“Devin?” he asks right back, and my mind blanks on his last name.
“Meade!” That was the name of the firm on the card. “Sorry,” I say, realizing I shouted it and now I want to die.
“Do you have an appointment, miss?” He reaches for the radio on his belt.
“No, I’m only dropping something off.” I hold up the folders. “He forgot these and I thought he might need them.”
“I can’t let you upstairs for security reasons, but I can take the folders for you.” He holds his hand out and I start to hand them over but change my mind.
“Never mind.” I tuck them close to me.
“I didn’t get your name.”
“Right.” Thank god, I think to myself before I turn to leave. Now no one will ever know I was here. I hear the security guard call after me, but I keep on going.
There’s no way I could give him the files when I thought about it. Devin is a lawyer, so who knows what’s inside of them? There’s a strong possibility that some of it is private and he might not even like that I touched them.
I grab another cab and go back to the apartment building. I can put the files back and no one will ever be the wiser. I feel like a nut case by the time I make it there and as I’m getting out of the cab I’m not paying attention to where I’m going and I run right into someone. They try and grab me, but it’s too late and I hit the ground. The files spill out next to me and I’m reaching for the papers before they can blow away.
“I’m so sorry, Erin. Are you okay?”
No. There is no way. I turn my head slowly to look up and see Peter standing there above me.
“Let me help you.” He starts to reach for me, and I jerk back.
“I got it.” I hurriedly get the files together, but when I try to stand on my own my knees buckle. Peter grabs me by the arm before I can fall again, and when I get my footing I jerk away from his hold. “I said I got it.”
“Sorry,” he mumbles, holding his hands up.
“Miss Erin, are you okay?” Carol rushes out of the building and over to me. “Your knee is bleeding.”
I look down to see that he’s right and my favorite dress is ruined on top of it. “It doesn’t really hurt.” I think it’s only a small scratch.
“What are you doing here?” Peter asks me.
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” I say, unable to hide the accusation in my voice.
“The company I work for has their corporate office here. I come here once a month.” He points down the street. “Are you sure you’re okay? I heard about your place and I’ve been worried about you.” He looks genuine as his eyes soften.
“Yeah, I gotta go, Peter. I’ll see you around.” Before he can say anything else, Carol is guiding me into the building.
“Ex?” Carol asks when we get inside.
“What?”
“Was he an ex-boyfriend or something? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“No.” I shake my head, glancing back at the glass doors, but Peter is gone.
“I think we have a first-aid kit behind my desk.”
“Thanks, Carol, but I think I’ll just take a shower and patch it up afterwards.”
“All right.” He nods. “If you change your mind, I can send something up.”
“Thanks again.” I get on the elevator and all I want to do is go back to Devin’s place and put the folders back where I found them.
I look down at them and cringe. I never should have left to begin with. I’ve not only made a mess out of myself but out of Devin’s work too.
I’ve gone from being excited for Devin to come back tonight to dreading it.
Chapter Thirteen
Devin
“We’ve got to meet with the judge tomorrow morning, but it could mean that we have to go to Milan. It’s your turn.”
I groan as I lean back in my chair and scowl at my sister. “I just went to Paris.”
“Yes, but I was in Italy for a month last year.” She scowls back. “And do I need to remind you it was on Danielle’s birthday?”
I lean forward and dig deeper. “And if I recall, I flew her out to you as a surprise and you fucked her in a gondola.”
She goes from looking like she ate a lemon to blissful peace in a flash. “God, that was fun.” She closes her eyes as if remembering it and I’m done.
“I’m not going.” I stand up and stack my papers, but she doesn’t move.
“Yes you are.”
“Nee.”
“Don’t you Nee me.” She crosses her arms and cocks her head to the side.
“Why don’t you take her there and propose?”
“What’s wrong with you going?”