Page 60 of Stick to the Plan
“Yea, Billy. Thanks, though darlin’. Enjoy your lunch.”
I follow Anna through the industrial kitchen. Four individuals in white coats nod as she passes. We approach an office at the back, but instead of entering, Anna bypasses it and approaches the back doors. As we draw closer, I notice a stairway behind the office and follow Anna as she ascends. At the top is a small landing and a plain door, which she opens.
I step over the threshold and realize this is an apartment over the restaurant. Small, but tidy and well decorated. Standing in a sitting area which abuts an open kitchen, I can see a hallway with a couple of closed doors beyond. Before I can take in more details, a yipping at my ankles draws my attention.
Looking down, I see a familiar black fur-ball and eagerly scoop him up. I cuddle him to my chest and scratch his head as he happily licks my chin and whips my chest with his tail. “I missed you too, buddy.”
Anna is giving me a calculating look as she watches my reunion with Brianna’s dog. She sucks on her teeth once and, evidently coming to some conclusion, strides off to the kitchen. Glasses appear on the massive island. After filling each with a brown liquid from a pitcher in the fridge, she picks one up and leans back against the sink. “Ok, Casanova. You have until I finish mysweet tea to plead your case. You really want me to believe you have no idea why she’s pissed?”
I sit on a stool across from her, still holding Riley against my chest, one armed. “I really don’t! Yea, we got in a fight about work stuff before I left, but we talked it out and things were amazing. My cell broke before I left, so I couldn’t call her when I got to Las Vegas, but I emailed her to let her know!”
Anna stills. “Emailed her work or personal account?”
The question is obviously important, but I can’t figure out why. “Work - that’s all I had. We work and live together, Anna. We usually just talk.”
“What happened at the conference?”
I rake my fingers through my already standing up hair. What the hell does the conference have to do with Brianna? I’m wasting my time. “Not much. I networked a bit with potential buyers. Gave a presentation to a few government officials. I ended up leaving early because of the legal issues back at the office. When I got back, Brianna’s desk was cleared out and her house was empty.”
Anna takes a big sip of her iced tea as she studies me. It feels like she is examining my soul. I lean towards her as I beg her with my eyes to help me. “Anything interesting happen at the hotel?”
“Which hotel?” I snort with disdain. “That slag, Rachel, fucked the reservations. I left the convention center and booked my own room in some disgusting motel.”
“Then why did Brianna find Rachel in your hotel room? Wearing your shirt.”
My jaw drops and my eyebrows move to my hairline. Suddenly, it all makes sense.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. That’s it. She warned me that cheating was a deal breaker but I swear, Anna, Rachel showed up at my room but I didn’tsleep with her. Even if I wasn’t in love with Brianna, I wouldn’t touch that woman. I will tell Brianna every detail... if she’ll just talk to me.”
The silence stretches as Anna tilts her head, probably debating if she believes me. Slowly, she lifts her glass, draining the last of her drink.
I deflate in my seat. My time is up and I’m not sure if I’ve made my case. I run my fingers through Riley’s silky fur, preparing to say goodbye to him. The clink of the glass on the counter might as well be a door slamming.
“She probably would have talked to you if it hadn’t been Rachel.” Anna’s voice is soft, and a little sad.
I jerk my head up to look at her. “How does Rachel make a difference?”
With a lift of her eyebrows, a tilt of her head, and pursed lips, Anna gives me a look that clearly says I’m an idiot. What am I missing, though? Yea, Rachel is horrible, but why is cheating with her so much worse than anyone else?
Slowly, the pieces fall together. “Chris cheated on her with Rachel, didn’t he?”
“Not as dumb as you look, sugar.”
Red hot rage spears my chest. My breath releases in a hiss and Riley turns his head in my arms to lick my chin again, sensing my distress. “Fucking eejit. I should have punched him harder.”
Anna’s eyes widen, and she leans forward slightly. “You punched, Chris?”
“Yea. He and Rachel were the ones behind the issues at work. He was saying shite about Brianna and I decked him.” I hold up my bruised knuckles as proof.
The side of Anna’s mouth slowly lifts into a slight smile. “Maybe we weren’t wrong about you after all, Irish. Nic took Brianna with her on a shoot in Bermuda while I dog-sit. She’s heartbroken, but Brianna is safe.”
Feeling the first burst of hope in days, I rush around the counter and pull her in for an awkward hug, Riley still in my arm between us. “Thank you, Anna. What changed your mind?”
“Riley. That dog hates Chris. He barely tolerates Brianna’s mom for that matter, but he likes you. No man that loves that dog as much as you do could be all bad.” With a joyous laugh, I hug her closer to my side. “Ok, Irish, don’t make me regret this. How are you going to get your girl back?”
Anna refills our glasses, and we get down to making a plan together.
Chapter forty-one
