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“Oh, hm. Hello there, Gwen.”
He’s got a frosty edge to him that I don’t remember.
“Can I help you with something? Brock’s in a big meeting right now and asked not to be disturbed, but he’ll be done by noon.”
Lizzy tilts her head and gives me a puzzled look as though what I’ve just said doesn’t make sense to her.
“Any chance you could interrupt his meeting, get him to call me?” Brian asks. “It’s urgent. I’ve tried his cell, but he won’t pick up.”
I twist my lips. “Yikes… I’m really sorry, I don’t think I should. This is with his design team, and they’re down to the wire. He has it blocked off as non-negotiable on his calendar. I’ll tell him to give you a shout the minute he gets out, though.”
He grumbles something, then gets off the line without saying goodbye. His behavior is strange for a guy so eager to tell me all about his visit to Arizona, his ancestry, and the location of his office only two days ago.
What changed?
Well, maybe he’s having a bad day.
I examine my friend. “What’s up? You looked at me weird just then.”
She tucks her eyebrow. “Yeah, you said Brock’s in a meeting?”
I nod. “Yep. It’s on his calendar.”
“Oh. I figured he was dealing with some personal things—like breaking up with that Vanessa woman because of everything going on with you. I saw her head up there twenty minutes ago.”
“Where…?”
“To the fourth floor.” Lizzy gestures to the elevators. “She was right there, looking all gussied up, and I felt sort of bad for her—’cause, you know, you and Brock are an item now, so she’s out.”
Now I pinch my brows to mirror Lizzy’s confusion. “Wait, Vanessa’s here? She didn’t text me to see if Brock’s free.”
“Maybe she got desperate to see him and decided to work around you. You know how Brock affects women. He’s a Casanova. She won’t let him go easily.”
“Shoot. I wonder if I should go up there and try to smooth things out. I think that meeting he’s in is really important. I hope she’s not causing a problem.”
“Rejection can make a person act out,” Lizzy says. “You want me to come?”
“No, no, it’s fine. Let’s grab lunch later and catch up. I want to hear what’s going on with you.”
“You bet.” She grabs her mug, stands, and returns the chair to its position at a nearby station. “I brought in that chicken pot pie that you like, enough for both of us. I made it with some stock I had left over from the soup. I can’t wait to hear more about…” she wiggles her eyebrows, “you know. Your Casanova.”
“Ha. Yeah. I’ll fill you in.”
As I head for the elevators, a fearful feeling squirms deep in my gut.
Why is Vanessa here?
She wanted to go out to coffee with Brock this Saturday. Maybe it’s like Lizzy’s guessed, and she’s not willing to take his ‘no’ for an answer without a fight.
I don’t like the idea of her up there on the fourth floor while he’s supposed to be conferencing with his design team.
Is she causing trouble?
It’s not like I’m security or anything. I’m not going to remove her from the premises. But I could at least check on the situation and see if I can help in any way.
Then, there’s Brian, the detective. He was so cold. So distant. Not friendly, like the other times he called. That bugs me, too.
Don’t take it personally, I tell myself, as I tap the elevator button that will take me upward. Not everything is about you.
