Dirtiest Little Secret

“There you are.” The voice at Ava’s back made her eyes close in dread. Marla Banks. “I thought I’d never find you in this madhouse. Oh, son, you look so handsome. I wish I saw you in suits and tuxes more often. Where’s Ava? I’m dying to catch up with her.”

One last time—for Marla—Ava pulled herself up, closed off the circuits shooting pain to her heart and turned.

Marla’s face lit up. “Oh, sweetheart, hello.” She came forward and drew Ava into her arms like a mother should. Like Ava’s mother wouldn’t. “I was so happy when Isaac told us you were coming.”

Ava cut a look at Isaac. His tortured expression only made her angrier.

Marla pulled back and took Ava in. “Darling, you look amazing.” Then she scanned Ava’s face, and her smile fell. “Oh, honey, are you okay? You look a little pale.”

Ava forced a pained smile. “I’m not feeling well. It’s good to see you, Marla, but I’m going to have to say good-bye. I’m afraid I’m coming down with something.”

“Oh no.” She pulled Isaac closer. “Son, you make sure she gets home safe.” To Ava, she said, “Look, here’s the elevator. Feel better sweetheart. Let’s get together soon. We’ll have the family over for dinner.”

Then she took Ava’s face in her hands and kissed her forehead.

Kissed her forehead.

Ava’s own mother had never even done that.

Tears rushed her eyes, and she blinked hard to keep them back. She managed a muttered “Thank you” and was relieved when she backed into the elevator and the doors closed.

Until she realized Isaac was still with her.

“I’m sorry, Ava,” Isaac said. “I didn’t mean—”

“You meant to do everything you did.”

“If I’d told you who I was,” he said, anger edging his voice, “you would have walked away, admit it.”

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. For a second, the moment hung—both of them hurt and angry. Ava’s mind spun and knotted. There was no quick fix for the mess her life had become.

But no matter how confused she was, no matter how tangled her heart, she knew one thing for sure. “You’re right, Isaac. You’re not the kind of man I want.”

She stepped toward the doors, and he stopped her with a heavy hand on her arm. “You just told me in the car that the money doesn’t matter.”

Ava met his eyes, her heart tearing. “It doesn’t. The lies do. The lies, manipulation, betrayal. Those all matter.”

15

Ava stared at her freshly painted toes as the pedicurist wound tissue between them to allow the polish to dry. She felt heavy and dull and achy. She’d been exhausted for weeks. Her mind felt like a big fat ball of tangled yarn. Her heart felt like a boulder.

Katie turned from the manicurist’s table and swayed to the massage chair at her side. She was smiling at her new manicure as she spun and sat. “Nothing better than a day at the spa to perk up a girl’s spirit, right?”

Ava picked up a magazine and opened it to a random page so she had something to look at other than Katie. “Mmm-hmm.”

“All right, girlfriend,” the manicurist, Mandy, a sassy Southern girl, said to Katie as she settled on her stool, “please tell me we’re doing something more exciting on your toes than we did on your nails, or I might fall asleep facedown in your polish.”

Katie picked a color that also agreed with Mandy, then she sighed, sat back, and played with the massage chair’s remote. “This is the perfect way to spend a day before you start your sexy new job.” Katie beamed at her. “What a windfall. I’ve already put a bug in a few ears. Your family is going to be twisted inside out when the news finally reaches them.”

“What’s the sexy new job?” Mandy asked.

“Vice president of regional operations for North America and Europe for the Quantum Group,” Katie announced proudly.

“I have no idea what that means,” Mandy said, “but it sounds like you’re some kinda hot shit.”

Ava smiled at Mandy, then told Katie, “You’re awesome. Have I told you that lately?”

“No, but that’s okay.” She blew on her already-dry nails. “I know.”