So Right With You (3 page)

“Uh, no. I was afraid to leave anything there. I thought it might not be there when I got back. I locked what few things I had in the trunk of my car.”

She noticed the way his shirt pulled across his chest as he reached for a pen, outlining the muscle definition there. Her skin prickled with heat, and her cheeks flushed at the awareness. He was hot. He always had been. But now, for whatever reason, she had become more sensitized to him. This shouldn’t be happening. She had just broken up with Trevor. She was supposed to be on a man-free diet. Her body thought differently.

She found herself ogling him. She forced herself to look away. However, like a magnet, his pull was strong. She looked again. Glancing up, he found her watching him. She blushed at being caught. Thankfully, he didn’t know what she was thinking.

He grinned at her, amused by her comment, then nodded. “Smart thinking. Then we’ll simply cancel your reservation. We’ll do that as soon as I get done here.” As he spoke, he jotted things on the notepad.

“We also need to get the rest of your things from the condo. We’ll make arrangements. It might take a few days to get a moving truck. What do you plan to bring? If it’s too much, we might need to order a storage unit for some of it.”

Chloe frowned. Garrett liked to be in control. He could be an exacting employer with his attention to details. It was what made him a success. He was now extending that to her personal life. As much as she appreciated his help, it worried her. If this was going to work, it would be best to keep their personal lives separate. She decided to speak up.

“I appreciate that you’re letting me stay with you, but it’s not necessary for you do all this. I can handle it on my own.”

He leaned back in his chair. His eyes radiated intensity. She wanted to look away but couldn’t.

“Sweetheart, let’s get this straight right now. Your fiancé was a jerk. I’m not. I’m not about to let you deal with all this on your own. I plan to help.”

He usually resorted to Southern charm when he was trying to hoodwink someone or when he was angry. From the glint in his eyes, he was most certainly angry. For some reason, it was important to him that she let him help.

Taken aback by his intensity, she asked, “Why would you do that?”

His expression became closed.

“Let’s just say I know how you’re feeling and leave it at that. Where were we?”

Someone had hurt him, it was obvious. It was also not something he wished to discuss, at least not with her. Deciding to let him help, she said, “I don’t think I’ll be taking much, only my personal things. Somehow, after finding them doing it on the dining-room table, I can’t imagine wanting anything that’s there.”

The pen dropped from his hand. He looked at her, a world of expression reflected in his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he said, “I know you don’t want to think about it now. But you are entitled to some kind of settlement. Don’t let Trevor take everything. If you want, I can set something private up with my lawyer.”

“I’ll think about it. Thanks, Garrett,” she said softly.

Garrett picked up the pen and resumed writing reminders of things he needed to take care of. As much as his company relied on modern technology, he preferred to use a pen and paper rather than the computer to generate his agendas and lists. Later, she would type them for him and find his doodles along the sides. He was a good cartoonist.

Currently, he was rendering a drawing of a figure that looked suspiciously like Trevor in a hangman’s noose.

*~*

As far as she knew, Garrett had spent the rest of the morning shut up in his office, working on new contracts. Before she had returned to her own office, he had gone over the changes he wanted made to the Whitfield contract and asked her to send it out express mail. He also made several phone calls, including canceling her hotel reservation, ordering a moving company, and asking her to reschedule some appointments he had for the day.

After completing the directives he had given her, Chloe began making the necessary phone calls to cancel her wedding arrangements. She felt guilty using company time, but Garrett had insisted it was best if she put it behind her. Her first call was to Carter Graham, her wedding planner.

“Hi, darlin’. What can I do for you?” he answered.

“Well, Carter.” Chloe released a heavy sigh. “I’m afraid I need to cancel the wedding.”

“Ah, darlin’. What happened?” Carter’s soothing voice came across the phone line like a giant hug wrapping around her.

Carter was quite flamboyant with his colorful style, warmth, and straightforwardness. He had long ago flung open the closet doors with exuberance. During the time Chloe had been working with Carter to plan her dream wedding, she’d developed a warm attachment to the eccentric wedding planner. She felt completely comfortable sharing anything with the bleached-blond gentle giant.

The door opened between her office and Garrett’s. Noticing her on the phone, he stood there and waited for her to finish.

“You know, the usual. Groom found in compromising position with one of the bridesmaids.” Her voice cracked a little as she said it.

Hearing the duress in her voice, Garrett stepped forward, reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I’m sorry, honey. That truly sucks. I’m afraid if I didn’t like men so much myself I’d give up on the lot of them. Of course, there are a few good ones out there. You just haven’t met the right one yet. Now, what can I do to help?”

