I pulled out my cellphone and scanned through my usual takeout places. I decided to keep it simple and went with burgers from one of the upscale restaurants that was close to the tax firm. I finished up for the day and left the office. I had told Davin I would be in for a drink, but he’d understand.
I carried the bag of food into the elevator. I was actually a little nervous. I didn’t know why. Yes, I did. It was the Jace thing. I walked into the office and wasn’t surprised to see it was dark and empty. That was why I was invited. I was here for one reason and one reason only.
“Delivery,” I said as I walked toward her office.
“Oh my gosh, it smells amazing,” she said. “I’m so hungry.”
I put the bag on her desk and unpacked the Styrofoam containers. “I grabbed burgers,” I said. “I wanted to keep it simple.”
“Works for me,” she said and grabbed her burger. She took a healthy bite. “I’m sorry. I had to skip lunch.”
“Why?”
She gestured to the paperwork spread out over her desk. “This. It’s a mess. I’m trying to get it straightened out. I hate to say this, and you have to promise not to say you told me so, but this was Arthur’s account.”
I groaned and shook my head. “Great. I’m sure I don’t have to say this, but it would be a good idea to dig into his other accounts.”
She nodded, quickly chewing. “I know. I plan on doing it as soon as I get through this one.”
“You’re the right person for the job,” I told her. “I have no doubt you’ll find any issues.”
“Thanks.”
“You’ve always been the fixer,” I said with a laugh.
“What do you mean?”
“When we first met, you got my account because it was a mess, and no one could figure it out.”
She laughed as she wiped her mouth. “No, that’s not entirely true.”
“What do you mean?”
“I got your account because no one else wanted to work with you,” she said. “Yes, it was a mess, but from what I heard, it was a mess because you wouldn’t let anyone help you.”
I frowned. “I don’t remember it like that.”
“You wouldn’t because no one wanted to piss you off and be on the receiving end of your wrath.”
“I did not know that,” I said. “But you took me on.”
“I saw you as a challenge. Back then, I was still trying to prove myself. I figured if I could get your account in order, it would earn me big points.”
“Did it?”
She winked. “I’m the tax director here,” she said with a smile. “Your account got me noticed. Then I started taking on some of other more challenging clients and it paid off.”
“I’m glad I was so difficult and made it possible for you to move up.”
“Me too.”
“How come you handed off my account?” I asked. “If I was making you famous, why did you ditch me?”
“Because you dumped me and were marrying someone else,” she said matter-of-factly. “I didn’t think your wife would appreciate you and your accountant having a history. And I didn’t want to see you.”
“Fair enough.”
“You pulled your account shortly after that anyway,” she said.
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
Truth time. I cleared my throat. “Because Mel knew about us.”
“Your wife?”
I nodded. “When we met, she knew I was seeing you.”
She curled her lip. “What a bitch,” she hissed. “She knew you were seeing someone, and she moved in anyway. No loyalty.”
“To be fair, I could have shut her down,” I said.
“How did she know I was your accountant?”
I shrugged. “I talked about you.”
She burst into laughter. “I’m sure that went over like a lead balloon.”
I smiled. “Yeah, she wasn’t thrilled to hear all about you and how smart you were. At the time, I wanted to make the marriage work. I agreed to move my account to keep her happy. I wished I would have known it was going to blow up in my face anyway. Nothing I did was ever going to change that outcome.”
“Was it really all that bad?” she asked.
“Yes,” I answered honestly. “I don’t like to admit I have regrets, but I do. She was a regret. I can’t blame her for the disaster that was our relationship, but she certainly didn’t help matters. I felt used and I resented her.”
“Do you guys ever talk?”
“No. Never. If we happen to run into each other at a function, we avoid each other like the plague. There is no love lost between us. She doesn’t like me, and the feeling is mutual.”
“I can’t imagine being married to someone you don’t like.”
“It wasn’t fun,” I said.
“You know, I really wish you would have told me back then that you met someone. I beat myself up for a long time thinking I was the other woman. There were a few times I thought about calling and apologizing to her.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t think of that.”
“No, because you were thinking with your dick.”
I laughed. “Not entirely. I just didn’t think. I was selfish and only worried about me and what worked best for my life.”
“It’s in the past,” she said with a look on her face that said she was thinking of something else.
“What about you?” I asked.
“What about me?”
“You never married?” I questioned. I wanted to ask about Jace’s father. I was going to ease into it.
“No.”
“Engaged? Seriously dated?”
She slowly shook her head. “I’ve had my hands full with raising Jace.”
“How old is he?” I asked.
“Eight.” I opened my mouth to ask when his birthday was, but she shut me down. “This is so good,” she said. “Where did you get them?”
“A local place,” I answered.
“Thank you for feeding me. I promise I’m not so needy, but I figured you would be working your ass off in your office. So, this is for you as much as it is for me.”
I laughed. “Oh, I see. You were just looking out for me.”
“Exactly. I’m doing you a solid.”
“Thanks.”
“Really, what would you be doing right now if I didn’t ask you to come over?”
I shrugged. “I’d be sitting in my office and filtering through the stack of garbage on my desk.”
“Do you have plans for tonight?”
I shook my head. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t party every night. I rarely go out. I prefer to stay in and avoid crowds.”
“I can see that. It’s different when you’re in your twenties.”
“I’m glad our paths crossed again,” I said.
She smiled. “Me too.”
“Did you ever think you would see me again?” I asked. It was part of my line of questioning to get to the truth about Jace. I was hoping to catch her in a lie that I could latch onto and chase down the rabbit hole.