Magnetic, page 11
“They’re gone,” Jenny said, looking tired, and held up a note. “They had someone take them to Tallahassee, and I imagine they took the earliest flight out this morning.”
Layne met the news with mixed emotions. She had not had to face Ronnie. And she and Stacy left together. Perhaps they’d worked things out.
Chapter 17
“Have you heard from her?”
“It’s only been fifteen minutes since we last spoke, Mol.” Layne cradled the phone on her shoulder as she unpacked her suitcase.
“Have you considered calling her?”
“I have, but I went to voice mail. I just told her to call me when she was ready.”
“Should I call her?”
“No,” Jenny said in the background.
“Let me try to talk to her first, then you can if you don’t mind.”
Molly sighed. “I’m on pins and needles.”
“So am I, sweetie. I promise to let you know when we do talk, okay?”
“I love you and I love Ronnie. Please try to work this out even if she’s mean. She’s just hurting.”
Layne smiled. “I know, and I love you, too.”
*******
Days passed and Ronnie hadn’t returned what Layne had felt like were a million messages on her voice mail. Her last week of vacation was almost up, and she could not return to a busy work schedule without clearing the air with Ronnie. Layne knew what the next step was, but she dreaded taking it. She drove to Ronnie’s pool supply store only to be told that Ronnie wasn’t in. Next she went to Ronnie’s apartment and banged on the door until it finally opened.
Ronnie looked at her stoically. “You should know better than anyone else that when I’m pissed I want to be left the fuck alone.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Layne said as the door began to close in her face. That wasn’t entirely true, but the statement got the desired effect as Ronnie met her toe to toe.
“What you did was as good as lying!” Layne pushed past Ronnie into her apartment with Ronnie on her heels. “You—all of you—let me make a complete fool out of myself.”
“No one looked at you that way, Ronnie. We all regret that we didn’t tell you sooner. None of us wanted to hurt you.”
“When you say ‘all,’ do you mean the four of you are still discussing this?”
Caught off guard, Layne blinked for a second or two until she realized what Ronnie was asking. “I haven’t seen or spoken to Stacy since the night y’all left, and neither has Jen and Molly.”
Ronnie plopped down on the couch and threw her feet up on the coffee table. “Regardless, I feel like the butt of a joke.”
“I can empathize with how you must feel,” Layne said as she sat on a chair. “When I first saw Stacy in the airport, I thought the Fates were playing a joke on me.” She sighed as she leaned back and tried to relax. “I hated every minute of that trip because I couldn’t enjoy it, and I kept debating whether I was doing the right thing by not telling you what happened. I made the wrong choice.”
Ronnie sighed long and loud. “I knew something was up. At first, I thought you were just grappling with the breakup, but when you barely looked at me, I thought…well, you know what I thought. I said it to you that day at the stables.” She shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“I wanted to,” Layne said as she looked away. “But you told me what you were feeling, and I just couldn’t bring myself to crush that.”
“But it happened anyway and would’ve eventually had things progressed with Stacy.”
Layne nodded with resignation. “I am so very sorry. If I could go back and change it all, beginning with the night I met Stacy, I would.”
Ronnie was quiet as she toyed with the TV remote, then finally said, “She’s crazy about you.”
“It was one night. She doesn’t even know me.”
“Unfortunately, she does.” Ronnie met Layne’s gaze. “I talked about you incessantly. Of course, at the time, she didn’t know it was you that I was raving about, Chloe.”
Layne made a face and looked away.
“Had I made the effort to talk to you when you got back from Detroit, I would’ve probably put the pieces together.” Ronnie pursed her lips, then said, “Maybe you should give her a shot. I know you like her, too.”
Layne smiled ruefully. “We’re not talking about a piece of furniture. She’s a human being with her own feelings. And what about ours, yours especially?”
Ronnie folded her arms. “Whatever interest I felt died the minute she told me the truth. She was extremely apologetic but also very frank and honest. I screwed myself by telling her I wasn’t interested in being serious.”
