Trouble Read online

  Ten Years Later . . .

  I glance at my phone, wondering how much longer I have to endure this torturous evening. Winston Weaver, my date, is nothing like the dating app led me to believe. For someone who claims to be adventurous, he’s an utter bore. Winston hasn’t stopped talking about working at the local branch of New Haven Bank as a loan officer. I don’t care about the percentage of loans that get turned down.

  Maybe it’s me and not him.

  Ever since I called off my engagement to Rory last year, I haven’t had the desire to go out. But my friends Catherine and Steffy insist I put myself out there. So here I am, on a date with Mr. Borington.

  With an inward sigh, I excuse myself and head to the ladies’ room. I send a quick text to Steffy as an SOS.

  Me: Please get me out of this date. Call me in ten?

  Steffy: Oh, come on, Hen. Give the guy a chance.

  Me: Ugh! Please??? I promise this will be the last time I ask.

  Steffy: You’re lying but okay . . . give me ten.

  I make my way back to the table, but my date is nowhere to be found. Glancing around, I see the waitress headed my way. “Hi. Your date left this for you,” the petite redhead says with a look that says she’s sorry.

  “Thank you.”

  I sit down as I unfold the handwritten note.

  Hennie,

  I had a work emergency. Sorry.

  Winston

  And there it is . . . the kiss-off. The one I was supposed to give him, not the other way around. How dare that schmuck blow me off. Shaking my head at the irony of the situation, I text Steffy and let her know she’s off the hook for the SOS text. She’s just as shocked as I am that my loser date gave me the brush-off. I’m sure we’ll laugh about it tomorrow, but right now, I just want to go home.

  “Would you like some dessert or just the check?”

  My jaw drops as the waitress explains Winston left without paying for our date. What kind of guy leaves without paying? This is why I don’t date . . . well, that and I don’t trust men, not since high school, when the love of my life rocked my world by cheating on me. And yeah, I know in ten years I should’ve learned to move on with my life. In a way, I have. I was engaged, after all. But unfortunately, it was to a man I didn’t love. I’d hurt Rory when I called off the wedding, but I did him a favor. He’s got a nice girlfriend now, one I’m hoping will love him for the great guy he is.

  As for my current situation? I live in California after graduating from USC, and I have a great job working for CJJ Public Relations. I’m about to finish up a PR campaign for a major real estate mogul. The campaign lasted three months and helped me gain momentum to move up the ladder at CJJ.

  My boss, Catherine, thinks I may be able to run my own branch of CJJ soon if I keep working as I have these last few years. After all, that's what happened to her— she worked her butt off and was asked to head our California office. I can’t help but sometimes wonder what I might be doing had I never come to California. Perhaps I'd be in Florida with my parents, where they now live, or maybe I'd still be in New York with the only man I've ever loved, Tate Palmer.

  The waitress clears her throat, bringing me out of my stroll down memory lane. “Just the check. Thanks.”

  I should be happy my date is over, and part of me is, but the other part wonders when I’m going to find someone who I can hand my heart to. It took me a long time to start dating after Tate cheated on me. When I found Rory, I thought I could love him the way I loved Tate. Rory just never made me feel how I felt when I was with Tate. So I’ve just stuck to myself mainly. And while my friend Steffy doesn’t understand why it’s been difficult for me to date, she tries not to push too hard. Kind of.

  I finish the bottle of wine we ordered. Gathering my bag, I pay the seventy-five-dollar dinner bill Winston skipped out on and make my way to a taxi waiting outside. Thankfully, my condo is only five minutes away.

  Once inside, I peel off my Jimmy Choo ankle boots, leaving them at the front door. I pad my way over to my red leather sofa, falling into it. Leaning my head back, I blow out a breath, trying to refocus on what’s important— my work.

