So Right With You (2 page)

Chloe wanted a more traditional relationship, the kind her mother and stepfather had. Until last night, she had thought she’d found that with Trevor. She still could not grasp the idea of Trevor cheating on her with Ashley. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to block out the visual of the two of them together.

Opening her eyes again, she found Garrett watching her, a worried expression on his face. Why was he looking at her like that? It was unnerving. She bit her lip as she regarded him.

It occurred to her that he knew. But how? She had used the company line to call Trevor. He must have picked up while they were talking.

“You know?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Tears clouded her eyes. A few leaked out and streamed down her face.

Rising, he grabbed some tissues from the box on his desk, went over to her, and handed them to her. She blotted her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Chloe. I truly am. He never deserved you.” He hesitated and then draped his arm around her shoulders.

Turning toward him, she burrowed her face into his shirt and continued crying. Garrett held her a few minutes until the flow of her tears receded.

Pulling back, she saw the dampened spot on his shirt. “Uh, Garrett?”

“Yeah?”

“Umm. I seem to have gotten your shirt wet,” she mumbled into the center of his chest. She reached a hesitant hand toward the area and cringed, noticing her mascara had transferred to his shirt. “I’ll have it cleaned for you.”

Garrett looked down at the slightly creased wet spot and smiled. An endless supply of her mascara seemed to be everywhere. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have it dry-cleaned later. Why don’t you use my restroom and freshen up?”

“Okay.” She wiped her eyes again.

*~*

She needed to pull herself together. Entering the bathroom, she admired how everything was top-of-the-line, from the granite countertop to the slate shower and floor, and the monogrammed towels. She picked up one of the plush towels. This was nice. Turning toward the mirror, she caught a view of her reflection. “Ah, crap!”

Her compact had not done the picture justice. No wonder he’d looked at her like that. She resembled a cast member from one of those zombie movies, minus the blood and gore. Her mascara not only ringed her eyes, but splotches of it stained her cheeks.

Removing her glasses, she turned on the water, grabbed some tissues, and scrubbed it off. She tried to finger-comb her mass of curls without much success. Tossing the used tissues in the trash, she glanced at her reflection and flinched. She didn’t recognize the pale, weary face staring back at her.

She couldn’t believe how quickly her life had been obliterated. She slipped her glasses back on and reached for the door to exit.

Her one thought as she emerged from the bathroom was escape. Embarrassment radiated through her, heating her skin. She could feel moisture gathering in her eyes. With all the tears she had already shed, her tear ducts should have been dry. She needed to get out. She rushed for the connecting door, not bothering to look at Garrett.

“I should be going. Thanks for everything. Is there anything you need before I leave?” Her voice wavered as she grabbed the door handle.

“Wait.”

No.
“Okay.” She had almost made it. She released the knob and faced him. “Yes?” Avoiding eye contact, she locked onto his crisp white shirt. It was different. He had changed.

“You changed?” Realizing she had spoken aloud, she blushed.

He glanced distractedly down at his shirt. “Yeah.” Looking up, he tried to give her a reassuring smile. “I keep a change of clothes here. It’s come in handy a few times.”

“Of course.” She knew that. Same reason for the shower. She waited for him to say more.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Why?” She tilted her head to the side.

“Because we do.” His determined stare prompted her to concede.

“Fine.” She trudged across the room and slumped into a chair. She crossed her legs and began tapping her foot impatiently. She leaned forward to rest her chin in her hand as if bored. Her eyes darted around the room, but she refused to meet his gaze. Shifting again, she uncrossed her legs and leaned back.

*~*

She was clearly transmitting her desire to leave and her frustration with him for having thwarted her. He probably should let her go, but something about the way she looked held him back. He had to be sure she would be okay.

Chloe was in her mid-twenties. Without makeup, she appeared much younger, especially with her sitting there fuming at him. When she did meet his gaze, he read the vulnerability there. Tears welled in her eyes. She was trying not to cry again.

Oh jeez!
A feeling of protectiveness seared through him.

He sat across from her and asked, “With Trevor’s plans to keep the condo, where does that leave you?”

“You heard that.” She stared down at her hands. “For now I’m staying at the Oakside Inn off Stillmore.”

His jaw tightened. Stillmore was located in a dilapidated section of the northern part of Houston. He couldn’t believe she was staying in that part of town. There was no way he would let her return there tonight.

“
Of course, I’ll have to find something more permanent. Most of my savings went toward the wedding and down payment on the condo. There’s not much left.”

“What about your family? Can they help?” He tried to think of an alternative.

“I couldn’t ask. With the cost for my grandmother’s stay at Happy Meadows, things are tight for them. Maybe I can find a room to rent.”

“Don’t you have anywhere else you can stay for the time being? With a friend?”