“But you were. Why didn’t you tell her the truth?”
“Because I wasn’t sure it was. It’s true, she’s the first woman I considered having more than an affair with, but I wasn’t certain I could go through with it. That’s why I played it cool. I got hurt,” Ronnie said with remorse.
“You’ll drop a hundred bucks into a slot machine just on the chance you might win, but you won’t gamble when it comes to your feelings.” Layne leaned forward and caught Ronnie’s eye. “In the pursuit of love, you have to make an investment, a gamble, and it sucks. Sometimes we don’t win, but you have to play the game.”
“You do the same thing.” Ronnie pointed a finger at Layne when she began to protest. “Before Olivia, it was Tonya, and honestly, I don’t think you really loved either of them. You go for the gals with status, money because that’s what makes you feel safe. You invested your feelings in things not the woman.” Ronnie patted her chest. “There’s no difference between you and me. That’s why I asked if you thought different of Stacy because she was a bartender.”
Layne wanted to dispute the claim, but as Ronnie’s words pelted her, she knew she couldn’t. She held her hands up and let them drop into her lap. “You’re right. I have no business throwing that in your face.”
“You want to know what really gave it all away?” Ronnie asked as she nailed Layne down with her stare. “It was you. If I showed Stacy affection, you couldn’t stand it. That last night at dinner, I kissed her neck to see what your reaction would be, and I saw pain. The first few times, I thought it was because you felt awkward being there alone, but I know every one of your expressions, and it hurt you.”
“I did feel awkward,” she argued when Ronnie stated the truth. “I was there alone, and I—” Layne shook her head as she looked away.
“There’s a reason you can’t finish that sentence. It’s because I’m right. You never flinched when Jen and Molly kissed or were affectionate. If you felt nothing for Stacy at all, you wouldn’t have minded.”
“What do you want me to say?” Layne shot back as she got up and began to pace.
“Tell me the whole truth this fucking time.”
“You weren’t honest with Stacy,” Layne retorted, “or we might not be having this conversation right now, either.”
Ronnie twirled a finger. “How long do you want to dance in a circle around this? You forced your way in here because you wanted to talk, even though I didn’t. So damn it, we’re going to. Sit down, Layne!” Ronnie was breathing heavily as Layne sank into a chair. “You have feelings for her. How deep do they go?”
“I don’t know, and that’s an honest answer. I haven’t examined it because I didn’t want to be interested in her.”
“But you are, and you can’t control it,” Ronnie surmised succinctly and sighed. “I guess we all wish we could backtrack and do things differently, but that’s not possible. As it stands, Stacy is totally taken with you, and I’d venture to say that feeling is mutual. We’ve both been playing it safe in our own ways. I took a step forward by considering a relationship, maybe you should, too.”
“I can’t do that. What if things took off with Stacy? How would you feel seeing us together? I know it would make me uncomfortable.”
Ronnie grimaced as she looked away. “If that happened, I’d have to learn to deal with it. We’re family, and certainly not the first two sisters that have been interested in the same person. We’ll survive.”
“Easier said than done.”
Chapter 18
“Who is she?” Alana asked as she spooned fried rice from a carton and set it in front of Stacy’s plate. “The woman you’ve been painting. And why doesn’t she have a face?”
Stacy picked up the container and stared at the food inside. “I can’t see it clearly yet.”
“So she’s someone you’re conjuring out of your imagination, not someone you know?”
“Did you get pineapple chicken?”
Alana narrowed her eyes and scooted the dish closer to Stacy. “While you were gone, I realized something after talking to David. He told me that Layne was vacationing in Florida at a horse ranch, exactly the same type of place you just returned from. And that got me thinking about the night in Detroit when you disappeared from the party, and so did Layne.” Alana narrowed her eyes. “So I have to ask, are you fucking my boss?”
“No,” Stacy said firmly.
Alana didn’t look convinced. “So you were at a completely different ranch?”
