Chapter Fifteen
CASEY
Casey left for work early the following day, allowing her to avoid seeing Dylan since they ran on the same schedule. Besides, why bother staying in bed when I can’t sleep anyway?
As soon as she got in, she emailed Allison, asking if they could meet for lunch.
Within the hour, Allison was knocking at Casey’s door.
“Come on in,” Casey said.
“I got your email. It was different than your usual, so I thought I’d come to see if we needed an earlier lunch break.” Allison sat in the chair across from Casey’s desk. “Is this about the work mess?” she asked quietly.
Casey sighed. “No. I mean, yes. It’s about work, but not that stuff.”
“Okay…” Allison studied her. “I can tell something’s wrong. Do you want to leave earlier than normal?”
“That’d be great. Can you manage 11:00 am?”
“Definitely. I’ll be up here a little before, and we’ll take my car.” Allison stood. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours, and you can tell me what’s going on.”
Casey nodded. “Thanks, Allison.”
Allison quietly shut the door as she left.
Casey closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the chair. At least I’ll get some honest answers from Allison today, and then I can decide if I need to resign. Maribeth said she would meet Emily and me tonight instead of waiting for our regular Wednesday get-together, which will help me get my head straight. I’m not even going to think about my heart. It never leads me in the right direction. Dylan may have one thing correct: being logical and ignoring your emotions is best.
Casey forced herself to focus on the in-depth background checks on her desk and made notes about a few less-than-stellar staff members. The two hours passed quickly, and she was surprised when Allison was back at her office.
“Ready?” Allison asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Casey grabbed her jacket and purse and followed Allison to her car.
Once they were on their way, Allison glanced at Casey. “Do you want to tell me what this is about?”
“I don’t know where to start.”
“Just get as close to the beginning as possible, and I’ll ask questions if I get lost,” Allison said.
“Okay. But first, promise me that you’ll tell me the absolute truth, even if you think it will hurt my feelings,” Casey said.
“Promise.”
Casey angled herself towards Allison, wanting to watch her reaction. “Do you know why I got this job?” She saw a blank look pass over Allison’s face.
“Because you’re highly qualified? That would be my guess,” Allison shrugged.
Casey narrowed her eyes. “Is that all you know or have heard?”
Allison tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “I remember Greg being excited and talking about this new business manager he hired and how he couldn’t wait for you to start. He said you killed the interview. Does that help?”
“Absolutely. Has he said anything else about me?”
“Just the stuff I told you before. He can’t believe how much you’ve accomplished since you started, and he has a lot of faith in you.”
“Thanks. I needed to hear that.”
“Casey, tell me what’s going on. Why are you asking me about this?” Allison pulled into a parking spot, turned off the car, and faced Casey.
Casey let out a long breath. “Because while I was at Dylan’s house on Saturday, I overheard him arguing with his aunt about why I got the job.”
“Okay. And?”
“And his aunt basically said it was a favor to her, and he said I couldn’t do the job.” Casey felt the pricks of tears and blinked them away.
“That’s ridiculous,” Allision said. “You should talk with Greg. He’ll tell you the truth.”
“I don’t know, but I’ll think about it.” Casey gave her a nervous smile.
“The other thing you need to consider is if you want to be with a man who doesn’t see your true worth. You shouldn’t be with a guy who doesn’t support you.”
“I know,” Casey whispered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Casey drove to the little Italian restaurant where she was meeting Maribeth and Emily for dinner. I love Dark Head Brewery for comfort food, but I don’t need my big brother nosing around in my life at the moment, so this place is perfect.
Casey arrived first and asked to be seated in a corner booth. Ordering an antipasto plate for the table and a glass of the house red for herself, she allowed herself to relax into the seat. Appreciating the subdued lighting and soft Italian music, she took several calming, deep breaths, feeling her shoulders drop. Her headache eased a little, and she was happy her workday was done.
Maribeth and Emily arrived together and were seated immediately.
