"What day is it?" he rasped.

"I have no idea."

He looked at his watch and cursed. "We've missed our flight."

"It's Monday then." I took a seat on one of the chairs.

"Do me a favor, please." Marvin sat up and rubbed his head.

"Call for room service and I'll call the airline."

I did as he asked and ordered lots of coffee to go along with breakfast. I was about to take a quick shower when I heard a knock on the door. Through the peep hole, I could see Angela standing in the hall. Her hair was down and slightly damp. She looked comfortable in a pair of jeans and an untucked b.u.t.ton- down shirt. She was also wearing a huge smile. I wrapped my robe tighter around my body and let her in.

"Good morning," she said as she planted a kiss on my cheek and walked past me. "I was afraid I would miss you."

"We missed our flight or you probably would've." I gestured for her to take a seat.

"You feeling okay?" Angela asked.

1.

*"I'm a little unclear on last night...parts of it fade in and out."

"You put on one h.e.l.l of a show. Everybody is talking about your speech." Angela smiled up at Marvin as he walked back into the room. "Mr. Mays says he enjoyed your speech above everyone else's. He was very pleased to hear how highly you touted our products and service. I think my job is pretty secure."

"I hope mine still is." Marvin elbowed me in the ribs.

"I called Kalen first thing this morning." Angela wrinkled her nose. "She's thrilled. I left out a few parts, though."

"Thank you," Marvin and I said in unison.

"I must really thank you both. I know the past few days have been h.e.l.l." Angela focused on me for a moment. "It wasn't fair of me to put so much pressure on you. I was so nervous after the last set of meetings when a few of my fellow reps were laid off that I got a bit self-centered."

"You've been good to us, Angela. I'm glad we were able to help you out. Although...I wish one of you would fill me in on what I did. I remember everything until I walked up to the podium. I think I blocked it all out." I looked over at Marvin, then at Angela. They were both grinning.

Marvin held up a hand and started counting off each incident.

"You drooled, accosted a woman in the elevator, and made up your own speech that nearly made me wet myself." He cuffed me on the shoulder. "But when it came time to deliver, you did it...perfectly, minus the giggling."

"I giggled through the speech?"

Marvin and Angela nodded. "It added some levity to an otherwise dull evening." Angela glanced down at her watch. "I need to go help with the packing up." She gave Marvin a hug, and I walked her to the door. She turned and looked at me before she stepped into the hallway. "You're a great kisser, and that's a lot coming from a straight woman."

"I'm sorry about that. Blame it on the Stanky Leg." I looked away in embarra.s.sment.

"I'm not mad," Angela said with a smile as she moved into my line of sight. "Maybe now Zoe won't hit on me so much when I visit her salon."

1.

*"I seriously doubt that," I said with a grin.

"Oh, I put your jewelry in your cosmetic bag." Angela tucked her hair behind her ear. "I put you into bed last night. Marvin didn't seem comfortable with the idea."

I felt a flush wash over my face.

"I hope your girlfriend won't mind."

"I'm sure she won't," I said with a sigh.

"Maybe I'll see you next time I'm in town. It might be kind of fun to tell Kalen that story."

"Fun for you, yes, but I'll hear about it for the rest of my life."

"Take care of yourself, Shannon," Angela said as she walked away.

"I'm so glad I don't have to work for the next few days,"

Marvin said as he sipped on a Mountain Dew. "When this plane lands, I'm driving you straight home, then I'm going home to sleep for the next twenty-four hours."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the five hundred- dollar emergency cash that I hadn't had to use and pressed it into his hand. "Whatever bonus my sister promised you was not enough. Thank you for taking care of me."

Marvin looked at the crisp one hundred-dollar bills and tried to hand them back. "I can't take this. Even though you made me want to pull my hair out, I had a blast and met a really cute guy."

"Keep it then as hush money," I said with a grin. "All Kalen needs to know is that I gave her speech."

As we walked through the New Orleans airport, I felt relief. I was home. I inhaled deeply the smell of fried food and beignets, and I even welcomed the smell of exhaust as we made our way through the parking garage. My stomach did knot up, though, at the prospect of seeing Hailey again. Invariably, we'd run into each other at the apartment. It was going to be awkward and kind of sad not to have her in my daily life.

"Sure you won't take the cash back?" Marvin lowered my suitcase to the sidewalk in front of my building a little later.

"Sure you won't tell Kalen anything?"

1.

*Marvin laughed and gave me a quick hug. "I won't say anything, cash or not."

As I walked through the courtyard, I felt relieved to be home, but there was a pang of sadness, too, as I looked at the empty bench where I usually found Hailey. With the distraction of the trip behind me, I realized that I missed being with her. I wondered if maybe she missed me, too. A glance at my watch told me that she should be home from work by now, but there was no sign of her. I tried to tell myself it was all for the best as I rode in the elevator to my floor.

I unpacked my things and started the laundry. Bone tired, I warmed a can of soup and looked at my computer. Whatever e- mails, if any, would have to wait until morning. I took my bowl and a packet of crackers to the sofa and ate while watching TV. I only meant to lounge for a while, but the next morning, I awoke fully dressed with the remote still in my hand.

A knock at the door halted my trip to the shower. I fully expected it to be Kalen ready to hear a firsthand report on the trip, but when I looked through the peep hole, I was surprised to see Hailey. I looked down at my wrinkled clothes and figured that the rest of me was equally frightening. I ran my hands through my hair and opened the door with a shy smile.