“Could you help me cancel the arrangements?”

“Sure, honey. I’ll even waive my fee and send back your deposit.”

“Oh, Carter. You’ve worked so hard on this wedding. You deserve that money.” Overwhelmed by his generosity, her eyes moistened.

“I’ll just make it up on my next client.”

“Thank you. So you’ll contact the other vendors for me?”

“Sure thing, honey. Now, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it.”

Garrett was still in the room when Carter called back a little while later. She had a feeling Garrett was acting out his big brother role by not leaving her alone too much to dwell on the sad state of her life. Unfortunately, Carter did not have good news. It was too late to get most of her deposits back. The DJ and florist did express their sympathy for her and gave her a partial refund. It wasn’t much, but it was something. “I’m sorry, honey. I wish the news was better. You let me know if you need anything else,” he offered.

“Thanks, Carter.” She set the receiver down. Somehow, she would find a way to thank him. She still had to call her family and friends to let them know the wedding was off. She intended to do that tonight.

Gggrrrrrll. Her stomach grumbled. She looked down at it as though it had betrayed her and began shifting around in her seat to cover for it. She had last eaten yesterday at lunch. It was now after eleven.

GGGGGRRRRLLL. Her stomach did it again, this time louder. There was no way to cover it. She was starving. “Sorry.”

Garrett glanced over at her and grinned. He then pushed back his chair to stretch. “Let’s break out of here for lunch.”

Chloe glanced up from her laptop, which she was trying to focus on through her hunger pangs. “I brought my lunch.” It was a lie. “Thanks. If we’re going to keep our arrangement a secret, it’s best if we’re not seen together outside the office.”

“Come on, Red. There is nothing wrong with the boss taking his assistant out for a business lunch. We have things to discuss and I’m hungry. You know I get grumpy when I’m hungry.” He raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to argue. He saw her wavering. Plus, her stomach grumbled again so he added, “I promise to be on my best behavior. I guarantee you’ll enjoy my lunch over yours. Let’s go.”

“God, you’re impossible. Fine.”

“No, only hungry. Just what were you planning on eating, anyway?” He quirked an eyebrow at her, daring her to lie again. He knew she probably hadn’t had an opportunity to eat since sometime yesterday.

“I keep some crackers and candy bars in my desk for emergencies,” she admitted.

He beamed at her. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“No.”

“You were going to turn down lunch with me for that?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, yeah, if you put it that way,” she said in her own defense.

He gave her a look that made her blush. “Let’s go feed you before you pass out on me.” Garrett put on his suit coat and overcoat before heading out of the office. She had no choice but to follow. He grabbed her coat off the back of her chair and helped her put it on. As he lifted her hair out from under the collar, his warm breath caressed her neck. Her stomach quivered. Only this time it wasn’t from hunger. Picking up her purse, she headed for the parking structure with Garrett.

*~*

On the way out, Garrett stopped by the reception desk. Donna May, a plump woman in her late forties, had her backed turned. She was enjoying her midmorning snack of a bag of chips and a diet soda while talking to her sister long distance on the company phone.

“You should have seen the dress Tammy wore to Steve’s fiftieth birthday bash. Actually, one could call it a half dress. She had about everything hanging out of it, and believe me, it wasn’t pretty. At her age, she should know better.”

Pressing the lever in the cradle, Garrett ended her call.

“Ms. Clark, I need you to manage the office today.”

Startled, Donna May nearly jumped out of her skin, spilling half her soda down the front of her leopard-print blouse.

He had caught her again. The woman was incompetent and lazy. If she wasn’t his mother’s second cousin, he would have fired her a long time ago. His mother had asked him to hire her to help her out after Donna May’s divorce. He always had a hard time saying no to his mother, especially when she came bearing gifts. On that occasion, she had brought chocolate chip cookies. Regardless, if the woman did not shape up soon, he was going to have to fire her.

“Yes, Mr. Nolan.” Donna May swiveled around guiltily in her chair to face him. Her eyes swung past him to Chloe. “Good grief, Miss Lambert. Are you all right? Honey, you look like hell. What happened?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, Donna May,” she answered, avoiding direct eye contact.

Spotting the missing diamond on Chloe’s ring finger, she swore. “Ah, honey. I bet he cheated on you. Now didn’t he?”

Color rose to her cheeks.

“There’s not a single one of them you can trust, not even my own Hank. You’re better off without him. Although there are times I still miss that man.”

