27. Free For All
FREE FOR ALL
Paris was pacing in her office the next morning.
It shouldn’t have taken this long for Fletcher to give her an update.
She didn’t even know where he was or what he was doing, only that he’d be down before lunch.
Well, it was eleven forty-five. That was technically lunch to some people.
“We’re going to have to replace the carpet if you don’t stop.”
She looked up to see London standing there. “Sorry. Fletcher should be here by now.”
“Our new staff are going to think you’ve lost your mind and then quit. And I’ll have to hold it over your head you caused it and not me.”
“You’re just trying to make me laugh,” she said.
London grinned. “Maybe. Relax. I’m sure if it was serious, you’d know by now. Maybe this is the end. You can get some answers as to what was going on and why and we move on.”
She pulled her sister into her office. “I hope so. Part of me feels like an idiot for acting the way I had, and the other like a fool for falling for her words.”
“You don’t know any of it. Nothing. Let’s just put it from your mind until you know more.”
“If he would just get his butt here.” She crossed her arms and nodded her head.
“I like you feisty like this. It’s normally me who acts that way.”
“Maybe you’re rubbing off on me,” she said.
“It’s not a bad thing,” London argued. “I’ll take your mind off of it. I like Jaylen a lot.”
“Me too. She’s on top of it. You only have to give her something once and she’s right on it. It’s saved me a lot of research.”
London was nodding her head rapidly. “Agreed. Here is the thing, at some point, maybe we both need someone to do work directly for us.”
“We hired two people.”
“Ryan is too green.”
“I know. But he’s doing a good job going over everything at MHT. And it seems to me it’s connected.”
“Has he found anything you missed?” London asked.
“Not that he’s said. I’m thinking I might not have missed much other than a file that we know nothing about.”
“If you call Debra maybe you can get that information,” London pointed out.
“I was told to stand down.”
London laughed. “You should see your face as you said that. Did he really use those words?”
“You know he didn’t.”
“But does he use them in the bedroom? Is he robotic or just kind of a free for all?”
Paris froze. “Excuse me?”
London folded her arms, looking entirely too pleased with herself for getting that reaction. “I’m just asking. The man walks around like he’s programmed for efficiency. I need to know if that translates everywhere.”
“You don’t need to know that,” she said, frowning.
“Oh, I do. Absolutely do.”
She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. Trying and failing.
“First of all,” she said, lowering her voice even though they were alone, “he doesn’t use phrases like ‘stand down’ in the bedroom.”
“That’s a shame,” London said, her head shaking.
“And second,” she continued, refusing to be baited, “he is not robotic.”
London gasped dramatically and did a little shoulder wiggle. “So he’s a free-for-all. I’m all for that myself.”
Her cheeks heated. “He’s more intentional,” she said primly, wondering why she was playing this game. Maybe as a much-needed distraction.
“Ooooh.” London’s eyebrows lifted and lowered. “Intentional is good. So is Spencer.”
She pointed at her sister. “Stop. I don’t ask you these things about Spencer.”
“Nope. But you walked right into that. You’ve been moody and pacing all morning because he’s not here yet. I’m trying to help you. It’s working. And as a bonus, I find out Mr. Stone has range.”
She dropped into her chair and covered her face for a second. “Why are you torturing me like this?”
“Because you need someone to drag it out of you. I can get more when you’re vulnerable, which you rarely show anyone.
” London perched on the edge of the desk.
“You like him. Be honest. This shit happening to you, you hate it, but deep down it brought you to this place of vulnerability with a guy you really like. A place you couldn’t get to on your own. So you’re really torn.”
She lowered her hands slowly. “Yes. Ugh. I’m a horrible person for saying that. You suck.”
Her sister wasn’t wrong. That had always been her problem with men. She’d kept that calm and composed shell in place, letting no one in fully.
London blinked. “No. You’re not horrible. You’re human. Just like him. Remember that. It sounds like maybe this thing could be wrapping up. And if that is the case, then you can just enjoy having a man in your life.”
“I guess. But it’s new. It’s slow. There is so much in the air. And if this is over soon...”
“It’s not going to be with you two. Don’t think that.”
Her head went back and forth. “I hate these feelings. All of them. But at least fear isn’t leading the pack right now.”
“See. That is huge,” London said.
“Why?”
“Because you hate that you can’t handle this on your own. You hate that he’s the reason fear isn’t there. That you trust he is going to take care of it,” London added gently. “And my sister is worse than me when it comes to handing over the reins to anyone.”
She exhaled. “Yes.”
