Love Me: The Complete Series (19 page)

He laughed. “You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?”

“Uh oh.”

He shrugged. “Just because I have a foul mouth doesn’t mean I’m a bad guy. Besides, I have my reasons. See ya, Abs.” He winked and left.

• • •

The following afternoon the door jangled on opening and Abby’s stomach dropped. “Don’t come near me.” Abby’s eyes popped as Jackson entered the store. She searched behind him for the crazy fiancé.

Jackson held up his hands in surrender. “Ease up. I didn’t come to cause trouble. I just wanted to clear the air.”

“Look, I don’t mean to sound skeptical but clarity doesn’t seem to be following you around much. In fact, a putrid cloud of confusion would be more the description.”

He grinned. “Probably so, but you need to know it’s not
all
my fault. You were supposed to meet Carter. It just went to crap thanks to Roger.”

Abby hitched a brow and cross her arms. “Seriously? So, you’re going to blame this all on him? He’s not the one chasing someone else’s girlfriend.”

Jackson lifted his thin shoulders. “She was actually mine first but skip that for now. Carter and I used to meet at the park Saturday mornings to shoot hoops. Sometimes Roger would show up. As much as he pretended not to, Carter watched you run like you were ice cream. Crazy thing is, he’d never go talk. Said it would be creepy to do so at the park.”

Abby grabbed a water spritzer and sprayed the fern at her side. “He’s right. If someone approaches me at the park, I usually hit Mach 5 and get out of there.”

He grinned again and Abby noted that there actually was a little charm to the guy’s smile. Nice face. Sick, quirky morals though. He stepped forward and leaned against the counter. “Right. So, several months ago, I figured I’d help the situation out. I’d seen you talking to his neighbor a few times so I asked about you. I found out where you worked and what you did. Thought I’d try to orchestrate a meeting.”

“I didn’t work here then.” Was this more B.S.?

“I know. You were a project manager for your parents’ company. Who just happened to be one of my customers. It was perfect.”

She whirled back and the spritzer sent out a cloud between them. “You’re the Jackson that was such an ass in that meeting?”

He blinked and looked toward the door. Was he hoping someone would walk in. “Yeah, sorry about that. See, here I was trying to get
you
involved with a project that I could put
him
on and then you’d have to work together for a few months. It seemed perfect.”

“Right. Until your mouth overloaded your brain and you went all Neanderthal.”

“I know! I know. I couldn’t believe I was such an ass … here I was sitting next to the guy that was with the girl
I
wanted. I needed to get him talking to you and he was all focused on
her.
It was supposed to go totally different and once you and he started meeting in person, it would all work out fine.”

Abby pursed her lips and dropped a hand to her hip. “Fine for you to horn in on the girlfriend, you mean. Wow. So pawn him off on me in order to steal his girl. You’re even slimier than I thought.”

Jackson clenched his fists and turned toward the window to vent. He shook his hands in the air a couple of times then took a deep breath and turned back. “I wasn’t pawning him off on you … I was helping him get out of his own damn way. I just figured if he’d watched you all that time, I’d help him get the first step in. The rest would either work out or not.”

“But you’d be working your thing with his girlfriend on the backside at the same time, right?” She clenched her eyes at the use of words.

Jackson let out a growl. “No! Damn it, Amanda and I worked together and knew each other for a long time before they met. It wasn’t like that. Forget about her for a minute. You got all pissed off and hung up on the conference call, then next thing I know the company has axed the project and all communication with us. That was to be Carter’s big gig. When it tanked, they let him go. He wanted to kill you then.”

“Me? I wasn’t the one that decided to make derogatory remarks about women in business while talking to the woman I intended to do business with.”

“No, that would be me. I’m sorry, but … I’d just spent hours the night before listening to Carter divulge his ‘relationship’ with Amanda and ask me for advice. That rant was directed more at
her
than you. She ran out on me a couple of years ago without a word and … seeing her again with him was, well pretty shitty. I’m the one that made that last comment.”

“I thought it was both of you. Actually … him.”

“Nope. Just me.”

Abby cringed. Her stomach clenched. “Uh oh.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, you got him fired because of me.”

