“Yes. How canI—?”
He shoved a manila envelope into her hands. “You’ve beenserved.”
Elizabeth’s hands shook as she opened the packet. The legal documents contained within accused her of breaking her non-disclosure agreement. Among the papers was a summons instructing her to appear in court right after the first of the year. There was also an ominously worded note that advised her to cease all contact with her former clients immediately, or she’d be subject toarrest.
“What the hell? How did theyknow?”
Were they followingher?
A shiver raced up her spine, and she thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t been responsible for any of the Fairhaven Exports accounts. Hayes and the senior pool accountant had handled those personally. On her way to the stairs, she paused at the table underneath the row of mailboxes. The African Violet was still there. She carried it up to her apartment. Today, she needed something good in herlife.
“So what’s going on with you, Lizzie? You’re a million milesaway.”
Kelsey’s mop of curly red hair bobbed as she reached for a set of chopsticks. A thick scar perpendicular to Kelsey’s wrist sent a pang of sadness through Elizabeth. Three years ago, Kelsey had lost her husband to a mugging gone wrong. David had tried to protect his wife, taking the knife meant forher.
A month later, Elizabeth had found Kelsey on her bathroom floor, her wrists covered in blood, and had gotten her friend to the hospital just intime.
“Stress. Nothing serious, Kels. I need to find a job, and it’s not going well. I’ll pick up one easily in January, but I hate feeling...useless.” She shoved a bite of chicken curry into hermouth.
“You okay for cash,babe?”
“Yeah. I’ve got enough in my savings for rent and food for a few months. If I have to, I’ll sell my stock or liquidate some of my retirement. Not ideal, but you do what you gotta do.” She hated owning the stock anyway. “I really appreciate dinner tonight, but I’ll be fine. No presents this year. Okay? For Christmas, let’s you, Toni, and me go to a movie and gorge ourselves onpopcorn.”
“Whatever you want, Lizzie. I meanit.”
Elizabeth smiled. She didn’t care that Alexander was at some stuffy charity ball and she was wearing sweats, eating greasy Thai, and hadn’t bothered to put on makeup in more than two weeks. This was what she needed. Time with her friends. This would clear her head, and on Monday, she’d call her lawyer and figure out what to do. She’d makeit.
A tear burned in the corner of her eye, but she forced it away and hugged Kelsey so hard, the redhead dropped her chopsticks insurprise.
“What was that for?” Kelseyasked.
“It’s been too long since we did this and I want you to know that I loveyou.”
“I love you too. Now eat. You’re tooskinny.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Hardly, but you don’t have to tell me twice. It’s beenagessince I had Golden Tiger fordinner.”
She woke early on Saturday with a headache. That second beer at Kelsey’s hadn’t been a goodidea.
After pulling on sweats, she opened her laptop, determined to apply for at least five jobstoday.
Heading to theBoston Globe’s website to browse their job ads, she choked on her tea. Plastered across their home page, in full living color, was a photo ofAlexander.
He stood in a trim black tuxedo amid a hoard of people. Next to him, with a hand on his arm, was a woman dressed in a blood red gown that dipped low to expose what had to be expensive but obviously fake breasts. Diamonds glittered at her ears and throat, and her lips and long fingernails matched her dress. She gazed up at Alexander, her mouth slightly open and her tiny body completely out of proportion with her massivechest.
Elizabeth huffed. Sothatwas his type then. Well, it was a damn good thing she’d shut him down. She threw the latest tin of tea across the room, sending River yowling under the sofa. She’d almost managed to get over her case of sour grapes when her phonebuzzed.
I need to see you. Last night was bloody awful, and I’ve missed you terribly. Come to dinner. I’ll evencook.
“Oh, hell no,” Elizabeth swore. She jabbed her finger at the screen and called himback.
“Elizabe—” he said joyfully, but she didn’t let him get a wordin.
“Are you calling me with her still naked in your bed? Or did you kick her out right after you tied her up and did God knows what with her?” Anger mounting, she paced theroom.
“I have no bloody idea what you are talking about. There is no one in my bed but me and I have not tied upanyonerecently. I thought I had made myself clear.Youare the one I want, Elizabeth. Who am I purported to have slept with andwhen?”
“Last night. Blond. A chest that looks like it costs more than my net worth. Reddress.”