“Not really. He was sleeping with one of them, so that would be rather awkward.” She scrunched her nose in distaste, feigning humor to deflect how truly awful her situation was. “Besides, they’re living together now.”

His eyes hardened and his teeth clenched. It hurt him to know she had to go through one of the worst kinds of betrayals.

“What about your other friends?” She had a group of childhood friends with whom she was as tight as sisters. Certainly one of them would take her in.

“Harper’s living in a cramped loft apartment. She’s struggling to get her art established. She has an exhibit coming up and is keeping crazy hours to finish it. Ree spent all her money on her salon. She lives in a small apartment above it. It’s in a busy part of town, a lot of cross-traffic noise. I really don’t know how she stands it. Neither really have the space for me, although I know they’d put me up in a minute. Leighton is away on vacation. I won’t ruin this trip for her. She’s planned it forever, three weeks in Australia. She’s due back in two weeks.” She released her breath. “I haven’t told any of them yet.”

He wondered why? Wasn’t that what most women did? Run directly to their friends and family when something like this happened? For some reason, Chloe didn’t want to. From three years of working with her, he knew she valued her independence above all else, but there seemed to be something more to it.

“What do you plan to do about the wedding?”

“I’m pretty positive I’m going to cancel it. Somehow, the whole cheating thing kind of ruined things for me,” she responded sarcastically.

He gave her a look that conveyed that she knew exactly what he had meant.

She sighed. “I have to call all the vendors and cancel. I might be able to get some of my deposits back, but I doubt it. It’s kind of late for that. I’ll also have to return the wedding gifts.” She shrugged her shoulders and faked a smile. “On the bright side, I should be able to auction my dress online. I heard you could do that. I really loved that dress.
C’est la vie
.” Her shoulders sank.

“What about Trevor? Is he going to help?”

“I think he’s made it pretty clear he’s done with the whole thing.”

Tamping down his anger, he stared out the window, not seeing the view.

He’d like a minute alone with Trevor. Trevor worked in management for an affiliated company. They had met a few times when Trevor had accompanied his boss at business meetings and to play golf, as well as when Chloe had brought him along to company events. He couldn’t believe Trevor was acting this irresponsibly. At the very least, he should help with the fallout from their broken engagement.

“I’m afraid to ask if there’s anything else,” he said.

“I did flush the ring down the toilet. I know you’re supposed to give it back, but I couldn’t help it. Trevor’s going to want to kill me. It cost him close to twenty grand. He told everybody. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have hocked it.”

“Definitely.” He shook his head. “Red, you do realize you could have solved your current problems if you had?” He gave her a broad smile. No one else called her Red. She thought it was in reference to her red hair. In truth, it was in response to her tendency to be outspoken and forthright in her dealings, which had landed her in a few situations that were laughable. This was not one of them.

She scowled at him. “Thanks for reminding me. It was a little too late to think of that after the fact.”

Trevor had been pressuring her to conform to his family’s idea of proper decorum. Garrett knew she had been trying, but he’d missed the old Chloe. It was good to see this side of her back.

She still needed a place to stay. There was plenty of space in his sprawling ranch house. Coming to a decision, he said, “You can’t return to the Oakside Inn. It’s not safe for you.”

“You don’t think I’m aware of that? Not a lot of choices here. It’s what I can afford until I settle things with Trevor.” Her eyes grew misty. She swiped at them with the back of her hand.

He placed his hand over hers. “I was going to say you can stay with me until you find something else.”

Her brow arched. “Are you serious? I can’t stay with you. That wouldn’t be right. For one thing, you’re my boss.” She laughed through her tears. “Besides, you’re tabloid news. The press is always hounding you. I don’t think I could live under that kind of pressure.” She waved her hand back and forth. “The whole fish swimming in a fishbowl scene.”

“I believe it’s living in a fishbowl.” He grinned. Unfortunately, she was right. He hated his reputation and the whole celebrity status attached to it, but he didn’t do anything to discourage it. He wondered how much Chloe believed what was written.

“Whatever.” She shook her head decisively. “Not for me. But, thanks.”

“Look, this is the twenty-first century. Who the hell cares what people think?” Who was he kidding? He found he wasn’t liking the idea of her thinking poorly of him.

“Well, apparently I do. I’m really going to have to decline.”

Not giving up, he said, “You can either come home with me, or I’ll book you a room at the Harrington. Your choice.”

The Harrington was a high-end hotel.

“You’ve got to be kidding. I already told you I’m not staying with you, and I certainly can’t afford the Harrington.”

“You wouldn’t have to. I’ll pay for it.”

“No. You. Wouldn’t. It’s all right. I’ll stay at the Oakside Inn until I find something better.”

The woman was muleheaded, plain and simple. Leaning forward in his chair he said, “Look, as my employee, you’re my responsibility.”

“Am not,” she shot back.

“Fine. As your boss, I pay you. You have to do what I say.”