“Why didn’t he say something? I mean, he should have … ”

“He’s my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids. You can’t rat out your best friend.”

“Sure you can if they … ”

“Would lose their job instead of you? Nah, he wouldn’t do that.”

“He hates me, doesn’t he?”

Jackson ran a hand over the counter, clearing off imaginary dust. “Well, he hates a girl named Jennifer Jeffries … he has no idea that’s you.”

“And now he’s texting me thinking I’m you … great!”

“Yeah, that was Roger’s stupid idea. He thought if he mixed up the numbers, you guys would work it all out yourselves.”

Clarity hit Abby like a freight train. “So, both of you were in on this then?”

“Sort of. See? You were supposed to meet. Kismet. Karma. You know,
fate
.”

She frowned and gathered her thoughts. “If that were the case, it would have happened on its own … without all the interference. Which, by the way, has completely screwed all chances. He thinks I’m a lying, manipulative bitch now.”

Jackson narrowed his eyes and leaned down. “The chances are only gone if you give up. Sometimes you have to help fate a little.”

She thunked the mister on the counter and sent her eyes skyward. “If that were true, we’d all be in different places now, wouldn’t we? Besides, sounds like you guys have completely botched the fate thing yourselves. Why don’t
you
tell Carter the truth? I don’t have time for this. It’s already eaten up way too much of my energy and I need to focus on work.”

Jackson turned and headed to the door. “I’d tell him but he takes off running when I get within ten feet and won’t answer my calls.”

“Mine either. Can’t say that I blame him.”

“Hey, don’t say we didn’t give it our best shot though.”

Abby raised a hand. “Jackson … just so you know … I don’t believe in fate.”

“Yeah, well I do.” He shoved through the door and left.

“How can someone become a habitual liar, impersonate a man, pretend to be a socially and sexually adept player as both, AND have no life whatsoever?” Caroline shook her head in disgust. “You really aren’t taking advantage of this, girl.”

The man in the corner purveying the roses stilled; obviously his ears were on full alert to whatever came next. He bent toward a bouquet and feathered his fingers over the petals, casting a sideways glance toward Abby. Caroline giggled.

“Thankfully, I don’t have to anymore since I won’t be talking to him from now on. It was exhausting. Besides, I’ve met someone else.”

“Seriously? Already? Who is it? Carter’s brother?”

She dropped her forehead to the counter and bumped up and down. “No.”

“Then who?”

Abby flopped an arm over her head and muttered into her elbow. “I don’t
actually
know. I meet him tomorrow.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Caroline slapped a hand to the countertop jolting Abby from her bout of self-pity. She glared toward the roses. “Hey, you buying anything or just eavesdropping?”

The man reached in for a bouquet and carried it to the register. His face turned crimson. “You have anything with yellow roses? My wife loves yellow.” He slid another glance toward Abby as he handed over some cash.

Caroline snatched it, punched up the order, and gave him change before Abby could answer. The man disappeared under Caroline’s glare.

“You shouldn’t run off our customers like that. We need every one we can get.”

“If you ask me, he was more interested in your love life than his wife. So, how are you planning to fix this?” Caroline tapped the counter with the new set of dark purple nails she’d gotten on her day off.

“Well, I was hoping you could help me out.” Abby grinned sheepishly.

“Ohhhh, no. I’m staying out of this. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Are you serious? It has
everything
to do with you. You got me into the entire charade to begin with.”

Caroline backed against a plant and tripped over the pot. She attempted to right herself before falling to her knees. When she rose and dusted them off, Abby hitched a brow.

Caroline put her hands up in a mock standoff. “Hey, I had something to do with the Carter thing at first but I had nothing to do with the other ten thousand texts you sent. Or the fact you decided to go check him out at dinner that night, not to mention all the other stunts. That was all
you
, baby. You and your lying, cheating, impersonating, trouble-making ass. BUT, I have nothing at all to do with this new person, whoever it is.”

Should Abby tell her about Carter’s mother? Probably not. At least not while she was on a tirade. “I met the guy through Justchat. You know, the phone app. Justchat.”

Caroline tsked. “Has it really gotten that bad? Geeze, you need a little black book to keep it all straight. I thought
I
had issues. You know I’m beginning to think your mom’s way would have been a hell of a lot easier.”