“I went there with Ronnie, remember?”
Alana held up a chopstick. “Yes, but Layne’s very private, and I imagine that if you were seeing her, she wouldn’t want me to know, so you made up the Ronnie ruse.”
Stacy swallowed the fried rice, feeling as though she would choke on it. She took a sip of water and stalled for time while she tried to figure her way out. “Ronnie was no ruse. I was with her the whole time. Eat, Sherlock.”
And sounding much like Sherlock Holmes, Alana replied, “But that doesn’t explain away that you and Layne disappeared from the party at nearly the same time, and that occurred right after I saw you talking to her. I remember because I was going to make my way over, but before I could get to you, you both were gone. The next morning, you admitted you slept with a woman named Chloe with a Calloway pin on her lapel.” Alana rubbed her chin. “And you both vacationed at the same ranch. I’m afraid it’s more than circumstantial, my dear cousin.”
Stacy pushed her food away. “Layne is Ronnie’s best friend, so yes, I did see her at the ranch, but there is nothing going on between us.”
Alana’s nostrils flared as she exhaled. “Guilty, just as I suspected. You’re as good as confessing when you avoid answering about the night in Detroit. The mysterious Chloe is Layne. I suspected as much when you inquired about the woman you spent the night with, but I just refused to believe it was Layne because she’d always been so faithful to Olivia.” Alana grinned. “But few can resist the Mayeaux charm.”
“Olivia broke up with her before the party. It wasn’t my charm that got to her.”
Alana began eating, then stopped. “Did you know that Ronnie was her best friend when you started seeing her?”
Stacy sighed and shook her head, knowing what was coming next. “I didn’t know until we all met in the airport that morning.”
Alana set her chopsticks down and took a sip of her wine.
“Go ahead and laugh your ass off.”
“That’s not funny. I’ve been in a pickle a time or two, but, baby, you took the whole jar. What happened?”
Stacy’s secret was out, but what made her tell the whole sordid story was she had no one to talk to. No one to help her work through the bizarre feeling of loss she felt. Alana listened thoughtfully, all play and jokes aside. When Stacy was finished, Alana looked as forlorn as Stacy felt.
“Layne’s a good woman, but she’s straitlaced, all about status, and can be very cool—downright cold at times. I have a hard time seeing you two as a match.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me she’s a material girl, even still I liked her. I wish I could explain what makes me so drawn to her, and more importantly, I wish I could stop it.”
“Have you tried getting in touch with her?”
Stacy shook her head. “It seems too callous. Ronnie and I weren’t headed to the marriage altar, but I hurt her. Layne did tell me that discussing our feelings would feel like a betrayal to Ronnie.”
“She does feel something for you then,” Alana said thoughtfully. “If she didn’t, she would’ve been comfortable enough admitting that without feeling like she was being disloyal.” A smile spread across Alana’s face. “I’m about to spend a week with her. I’ll pick her brain.”
“For obvious reasons, she doesn’t want you to know, so don’t do me any favors, cousin. If it’s meant to be, I’ll get a second chance.”
Alana waved her off. “I can be subtle and discreet.”
*******
David strode into Layne’s office with a grin. “Show me the claws,” he said as he took a seat.
Layne held up both hands. “Don’t get too close. I fantasized about using you as a scratching post while exiled in the wilderness.”
“Tell me you didn’t enjoy being away from the rat race for a while.”
“I hated it.” Layne looked at the stack of files on her desk. “Please don’t do that to me again. Do you have any idea how long it’s going to take me to catch up?”
“Two days because on Wednesday, you leave for Seattle. Slade’s Manufacturing awaits your expertise. I hope you at least got some rest because I did warn you that you’d hit the ground running when you got back.”
“All four paws are ready for action,” Layne said with determination. “I’ve already gone over their procedural manuals. Who has the dossiers on the management staff?”
