Authors: Mary Carter

She'll Take It (22 page)

BOOK: She'll Take It

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Chapter 24

“W
hy are you smiling like that?” Kim is on the living room floor doing Pilates. I turn on the television. “Do you have to watch now?” Kim says. “I'm supposed to tune out the world and focus on my core.”

“Are you sure you wouldn't rather watch my new boyfriend?” I sing. Kim stops scissoring her legs and sits up.

“Your new what?” she says.

“What time is it?” I say, turning on the television and flipping through the channels until I get to
Side Court
. And there he is. The camera likes Greg as much as I do. He is sitting at a table next to a pretty blonde. “Thanks again to today's guests and thanks to my new partner, Greg Parks, attorney and Loss Prevention Consultant. That's our show for today. Tune in next week when we'll be taking your calls live. I'm Deborah Green.”

“I'm Greg Parks.”

“We're
Side Court Live
.”

“I missed it,” I whined.

“Greg Parks? That's your old boss, right?” Kim asks, pulling her leg into the air.

“Old boss who just kissed me
and
asked me out for next Saturday.”

Her leg stops moving. “Get out. Tell me everything.”

I flop on the couch and hug the pillows. I start talking. It's a long time before I stop.

“Your boyfriend has nice digs,” Tommy says to me as the cab pulls in front of the brownstone at Seventy-second and Riverside Drive.

“Don't call him my boyfriend in front of anyone,” I warn him for the third time.

“Why again?” Kim says. “What's the big secret?”

“Look we've had one kiss, okay? I don't want to scare him off. Besides I don't want to give Trina Wilcox any more ammunition. So just act normal.” Tommy rolls his eyes and gives me an air kiss.

I would know it was Greg's place even if he weren't standing in the living room and pictures of him weren't propped up on a little table in the hallway. It has the same welcoming feeling as his office. First of all, it is the type of space most people would kill for in Manhattan. It is an older brick building with old-world charm, dark wood floors and massive arched doorways. I stand in Greg's entry admiring the crown molding, high ceilings, and large windows looking out over Riverside Park. Ray's place had been like a college dorm, and I'm reminded again that I'm dating a man. After rolling their eyes at my warning for them not to drink too much, Kim and Tommy immediately go into social mode and start to mingle.

I note nervously that there are at least sixty people in here, including Deborah Green, Greg's co-anchor on
Side Court
. I spot Greg across the room talking to Steve Landon and Margaret Tomer, but I refrain from rushing him like a linebacker. My plan is to get a drink and mingle. I'll wait for Greg to come to me.

“It's quite a place, isn't it?” I turn to find Deborah Green next to me. I'm halfway through a martini and making eye contact with Greg across the room. I turn to Deborah, who I'm annoyed to find, is just as pretty in person as she looks on television.

“It certainly is,” I say, looking around wondering if Greg is still watching me.

“I'm Deborah,” she says, holding her hand out to me.

“I know,” I say. “I'm a big fan.” She laughs. She has a nice handshake. I glance at her smooth, ringless hand. “Is your husband here?” I ask hopefully.

“Oh, I'm not married,” she says cheerfully.

“Of course,” I say. “You have such an exciting career. You're probably not looking to be saddled with a husband and a couple of kids.”

“I want three. Kids, not husbands. I just want one of those.” She laughs gaily. I swallow the rest of my martini. “It's so hard to meet men in this city who aren't intimidated by my success.” She's looking in Greg's direction.

“And yet you probably want to meet someone who has a completely different career,” I say. “Imagine dating someone just like you. How boring would that be!” Her smile fades slightly. “Oh. I don't mean
you're
boring. I just meantâyou knowâit would be boring if you were datingâsayâGreg Parks.”

“Oh, I don't think that would be boring. Inappropriate perhaps, but not boring.” She laughs again. “How do you know Greg?”

“Oh. I worked with him on a few presentations,” I say. “Nice to meet you, will you please excuse me? There's a crab-stuffed mushroom over there with my name on it.”

“Having a good time?” he says from behind me.

“You have a beautiful place,” I say, turning to face him.

“You fit right in,” Greg says.

“I caught the tail end of your show yesterday,” I say. “You were great. And that Deborah. She's a beautiful woman.” What am I doing? Now I'm going to sound insecure. Of course I am insecure, but I don't have to advertise it now, do I? But Greg is laughing. He moves a step closer to me.

“She is,” he says. “But I've got my eye on a sexy artist.” For a moment I'm thrown. I forget all about my imaginary clocks.

“Who?” I say harshly. Greg lets out a loud laugh. Oh. “Ha ha,” I say. “Just kidding. You mean me. Right?”

Greg laughs again and then leans in and kisses me. I immediately pull away.

“What's wrong?” he says, searching my eyes.

“Someone might see us,” I say.

“So?”

“So, I mean, don't you want toâyou knowâkeep this quiet for now?”

“No. Do you?” He steps even closer. I giggle again. “It's not like you work for me anymore,” Greg says. “So what's the problem?”

“No problem,” I say. “It's justâthis is so newâand you're in the public eye now, you know?”

