One Sizzling Touch
Page 47
“You should be careful. Nicole didn’t notice anything, I think. She’s too naive, but if others get wind of it and tell Yochum, then you’ll get in trouble.”
“And you? Are you gonna tell him?” She tossed him a sideways glance and pulled over at the next corner.
Antonio looked at her, seemingly surprised. “Me? I like the boss as much as half the employees, which is to say, I can’t stand him. He’s never gonna find out from me. Believe me. Besides, you did your job despite your relationship with Ivers.”
She sighed and stared out the windshield. “We don’t have a relationship. At least not anymore. He lied to me. He assured me that he was innocent.” A sob tore from her chest. “He used me.”
She felt Antonio’s hand squeezing her shoulder briefly. “I’m sorry. He fooled me, too, if that’s any consolation. Everything looked so clean. Nothing was out of order. I just don’t understand why a guy like him needed to cheat in the first place. He’s got everything.” Antonio shook his head. “Well, maybe we’ll find another reason why those statements were in his house.”
She pulled a tissue from her purse and blew her nose. “What kind of reason? There can’t be any other reason.” She gave her colleague a sad look. “It’s nice of you to try to give me hope, but I’ve seen the evidence. And it’s black and white. The statements were exactly where that letter told us they would be.”
“Hmm,” Antonio grunted. “Strange that somebody knew about that. He doesn’t strike me as so dumb that he would tell somebody about that hiding place. And it doesn’t look like he has a wife or a girlfriend who might have noticed.” He slapped his hand over his mouth. “Oh, sorry. That was thoughtless.”
She waved him off. “That’s ok, Antonio. It’s all down the drain anyway. It can’t get much worse than it already is.”
“Chin up, huh?” He reached for the door handle. “Tomorrow it might all look better.”
She nodded. “Good night, Antonio.”
“Thanks for the ride.” He exited and slammed the passenger door shut.
A moment later she rejoined the traffic and drove toward the East Village, her thoughts occupied with her problems. She parked in the parking garage two blocks from her apartment, where she rented a spot.
Her bag was still in the trunk. She took it out now and disappointment finally hit her fully. How had all this happened? Yesterday her world had been fine. No, better than fine. She’d been happy. For a short moment. And now? She’d never felt so empty before. So desperate. How could she have been so wrong about Zach? Had she really been so naive?
By the time she reached the door to her apartment, tears were streaming down her face in thick rivers. She unlocked and placed the bag in the foyer before shutting the door behind her and bolting it.
A sob tore from her chest, then another one. The tears made it impossible for her to see or think clearly. She rested her forehead against the door.
The wooden floor creaked behind her and she whirled around in panic. At first, she didn’t recognize the person coming out of the living room, because everything was too blurry in front of her eyes.
“Oh Rochelle, what’s happened?”
Her brother rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. “Sis, are you hurt?” He stroked his hand over her head, and she felt like a helpless child and not his older sister.
“Oh Steve,” she wailed, but she couldn’t muster the energy for any more words. She buried her face in his chest and cried, until his shirt was soaked with her tears.
“There, there, Rochelle,” he cooed, his voice soft and comforting, while he rocked her in his arms without asking what had happened.
Steve was there for her when she needed him most. Minutes passed while nobody spoke, until finally, her tears subsided.
She lifted her head. “Thank you.” She eased out of his embrace. “What are you doing here anyway?”
He smiled gently and hesitantly. “I borrowed the spare key from Mom, because I wanted to bring you something and you said you weren’t gonna be home this weekend.” He pointed to the bag on the floor. “Guess it didn’t work out, huh?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s all over.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
Again she shook her head. “Better not.” She forced a smile onto her lips, but failed at it. “So what did you want to bring me that couldn’t wait?”
“Come.” He took her by the hand and led her into the living room.
“And you? Are you gonna tell him?” She tossed him a sideways glance and pulled over at the next corner.
Antonio looked at her, seemingly surprised. “Me? I like the boss as much as half the employees, which is to say, I can’t stand him. He’s never gonna find out from me. Believe me. Besides, you did your job despite your relationship with Ivers.”
She sighed and stared out the windshield. “We don’t have a relationship. At least not anymore. He lied to me. He assured me that he was innocent.” A sob tore from her chest. “He used me.”
She felt Antonio’s hand squeezing her shoulder briefly. “I’m sorry. He fooled me, too, if that’s any consolation. Everything looked so clean. Nothing was out of order. I just don’t understand why a guy like him needed to cheat in the first place. He’s got everything.” Antonio shook his head. “Well, maybe we’ll find another reason why those statements were in his house.”
She pulled a tissue from her purse and blew her nose. “What kind of reason? There can’t be any other reason.” She gave her colleague a sad look. “It’s nice of you to try to give me hope, but I’ve seen the evidence. And it’s black and white. The statements were exactly where that letter told us they would be.”
“Hmm,” Antonio grunted. “Strange that somebody knew about that. He doesn’t strike me as so dumb that he would tell somebody about that hiding place. And it doesn’t look like he has a wife or a girlfriend who might have noticed.” He slapped his hand over his mouth. “Oh, sorry. That was thoughtless.”
She waved him off. “That’s ok, Antonio. It’s all down the drain anyway. It can’t get much worse than it already is.”
“Chin up, huh?” He reached for the door handle. “Tomorrow it might all look better.”
She nodded. “Good night, Antonio.”
“Thanks for the ride.” He exited and slammed the passenger door shut.
A moment later she rejoined the traffic and drove toward the East Village, her thoughts occupied with her problems. She parked in the parking garage two blocks from her apartment, where she rented a spot.
Her bag was still in the trunk. She took it out now and disappointment finally hit her fully. How had all this happened? Yesterday her world had been fine. No, better than fine. She’d been happy. For a short moment. And now? She’d never felt so empty before. So desperate. How could she have been so wrong about Zach? Had she really been so naive?
By the time she reached the door to her apartment, tears were streaming down her face in thick rivers. She unlocked and placed the bag in the foyer before shutting the door behind her and bolting it.
A sob tore from her chest, then another one. The tears made it impossible for her to see or think clearly. She rested her forehead against the door.
The wooden floor creaked behind her and she whirled around in panic. At first, she didn’t recognize the person coming out of the living room, because everything was too blurry in front of her eyes.
“Oh Rochelle, what’s happened?”
Her brother rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. “Sis, are you hurt?” He stroked his hand over her head, and she felt like a helpless child and not his older sister.
“Oh Steve,” she wailed, but she couldn’t muster the energy for any more words. She buried her face in his chest and cried, until his shirt was soaked with her tears.
“There, there, Rochelle,” he cooed, his voice soft and comforting, while he rocked her in his arms without asking what had happened.
Steve was there for her when she needed him most. Minutes passed while nobody spoke, until finally, her tears subsided.
She lifted her head. “Thank you.” She eased out of his embrace. “What are you doing here anyway?”
He smiled gently and hesitantly. “I borrowed the spare key from Mom, because I wanted to bring you something and you said you weren’t gonna be home this weekend.” He pointed to the bag on the floor. “Guess it didn’t work out, huh?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s all over.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
Again she shook her head. “Better not.” She forced a smile onto her lips, but failed at it. “So what did you want to bring me that couldn’t wait?”
“Come.” He took her by the hand and led her into the living room.