  I pick up my phone and check out my calendar app for the next week. Tomorrow, I’m having brunch with Steffy, where I’m sure we’ll dissect my disastrous evening. Monday morning, I have an early meeting with Catherine. Before I left work yesterday, she emailed me about a new client, Jensen A & E, who has asked for me to come to New York and work on their PR. The thought of going back to New York still haunts me, but since the company is in Manhattan, I’ll be four hours away from where I left my heart.

  Chapter Five

  Tate

  “I don’t care who you have to fire. The quality of these beams is unacceptable.”

  The guy on the other end of the phone covers the receiver, and I can hear him yelling at someone. Shit rolls downhill, as they say, and it starts with me. As the owner of Jensen A & E, my job is to get my newly acquired company back on track. Since Steven, the previous owner, died, I feel I owe the employees and clients the best I can give them. After all, Steven treated me just like I was a member of his own family.

  “Mr. Palmer, sir, we will be glad to retrieve the order and refund your six hundred and forty-two thousand dollars.”

  I can tell the young man on the phone is in a tight spot. After all, he just fills my orders. He isn’t the decision-maker behind the low-quality product.

  “Thank you. I’ll be expecting the money ASAP because I’m now behind schedule with this office building.”

  After another apology, the young man assures me of a prompt response and ends the call.

  “Fuck!”

  “Mr. Palmer? Is there anything I can do for you?” my assistant Casey asks demurely. Not only did I take on ten architects, engineers, and several construction managers, but I also inherited Casey.

  Not that she isn’t gorgeous at five-foot-eight, with dark hair and ice-blue eyes, but she’s not Hennie, the only woman I want in my bed. The woman I broke for her own good. Casey is the exact opposite of Hennie. My Trouble is petite, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and soft curves. No woman in the last ten years has ever made me forget her— and there's been quite a few who’ve tried.

  “No, Casey. Why don’t you go ahead and head out? I’ve got a few more hours of work ahead of me.”

  My assistant’s blue eyes glimmer with hope. “I can stay and help if you’d like. It helps me pass the time,” she admits.

  The day I decided I’d keep her on when I took over, I learned her ex-husband had been arrested for the murder of four women. She left her small town in Iowa, hoping to get away from the horrific things he had done. Of course, when I heard how similar our pasts were, I had to keep her on.

  “I get it. Okay, how about we order dinner in and get to work cleaning up the old files and make room for all the new business we’re going to get.”

  Casey smiles for the first time since I took over. “Perfect. How about I go down to the corner deli and get your favorite?”

  “Sure, that sounds good. And thanks for helping me with this transition. It means a lot.”

  With a nod, she glances at the floor before heading out to get dinner.

  The last few months have been crazy, and I think they’re about to get crazier. I hired a private investigator to find Hennie since her social media footprint is minimal. When Jeb found her, I put my plan into action. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I needed a re-branding of the company I acquired. And I knew just the woman to do it. Now, all I have to do it convince her to not only help my new company out but also to forgive me for lying to her.

  When I spoke with Taylor and Catherine at CJJ, I insisted Hennie was the person I needed to get Jensen A & E off the ground. I don’t think I have any alternative but to blindside Hennie with who I am. I’m pretty sure if she knows it’s me, she’ll never come to New York to meet with the CEO of Jensen A & E. To keep myself a secret, for now, I’ll have Casey be the point person
with Hennie. That is until she comes back to New York.

  Twenty minutes later, Casey makes her way into the conference room, where we share a quiet dinner of corned beef sandwiches and old files.

  “Thank you for taking over the company, Tate. I’m grateful to still have my job, and I know many others are as well,” Casey says as she consolidates paperwork.

  “Thank you for wanting to stay and getting me up to date on all I need to know administratively. I hope we can take this company to new heights.” We both laugh at the joke since we’re getting ready to break ground on a new skyscraper in Brooklyn. Yeah, I think this is going to be a great new venture for me. I just hope Hennie will think so too.

  Chapter Six

  Hennie

  After a restless night, I’m waiting for Steffy at our favorite brunch spot near the beach. She wanted to drop her seven-year-old daughter, Mandy, off at her aunt’s house. I’m almost done with my bloody mary before she finally shows up.