He couldn’t believe he was arguing with her. He should let her go to the hotel of her choice. But in all good conscience, he couldn’t do that. He didn’t really believe what he just said. He’d just spouted whatever had come to mind. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Naturally, she rolled her eyes at him, breaking the tension between them. “Yeah, right. What universe do you live in? Did you really think that was going to work?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It was worth a try.”

“When has that ever worked for you?”

“Well, never. But you never know. There’s always a first time.”

That brought a smile to her face.

He returned her smile.

“All right, let’s try this again.” He drummed his fingers on the chair, waiting until he had her full attention. He knew she would never consider staying at his Houston high-rise. It was too accessible by the media. After her friend Harper’s treatment at their hands due to her headline-worthy father, she was leery of the press. Who could blame her? The whole thing had been an absolute circus. That was why he’d considered his ranch first.

“I have a house that most people, including you, aren’t aware of.” He paused waiting for her reaction. It didn’t take long.

She sat forward. She looked intrigued.
Ha.
He had her. She thought she knew everything about him.

“Go on. Tell me more. Is this place located in Texas?”

“It wouldn’t do much good if it wasn’t close enough for you to commute from.”

“How far? I’m not going to be driving for several hours each way, am I?”

“It’s about forty-five minutes outside Houston.”

“Okay. It could be worse.” She sat back in her chair, crossing her legs. “Continue. I haven’t decided yet.”

“As I was saying, if we keep the fact that you’re staying with me a secret, I promise to be on my best behavior as a law-abiding citizen and gentleman.” He said it with a straight face.

She nearly choked on her laughter. “You know you’re full of it, don’t you?”

“Of course, darlin’, but it’s all part of my Southern charm. Now, don’t interrupt. Will you please do me the honor of being my guest until you find something better? Come on, Red. Do us both a favor and yield for the better good. I can offer you fifteen-hundred-thread-count sheets and your very own Jacuzzi tub.”

“Seriously?” She actually snorted.

“Don’t be rude. Let me finish. If you’re reasonable, I may even spring for some of your favorite Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. You won’t get a better offer.” Folding his arms behind his head, he stretched back in his chair and waited for her decision.

*~*

She weakened. Garrett was successful in business because he knew how to work things in his favor. He was also extremely persistent. As relaxed as he appeared, sitting back in his chair, she was aware he had not given up. She should go back to her hotel. This was truly a bad idea.

But her hotel had about as much appeal as swimming in a shark-infested tank. She could genuinely say she was afraid to go back. The guy who ran the place gave her the creeps. He also reeked of tobacco, sweat, and she hated to consider what else. Staying with Garrett was tempting, but she really should think about it more.

Instead, she found herself saying, “You swear the press doesn’t know anything about this place?”

“Scout’s honor,” he said, holding up his hand in a pledge salute.

“Somehow, I have a hard time seeing you as a Boy Scout.”

He grinned. “I was. Honest. Sometime I’ll have to demonstrate my skills at tying a square knot to prove it to you.”

“Okay.” She finally relented.

*~*

Garrett shot forward in his chair, nearly falling out of it. He had been prepared to work on her longer. Generally, she wasn’t this easy of a sell. The hotel must be worse than he’d thought.

“I will stay with you on the condition I pay you like a boarder would.”

He reclined slowly. It figured. There had to be a catch. “That’s not necessary, Red.” He didn’t know what to make of her. Most people he knew took everything for granted. If something was given away for free, they’d take it, no questions asked, but not Chloe.

Chloe pushed her glasses back up. “It’s the only way.”

He considered it. He knew she didn’t have much money left. He didn’t want to take what little she had. “Do you cook? I have a housekeeper, but she doesn’t cook for me. I would enjoy a home-cooked meal on occasion.” Okay. That sounded good. It wasn’t true, but it sounded good. He would just have to tell Mrs. Fisher to lay off cooking for him for a while. “If you could do that, perhaps we could make an exchange?”

She came to a quick decision. “You’re in luck. I’m an excellent cook.”

“Good. Instead of rent, I’ll accept having you cook for me a few times per week.”

*~*

Relief washed over Chloe. She didn’t have more than a few hundred dollars left until payday. If she was going to be able to move out, she would need a larger cash base. This could work. She wouldn’t feel as awkward if she could somehow pay him back.

“You have a deal.”

“Now that you’re going to be living with me…”

Chloe swallowed. Did he have to say it like that? The lazy intonation in his voice seemed to suggest they were about to embark on some kind of illicit liaison rather than becoming temporary roommates. From his smirk, she knew he was teasing, but it still managed to raise her pulse rate and temperature.

“Hmm.” She aimed for unaffected but failed miserably.

“We need to take care of some things. First, do we need to pick up anything from the hotel? If so, we should swing by and get it.” He pulled a yellow notepad from his desk drawer.