Okay, she had a point. Of course, if that was the case, then why hadn’t Caroline resolved her outstanding problems? She wasn’t exactly living by her rules. “That’s preaching to the choir. Why didn’t you tell me you knew Roger?”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing to tell. We knew each other in college. That’s all. I left. He took a fancy job and started his career.”

Abby wanted to pry more details. Why had she left? Carter thought he hadn’t dated much—was that why? Was there an open wound festering that caused all the derogatory speak? She wanted to ask but, knowing Caroline, she’d just clam up. It’d be impossible to get her cooperation if that happened. She shrugged, “Okay. Your business. I get that.”

“Good. Because I thought I handled it pretty well up to this point—like a real professional. I’ve been pleasant, haven’t I?”

“Yep, very.”

Caroline put one hand on her hip and grabbed a Coke from the counter with the other. The can had sat there for an hour and had to be lukewarm and fizzed out. She swirled it a couple of times before lifting to sip. “What, you don’t think I’ve behaved? I’ve overdone it?”

Abby swallowed a grin and kept reeling her in. “I never said that. You’ve been exceptionally—professional. Stiff as a board. Dull as a post.” If there was one thing Caroline hated, it was to be called boring. Abby hadn’t really understood it before. The spiked hair and colorful clothes all had an underlying message apparently. One that was beginning to clear up.

Caroline slammed the Coke to the counter; drips erupted from the lid. “I have not!”

“Okaaaay. You haven’t, but admit it. You don’t exactly act normal when we’re at that office, do you?”

She lifted her chin. “I’m a businessperson. I’m not going to go all wacko just because of R—him. You don’t like the way I act, say so.”

“It’s not necessarily actions. I mean, take a look at the way you dress when you go to their office. It’s almost like you morph into Lucy Librarian. You never dress like that. I just think—”

“You don’t get to think. You don’t get to tell me how to act. And you definitely don’t get to—”

“Keep throwing flowers at me and I’m going to have to deduct the losses from your half of our earnings. Sounds to me like you’re tasting a little of your own medicine, and it’s going down like sour grapes. I’ll make a deal with you.”

Caroline snapped a finger at Abby. “Don’t even
think
about asking me to go talk to him. Just because I told you to talk to Carter doesn’t mean I need to do the same. It’s a totally different situation.”

“I wasn’t. All I was going to say was this—the next time he talks to you, you could actually talk back. You answer. You have a
discussion
instead of finding the nearest escape route. Deal?”

“I do talk to him. I’m even pleasant.”

“I mean about something other than the weather or ‘how’s business.’”

Skepticism wasn’t all that becoming on Caroline. “I’m not going over there. I’m not … Okay, deal.”

Yay. Now all Abby had to do was get them in the same place and make him talk first.

• • •

While Abby checked them in, Caroline peeked up the stairs. “Why on earth did you guys pick this place?”

Admittedly it was a bit dark but according to Traveling to Survive, it had the aroma of patchouli or incense and served a wonderful assortment of wines and snacks. Plus he had tickets to the concert adjoining the place.

“Well, it’s adjacent to the House of Blues and he has tickets for a concert
if
we choose to go. He said it was up to me.” Abby inspected her hair in a mirror and ran her tongue over teeth.

The hostess handed each of them a wristband and motioned toward the elevator, “Welcome to the Foundation Room.” She pressed the button for them and Caroline seemed relieved that the stairs were not an option. Abby entered and surveyed the walls, padded in swatches of burgundy velvet, silk, and brocade. As if someone had cut up a lot of Victorian clothes and stapled them to the walls. Interesting.

When the doors slid closed, Caroline turned. “So, how should we do this? Should I go first and walk the room, then come back and let you know before you get off the elevator? Or should we both get off at the same time and pretend to be meeting someone then check around for him?”

The hostess pursed her lips in confusion, but Abby ignored her. “Well, if we can enter without being seen, I’d rather you look. I’m chicken. What if he’s a dog … or old. Oh my God, I never thought to ask his age. That was stupid. Still, he didn’t talk old. He likes the same music I like and seems youngish.”