was looking for.”

Before turning around, Chase let out a slow breath. The last person he was in the mood for was Riley. “Just heading out on a break. Dani’s at her desk if it’s a personnel issue.” He avoided eye contact with Riley and tried to keep himself from looking bored.

“Actually, it’s personal, not personnel.”

“Oh?” Chase strode toward the elevator, hoping to give the impression he intended to go on his break anyway, even if Riley wasn’t finished talking.

“Yeah. Look, I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m pretty clueless when it comes to anything there isn’t a statute for, if you know what I mean.”

Chase squinted at his co-worker. “Sorry, I really have no idea what you mean.”

Riley laughed. “Case in point. What I’m trying to say is… I don’t notice much lately, because frankly I’m completely burned out, but I noticed you and Brenda.”

“Hey, there’s nothing going on.”
That admission hurt like pulling a jagged blade from a fresh wound.

“Well, maybe not, but it sure looks like there is.”

“Well, with the new policy and all—”

“Screw the policy. We all know how that’s going to work. Upper management will have eagle eyes on everyone for a few months and as soon as
—” Riley looked around at the empty corridor, then lowered his voice. “—as soon as Tyler and Tina reach a divorce settlement, things will go back to the way they were. But all that’s beside the point. You like Brenda, don’t you?”

Chase shrugged.

“Come on. Do yourself a favor and figure out how to make it work with her. I realize I’m the last person to be giving anyone advice on dating, but clearly something’s happening here, and it would be a shame if you let the firm dictate what you do.”

“You’ve been sniffing copier toner haven’t you?” A mixture of anger and shocked amusement boiled in Chase’s gut. Was Riley actually admitting he didn’t want Brenda? “You’re a company man, or soon to be one. Why would you tell me to ignore the company policy?”

Riley held up his hands. “Hey, you didn’t hear that from me. All you heard from me was that I have this weird feeling Brenda just broke up with me, which would make more sense if we’d ever dated, but since we haven’t, I think whatever she meant had more to do with you than with me.”

The small spark of hope that flared in Chase’s gut died all too quickly. Of course Brenda had ended her one-sided relationship with Riley in response to the new company policy. Whatever she’d said to lawyer-boy was for corporate ears. As much as it pained him, he decided to play clueless, figuring at least that was a position Riley was familiar with. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Brenda and I went out a couple of times, just for laughs, but it’s nothing serious.”

Riley nodded, a grim half smile on his face. “I get it. Okay. Then we’re on the same page. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I stood.”

“I do,” Chase confessed.
Not that it matters.
He jerked a thumb in the direction of the elevator. “Gotta go. Catch you later.” He didn’t wait for another comment from Riley, just ducked into the elevator and jabbed at the button to close the door. Once the sliding panels blocked out any view of Riley, Chase leaned back against the wall and sighed. Part of him had to give the guy credit for recognizing something other than the text of a law book. Of course, he figured his own emotions were a lot easier to read than some heady legal tome—even for someone emotionally illiterate like Thayer. On the other hand, he wanted to be angry that Riley had, in essence, tried to give him permission to pursue Brenda. He didn’t need anyone to tell him what to do about her. Well, yes, maybe he did, because he certainly had no clue how to proceed, but whoever was handing out advice, it sure as hell shouldn’t be Riley.

Chase rode the elevator to the lobby and back up, not bothering to stop on any of the floors. He didn’t need coffee, but maybe he needed his head examined for allowing himself to think for a moment that he still might have a chance with Brenda. Company policy might have scared her into telling Riley she wasn’t interested in him, but Chase would be a fool to think even if Mason
Esterhause himself blessed their liaison, that it was the right thing to do. Brenda loved Riley. She’d admitted it, and those feelings didn’t go away overnight, no matter how profound that one night might have been. Chase could love her from afar, but he knew the truth. If she’d always wanted Riley, she would never be truly happy with anyone else.

Brenda returned to her desk after lunch to find her voice-mail indicator blazing. Her first foolish hope was that Chase had called her, but all the messages
—four of them—turned out to be from Mitzi Danziger. The first two were brisk requests, delivered in Mitzi’s usual breezy but determined manner. She wanted Brenda to gather some files and bring them to her condo. The third message sounded a little less professional, and by the fourth, an edge of desperation tainted the woman’s normally unflappable tone.

“Can you please…um…come right away. I have client meetings in the morning that I can’t…um…miss. I’m sorry to impose on you like this, but um…I just can’t make it into the office today.”

The last message held none of Mitzi’s usual aplomb. She sounded broken and a little weepy.