Great!
He glanced at Chloe, who was staring fixedly at the carpet as if wishing it would open up and swallow her whole. Donna May was known to be a blowhard. Before the end of the day, everyone would know about Chloe’s broken engagement. Donna May’s knowing was better than taking out a billboard on Main Street. Garrett knew it was time for some damage control.

Lost in her own world, Donna May was oblivious to his frown, so he cleared his throat. She pivoted back to him.

At the look of steel in his eyes, Donna May swallowed forcefully over the sudden knot in her throat. “Of course, I didn’t mean you, Mr. Nolan. Just most men.” He continued to glare at her. She swallowed again and ceased talking.

Garrett heard Chloe suppress a laugh by coughing. His receptionist did look like a songbird who had just swallowed a cat. He hoped she didn’t choke.

“Chloe and I will be out of the office for some time, possibly for the rest of the day. Tell anyone who calls I am unavailable and take a message.”

“Of course.”

He eyed her soda and chips, then Chloe.

“Oh, and Miss Clark? If I ever again find you eating at the desk or using the phone for personal calls, you will be fired, regardless of your relationship to my mother. One more thing, I expect you to be discreet. Chloe’s business is just that—Chloe’s business. Have I made myself clear?”

Miss Clark swallowed hard. “Yes, Mr. Nolan.”

“Good. All right, let’s go.” With that, Garrett strode out the door with Chloe beside him.

Garrett stopped next to a silver SUV hybrid.

“This is your car?” Chloe thought he would be driving his Aston Martin, not an energy efficient, midsize family car. “What happened to the Aston Martin?”

“Oh, I still have it. I just prefer to drive this one. It can transport most anything and it’s better for the environment.” He clicked the key fob and opened the door on the passenger side. “How do you feel about Mexican food?”

The restaurant was not what Chloe had expected. If one did not know of its existence, one could easily drive past it. She felt as if she had entered a time warp. There was a seventies vibe to the place with the walls covered in dark wood paneling. Similarly, the floors, tables, and chairs were also done in a dark wood. The overall effect was lightened by red linen tablecloths and colorful Mexican folk art, including a painted mural of a matador and a bull ready to charge. Considering its aged condition, surprisingly, the place was packed.

Waitresses in brightly colored skirts and peasant blouses moved from table to table with steaming hot platters of food. As they entered, one of the waitresses called out.

“Hey, Ernie. Garrett’s here and he’s brought a señorita.”

At that, a heavyset, gray-haired man came out, wiping his hands on his already-soiled apron.

“Garrett, good to see you, amigo. Why did you stay away so long?”

“I don’t know, but I missed your ugly face. And, of course, your cooking.” Garrett stepped forward, and the two men gripped hands and embraced. “How’s the family?” he asked.

“Good. Good. Can you believe my baby Carisa is getting married, and to an Italian chef? The disgrace. Who’s the lovely señorita?” Taking Chloe’s hand, he kissed it.

She smiled and looked at Garrett to see how he was going to answer. “Always the flirt, Ernie. You had better be careful, lest Rosie finds out. This is my friend, Chloe.” She was surprised he didn’t mentioned their working relationship. She decided not to correct him and watched the interaction between the two men with interest.

“It’s your lucky day, Señorita Chloe. Today I make my specialty, enchiladas. You eat. Let’s get you a table. Come along,” Ernie said. He looped his arm through Chloe’s, leaving Garrett to trail behind.

He led them to a table in a quieter section of the restaurant, probably reserved for family. Ernie pulled a chair out for her.

“So enchiladas, sí?”
Ernie asked.

“Sure,” she said, sitting. Why not? She liked enchiladas, and the restaurateur’s enthusiasm was contagious.

Ernie served them himself, looking at her expectantly as he set her food down.

Picking up her fork, she took the first bite. It was to die for. Chloe closed her eyes and allowed the flavors of the enchilada to explode inside her mouth. Swallowing, she let out a heartfelt sigh, “Hmm, this is extraordinary.” Using the side of her fork, she scooped up another bite and smiled at Ernie. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Thank you. It’s delicious.”

Ernie returned to the kitchen a happy man.

*~*

Garrett watched her eat. She continued to consume the rest of her meal with the same passion. Most of the women he had dated would never have tried the high-calorie food. They would claim it was too fattening. Perhaps that was why Chloe was the first woman he had brought here in a long time. He knew she would never hurt Ernie’s feelings by rejecting his offering. Instead, she embraced his meal, savoring every morsel. From her smile, he could tell she was enjoying herself. He was glad he had chosen to take her to Rosie’s. The warm, family environment was working its charm on her, allowing her to relax.

