Microsoft Word - T108JustDesserts.doc (12 page)

cost of materials has gone up across the board recently

between the increase in demand for building materials and

the cost of fuel. I could price it out with a cheaper flooring.”

Daniel really wanted those Brazilian cherry floors. He

sighed. “Go ahead, do it. Pine will be fine.”

Tim smiled. Daniel knew Tim was aware that he had just

made a supreme sacrifice. “Maybe I can throw in a cherry

medallion in the center of the floor in the main area,” Tim

suggested.

Daniel laughed. “Thanks.”

“This is quite an undertaking. You really are hung up on

this Jade, huh? She must be something else.” Tim shook his

head. “I envy you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way about

a woman.”

Hung up
was the understatement of the century. Jade

was the woman Daniel wanted to spend the rest of his life

with. So much so he’d been taking on private residential

architectural design jobs after hours behind his boss’ back to

earn the extra cash to make his dream a reality.

He needed the money because he was in the midst of

renovating the loft space he had secretly purchased. Daniel

was renovating it for he and Jade to live in after they were

married. That expense, on top of the jade and diamond

engagement ring he was having custom made by the woman

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Trilogy No. 108: Just Desserts

reputed to be the city’s hot new up and coming jewelry

designer, had stretched his finances to the absolute limit.

Daniel hated the idea of dipping into his retirement plan,

but if he must to give Jade the perfect home and a ring

worthy of her, he would.

He smiled at the thought of the look on her face when he

finally could end all this sneaking around and deception.

This Valentine’s Day he’d get down on one knee and beg her

to be his forever.

If he could stand to wait that long. It still nauseated him

that he had nearly lost Jade forever in that pawn shop. He

almost proposed right then and there after he found out,

insisted they fly to Vegas and tie the knot immediately. That

was how frightened the thought of a gunman having his

hands on Jade made him. Thank god for the ex-cop who

saved her by taking down the gunman with a single

incredible shot. A shot that could have just as easily hit his

Jade.

“You know, we could knock off a few thousand if you

got rid of that walk-in closet with all the hardwood built-

ins,” Tim suggested, interrupting the morbid thought. “Even

if we just switched it to laminate shelving.”

“No. No laminate for my Jade. The closet stays as is.”

“Jeez, you got it bad.” Tim shook his head again.

Daniel grinned. “Yeah, I guess I do.” And the fact that

she hadn’t been herself lately and was obviously still

affected by the incident in the pawn shop tore his heart out.

He wanted his Jade back. Maybe his proposal would snap

her out of it. He could only hope.

A very loud ruckus in the hallway interrupted his

thoughts and had both he and Tim turning toward the door of

the conference room.

“What the hell was that?” Tim frowned.

“I have no idea. I thought everyone else already left for

the day and it’s too early for the janitor.” Daniel should

know. He had worked late enough recently that he and the

cleaning crew had become on quite friendly terms.

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Cat Johnson

Daniel rose from his seat at the huge conference table

covered with plans, made his way to the hall and stopped

dead in his tracks at the sight of three girls and one potted

Fichus tree all laying in a heap on the hall floor.

“Jade?” He frowned and reached down to help her up.

“What are you doing here?”

His beautiful Jade looked at him with wide azure eyes.

“Um, I was in the neighborhood with Grace and Donna and

they wanted to see where you worked. Since I knew you

were here, I thought I’d surprise you.”

Daniel smiled at her. “I’m happy you did. I missed you.”

He looked over at Donna hoisting Grace up off the floor

before she went and righted the upset plant. She looked up at

him while scooping dirt off the floor and waved. “Hi,

Daniel.”

“Hello, Donna…Grace.” He noted Grace shot him a

nasty look before grunting a hello. What was that about? It

did not matter, as long as his Jade was here with him, Grace

could look any way she wanted.

Stroking Jade’s face, he said, “I’m glad you are here. I

want you to meet someone.”

Grabbing her hand, Daniel pulled Jade into the

conference room to where Tim stood watching through the

doorway the episode unfolding in the hall. One glance at the

table told Daniel that Tim had taken the time to roll up the

plans and shove the job estimates into his briefcase so Jade’s

surprise wouldn’t get ruined. Smart man. Daniel owed him

one for that move.

“Tim. This is Jade. Jade. This is my gen…uh…good

friend Tim. He’s working on a job I’m designing here at

work.”

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief that he had covered his

near slip. Jade could not know Tim was
h i s
general

contractor working on their future home. Valentine’s Day

could not come fast enough for his liking. He’d had enough

of lying to Jade. But it would all be worth it in the end.

Suddenly, the need to be with her outweighed that of

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Trilogy No. 108: Just Desserts

getting all of the plans settled tonight with Tim and

completing his current side job. There would be time

tomorrow for both. So what if he had to work on a Saturday

if he could be with Jade tonight. “Hey, I have about another

two hours work here then I can leave. Why don’t you meet

me at my apartment later and spend the night?”

She nodded and his night began to look up.

He kissed Jade goodbye, sent Tim on his merry way to

price pine flooring and headed for his desk to work for a few

hours on his latest project before meeting Jade.

This working all day and then late each night was getting

old quick. He’d been fine in the beginning, knowing he was

working for his and Jade’s future, but now all he wanted was

to go home and fold his girl into his arms. Instead all he

folded recently were plans. He laughed to himself, he did not

even have time to fold his own laundry lately. Good thing

most of the clothes he wore were dry cleaned.

