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“Two months.”
“Reasonable.” He pulled out his phone. “Let me check with him.”
“You do that,” she said.
He headed outside into the parking lot. Through the window, she saw him talking on his cell. She watched him pace between her car and his SUV. Finally, he pocketed his phone and came back inside. “No dice. He wants a face-to-face meeting.”
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t. “No.”
“I thought you wanted to get rid of him?”
“More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“Then offer him something he can’t resist. Other than yourself.”
She exploded out of her chair. “When did I get to be so fricking irresistible? Will you tell me that?”
“I’m not the person to answer. Not that I don’t find you charming.”
She bared her teeth. “I don’t want to talk to him!”
“I understand. But this is a negotiation.”
It was madness was what it was. “Two free months of IT, and I’ll do his employee background checks for a year. One full year!”
“Now you’re talking.” He slithered out into the parking lot again. She sank behind her desk. They’d made a pact to torture her.
On the other side of the window, Heath was talking. He braced a hand on his hip, pushing back the front edge of his sports coat. Talked some more. Finally, he came back inside.
“He turned you down.”
“Of course he did,” she said bitterly. “He hates to lose so much he’ll do anything to win, no matter how unconscionable.”
“Not the kindest assessment coming from a woman in love.”
She stared at a point right above his eyebrows. “I’m not in love. And you need to leave.”
“I could do that, but . . . it seems Annabelle’s stuck her nose in this whole affair, and she’s decided you and Coop need some kind of closure. I don’t know what it is with women and closure, but there you have it. I should warn you that dealing with me is easier than being forced to deal with my wife. I know she seems decent, but inside, she’s a desperado.”
“Annabelle wants me to do this?”
“She’s real big on that ‘closure’ thing.” He sounded regretful. “If I screw this up, I promised I’d call her, and she’ll be over here right away.”
Piper collapsed. She could fight the men, but not Annabelle.
A wave of weariness came over her. “I’ll meet him, but only in public.” She slumped back in her chair. “Big Shoulders Coffee tomorrow afternoon. And only if he gives me his word of honor that he won’t try to contact me again afterward.”
Somehow she’d pull herself together enough to get through it. The coffee shop was well lit and small enough for conversations to be overheard, so he couldn’t get too heated, and she’d be guaranteed to keep her clothes on.
“Hold on.” Heath whipped out his cell.
She wanted to scream. Or cry.
This time the Python stayed inside. “Coop, she’ll meet you, but only in public—Big Shoulders Coffee tomorrow afternoon—and only if you agree not to contact her again after that.” Heath listened, tapped his foot. “Uh-huh . . . Uh-huh . . . All right.” He hung up and looked over at her. “It has to be today. And not at Big Shoulders. He has a meeting at city hall, so he’ll see you in Daley Plaza right afterward. Two o’clock. It doesn’t get much more public than that. I think you should take the deal.”
How could winning matter so much? He already had her heart. Now he wanted to stomp it to death.
“Agree?” Heath said.