Hailey's brows rose as she took in my appearance. "Rough night?"

"Rough week." I opened the door wider and motioned for her to come in. She looked uncomfortable as she brushed past me and leaned against the bar.

One of the suitcases that I was too lazy to put away the previous evening lay in the middle of the living room floor. I watched as Hailey glanced at it and back at me. "Business trip or just a getaway?"

"Business, unfortunately." I walked into the kitchen and set up the coffeepot. The tension between us seemed more solid than the bar that separated us. "And your trip was?" I tried not to sound bitter.

140.

*I watched out of the corner of my eye as she shrugged. "I needed time to think."

"When did you get back?" I measured the water for the coffee.

"The day you left. I wanted to talk to you then, but you were gone before I worked up the nerve to come up here." She was silent for a moment. "I watched you leave from my window."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I thought it would be better to talk face to face." I could hear the sc.r.a.ping of the bar stool as she pulled it back and took a seat. I couldn't make myself look at her. I heard finality in her tone, and even though I figured whatever we had was over, I wasn't looking forward to hearing her say it.

"Want coffee?" I watched the dark liquid fill the pot.

"Sure," she said after exhaling a long breath. "I need to explain something to you, Shannon."

I folded my arms and closed my eyes dreadfully waiting for her to continue.

"You've no doubt heard the saying 'what goes around comes around.'"

"Many times, yes." I poured our coffees and turned to slide hers across the bar. When our gazes met, she looked tired. Her eyes didn't have the familiar sparkle.

"I haven't let myself get close to anyone since the divorce, mainly because I'm afraid that if I get attached, I'll get hurt the same way...the same way I hurt my husband." Hailey's hands shook slightly as she lifted the cup to her lips. "I was attracted to you the minute we met," she said after she swallowed. "And when I realized that it was actually you I was talking to online, I tried to back off. You were just so d.a.m.ned irresistible, and I felt myself giving in."

Referring to me in the past tense as she did made my heart sink. I sagged against the counter, suddenly feeling exhausted and longing for my bed.

"When you came home from visiting your family, you seemed so distant, and the warning bells started to go off. I panicked."

"I guess I felt a little panicky, too." I didn't want to have to admit that I had some fears of my own, especially after Kalen had 141.

*gotten through with me. "There's something I need to know. Like what happened to the woman you had the affair with?"

Hailey's face showed surprise and her lips tightened and formed a straight line. "She lost interest after the divorce. I think it was a thrill for her to sneak around. Once the marriage ended, so did we."

"So that's not where you went when you left?"

"Of course not." Anger flashed in Hailey's eyes. "I went to the corporate apartment to think things over." Hailey stared down at her cup for a minute. When she looked up at me, her eyes were teary. "I don't think I'm ready for anything serious."

"I am," I said with resignation. I hadn't realized it until that moment. I didn't want to casually date. I just wasn't cut out for it.

Once I found someone I was truly interested in, I didn't want to play the field to see what else was out there, and unfortunately, I was still very infatuated with Hailey.

I wanted to tell her that I'd wait forever for her to come around, but as I looked into Hailey's misty eyes, I felt myself giving in, and I let her off the hook as gently as I could. "I don't want it to be awkward when we pa.s.s each other in the hall, but I think it's best that we give each other some room."

Hailey's lip quivered as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I wish I was in a better place because you're a great catch."

"You are, too," I said. "One day, I hope you'll be able to accept that."

Hailey tried to smile. "Thank you for the coffee, but I need to get back to my place and get ready for work."

She looked so miserable as she stood. I wanted to take her into my arms and tell her everything would be okay, but my heart was breaking along with hers. If I took her in my arms, I didn't think I'd be able to let her go. I stood rooted as she walked to the door and let herself out. Maybe it was just exhaustion, but I felt my own eyes well up as I stared down at her coffee cup. I took a long shower and crawled into bed. Maybe it wouldn't sting as much after a long nap, but I doubted it.

142.

Chapter 22.

Kalen + pizza = indigestion.

For weeks, I did my best to avoid Hailey. Instead of cutting through the courtyard, I used the garage entrance to come and go, not that I went anywhere much. I found myself often watching Hailey in the courtyard from my window as she walked Fuzzy.

She'd bounce the ball for a while, but Fuzzy would take it and drop it in a flowerbed before returning to rest her head on Hailey's knee. Even Fuzzy seemed to be sad.

It was a wet and miserable day, so I was surprised to see Kalen letting herself into the courtyard on a dismal Sat.u.r.day morning.

As she made her way up the walk, I saw Fuzzy dart toward her.

My heart thudded when Hailey came into view, and Kalen shook her hand while pointing up to my window. I stepped back when Hailey looked in my direction.

A little while later, I opened my door to Kalen, who stalked past me. "I picked a s.h.i.tty day for a walk." Kalen started to strip away her wet things in the middle of my living room. "Do you have some sweats I can borrow? I'm soaked to the bone," she said through chattering teeth.

"Take a shower and thaw out." I pushed her toward the bathroom. "You didn't walk al the way from your house, did you?"

"I had Todd drop me off a few blocks from here." Kalen pulled off her shirt, revealing a slight pooch in her belly. "It started to rain on the last block."