“I’m so glad you guys are here.” Casey stood and hugged them both.
“Sorry, we’re a bit late. Since this place is so close to our neighborhood, Maribeth suggested she pick me up from the house, and then you and I could ride home together,” Emily said.
“Great idea.” Casey waited while the server placed the antipasto on the table and took Maribeth’s and Emily’s drink orders.
“I appreciate you both being able to meet tonight instead of our usual getting-over-the-hump Wednesday,” Casey said.
“I couldn’t wait to see you after you called and told me what happened on Saturday and then Dylan’s insanity last night.” Maribeth reached over to rub Casey’s arm.
Their server returned with wine for Maribeth and Emily and took their dinner orders.
“You’re right, Case. Their house red is excellent,” Emily said as she took another sip. “I wish I’d been home when all that went down yesterday. I got back so late we hardly had time to talk.”
Maribeth looked at them. “Well, we’ve got great wine and authentic Italian meals being created as we speak, so give us the details.”
Casey felt her eyes fill. “This is exactly what I needed: my best friend and sister.” She raised her glass, “To my two best friends.”
Maribeth and Emily touched their goblets to hers, and Casey’s tears slowly slid down her cheeks.
Casey brushed them aside and took a breath. “Remember when I told you about Allison at work and how wonderful she is? Well, I had lunch with her today, and I asked what she knew about me getting the job,” Casey said.
Emily took a bite from the antipasto. “And?”
“She said Greg had been excited about hiring me and was fully confident in my abilities.” Casey shrugged.
Maribeth nodded. “Greg’s a smart man.”
Casey smiled at her. “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a favor to Aunt Bebe.”
Emily laid her hand on Casey’s arm. “Even if that’s how you got the interview, from everything you’ve said about Greg’s integrity, that’s not how you got the job.”
Maribeth pointed her wine at Emily. “What she said.”
“That’s pretty much what Allison said, too. She told me I needed to go talk to him and ask him straight out.” Casey huffed out a breath. “But I’m not sure I’m up for that discussion yet.”
“That makes sense, what with Dylan throwing a temper tantrum and stomping off like a two-year-old,” Emily said.
Casey nodded, pausing the conversation as their dinners were placed before them.
Maribeth took a deep breath. “Nothing against the Brewery’s food because Natalie is an amazing chef, but there is something wonderful about fresh homemade lasagna on a chilly fall evening.”
“This looks fantastic,” Emily said as she cut into a ravioli.
“Mmmm.” Casey groaned around a mouth full of chicken parmesan. “It tastes even better than it smells.”
They were quiet for a few minutes as they enjoyed the first bites of their food.
“So good. We need to come here more often,” Maribeth suggested.
Casey and Emily mumbled their agreement between bites.
Casey leaned back and sipped her wine. “Wow. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I tasted that. I’m going to pause for a minute while my stomach decides if I want more.” Casey took another sip of wine.
“I think Dylan broke up with me at the end of his tirade yesterday.”
“Wait, what? You didn’t tell me that,” Maribeth said.
“Me either.” Emily frowned at her.
“Come on, you two know me. I’m pretty quiet when I need to process stuff.”
“True,” Emily nodded and looked at her over the rim of her glass.
“What exactly did he say?” Maribeth asked.
“He said I didn’t trust him and wasn’t listening to him. That he knew something was wrong on Saturday, but I wouldn’t talk to him about it. And that he can’t spend all his time worrying about me. Then he said he was done and walked away.” Casey shrugged one shoulder.
“Wow,” Maribeth reached out and touched Casey’s hand.
“Yeah.” Casey stared at her plate and picked at the food. “A part of me got what he was saying. But what about him talking to Aunt Bebe about the job and his apparent doubts about my ability to handle my own life?” Casey looked up at them. “What about that? He says I’m not listening, maybe so, but he’s certainly not listening to me either.”
“No, it doesn’t sound like he is,” Maribeth said quietly.
