Too Close to Touch (12 page)

Why does that sound so familiar? And you
look
familiar, too.”

“Jori’s a famous photographer,” Kylie piped in, her voice tinted with pride.

“I don’t know about famous,” Jori replied, waving her off.

“That’s it!” Gretchen’s face broke out in an enormous grin. “I have one of your pieces in my apartment.”

“I don’t believe it,” Kylie said, laughing. “What a small world.”

Mick rolled her eyes.

“Which piece?” Jori asked, inching slightly closer to Gretchen.

“
Seaside Silhouette
. I saw it in a little gallery in Manhattan and I had to have it.”

Mick knew the piece and had to internally commend Gretchen on her taste. It was a black-and-white photograph of two women walking on the beach at sunset, holding hands. It was very romantic and not what Jori would call “artsy” at all. Jori wasn’t terribly fond of it, but it was her single best-selling piece of all time.
Lesbians want romance,
Mick had told her over and over.
Give it to them.

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GEORGIA BEERS

“I think there was a small picture of you near the display,” Gretchen was saying. “You’d had an exhibit there a few weeks earlier. That’s why you looked so familiar to me. I just bought it this past winter.”

Mick watched the master at work as Jori slowly reduced the distance between herself and Gretchen, nearly—but not quite—cutting both Kylie and Mick out of the circle. She and Gretchen were talking about New York City now, a subject Kylie and Mick knew little about, and Jori was laying on the charm. Kylie was watching with what appeared to be a shade of concern on her face.

“Hey,” Mick said, trying to get Kylie’s attention. “Rumor has it your late-night work sessions paid off. Wheeler was all smiles on Friday.”

Kylie’s gaze darted back and forth between Mick and the ß irting pair. “That’s good to hear. We worked hard to get her what she wanted.”

Mick tried again. “Hey, who needs a drink?”

Everybody wanted one. “Ky, help me carry?”

Kylie looked torn for a split second before walking to the coolers with Mick. “Gretchen’s drinking a light,” she said as Mick pulled out four regular beers.

“Of course she is,” Mick mumbled, exchanging one and handing the light beer to Kylie. “You two seem to be getting along pretty well,”

she commented, hoping the bitterness she felt wasn’t as apparent in her tone as she suspected.

“We really are.” Kylie added no more to the conversation as they headed back to the pair, her eyes never leaving Gretchen.

Mick stiß ed a growl of frustration. Gretchen smiled her thanks at Kylie as she took her beer, then turned back to the conversation she was still having with Jori about a particular gallery owner in Manhattan.

Kylie blinked a couple times at them and then took a long swallow of her own beer.

Just as Mick was about to try engaging Kylie once more, Gretchen asked where the bathroom was and something almost like relief zipped across Kylie’s face.

“I’ll show you,” she said, but as they began to walk away, Kylie’s father called to her from the grill.

Kylie looked frustrated once again, but Mick saw her point toward the house, obviously giving Gretchen directions to the bathroom.

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TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH

Gretchen handed her beer to Kylie and strolled off, while Kylie headed toward the grill.

“Wow,” Jori said, taking a long pull from her bottle. “That Gretchen is one classy lady.”

Mick snorted. “If you say so.”

“You don’t like her. How come?”

“Long story.”

“Please. You mean the
same
story.” She gave Mick a pointed look.

“It’s because Kylie likes her. You saw how close they were standing, didn’t you?”

Mick looked indignant. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? Maybe. True? DeÞ nitely.”

Mick glowered at her.

“Oh, please. You’ve wanted to keep the charming and beautiful Ms. O’Brien all to yourself since we were seventeen. It’s old news.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Jorianna.”

“Don’t I?” Jori ß icked her hair back over her shoulder and adjusted her glasses. “Come on, Mick. Don’t I know you better than you know yourself? We’re cut from the same cloth, babe. You’re just like me.

We go through women like tissues because none of them measure up to that one sparklingly perfect ideal. For me, it was Amy. For you, it’s Kylie.”

“Back off, Jori.”

“Relax. It’s good that we can at least admit these things. It means we’re mentally stable, you know.”

“I mean it.” Mick felt her temper rising. She hated that Jori could so easily hold a mirror up in front of her face. She always could. “Back off right now.”