Since work was the last thing on his mind, the phone

ringing on Daniel’s desk proved a welcome interruption. He

grabbed the receiver while rubbing his weary eyes with one

hand. “Daniel Kopek.”

“Daniel, I’m glad I caught you at the office. You know I

hate calling you on your cell or at your apartment in case

you are with Jade. I’m not interrupting your work, am I?”

“Hi, Julie. You are a welcome interruption. Believe me.

And yes, thank you for thinking of that, I prefer you call me

at the office. So, tell me, when will I be seeing you again?”

“That’s why I’m calling. How’s tonight?” Her warm

voice said the exact words he wanted to hear.

His heart did a flip with excitement. “Tonight? Really?

Wow. I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon. That

would be great. Jade is supposed to sleep over tonight but

she won’t be over for a few hours because I told her I had to

work late. If I leave the office right now, I can be home in

twenty minutes. Can you meet me at my apartment then?”

“Sure thing. I’m going to miss our little clandestine

rendezvous when you and Jade finally get engaged. It has

78

Cat Johnson

added such excitement to my dull little life.” He could hear

the smile in her voice.

“Your life is anything but dull, but don’t you worry, I

know I’ll be seeing you again, even after Jade and I get

engaged.”

“I hope so. You’ve been a dream, Daniel. Believe me, I

know since I’ve been with some real nightmares.”

Daniel chuckled. “I can imagine. Let me get out of here

so I can meet you. Don’t want Jade catching us together.”

“No, we definitely don’t want that. See you in twenty

minutes.”

“I look forward to it.” Daniel disconnected the call and

rolled up the untouched plans. He grabbed his suit jacket

from the back of his chair and turned off the desk lamp.

Going home each night was always the highlight of the day,

but today felt even better knowing what would be waiting

for him when he arrived.

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Trilogy No. 108: Just Desserts

“That was a waste of time,” Grace proclaimed at the diner

over a cup of coffee after the failed information-gathering

mission to Daniel’s office.

“We might have heard something helpful if you hadn’t

knocked over the plant!” Donna accused.

Grace scowled. “Well, if you two didn’t fall all over me

afterwards, he might not have noticed the plant being

knocked over.”

Jade sighed into her cup of chamomile tea. “Please don’t

argue. It was a waste of time. I am so sorry I dragged you

two all the way down there with me for nothing.”

“No, don’t be sorry. And it wasn’t a waste of time.”

Donna sent Grace a warning look. “It proved Daniel was

where he said he’d be, doing what he said he’d be doing. I

think it was a success,” Donna pointed out.

“Unless he’s gay and Tim is his lover. Then it proves he

is cheating,” Grace threw in. “I mean think about it. Tim is

too cute and too old to still be single. He wasn’t wearing a

wedding ring, I checked. Therefore, he must be gay. And did

you see how nervous Daniel acted when he introduced him?”

“We’re about Tim’s age and we are all unmarried,”

Donna pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, but there is a shortage of men, mostly because all

the cute ones are gay, or we wouldn’t still be single,” Grace

corrected.

Jade laughed. “I may not know much about men, but I

know for a fact Daniel is not gay, although, it might be

easier if he were. I could probably handle losing him to a

man easier than to another woman. I mean, I can’t compete

with a man.”

“Mmm, you’re right there. Different parts.” Grace

nodded and grabbed a french fry from the platter in the

center of the table.

Jade sighed. Unfortunately, her competition in the

incriminating photo she had of Daniel was definitely a

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Cat Johnson

woman, and he was smiling and holding onto her arm… “Oh

my god! Am I being ridiculous?”

Grace glanced up from her fry. “Probably. About what?”

Donna shot her a look then turned to Jade. “What,

sweetie? What’s wrong?”

Jade sat up straighter in her chair. “That picture might

not mean a thing. He was smiling at her but they weren’t

kissing or anything. And look at you and Sam, Donna. The

woman on the phone who you thought was his girlfriend was

really his sister. What if there is a perfectly good

explanation?”

“Duh! I believe
I
said that in the very beginning when I

told you to confront him, which you never did.” Grace

glowered.

Donna nodded. “You really do need to talk to him, Jade.

No matter what that picture means, you owe it to yourself to

face it, and if he is totally innocent, you owe it to him, too.”

“No man is totally innocent,” Grace decreed, “but I

agree. You have to talk to him about it.”

Jade nodded. “You’re right. I will, I promise. Soon.” Just

not that particular night, she wanted one more night with him

first, before it all came crashing down around her.

She could procrastinate with the best of them but her

friends were right, she had to do it eventually. She’d been an

absolute lunatic recently—moody, crying all the time, even

during sex, a total nervous wreck. If Daniel was innocent

and there was a good explanation for that photo, then she

owed him an explanation of her own, and an apology.

“I’ll do it tomorrow,” she vowed, hoping they wouldn’t

try to make her do it tonight.

“Good for you. You will feel so much better

afterwards,” Donna said approvingly.

“Are you going to be calling us in for backup at the last

minute? I’ll need to rearrange my schedule if you are,”

Grace warned. It was actually a sweet offer, for Grace

anyway.

“No, thank you. I think this is something I better do on