“Alana ran point while you were gone. I told her to be ready to meet with you at ten this morning to go over her findings, and I warn you, they are colorful.” David droned on about the HR manager they would be facing, and Layne caught bits and pieces as her mind began to wander.
She and Ronnie had gone round and round about Stacy. Ronnie had gone so far as to offer Stacy’s phone number, and Layne had refused. Ronnie was taking the high road, but Layne could easily see how much it hurt her to do so. Then there was Alana. How much did she know? Had Stacy broken her word?
“Hello?”
Layne opened her eyes wide when she realized David was talking to her. “Sorry, I was already formulating my strategy for dealing with this…troll? Is that how Alana put it?”
“Between us, of course. No one on the team knows of her private assessment.” David stood and straightened his tie. “You’ll be on your own for the first week. I have a few things to take care of here.” He grinned. “It seems I got behind, too, since my right arm saw fit to go tramping around in the woods when I needed her most.”
Layne held up her claws again. “Scratching post, remember that.”
*******
Promptly at ten, Alana arrived with her laptop and a cup of coffee. “Is that a tan I see?” she said with a smile.
“Maybe a hint. Do you want more coffee?” Layne asked as she stood.
“Oh, no, I’ve had plenty. David told me you went to a horse ranch in Florida, and I was shocked. I thought for sure you’d take a cruise or maybe travel abroad.”
“It wasn’t my idea.” Layne tried to steer the conversation back to work as she joined Alana at the table in the corner of her office. “Do you need me to plug in your laptop?”
Alana waved her off. “I’ve got a full charge. So you ride?”
“Not really. Tell me about the woman you call a troll.”
Alana took a seat and opened the lid to her laptop. “Give me just a minute or two to boot up.” She frowned at the screen. “I have an update going on here. That’ll give us a few minutes to chat.”
Layne took a seat. “What’s the mood in Seattle?”
“The usual. Higher-ups are eager for us to get started, middle management not so much. So what else was there to do at the ranch?” Alana asked with a sparkle in her eye.
“Did you ever see The Parent Trap?”
Alana nodded.
“It was the same thing, only with alcohol and private cabins. I just didn’t find my long-lost twin.”
Alana grinned. “Did you at least find someone interesting to spend your time with?”
“Uh…no.”
“I know you and Olivia broke up.” Alana nodded toward Layne’s desk. “Her picture isn’t up anymore, and you haven’t been wearing your ring since we got back from Detroit.” Alana’s tone was gentle when she said, “I’m very sorry.”
“Thank you.” Alana grew quiet as she looked at her screen. The silence between them felt awkward to Layne.
“How were things in my absence?”
“I think David missed you.” Alana glanced toward the door before saying, “He got steamrolled by the things you normally handle. We took bets on when he’d break and call you back in. Had you been home, I have no doubt he would’ve.”
Layne smiled as she enjoyed the news. She didn’t mind one bit that he was as miserable as she was.
“That new hotel around the corner opened up a day or two ago. I haven’t had a chance to do a recon mission. You should go by there for lunch to see if it’s swank enough to house our clients when they come into town. A friend of mine told me it was nice and the food was delicious.”
“That might be a dinner option,” Layne said with a nod.
“I considered that, too, but you need a reservation. Lunch is easier. David has the Stanton brothers coming in this week, and he wanted me to go by there and have a look, but since I’ve been doing someone else’s work, I haven’t had the time,” Alana said with a wink.
“Lunch it is then.”
“Great,” Alana said with a grin. “Okay, first suspect is Mary Lennet, HR manager, code name Troll.”
Chapter 19
The Sapphire Hotel was lovely. Layne walked around the lobby admiring the Grecian décor, thinking David would be pleased. Less than a block from their office, it would be the perfect place to put their clients up. Since it was new, however, the wait for lunch was an hour even for a table for one. The maître d’ suggested the bar where the menu was limited, but he assured her she’d enjoy it. Layne walked into the crowded room and decided to take a seat at the bar itself and came face-to-face with Stacy, who looked as surprised as Layne did.