  “Hey, babe,” Steffy says as she squeezes my shoulder and sits down.

  I notice Steffy is wearing big sunglasses, the same ones she always wears when she tries to hide the marks her boyfriend Darren leaves. “Christ, Steffy!”

  “Please, Hennie. Don’t make a big deal about it. I said shit I shouldn’t have, and it upset Darren.”

  I can’t even contain my anger. “Steffy, please, you need to leave him. Mandy shouldn’t see you like this. Darren belongs behind bars for what he’s done to you. You and Mandy can come live with me until you can get on your feet,” I beg. And it’s not the first time.

  We’ve been through this conversation millions of times. She shows up bruised, I beg her to leave him, she says he doesn’t mean it, and nothing changes. But I’ll be damned if I won’t keep trying to help her out of her situation.

  “Hen, I know what I’m doing. If it gets too bad, I’ll leave.”

  I can’t even eat, wondering what Steffy must’ve had to endure last night. I don’t want to argue with her. It’s the last thing I want. But she has to know I’ll be there for her. I’m frustrated as hell that I can’t do more.

  Changing the subject, she orders her usual, coffee, eggs, and avocado toast. “So tell me about what happened last night at dinner.”

  Leaning my head over what’s left of my bloody mary, I try to fill her in. But my mind is still on her bruise. I know it’s almost useless to talk about it with her, but I won’t be able to be at ease until she is. “How about we go away for a long weekend? We could go up to Napa.”

  “Maybe,” she says as she pushes her eggs around her plate. Her non-committal answer tells me it’s a no.

  We continue to make small talk, dancing around what Darren did to her. “I think I have to go to Manhattan for a meeting next week.”

  “Oh, are you going to try to go home too?”

  “No. My parents live in Florida now, so there isn’t any reason to go back. Wanna come with me, Steff? You and Mandy can explore Manhattan for a couple days or so?”

  My best friend smiles, knowing I’m trying to get her away from Darren for a while. Darren wouldn’t give a shit about Mandy going because she’s not his. Steffy was involved with Mandy’s dad eight years ago when she lived in Missouri. She told me they met in a bar and had a wonderful three weeks together before he shipped out overseas. She hasn’t opened up much about what happened after he left, but I’m sure he doesn’t know about his daughter.

  “Thanks, Hen, but I can’t take any time off from work right now.”

  Steffy is an administrative assistant in an insurance firm. Darren doesn’t want her to work, but she insists, knowing it’s her only contact with the outside world.

  I nod since it’s the only thing I can do. It burns me, knowing I set the two of them up a year ago. When I met Darren through a client, he seemed like a great guy. He’s a successful movie producer, never been married, sweet and friendly. It wasn’t until one of his movies bombed at the box office that his demeanor changed.

  He began drinking and abusing Steffy. I’m not sure why she stays with him. Perhaps she thinks he’ll change, But I’m not so sure. Thankfully, he’s never laid a hand on Mandy. I suspect that would be the breaking point for Steffy. I just wish she’d realize she’s just as important as her daughter.

  Chapter Seven

  Hennie

  Ready to put a crappy weekend behind me, I make my way from my car to the office, trying to dodge the raindrops. Even though it’s an inconvenience, the rain is a welcome relief from the Santa Ana winds.

  I’m twenty minutes early, but I make my way to see Catherine. I can hear her voice. She must be on the phone, so I knock and open the door to the conference room where we’re meeting and holy crap. “Hey, Catherine. Oh my God, I’m sorry!” I slam the door shut, wanting to wash my eyes out with bleach. How the hell was I supposed to know she and her husband Jackson would pretty much be having sex on the conference table?

  I quickly jog to my office. I have to get some cold water because, holy hell, what I saw in that room was hot. It’s times like these, I need a real man instead of my vibrator.

