“Bill will know,” he said, releasing me with an emphatic push.
I took no time to ruminate on his comments or catch my breath. I ran to my complex without stopping or checking to make sure he didn’t follow. Once inside, I bolted the lock and leaned against the door, exhaling my relief. Bill had never mentioned the name Lou Alvarez, or if he had, it wasn’t enough that I remembered. I dug my cell phone out of my purse, located his name and stared at the screen until it went black. How would I explain being out so late? I’d never had a reason to lie to Bill before, aside from the occasional fib, but the thought of telling him the truth gave me pause.
I headed straight for the bedroom, stopping only long enough to kick my shoes onto the carpet before climbing into bed. I lifted the comforter over my shivering body and thought about what the man had said. What would he have done if he’d found Bill instead?
~
I awoke with a start when I reached across the bed for a body that wasn’t there. I sighed when I remembered Bill was away and then again when the night’s events flooded over me. I sat up and looked around the room, softly lit with the rising sun, and found I was still in my blouse but had removed my pants sometime in the night.
Scrambling out of bed, I fumbled to the couch where I’d flung my stuff the night before. I retrieved my phone and prepared to place the call to Bill but froze as my thumb hovered over his name. Sleep had brought no answers and in fact, I felt more confused than before. I threw the phone back in my bag and decided it could wait until after my shower.
As hot water poured over my face, soaking my hair, I let the questions filter in. Who is Lou Alvarez, and what is his connection to Bill? Did it involve one of his cases at Specter & Specter? I wondered if I should just not say anything to Bill, so I wouldn’t have to lie about where I was. Or rather, whom I was with. David. Would I ever see him again? Was he upset with me? My mind flashed to the eager waitress. How easy was it with him? Would she need to make the first move? I stopped myself. Someone tried to attack me last night and might be back. He obviously knows where we live. And I’m here alone for the next week. I shook my head and decided that worrying wouldn’t help.
I was feeling gloomy and, without Bill, alone, so I picked out a cap-sleeve, fitted charcoal dress and a cropped black cardigan to mirror my mood. Concealer helped me to cover the dark circles from the night’s halting sleep. I brushed on mascara in an attempt to open my sleepy eyes, but the effort of trying to make myself presentable was too great, and I gave up, tossing the make-up back in the drawer.
~
Serena followed me to my new office with two cups of steaming coffee.
“Thank you. How was your weekend?” I asked, sitting down to face her.
“Awesome!” she replied with big eyes. “Brock and I saw Enter the Dragon downtown with his brothers.”
“Enter the Dragon?” I wrinkled my nose. “What’s that?”
“It’s a martial arts classic,” she said excitedly. “There was a special showing at the Music Box Theatre.”
“Oh,” I grinned. “Is martial arts an interest of yours?”
“Chinese cinema is, absolutely! Brock too.”
“Huh,” I replied. “When did you get into that?”
“Hmm,” she closed one eye as she counted silently. “Eight – no, seven – no, eight months ago.”
“And you have been dating Brock for . . . ?”
“It will be a year in a few months,” she offered a wide grin, seeming proud.
“Cool. Well, thanks for the coffee.”
“Oh a couple things. Mr. Beman wants you to refer to yourself as associate editor for now. He said nobody will take you seriously otherwise.”
“Sounds like something he’d say,” I mumbled.
“Also.” She pulled a folder out from under her arm and handed it to me. “One of the guys for Most Eligible is available to meet today, but it’s his only time. He sounds very busy.”
“Busy is good,” I said, opening the file. I scanned the profile sheet and nodded approvingly. “He sounds great. Is he good-looking? Can you get me a photo?”
“Oh, trust me, he is,” she said. “All the girls gave him a ten. And Lisa already approved. I’ll send one over but like, can you do the interview? Or should I ask Lisa?”
I scowled. Lisa would just love to edge me out. “I’ll do it. Just e-mail me the address, and I’ll prep the rest.” I straightened when I saw Beman’s head bobbing through the office.
“Actually, he’s coming here. He insisted.”
“Oh. That’s fine I guess. Can you see that the kitchen is stocked so we can offer him something?”
“Good morning, ladies,” Beman said all of a sudden, causing Serena to jump. “I see you have Starbucks there. Anything for me?” He directed his eyes at Serena and she opened her mouth slowly.
“I’m sorry. I can go back. What would you like?” Serena asked.
“Nothing,” he snapped. “Please get to work. Olivia, a word?”
Despite his small frame, I noticed how the office felt smaller when he was in it. “How are you this morning, Mr. Beman?”
“I’d like an update on the Most Eligible article.”
“It’s coming along nicely. In fact, I have an interview today with a mister - ” I opened the file and squinted, “a mister Lucas Dylan.”
Beman raised his eyebrows. “The architect?”
I nodded, glancing down quickly to make sure that was right.
“Excellent. But don’t call him Lucas, he doesn’t like it,” he said, waving a finger. I nodded knowingly, making a mental note. Luke it is. “We’ve tried the past few years to get him involved but he’s very private, only does work-related interviews. Actually, Architectural Digest profiled him in last month’s issue, look it up.” Thank you, Serena, I thought. “This would be a huge coup, Liv,” he continued. “If you manage to get him in the issue, well,” he paused, “it would be very impressive.” His lips tightened at the last word, and I bit the inside of my lip to prevent a grimace.
“Mr. Beman, I’d like to run an idea by you.” He glanced at his watch and nodded curtly. “In addition to the issue’s launch party, I think it would benefit us to have an exclusive meet and greet for the top can
didates. Since many of them are local celebrities, it would drum up some publicity. We can get web to post some pics afterward to get people wondering who will make the magazine.”
His jaw swung from side to side as he considered it. “Publicity would be good, I’d like the issue to be a high point of the year,” he reasoned. “Get me some numbers by Wednesday, and I’ll see if I can get you a budget. It wouldn’t be much, so work with the publicity department on getting some sponsors to foot the bill.”
“Great, I’ll look into it.”
“Oh, and might I suggest a little lipstick before you meet with Mr. Dylan? No harm in trying to look nice for him.”
He sashayed away, and I touched my fingers to my hair. What does it matter how I look for him? I thought angrily. I’m asking him questions, not testing his make-out skills. The thought of Beman pimping me out to guarantee Lucas’s involvement made me laugh and cringe simultaneously, because I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t do it.
The phone had become more conspicuous with every passing minute and now it demanded my attention. I knew I had to call Bill and that it would be the first time I would really lie to him. But there was no way around it.
“Hi, babe,” I said, when he picked up.
“Hey, Livs. Can I call you back? Just got out of a meeting and have another in ten minutes.”
“Actually, this is important,” I started.
~
The phone buzzed, and I grabbed it automatically, my eyes fixed on the computer screen.
“Liv, Mr. Dylan’s here.” Jenny’s voice was even more high-pitched than usual.
“Right. Can you have Serena or one of the interns bring him back?” She hadn’t sent the photo, but it didn’t much matter now. According to everyone else, he was a shoe-in. Quickly, I peeled my sweater off and grabbed my make-up bag, heading for the tiny mirror Diane had installed behind the door. My hair was actually behaving, and I patted it appreciatively. Balancing the bag on the couch, I smoothed on raspberry lip gloss, Beman’s comment lingering in my head.
“Right back here,” I heard. Just then the bag teetered over, spilling products all over the floor. Shit. I squatted and threw everything back in record time. A sea foam green Clinique lipstick tube caught my eye from behind the couch. Leave it. But I couldn’t, so I steadied myself against the edge and reached an arm into the sliver of space.