*~*

Chloe could not remember when she had tasted food this flavorful. She had been so hungry. Now, she was completely satiated. Garrett had allowed her to eat without the pressure of conversation.

“Do you have room for dessert and coffee?” he asked.

“Are you serious? I’ll need to be rolled out of here. Thank you. That was one of the best meals I have ever had. It’s so nice here. I can see why you like the place.”

“Yes. Ernie and I go way back. I use to work here as a dishwasher in high school and partway through college.” He signaled the waitress to bring the check and pulled out his credit card to give her.

“Really?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes. I needed money to pay for college. Ernie gave me my first job. After I started my own business, I helped him invest some of his money. He has done quite well and we’ve remained friends over the years.”

“Hmmm. I thought…” She paused. “Never mind.” She looked at him thoughtfully. It made her smile to think of him as a teenager working here beside Ernie.

“What?” He smiled knowingly. “You thought I came from money. That I was an Ivy-League brat. Ha, admit it!” He laughed.

“Well. Yeah.”

“Nope, I’m just a computer geek who got lucky.”

“You may have just gotten lucky, but I also know you’ve worked for everything you have.” She looked directly into his eyes.

“If you say so,” he said dismissively, signing the receipt. “Are you ready to go?”

She set aside her napkin. “Sure.”

*~*

Back in the SUV, Chloe was looking out the window, observing the high-rises they were passing when she noticed Garrett had missed the turn leading back to the office.

“The office is back that way.”

“I know. We have a couple of stops to make first.”

“What kind of stops?” she asked, suspicious.

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

After traveling for a few more minutes, he drove into a quaint part of town with brick buildings that had brightly painted doors and streets paved with brick instead of asphalt. Each building had colorful awnings and actual flowers growing in planters suspended from the windowsills. In front of some of the shops were bistro tables, adding to the country charm. The street offered a variety of boutiques, shops, and restaurants as an oasis for those looking to get away from the busier part of downtown Houston.

Garrett exited the vehicle and came around to open her door.

“What are we doing here?” she asked.

“Don’t start to argue with me. I figured you might like to pick up a few items until we can collect the rest of your things. Unless you’re terribly fond of that dress.”

“I don’t have a lot of money.” She looked at her surroundings. Unless looks were deceiving, the stores were expensive. “Couldn’t we go to the mall?”

“Come on. We’re already here. If you don’t like it, we’ll go to the mall. You can pay me back later. Besides, Monique’s is very reasonable.”

Chloe looked at him doubtfully.

“I could loan you some of my things, but I’d doubt they’d fit,” he said jokingly.

She did need a few things to tide her over. The movers were not available until Thursday. That was two days away. She didn’t want to go back before then. She only wished she had packed before she had left.

“Okay, but I’ll pay you back as soon as I get paid.”

“Sure.”

Chloe stood nearby while Garrett inserted quarters for the timed parking meter. When he felt he had inserted a sufficient number of coins, he led her to a shop with yellow awnings and a bright blue door. In cursive writing above the door was the name “Monique’s Boutique.”

The inside of Monique’s was exquisite. It had a French Baroque motif with warm, peach-colored walls, carved scrolling on the dressing room doors, a large crystal chandelier in the center of the room, and a floral settee with accent chairs in coordinating stripes and paisleys to complete the look. The clothes were arranged stylishly along the wall in wooden clothing units.

Chloe stopped in the doorway and bit her nail. She was worried. The store looked high-end. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. I don’t think I can afford this place. It looks expensive.”

“It will be fine. Trust me.” He put his hand at the small of her back and gave her a subtle push through the door.

“Famous last words,” she said with dread.

“We’ll just buy a few things. Stop worrying.”

She lifted a cream-colored blouse from the rack and looked for a price tag. There wasn’t one, only a bar code. Looking through some of the other clothes on the rack, she couldn’t find any tags on them, either. How was she supposed to pick anything if she didn’t know what it cost? She’d never done that in her life.

“Garrett, there are no price tags,” she whispered.

“Pick what you like.” He started to flip through the rack himself. Pulling out a scarlet-red dress with fine detailing, he said, “Here. Why don’t you start with this one?”

She looked at it. It was gorgeous. She could see herself wearing it to the office holiday party. However, did it cost too much? “It is very pretty.”

“Exactly.” He handed her the garment. “Come on. I know you want to.” He smiled. “Go try it on.” He put his hands on her shoulders, directing her toward the dressing rooms.

A young blond saleswoman approached her immediately. “Would you like to try that on? It’s one of my personal favorites.”