Casey shook her head, raised her eyes to the ceiling, and blinked rapidly. “It feels like he doesn’t believe in me at all. He definitely doesn’t think I’m good enough to have gotten the job on my own. Plus, his idea that I’m blindly going through life while some nefarious criminals are out to get me shows he has no faith in me,” Casey said, using air quotes.
“And yet, here you sit, enjoying a wonderful meal with your besties.” Emily smiled. “So, you’re obviously clever enough to have outsmarted the bad guys so far.”
Casey laughed despite herself. “You know what, Em. You’re right. I need to remember that I was fine before I ever met Mr. Dylan Maguire, and I’ll be good again.” Casey nodded. “I’ll tell you what else Allison said. She said I shouldn’t be with someone who doesn’t see my real value.”
“That’s true.” Maribeth raised her glass. “To Allison and her brilliance.”
Casey gave them a watery but genuine smile as they toasted.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Maribeth gave Casey extra hugs as they left the restaurant, and Emily drove Casey and herself home.
“Emily, I’ve been thinking about something.” Casey paused, gathering her thoughts. “I was wondering about calling Aunt Bebe and seeing if we could move back to our house this week.”
Emily glanced at her sister, the streetlights illuminating parts of her face.
“I’m fine with that. You should do it now, and if we can’t go back to our old place yet, find out if she has any other available rentals.”
Casey let out the breath she’d been holding. “Thanks, sis. This would be much easier if we weren’t living next door to Dylan.” Casey took out her phone, tapped on Bebe’s number, and put it on speaker so Emily could hear.
“Hi, Aunt Bebe, this is Casey.”
“Hi, Casey. How are you, dear?” the older woman asked.
“I’m fine. Thanks. How are you?”
“I’m good. I’m looking at the layout of the house. I want to discover new places where I can conceal myself. I’m afraid my current locations are becoming predictable.”
“Well, I hope you find some spots, Aunt Bebe. Listen, I know this may sound strange, but I’m calling to see if Emily and I can move back to our original rental house yet?”
“Hmmm. Does this have anything to do with your neighbor?” Bebe asked.
“A bit. I think we need some space at the moment,” Casey said.
“I see. What you’re so delicately trying to avoid saying is that my nephew is being a twit.”
“About the house, Aunt Bebe?”
“I’m sorry, dear, it’s not completed yet.”
Casey crossed her fingers. “But is it done enough to live in while the rest gets finished?”
“Yes, I assume it is. I spoke with the construction foreman last week, and he said they were working on the punch-out list.”
“That’s wonderful news. Emily and I will start moving back in tomorrow,” Casey said.
“Are you sure, dear? You’re welcome to the current place as long as you’d like.”
“Trust me, I’m sure.”
“Well, okay, then. I’ll let the foreman know in the morning to expect you two.”
“Thank you, Aunt Bebe. I appreciate it,” Casey said.
“Casey, I don’t know what Dylan did, but I feel responsible since I’m the one who messed up your housing situation in the first place. I’ll tell you what. If at least one of you girls can be at the house tomorrow, I’ll bring my moving crew, and we’ll get you two moved back in one day.”
“Oh, Aunt Bebe, that’s very kind. But you don’t have to do that. We can handle it over a few days,” Casey said.
“I won’t take no for an answer. I’m sure you can get the day off. Greg’s a wonderful boss. Just let him know you need to move. We’ll be there at 9:00 sharp. See you in the morning. Bye, dear,” Bebe said and promptly ended the call.
Casey laughed. “I guess she was done talking. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
Emily smiled. “She just didn’t want to argue with you anymore. Besides, you know it’s impossible to win. Even if you say no, she’d still show up with the movers.”
“True. Thanks for being willing to move again at a moment’s notice.” Casey laughed. “I feel better already, knowing I won’t have to see him every day.”
“That makes sense.”
“Aunt Bebe’s right. I should talk to Greg next.”