Jori put her hands up in surrender. “Fine. I just call ’em like I see

’em. That’s all I’m saying.”

They both knew, from past experience, when to end this type of discussion. They’d revisit it again, Mick was sure. They always did.

To her further annoyance, Kylie looked in their direction, and Jori motioned her over. Mick brought her bottle to her lips as she watched Kylie cross the yard, the T-shirt hugging her curves, the jeans looking custom tailored. Jori could have Gretchen as far as Mick was concerned; Gretchen certainly didn’t deserve a second glance from somebody like Kylie. Kylie was in a class all by herself. Mick stared at her, willing

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GEORGIA BEERS

Kylie to feel her and make eye contact. Instead, she walked straight to Jori.

“What’s up?” she inquired.

Lowering her voice, Jori asked, “Ky, would you mind if I asked Gretchen out?”

“Out? Like…on a date?”

Jori rolled her eyes. “Yes, Kylie Jane. That’s generally what it means to ask somebody out.”

Kylie hesitated a beat. “Why would I mind?”

Jori swigged from her beer, and then commented innocently, “No reason. I’m just making sure I wouldn’t be…stepping on your toes or anything.”

“Jori.” Kylie put her hands on her hips. “She’s my
boss
.”

“Your very attractive boss.”

“Yeah, well. She’s my boss, just the same.” Kylie’s voice lacked the certainty Mick was sure she’d intended.

“Okay, then.”

Gretchen emerged from the house, followed by Caroline. Both waved in the direction of the threesome.

“Kylie, honey,” Caroline called. “Can you come in and help me for a minute?”

Kylie groaned. “Sure, Mom.”

Aware of Jori watching for the smallest clue to support her pet theory, Mick tried not to show any reaction as Kylie passed Gretchen on the steps of the deck. They spoke brieß y and Kylie handed Gretchen her beer, touching her arm for longer than was necessary. As they parted, she looked back at Gretchen once more. Mick knew Kylie well, and the emotion that zipped across her face before she headed into the house was deÞ nitely worry.

Mick’s guilt poked at her, but she ignored it and instead turned to Jori and gave her a nudge. “You got the go-ahead. What are you waiting for?”

Mick noticed Kylie’s brother across the yard mention something to the guy he was with and gesture in Gretchen’s direction. If Mick had a gun pointed at her, she might be forced to admit that Gretchen painted quite a nice picture in her jeans and pink shirt, the expensive black shoes hitching her outÞ t up a notch from most of the people there. She looked comfortably in control. Mick hated her.

Within a couple seconds, Gretchen and Jori were deep in

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TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH

conversation once again. Pleased, Mick grabbed another beer from the cooler and wandered over to the grill to talk with Matt and the two neighbors hanging with him. She sent surreptitious glances in the direction of the two women to reassure herself that things were going smoothly, but she needn’t have worried. Jori had the situation well in hand, laughing and placing a hand on Gretchen’s arm as they stood close and talked. Shifting her gaze up to the kitchen window, she noticed Kylie looking down at her boss and her friend, her concern apparent even from a distance.

Trust me, Ky,
Mick thought, tamping down the unexpected feeling of remorse.
I’m doing you a big favor.

• 89 •

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TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH

CHAPTER EIGHT

Good afternoon, Gretchen Kaiser’s ofÞ ce. This is Kylie. May I help you?”

“Hi, Kylie. This is Jessica Scott. Is Ms. Kaiser in?” The voice on the phone was female and pleasant enough, but Kylie’s mood wasn’t.

She’d been annoyed for two days now and she hated feeling annoyed, especially when she couldn’t put her Þ nger on the reason.

“Hang on one second, Ms. Scott, and I’ll check.”

Kylie put the woman on hold. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Gretchen sitting at her desk, staring out the window, just as she’d been doing the last six times Kylie looked. She buzzed the intercom.

“Gretchen? There’s a Jessica Scott on line one.”

Gretchen didn’t look at Kylie, but waved her hand as if shooing a ß y. “She’s a headhunter. Tell her I’m on my way into a meeting and send her to my voice-mail, would you?”

“Sure.”

