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Her hair was blonder and straighter than it had been in high school, hanging in smooth waves that reached her shoulders. She had more wrinkles than the old days, but they added character that looked great on her. Her dark eyes were as sharp and intent as ever, and as I came through the security barrier they glinted with hostility.
That was familiar as well. I girded myself for a disagreeable conversation.
“You haven’t responded to my emails,” she said, stepping forward to meet me as I approached.
“Hello to you too.” I guided her away from the reception desk to an empty corner of the lobby where we hopefully wouldn’t be overheard. “Why are you at my office?”
“Because you wouldn’t respond to my emails.”
I tried to keep my tone placating, something I’d gotten good at during my marriage. “I’m sorry, Tess, I don’t have time to get involved in the reunion planning this time around. Email me the invite when it gets closer to the day, and I promise I’ll try to show up.”
“I’m not on the reunion committee anymore.”
I couldn’t help my irritated sigh. “What do you want me to do about that?”
Tess had managed to create so much strife over the reunion planning that I’d been fielding complaints and pleas for assistance from various members of our graduating class for the last twenty-five goddamn years. If I’d known I’d be saddled with responsibility for organizing the high school reunion committee for the rest of my life, I never would have run for senior class president.
“I’m not here because of the fucking reunion,” she ground out.
I drew back a little, studying her with increased wariness. I was used to Tess being contentious, but dropping f-bombs in the lobby of a prestigious downtown law firm was out of character for her. “What is it you want from me, then?”
“I need to talk to you about something.”
I checked my watch. “You’ve got five minutes before I have to get back upstairs for a meeting.”
“This is more than a five-minute conversation.”
“Fine, then I’ll have my secretary email you to set up a time for us to get coffee next week.” That was the best I could offer, and even that was more time than I wanted to devote to whatever nonsense Tess had gotten herself into a lather over now.
“It’s not the sort of conversation you want to have in a Starbucks.” Tess’s eyes locked onto mine, and I saw something that looked like anxiety flicker in their depths. “Trust me.”
An uneasy prickle crept down my spine and pooled in my stomach. “What sort of conversation is it?”
“The kind you want to have in private.”
“Tess?” I was legitimately alarmed now. “What is this—”
“In private,” she repeated, shaking her head. “Please. It’s important.”
It was the wordpleasethat really unsettled me. That and the way her voice shook a little when she said it. “Does tonight work?”
She gave me a curt nod. “Tonight would be good.”
“Where?”
“I’ll email you my address.” She shot me a sour look. “Assuming you’ll read the email this time.”
“I’ll be there,” I said, giving her a sour look of my own. “As soon as I can get away from here. Which probably won’t be until at least seven.”
“Fine. I’ll see you then.” Without another word, she turned and walked away.
I watched her push through the glass revolving door and disappear into the stream of pedestrians on the sidewalk outside. A glance at my watch told me I had three minutes left to get to my meeting upstairs.
And four hours to worry about what Tess wanted to tell me tonight.
CHAPTERFOUR
DONAL