“God I never even thought of that. I mean, I was in the public eye for the Anita Briggs thingâbut that was just for a few months.” He hasn't tried to kiss me again but we're still standing so close you could barely pass a straw between our bodies. “You might have a point.”

“I definitely have a point,” I say.

“Okay, Zeitgar,” Greg says. “We can wait and see how this goes. But if it goes the way I hope, I'm not going to hide you for long.” Oh God. And now he's doing the staring thing again. You know, the staring thing that makes me want to rip off his clothes and ravish him. “So we're sneaking around is that it?” he says in a low, sexy voice.

“Can you do that?” I flirt.

“With pleasure” he says. And sure enough, I feel his hand sneak around and land on my ass.

“Greg, there you are.” Trina grabs his arm and practically glues her breasts to the side of his body. “Melanie,” she says. “I'm surprised to see you here. Did you know there was a rumor going around that you ran off to Europe to do a one-woman show? I'll have to call Jane and tell her it's not true. Because here you are. In the flesh.”

I narrow my eyes. Was it just me or did she look at my thighs when she said that? “Here I am,” I say. “Oh Greg,” I add. “I have something for you,” I say, taking the small package out of my purse and handing it to him. “Just to congratulate you.”

“That's very kind of you,” he says. I smile at Trina while Greg opens the box. He whistles when he opens it. “This is a beautiful watch,” he says.

“I'm glad you like it. A client of mine gave it to me after I made a clock sculpture for his jewelry store. I couldn't think of a better person to give it to.”

I can't help but be thrilled when Greg removes the watch he's wearing and replaces it with the Omega Seamaster. “Where is the jewelry shop?” he asks. “I'd love to go see your sculpture.”

“Yes, where is it Melanie?” Trina echoes.

Oh shit. I pray to the
Saint of Removing Foot From Mouth
. Clean up on aisle three!

“Well unfortunately he went out of business. That's why he gave me the watch.”

“He commissioned you to do a sculpture and then he went out of business?” Trina grilled.

“Yes, he did,” I say. “He put a lot of money into renovating the place, but unfortunately he just couldn't make it work.”

“Well what about your sculpture? Does he still have it?” Greg asks.

“Oh yes. He liked it so much he decided to keep it for his personal collection.”

“God, I can't wait to see your work,” Greg says. Trina's head snaps toward him and her eyes narrow.

“Will you two excuse me,” I say. “There's a shrimp cocktail across the room with my name on it.”

“Oh my gay God. Is he sexy or what?” I take a sip of the martini that really had my name on it and smile at Tommy.

“I think so,” I say.

“So why are you letting the Wicked Witch crawl down his throat?” he says, poking me in the back.

“Ow. Stop it. Because I'm playing it cool,” I say. “Besides, now that I'm dating a man and not a boy I don't have to worry about him falling for the likes of Trina.” As soon as I say it, I realize it's true. Greg is a man. He's mature, funny, honest. He's perfect! “Will you excuse me, Tommy? There's an olive tray over there with my name on it.”

The bathroom door is closed so I stand in the hall and wait. When I passed Greg in the living room he was talking to Deborah, but as I squeezed by his hand snaked out and held mine for a second so my jealousy was subdued. I'm in fantasy land (Greg and I are honeymooning in the South Pacific) when Trina walks out of the bathroom. I try to ignore her and shut myself in the bathroom, but she blocks my way. “Not so fast,” she says. “We need to talk.”

“I need to use the restroom,” I say. “Would you please move?”

“You're kidding yourself if you think you can get Greg to notice you by throwing around expensive gifts.”

“It was given to meâ”

“By someone who bought one of your
clocks
. I just find it interesting that nobody has ever seen any of these clocks. In fact I think you're a liar. I wonder what Greg would say about you stealing my soap dish? Huh? Why don't I go over there right now and ask him what type of person would do that?”

“Shut up.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I've told you a million times I had nothing to do with the disappearance of your soap dish. It's so ridiculous it's laughable. So if you want to go over there and make a deal of it to Greg, be my guest. Now get the fuck out of my way. I've had three martinis and I have to pee.” But she's still not moving, and despite the adrenaline running through my body, I'm not sure I'd win the wrestling match.

“Ray said the drawers in your kitchen are overflowing with brand-new things.” I freeze. I had caught him going through them once early in our dating career. I had stashed a few things in there because my closet was getting too full. He had pulled out a stapler and a vibrator.

“What's all this?” he had asked.

“We're just prepared,” I said, taking the items out of his hand and shoving them back in the drawers.

“For what?” he asked. “An office party or an orgy?”

“All right, look,” I told him, lowering my voice. “I'll tell you the truth. It's Kim. She's an impulse shopper.”

A woman hurries down the hall toward us, snapping me out of the memory. Trina moves over, but before I can make it into the bathroom, the woman cuts right in. I was going to have to do a little concentrating and a lot of squeezing to stave off the
Saint of Peeing Your Pants
. Damn Trina Wil(work for)cox.

“Leave me alone,” I hiss at her.

“I'll give you until Friday to return my soap dish, Melanie,” she warns as she walks away.

“And what if I don't have it?” I yell after her. She stops and turns to look me in the eye.

“Then you're going to wish you did,” she says.