know who's calling."
"Steve, you're scaring me."
"Carrie, you have an enemy out there. Someone's gone to a great deal of trouble to set you up. Right now we don't know who it is and what else they're capable of."
Carrie shuddered. She was genuinely frightened.
"What about Louise? She's made it abundantly clear that she's going to sue me for breach of contract, copyright infringement, plagiarism, and who knows what else."
"We can help you with that. There's a guy in our office that specializes in this sort of thing. He has an excellent track record so you'll be in the best of hands. He's in court today and tomorrow, but if you'll hold on for a moment I'll go talk to his secretary and find out how soon we can get you in to see him."
Steve put her on hold. While she waited, she took a few more deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. In a minute, he was back on the line.
"Alex has an opening at three o'clock on Thursday. I've already scheduled it for you and I'll make sure I'm there too. Do you need the address?"
"Yes."
Steve gave her the address and she looked it up on Google. At least his office was close to her apartment.
"I'll see you on Thursday, Carrie, and I'll fill Alex in before you get here. In the meantime, if you need anything, and I mean anything, you call me, or Allie, right away."
"I will, and thank you, Steve."
Carrie called her webmaster as soon as she hung up. Within minutes her website disappeared from the web. She gathered everything up in the envelope before setting the alarm, locking the door and quickly heading home.
Fifteen
C arrie arrived at Steve's office a few minutes early. She introduced herself to the receptionist and took a seat in the waiting area. The office was beautifully decorated with plush furnishings, confirming her fear that their services would not come cheap. She set her satchel down and nervously began flipping through one of the magazines laying on the coffee table. Her ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice.
"I have to make a quick phone call, Brenda. Is my three o'clock here?"
"Yes, Alex."
"Good. Tell Steve I'll be ready in a couple minutes. We'll be meeting in the conference room."
Carrie looked up, but whoever was talking to Brenda had already left. She shrugged it off as nervousness. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. She turned her attention back to the magazine.
"Carrie?"
She looked up. "Hey, Steve."
"Are you all right? You look a little pale."
"I'm fine. As you can imagine, I've been under a lot of stress and I haven't been sleeping very well."
"I understand. Are you ready?"
She nodded as she rose from her chair, picked up her satchel and followed him to the conference room.
"Alex, your three o'clock is here," he announced as he stepped inside.
Carrie abruptly stopped in the doorway. She couldn't believe who she was seeing. He'd filled out over the years, but she knew those distinctive gray eyes and curly blond hair. He was seated in one of the high-backed leather chairs surrounding the cherry wood conference table. A broad smile broke out across his face as he looked up from her file and recognized her.
"Well hey, Carrie-Anne."
"You remembered?"
"How could I forget our song?"
He walked up her and they embraced, lingering in each other's arms. Reluctantly, she stepped back and began to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I understand the two of you already know one another," said Steve as he handed her a tissue.
"Yes." Carrie dabbed her eyes as they took their seats. "Alex and I go all the way back to the fourth grade. I was the kid that everyone else hated because I was on TV , and Alex was the skinny, nerdy guy who took pity on me. He and Allie were my two best friends, but then we lost touch with one another about ten years ago. So, Alex, what have you been doing since then?"
"Going to college, going to law school, and coming to work here. And you?"
"Going to college, becoming a photographer, and most recently,
"Steve, you're scaring me."
"Carrie, you have an enemy out there. Someone's gone to a great deal of trouble to set you up. Right now we don't know who it is and what else they're capable of."
Carrie shuddered. She was genuinely frightened.
"What about Louise? She's made it abundantly clear that she's going to sue me for breach of contract, copyright infringement, plagiarism, and who knows what else."
"We can help you with that. There's a guy in our office that specializes in this sort of thing. He has an excellent track record so you'll be in the best of hands. He's in court today and tomorrow, but if you'll hold on for a moment I'll go talk to his secretary and find out how soon we can get you in to see him."
Steve put her on hold. While she waited, she took a few more deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. In a minute, he was back on the line.
"Alex has an opening at three o'clock on Thursday. I've already scheduled it for you and I'll make sure I'm there too. Do you need the address?"
"Yes."
Steve gave her the address and she looked it up on Google. At least his office was close to her apartment.
"I'll see you on Thursday, Carrie, and I'll fill Alex in before you get here. In the meantime, if you need anything, and I mean anything, you call me, or Allie, right away."
"I will, and thank you, Steve."
Carrie called her webmaster as soon as she hung up. Within minutes her website disappeared from the web. She gathered everything up in the envelope before setting the alarm, locking the door and quickly heading home.
Fifteen
C arrie arrived at Steve's office a few minutes early. She introduced herself to the receptionist and took a seat in the waiting area. The office was beautifully decorated with plush furnishings, confirming her fear that their services would not come cheap. She set her satchel down and nervously began flipping through one of the magazines laying on the coffee table. Her ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice.
"I have to make a quick phone call, Brenda. Is my three o'clock here?"
"Yes, Alex."
"Good. Tell Steve I'll be ready in a couple minutes. We'll be meeting in the conference room."
Carrie looked up, but whoever was talking to Brenda had already left. She shrugged it off as nervousness. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. She turned her attention back to the magazine.
"Carrie?"
She looked up. "Hey, Steve."
"Are you all right? You look a little pale."
"I'm fine. As you can imagine, I've been under a lot of stress and I haven't been sleeping very well."
"I understand. Are you ready?"
She nodded as she rose from her chair, picked up her satchel and followed him to the conference room.
"Alex, your three o'clock is here," he announced as he stepped inside.
Carrie abruptly stopped in the doorway. She couldn't believe who she was seeing. He'd filled out over the years, but she knew those distinctive gray eyes and curly blond hair. He was seated in one of the high-backed leather chairs surrounding the cherry wood conference table. A broad smile broke out across his face as he looked up from her file and recognized her.
"Well hey, Carrie-Anne."
"You remembered?"
"How could I forget our song?"
He walked up her and they embraced, lingering in each other's arms. Reluctantly, she stepped back and began to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I understand the two of you already know one another," said Steve as he handed her a tissue.
"Yes." Carrie dabbed her eyes as they took their seats. "Alex and I go all the way back to the fourth grade. I was the kid that everyone else hated because I was on TV , and Alex was the skinny, nerdy guy who took pity on me. He and Allie were my two best friends, but then we lost touch with one another about ten years ago. So, Alex, what have you been doing since then?"
"Going to college, going to law school, and coming to work here. And you?"
"Going to college, becoming a photographer, and most recently,
Similar Books