Frowning, Kylie did as she was told. Gretchen had taken no calls all morning. There had to be a dozen messages in her voice-mail. Kylie wondered what had happened between yesterday and today. After their Monday off, they’d come back on Tuesday and dove right in. Wheeler called Gretchen upstairs almost Þ rst thing, presumably to talk budget, and Kylie hadn’t seen her again all day. Now Gretchen was staring endlessly off into space, just as she had since she’d arrived at work.

Concerned, Kylie Þ nally got up and went to the doorway of her boss’s ofÞ ce. She knocked lightly on the door frame and asked, uneasily,

“Are you okay?”

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GEORGIA BEERS

Gretchen faced her. She didn’t look angry or upset, just…inactive.

“I’m Þ ne.”

“Everything’s okay with Wheeler?”

“Wheeler is ecstatic.”

“You’re sure?”

Gretchen nodded. “Thanks.”

They looked at one another for several long seconds. Finally, Kylie inclined her head and said, “Okay.”

As she turned to leave, Gretchen said, “Kylie, wait. I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you yesterday. I wanted to thank you for inviting me to your cookout. I had a good time.”

“You’re welcome. I’m really glad you came. My mother says hello.” Carefully, she added, “I’m sorry I missed you before you left.”

“I’m sorry I left without saying good-bye.” When Kylie shrugged, she explained, “Jori said your mom would keep you pretty busy for the rest of the night and you probably wouldn’t even notice we were gone.”

I noticed
. Kylie continued to smile, though she felt it fail to reach her eyes. Once she’d realized Gretchen was gone, she’d tried to rationalize it. Gretchen didn’t know anybody. Jori really didn’t know a lot of people either. Of course they’d left. Why wouldn’t they?

Trying to Þ nd the right words, she came up with, “She…treated you okay? Jori?”

Gretchen’s smile got a little brighter. “Oh, yeah. She’s great. I’m glad we met. She’s a lot of fun.”

“She is that.” There was a hint of sarcasm in her response, and Kylie nearly grimaced when she heard it.

Gretchen studied her. “Kylie…are you…okay with this? My spending time with Jori? Because if you’re not, if it makes you uncomfortable or something, just say so.”

“What? No, no. It’s Þ ne. I’m Þ ne. Really.”

Gretchen continued to look at her and Kylie shifted under her gaze, feeling like she was completely exposed. How did a direct stare from Gretchen always seem to make her feel that way?

“Okay,” Gretchen said, releasing her.

Kylie couldn’t get back to her desk fast enough. “Spending time”

with Jori? Did that mean she was planning to see her again? Maybe she already had. Kylie sat down and closed her eyes, trying to slow her racing mind. What she’d really wanted to do was to scream at Gretchen:

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TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH

Run! Run as fast as you can from her! She’ll charm you into bed, sleep
with you a few times, then move on to the next. Don’t get too attached.

She’ll only break your heart when she goes back to New York without
you and never calls you again. I’ve seen it happen a million times.

Of course, Gretchen was a big girl and she certainly didn’t need, or want, Kylie looking out for her.

Jori said your mom would keep you pretty busy for the rest of the
night…

Oh, she was smooth, that Jori Mitchell. Maybe she could give Kylie some lessons. Kylie shook her head in a combination of awe and disgust. Her stomach was growling. Loudly. Making a quick decision, she called down to the mailroom and got Mick.

“Take me to lunch?” she coaxed.

“Tell me what you’re wearing Þ rst,” Mick ordered, dropping her voice as she always did when she play-ß irted with Kylie. Kylie could almost see her waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Smiling, she replied, “A dress today.”

“Not the yellow print one that shows off your legs
and
your cleavage?”

Kylie laughed at the exuberance in her friend’s voice. “The very same one.”

“I’ll be right there!” The phone hung up with a bang, causing Kylie to laugh out loud. Mick could always make her feel better. She always had.

v

“So…Jori and Gretchen had a good time, from what I hear.” Mick bit into her sandwich with a big grin. They sat outside at a local deli, the sun shining warmly down on them. The breeze was a little cool, but it was nice just to be in the fresh air.

Kylie’s stomach ß ip-ß opped and she sighed. This was not a subject she wanted to discuss, especially not with Mick. “Yeah, sounds like it.

Hey, why didn’t you bring Post OfÞ ce Chick to the picnic with you?”

She hoped the change in topic wasn’t as obvious as it sounded to her own ears.