Brenda sighed. The errand would get her out of the office for a bit, which she needed. After an hour immersed in the gossip mill, she could predict very little actual work would get done for the rest of the day, which would only leave her more time to think about Chase.

After gathering the files Mitzi had asked for, Brenda paused at her desk. Technically she was supposed to let personnel know if she was leaving the office on business, so she considered calling Dani to report Mitzi’s request, but she needed a good excuse to contact Chase. She sent him a quick text explaining where she was going and added a question on the end of it.
Can we meet later to talk?

He didn’t respond until she reached the elevator.
Not sure. My schedule is packed. Meetings.

The hollow feeling in the middle of her chest threatened to swallow her up. Of course he might be telling the truth, but it certainly seemed like a convenient
brush-off. One she richly deserved.
Whenever you’re free, call me?
She didn’t care if her reply sounded desperate. She had to apologize for letting him think for a single second that she would still want Riley after the night they’d shared. She couldn’t let him go without telling him how she felt, even if he never forgave her.

* * * *

Chase hated himself for his cool response to Brenda’s text message. His first instinct had been to avoid the conversation where she told him whatever they’d had was officially over. Why belabor the point with an emotional conversation when the outcome was already decided?

As the afternoon wore on, though, he decided if there was even the slightest chance he could convince Brenda to give up on Riley for good, he had to take it. Hours after his first reply, he texted back:
Meet me for a walk in the park, 5:30?

Her response appeared almost instantly.
OK

At five, he shut down his computer and peered over his cubicle wall at Dani. “I’ve got an appointment. Is there anything that needs doing before I leave?”

With a sigh, she shut down her own computer and leaned back in her chair. “Nope. All the fires are out for the moment. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He ducked out of the office and headed for the elevator, hoping he wouldn’t run into Riley again. Fortunately, the legal eagles rarely left this early, so he made it to the lobby without running into anyone.

Despite not seeing Riley, the man’s words still echoed in his head.
Figure out how to make it work with her.
Was it even possible? Last night it had seemed like all the barriers were gone. She’d given up on Riley and realized she didn’t have to do any scheming to get Chase’s attention. He was all hers for the asking. Maybe he could convince her to forget about company policy and take a chance on whatever it was they’d shared last night.

* * * *

“You think you know someone. You believe everything they tell you when you’re lying in bed together, and then…boom, you find out it was all a lie.” Dark wine chugged into the two glasses Mitzi had set out on her coffee table in the middle of the afternoon. Brenda bit her lower lip as the aromatic liquid sloshed over the crystal rims and splashed on the glass top of the table.

Mitzi set the bottle down with a clunk and picked up her glass
, the third she’d downed since Brenda had arrived. “I don’t normally drink, you know. In fact, I almost never drink. When you’re with a client, the rule is to stay sober, but I…well.” Mitzi gulped the wine and studied Brenda over the top of her glass. “Drink up. You’ve only had a sip.”

“Oh, I’m good. In fact, I’ve got to be going soon.” Chase had texted he would meet her at the park at five
-thirty and it was a quarter after now, but every time she’d risen to leave Mitzi’s condo, the woman had begged her to stay.

“I know. I’m sorry to keep you. Let me just go over the files one more time to make sure everything’s here.” Mitzi set her glass down, nearly tipping it over onto the stack of files Brenda had brought over. This was the third time she’d gone over them to make sure they were all there, and the third time she’d begun ranting about what Brenda assumed was her broken relationship with Tyler Brady.

“If there are any others you need, I can bring them by first thing in the morning.” Brenda stood, making sure to move her own untouched second glass of wine away from the files Mitzi had haphazardly spread on the table.

“Oh, no. That won’t do. I have to be in court first thing, so I need everything tonight. Did you bring the Sanderson file?”

“Yes.” Brenda pointed to the one in question. “Right here.”

“Good, did you bring the Carington Estates File?”

“Yes.”

“Both of them? There are two
—”

“Got both of them. And the Orlinski file and the audio tapes from the deposition. They’re all here.” Part of Brenda wanted to jump out the window to escape Mitzi’s self-pitying meltdown, which she’d gathered through snippets of wine-soaked conversation over the past three hours had been prompted by Tyler’s decision to end their affair. His wife had found out, and though he’d promised Mitzi for more than a year that he would leave Tina for her, when it came down to it, he’d opted to try to
salvage his marriage.

“Okay…it looks like it’s all here.” Mitzi handed Brenda a file. “Check this for the affidavits. I need three copies of each.”

“Do you have a copier here?”

“Oh…no. Sorry. I should have told you to make copies before you left the office.”

Brenda sighed. “How about I go get copies made, and I can drop them by later? Say, seven?”