case any further.
Chapter 2
I’d had some bad weekends in my life, but this past one was definitely near the top of my list. Krissy hadn’t asked me for an explanation, but she deserved one, so I told her everything, leaving nothing out. She was a smart woman. She could decide for herself what Jeff’s intentions had been. In true Krissy fashion, she’d declared the need for shopping therapy. I’d declined the invitation and spent the rest of the day moping around in my robe and eating half a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I’d retreated into my room by the time Krissy returned with three bags, two of which were full of shoes. She was also smiling and in a great mood. Apparently there was something to be said for shopping therapy.
Then it was Monday morning and time to head back to work. I’d turned my phone off after Gavin had called twice, and now, as I headed for my desk, I turned it back on. We weren’t allowed to take personal calls at work, but we could leave our phones on if clients had our numbers. A good lawyer can be reached any time of day or night. I stopped halfway to my desk, staring at my phone.
Four more missed calls. A total of six voicemails – I hadn’t bothered listening to or deleting the first two – and twelve text messages.
I shook my head as I started walking again. I sat down and placed my phone on my desk. I was torn. Did I want to just erase everything without listening or reading, or did I at least want to hear what he had to say? Even as I tapped voicemail, I asked myself if I only wanted to listen to the voicemails to hear the sound of his voice. I didn’t answer.
Each one was the same. He apologized. Said that he never meant for anyone to get hurt. Begged me to forgive him.
I erased them all and then looked at the text messages. They would probably just be more of the same, but I couldn’t help myself. I began to go through them one at a time.
“Please, baby, forgive me. I’m so sorry.”
“I never meant to hurt you.”
“I just want to see you again.”
He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he was obsessive. I knew it should have freaked me out, but it didn’t. There was something about his persistence that was flattering and sweet rather than creepy. I’d never had anyone pursue me even a fraction as passionately. He may have lied about the details of who he was, but I’d connected with him more deeply than on the surface. The parts of him that were intense and attentive, those were genuine. He was strong and had a fierceness to him, but I hadn’t detected a hint of violence in him. I didn’t need to be scared of him. I knew that. What I didn’t know was if I could ever trust him.
As I was deleting the last of his messages, a delivery man walked down the aisle next to my desk, a bouquet of red roses in his arms. It didn’t really surprise me when he stopped in front of me.
“Carrie Summers?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said with a sigh.
“Here.” He handed me the flowers, gave me a smile, and walked away.
I didn’t have to look at the card to know who they were from, but I did anyway.
“I’m so sorry – G.”
I threw the flowers into the trash and pushed thoughts of Gavin out of my mind. I had work to do.
There was one little problem with my plan to use work as a distraction. The only case I was supposed to be working on at the moment was the Howard Weiss divorce. I hadn’t considered how much Gavin was going to show up in my research.
Mimi had assigned me to find out as much as possible about Howard’s personal habits, before and after his marriage, as well as since his separation. The best place to start for anything that could be considered dirt was in the very place that did the mud-slinging: gossip magazines and tabloids. While the latter were notorious for making up stories, occasionally they did stumble across a little bit of truth. Besides, if Howard’s wife’s attorney was any good at his or her job at all, these
Chapter 2
I’d had some bad weekends in my life, but this past one was definitely near the top of my list. Krissy hadn’t asked me for an explanation, but she deserved one, so I told her everything, leaving nothing out. She was a smart woman. She could decide for herself what Jeff’s intentions had been. In true Krissy fashion, she’d declared the need for shopping therapy. I’d declined the invitation and spent the rest of the day moping around in my robe and eating half a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I’d retreated into my room by the time Krissy returned with three bags, two of which were full of shoes. She was also smiling and in a great mood. Apparently there was something to be said for shopping therapy.
Then it was Monday morning and time to head back to work. I’d turned my phone off after Gavin had called twice, and now, as I headed for my desk, I turned it back on. We weren’t allowed to take personal calls at work, but we could leave our phones on if clients had our numbers. A good lawyer can be reached any time of day or night. I stopped halfway to my desk, staring at my phone.
Four more missed calls. A total of six voicemails – I hadn’t bothered listening to or deleting the first two – and twelve text messages.
I shook my head as I started walking again. I sat down and placed my phone on my desk. I was torn. Did I want to just erase everything without listening or reading, or did I at least want to hear what he had to say? Even as I tapped voicemail, I asked myself if I only wanted to listen to the voicemails to hear the sound of his voice. I didn’t answer.
Each one was the same. He apologized. Said that he never meant for anyone to get hurt. Begged me to forgive him.
I erased them all and then looked at the text messages. They would probably just be more of the same, but I couldn’t help myself. I began to go through them one at a time.
“Please, baby, forgive me. I’m so sorry.”
“I never meant to hurt you.”
“I just want to see you again.”
He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he was obsessive. I knew it should have freaked me out, but it didn’t. There was something about his persistence that was flattering and sweet rather than creepy. I’d never had anyone pursue me even a fraction as passionately. He may have lied about the details of who he was, but I’d connected with him more deeply than on the surface. The parts of him that were intense and attentive, those were genuine. He was strong and had a fierceness to him, but I hadn’t detected a hint of violence in him. I didn’t need to be scared of him. I knew that. What I didn’t know was if I could ever trust him.
As I was deleting the last of his messages, a delivery man walked down the aisle next to my desk, a bouquet of red roses in his arms. It didn’t really surprise me when he stopped in front of me.
“Carrie Summers?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said with a sigh.
“Here.” He handed me the flowers, gave me a smile, and walked away.
I didn’t have to look at the card to know who they were from, but I did anyway.
“I’m so sorry – G.”
I threw the flowers into the trash and pushed thoughts of Gavin out of my mind. I had work to do.
There was one little problem with my plan to use work as a distraction. The only case I was supposed to be working on at the moment was the Howard Weiss divorce. I hadn’t considered how much Gavin was going to show up in my research.
Mimi had assigned me to find out as much as possible about Howard’s personal habits, before and after his marriage, as well as since his separation. The best place to start for anything that could be considered dirt was in the very place that did the mud-slinging: gossip magazines and tabloids. While the latter were notorious for making up stories, occasionally they did stumble across a little bit of truth. Besides, if Howard’s wife’s attorney was any good at his or her job at all, these
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