Entwined with You(101)

“Thanks. I lazed it up in the Caribbean.”


“Really? I’ve been scoping out the islands for possible honeymoon spots. Would you recommend it for that, wherever you stayed?”


I laughed, happier than I’d been in long time. Maybe in forever. “Absolutely.”


“Get me the deets. I’ll add the spot to the list of possibilities.”


“You have honeymoon scouting duty?” I stood so we could grab coffee together before we started the day.


“Yep.” Mark’s mouth quirked on one side. “I’ll leave the wedding stuff to Steven, since he’s been planning for so long. But the honeymoon is mine.”


He sounded so happy, and I knew just how he felt. His good mood made the start of my day even better.


THE smooth sailing ended when Cary called my desk phone shortly after ten o’clock.


“Mark Garrity’s office,” I answered. “Eva Tramell—”


“—needs an ass-kicking,” Cary finished. “I can’t remember the last time I was this mad at you.”


I frowned, my stomach tightening. “Cary, what’s wrong?”


“I’m not going to talk about important shit on the phone, Eva, unlike some people I know. I’ll meet you for lunch. And just so you’re aware, I turned down a go-see this afternoon to set you straight, because that’s what friends do,” he said angrily. “They make time in their schedule to talk about things that matter. They don’t leave cutesy voice-mail messages and think that handles it!”


The line went dead. I sat there, shocked and a bit scared.


Everything in my life ground to a screeching halt. Cary was my anchor. When things weren’t right with us, I scattered real quick. And I knew it was the same for him. When we were out of touch, he started f*cking up.


I dug out my cell phone and called him back.


“What?” he snapped. But it was a good sign that he’d answered.


“If I screwed up,” I said quickly, “I’m sorry and I’ll fix it. Okay?”


He made a rough sound. “You f*cking piss me off, Eva.”


“Yeah, well, I’m good at pissing people off, if you haven’t noticed, but I hate when I do it to you.” I sighed. “It’s going to drive me nuts, Cary, until we can work it out. I need us solid, you know that.”


“You haven’t acted like it matters lately,” he said gruffly. “I’m an afterthought and that f*cking hurts.”


“I’m always thinking about you. If I haven’t shown it, that’s my bad.”


He didn’t say anything.


“I love you, Cary. Even when I’m messing up.”


He exhaled into the receiver. “Get back to work and don’t stress about this. We’ll deal with it at lunch.”


“I’m sorry. Really.”


“See you at noon.”


I hung up and tried to concentrate, but it was hard. It was one thing having Cary angry with me; it was totally another to know I’d hurt him. I was one of the very few people in his life he trusted not to let him down.


AT eleven thirty, I received a small pile of interoffice envelopes. I was thrilled when one of them revealed a note from Gideon.


MY GORGEOUS, SEXY WIFE,


I NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU.


YOURS,


X


My feet tapped out a little happy dance beneath my desk. My skewed day righted itself a little.


I wrote him back.


Dark and Dangerous,


I’m madly in love with you.


Your ball and chain,


Mrs. X


I tucked it in an envelope and dropped it in my out-box.


I was drafting a reply to the artist working on a gift card campaign when my desk phone rang. I answered with my usual greeting and heard a reply in a familiar French accent.


“Eva, it’s Jean-Fran?ois Giroux.”


Sitting back in my chair, I said, “Bonjour, Monsieur Giroux.”


“What time is best for us to meet today?”


What the hell did he want from me? I supposed if I wanted to know, I’d have to follow through. “Five o’clock? There’s a wine bar not too far from the Crossfire.”


“That would be fine.”


I gave him directions and he hung up, leaving me feeling somewhat whiplashed by the call. I swiveled in my chair, thinking. Gideon and I were trying to move forward with our lives, but people and issues from our pasts were still trying to hold us back. Would the announcement of our marriage, or even an engagement, change that?


God, I hoped so. But was anything ever that easy?


Glancing at the clock, I refocused on work and returned to writing my e-mail.


I was down in the lobby by five after noon, but Cary hadn’t arrived yet. As I waited for him, my nerves started getting to me. I’d gone over my brief conversation with Cary again and again and knew he was right. I had convinced myself he’d be okay with having Gideon join our living arrangements because I couldn’t imagine facing the alternative—having to choose between my best friend and my boyfriend.