Before she could even respond, the clerk took the dress from her, opened a dressing room, and hung it on a hook. The woman turned and finally noticed Chloe’s attire. She now seemed reluctant to leave her with the dress. She kept casting despairing looks at Chloe’s appearance. Chloe figured the salesclerk was worried she planned to steal the dress.

Spotting Chloe’s designer sling-backs, the clerk finally smiled. Thank goodness Chloe wasn’t too proud to take castoffs from Ree. The woman probably figured anyone who could afford Jimmy Choo could afford the dress.

“If you need anything, my name is Brooke. Would you like a glass of champagne while you shop?”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

The clerk gave her a quizzical look and smiled as if she thought Chloe didn’t understand.

“No, we offer champagne to all our clientele. Unless, of course, you’d prefer coffee or perhaps tea. We also offer a splendid spring water for our more health-conscious shoppers.”

This was without a doubt a high end-store. She was going to have to kill Garrett.

“Nothing. Thank you.” She forced a smile. She wondered if they charged for the champagne as well as the clothes. She was pretty sure they did. She would demand that Garrett take her to the mall immediately.

“Okay. I guess that’s it. I’ll be right outside.”

The woman finally left, pulling the door shut behind her.

Chloe eyed the red dress. What harm could be done by trying it on? She slipped her dress off and dropped it to the floor. Slipping the garment from the hanger, she pulled it over her head and tugged it down. She looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was absolutely perfect.

The color was the right shade to bring out her pale complexion and complement her hair. Not all shades of red did that for her. The detailing emphasized her slightly curvier figure in all the right places. Yup. She was in trouble. She loved the dress.

“Chloe, is everything okay in there? You need any help?” Garrett asked.

“Everything’s fine.”

“Good. Come out so I can see it.”

“All right.” She hadn’t decided what to do. Looking back at her reflection, she worried her bottom lip. She was torn. She wanted it, but she was afraid it cost too much. She opened the dressing room door and came out.

Garrett put down the glass of champagne he was holding and smiled.

“So, what do you think? You like it. Well, don’t you?”

She heaved a sigh. “Yes.”

“Then we’ll get it. While you were inside, Brooke helped me find these things.” During her brief time in the dressing room, Garrett and Brooke had developed a “comrades in retail” relationship. Now, the same attendant who’d been giving her questionable looks in the dressing room only moments ago beamed radiantly at her as she held out an armful of both casual and business clothes. Judging by the Cheshire cat smile on the woman’s face, Chloe suspected she was calculating her commission. And observing the covert glances Brooke kept sending in Garrett’s direction, Chloe presumed another woman had been swept away by the Garrett Nolan Express Train.

*~*

Seeing that her expression was full of reservation, Garrett quickly redirected her. “Hurry. There’s another stop we need to make. We need to get there before it closes.”

She gave him a dubious look. He shrugged it off.

“Are you coming?” Brooke asked, looking over her shoulder, already heading for the dressing room.

Chloe followed the clerk back to the dressing room, her thoughts in turmoil. She needed to put a stop to this, but the clothes were beautiful. It had been such a long time since she’d been able to indulge in shopping for anything that wasn’t for the wedding or for the condo. Maybe if she stuck to buying only a few essential items, it wouldn’t cost too much. Who was she kidding? She was in over her head.

He had guessed her size perfectly. While she was pulling on a pair of dark jeans, he asked, “What’s your shoe size?”

“Seven.” The next thing she knew, a pair of black boots, a pair of running shoes, and a pair of furry pink slippers appeared under the door.

She felt like Cinderella. It was going to take her a long time to pay him back.

“Garrett, this is too much.”

“Consider it an early Christmas present.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Okay, consider it an end-of-the-year bonus for all your hard work. Come on, Red. Let me do this for you.”

“I’m going to pay you back.”

“Have it your way.” He sounded disappointed.

*~*

Garrett was worried. He had only wanted to do something nice for Chloe to make her feel better. Instead, it had backfired. Anticipating that Chloe would let him pay for this extravagance, he had brought her to the exclusive retail store he had heard about. What he’d neglected to consider was how absolutely impossible, stubborn, and independent Chloe could be.

He now feared he had added to her worries by taking her to a store she would have a hard time resisting. He was going to have to make this up to her.

When she emerged from the dressing room, the saleswoman headed for the counter carrying the red dress; a gray pencil skirt; a fuchsia chiffon blouse; two plain, solid-colored T-shirts—one emerald green and one icy pink; a pair of jeans; and a cute gray sweat suit she hadn’t been able to resist as well as the running shoes and the furry pink slippers.