London studied her for a moment. Then the teasing grin crept back in. “But you don’t hate the other parts.”
She grabbed a pen and threw it at her. London caught it midair.
“You’re horrible.”
“You’re shining,” London countered. “Even stressed out, you’re shining. That man did something to you.” London dodged another pen flying her way. “Come on. You gave me a hard time about Spencer.”
“Not like this.”
And she was regretting teasing her sister so much now.
“Well, we aren’t alike. I’m always over the top. You didn’t expect any differently now, did you?”
“I guess not.”
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “He makes me feel steady. There. I’m going to be serious now. I always felt it before, then I didn’t and now, knowing he’s on this, I do.” Her sister’s lips twitched. “Don’t say anything about him being on it.”
“You’re no fun,” London said.
“That’s not a small thing. I’m being honest. Without jokes. I can be the bigger person. You wanted something and I gave it to you.”
“You did.” London picked up the pen from the floor and put it on the desk with the one she’d caught minutes ago. “For what it’s worth? I like him. He doesn’t fawn over you. He doesn’t shrink around you like other men have. And he doesn’t kiss up.”
“He is his own man. He definitely doesn’t shrink at anything.”
London laughed. “Oh, I bet he doesn’t.”
“London!”
“Okay, okay.” She lifted her hands in surrender. “I’ll behave. That one was just too good to pass up. And now, look at the mood I put you in. Aren’t I a good older sister?”
She shook her head, but the swirling in her gut had eased substantially.
She stood up and walked closer to London and pulled her in for a hug. “You’re the best.”
The doorbell went off upfront. “That’ll be your intentional, non-robotic man,” London whispered.
“Be nice around him.”
“I’m always nice,” London argued.
Her phone buzzed next, Molly saying it was Fletcher. “He can come to my office,” she said.
London opened the door before Fletcher got there.
He turned the corner, came in in his black suit, crisp white shirt, two buttons undone at the collar, his stride purposeful, his eyes almost relaxed. As if he had the answers she’d been waiting for.
He pulled the chair out and sat across from her. London in a chair next to him.
“Sorry,” he said. “I just got out with West.”
Her jaw dropped. “You told your boss before you told me?”
He lifted one eyebrow. “He caught me when I came in. I’ve been running around this morning and verifying information. It’s not like I’m going to tell him no when he asks to talk to me.”
She didn’t want him to know how annoyed that made her. She wasn’t succeeding by the lifted eyebrow he sent her way. “So, what did you find out?”
“Brad verified it was Debra who dropped the letter off yesterday to be delivered to you.”
“I wonder how she found out where we lived?” London said.
She pursed her lips. “I think I might have mentioned the building before. Just in passing.”
“That’s on you not to do it in the future,” he said.
“Noted. What else?”
“I went back to Chinatown, to the restaurant the rat came from. I asked around again. Showed Debra’s picture.”
“Please tell me they said it was her,” she asked. She wanted the secret of who it was to come out.
“No words were said, but their eyes told another story. I know when to stop pushing. I got what I needed.”
“I don’t understand any of this,” London said.
“Now you’re going to call her,” he said. “And ask her if she can come here to meet with you.”
“What?” she screeched. “Why would I do that? Why would I want to meet with her in person? Can’t I just ask her over the phone why she did it?”
“You’re not going to be alone. I’ll be here. We’ll do it after hours when your staff is gone. When she wouldn’t be at work. My guess she’d want that anyway.”
She was shaking her head. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s about finding out more. If you ask her to come here while she’s working, she might be fearful her employers would think something is going on. After work, on her time, she might be more willing.”
“I don’t care if she’s willing or not. I want to know why she did it. That rat was gross. Without the rat, I think I would have just let it go and moved on.”
“Make the call, Paris. We all know you can stay calm and not let anything out.”
“What am I supposed to say to her? Tell her I know it’s her?”
“Tell her you want to meet after hours at your office. That you had some questions. Allude to the fact you don’t want the owners to know you might have missed something.”
“I’m not sure Paris can act it up that she made a mistake,” London said. “She’s too perfect.”
“That’s you,” she said. “And you know it. I can own my mistakes.”
Which was why she couldn’t let this go. She worried that she might have had it all wrong and cost people their jobs.
“Do it,” he said. “Take a minute if you need, but place the call.”
“I don’t need an audience,” she said. “Out, both of you.”
She didn’t expect him to stand up, but he did, left her door open, but she knew beyond a doubt he was in the hallway listening.
Oddly, it was more comforting than frustrating.