  Flustered, I sit at my desk and wonder what it’d be like to have a man like Jackson Cole. So gorgeous and so in love with Catherine. I thought Tate and I would have something like what Catherine and Jackson have, but those hopes were dashed. God, I was so young and blinded by what I thought was love. But seeing these two together gives me some sort of hope.

  “Hennie?” Catherine whispers as she peeks her head in my door.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’m decent,” I giggle.

  “Shit, Hen, I’m so sorry about that.” Her hands are covering her eyes as if she’s seeing what I saw. Luckily, I didn’t get there too much earlier, or I would’ve seen them both naked, I’m sure.

  “Um, don’t apologize. I hate to say it, but I’m damn jealous. It’s been a long time since I’ve, well, been with a man.” Now, it’s my turn to blush. “I don’t know why I just admitted that to you.”

  Catherine makes her way to the chair in front of my table. “I told him we shouldn’t do that, but Jesus, he’s irresistible.”

  “I get it. I probably wouldn’t put up too much of an argument either.”

  “Okay, so now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself, how about we discuss the opportunity Jensen A & E is giving us? The CEO contacted Taylor and me to discuss having you come out and head up a public relations campaign for his construction company.”

  “Isn’t Jensen looking for a competitive bid for the campaign? Or have they just decided to hire the best?” I laugh.

  “Oh, they were very insistent that CJJ be the company to assist them. Not only that, but the CEO said Hennie Marsh was the only one to work on his campaign.”

  “Don’t you find that a little bizarre? He could use someone from our New York office. I’m sure Taylor has someone in mind.”

  “Actually, no. Casey, the CEO’s assistant, said he saw what you did for the last two campaigns you worked on and was impressed with the results.”

  “New York, huh?”

  Catherine laughs.

  I blow out a sigh as I lean back in my chair.

  “You don’t want to take the job, do you?”

  “I do, but New York holds some bad memories is all. But I love working out of the Manhattan office, so it’s not too much of a hardship.”

  “Maybe you need a change of scenery. Taylor tells me the CEO is really hot, so . . . ” Catherine winks.

  “Yeah, sure. We can’t all be as lucky as you to fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after.”

  “Sure you can, and I have a good feeling about this little six-month trip.”

  “Six months?” My eyes get as big as the moon.

  “Oh yeah, I may have forgotten to mention they’ve asked to have you on for six months. They think it may take that long to get the media to begin to see the company in a new light. Apparently, the previous owner let any PR about the company dwindle when he got sick, whic
h is understandable. There’s a lot of work to be done. Taylor said she has the loft on East Forty-Third Street ready for your stay.”

  I think about that for a minute. I don’t have anything keeping me tied to California for six months. No fiancé, no boyfriend . . . no prospects. Perhaps some time in New York is what I need to reinvigorate myself.

  “When do I need to fly out?”

  “The company is sending a jet for you on Friday morning.”

  “A jet, huh? Sounds intriguing. I guess I better finish up some things before I head out Friday. Who’ll be taking over the accounts that’ll still be open?”

  “I looked at what you’ve done, and I think I can take on the Sullivan and Webber accounts. The rest you should be able to close by the end of the week,” Catherine says as more of a directive than a request as she walks out the door.

  “No pressure,” I yell to her. I hear Catherine chuckle as she closes the door to her office.

  After a quick pep talk, I begin making my list of what needs to happen before Friday. It’s not as bad as I thought work-wise, but what has me worried is leaving Steffy for so long. I know it’s not up to me to keep her safe, but I can’t help it. I grab my phone and call her. It’s nine in the morning, so Darren should be off to a movie set by now.

  “Hi, Hen.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, Darren is out of town for a meeting. He’ll be home tomorrow and then he’s filming a movie for the next few weeks.”

  A tsunami of relief hits me. Each day away from Darren is another day Steffy doesn’t have to watch what she says and does. I need to make the most of the time I have with her before I leave.

  “How about you bring Mandy over for dinner at my place tonight? Pizza?”