The Perfect Deception Read online

  “Probably grits.”

  “Yes! I think that’s it. She looked so peaceful stirring at the stove. I asked her if she liked cooking. She said she loved it; told me it sometimes relieved her stress and gave her time to think. What she said that I liked most was that cooking was a way to show love. So that’s what I’m doing.”

  “Really?” Nate walked toward her, backing her up against the counter. “You love me now?”

  She nodded.

  “I can’t hear that.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?”

  She looked at him through lowered lashes, her head tilted shyly. “Yes . . . I do.”

  Nathan chuckled. “Trying not to pass those three little words through your lips, huh?” He walked over to where the tote sat on the island. “That’s okay. This shows you love me.” He reached inside. “Ow! This is hot!”

  Jessica strolled over and gave him a look. “That’s what you get for being nosy.” She reached for a dish towel and carefully pulled out the plastic container.

  “Is that soup?” Nate’s face looked as surprised as his voice sounded.

  “Yes, Nate, chicken noodle and vegetable soup.” She took off the lid. Steam carried the scent to Nathan’s nose.

  He inhaled. “And you made it?” Incredulity took his voice up an octave.

  “Geez, don’t act so shocked.”

  “I am shocked.” They laughed.

  She pulled out the remaining items. “Between all of this and my TLC, you’re going to get better.”

  Nathan pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “Jessica Bolton, I might get used to this.”

  “Is that so,” she purred.

  “It is. And if that happens, I just might have to make things official to keep you around.”

  Again, he enveloped her in his arms, squeezed her tight, and kissed her temple. Jessica was glad he’d made that move. Not good for him to see her cry. She swiped away a single tear, and hugged him back.

  CHAPTER 21

  Monday morning, Nathan was thankful to wake up feeling like his old self. Jessica’s remedies must have worked after all. The soup she’d made was tasty and the soda had calmed his stomach. Though he’d experienced a few cramping sensations throughout the night, he hadn’t thrown up. Believing the worse was behind him, he grabbed his briefcase and headed to work.

  Broderick entered his office minutes after he arrived. “Morning, Nate. How was your weekend?”

  “Not bad. You?”

  Broderick shrugged. “Pretty good. Hung out with the family, watched TV. That’s about it.”

  “Sounds relaxing, just like mine.”

  “I was glad for the downtime. And a good thing, too.”

  Nathan looked up from checking e-mails. “Why, what’s going on?”

  Broderick shut the door and took a seat. “We need to get you up to speed ASAP. Clyde isn’t going to stay through his thirty-day notice. He’s leaving next week.”

  Nathan grimaced.

  “Sorry, brother. This probably wasn’t how you expected to start your week.”

  “No, it’s not that. Over the weekend, I dealt with food poisoning or the flu, something that upset my stomach.”

  “Are you feeling better? I’d hate for you to stay and spread a bug through the office. But I also can’t afford to have you sick right now. I don’t need to tell you that this is a very crucial time.”

  “No, Broderick. I’m all right. Just a little cramp, that’s all. What happened for Clyde to have changed his plans?”

  “We changed them, me and the board. Found out that Clyde has been talking to a couple longtime clients about continuing with him once he leaves the firm. It appears he plans to do a little consulting in between golf games, handling one or two clients. Unfortunately for him, one of the men he talked to has been a loyal client of this company for fifteen years and immediately called to tell me about it.”

  “Wow, I’m shocked.”

  “No more than we were. Clyde and I have been business partners for more than twenty years. If he’d been up front about his plans, we could have worked something out. But his underhandedness has caused us to question what else he might be planning. So we feel it best to get him out of the office.”

  “How long before I take over his position?”

  Broderick’s steely dark brown eyes bore into Nate. “One week. Can you handle that?”

  “I’ll give it my best.” Nate offered his hand and Broderick shook it. “Thanks for this opportunity, Broderick. I don’t plan to disappoint.”

  Several blocks away, in another office building, Jessica felt sick. Her illness was not of the stomach but of the heart. Yesterday, guilt-ridden, she’d put only a small amount of arsenic into Nathan’s “feel better” soup. They were together until after midnight. He complained of a headache but otherwise seemed fine. Hurting him was hurting her.And she’d just gotten started.

  Between her and Sissy, she’d always been the more sensitive one. For her sister, the ends always justified the means. Jessica loved Sissy more than life. But she was beginning to seriously doubt if she had the stomach to carry out her sister’s request. Looking at her watch, she saw that duty called. She hurriedly prepared the tea to take to her desk.

  “Hey, pretty lady. Why the sad face?”

  “Good morning, Vincent.” Jessica reached for the sugar packets and added two to her cup. He didn’t deserve her continued attitude but once again, she didn’t feel like talking.

  “No smile for me this morning?”

  “Dude . . . I don’t even have one for myself.” She left the break room.

  He followed her. “How about I take you to lunch, make you feel better.”

  “No, thanks.”

  “Come on now, Jess—”

  “Look! I said no!” She immediately regretted the outburst. Vincent was being who he’d always been. She was the one who’d changed. On Friday she’d been upset because Nathan was out of her life. Today she was agitated because he was back in it.

  “I’m sorry, Vincent.” Her eyes were sincere as she placed a hand on his arm. “Maybe hanging out with you is exactly what I need to stop stressing out.”

  Jessica didn’t know whether the moon was full or what, but by the time one o’clock came she was ready to run out of the firm. She’d been lied to (“I’m sure I left a message with you last week”), snapped at (“You’ll put this call through and you’ll do it now!”), and threatened (“Are you being short with me? I can have you fired!”). She met Vincent in the lobby.

  He winked, and fell in beside her. “We’re going to have to stop meeting like this.”

  “Probably.”

  “I’m just kidding, Jessica.”

  “I’m not. I think my boss’s secretary has been eavesdropping, trying to get some business because her lonely ass has none. When I was standing at the elevator, she asked if I knew where you were.”

  “She’s just jealous of you, baby.”

  “Story of my life,” she mumbled.

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind.”

  “I’m sure there are those at the firm who’ve seen how we click. If your boy was out of the picture I’d be after you in a heartbeat.”

  “What about that girl you were seeing before the holidays?”

  “Too needy. There’s nothing more unattractive to a brothah than a sistah who acts desperate to be with you.”

  Jessica gave him a look. “Does that mean you didn’t sleep with her?”

  “Babe, just because a man isn’t interested in a relationship doesn’t mean he won’t have sex with a woman who offers it up.”

  They reached the bustling restaurant and took a table near the back. After placing their orders, Vincent got right down to business.

  “I let you dodge the question on Friday, but today I want answers. What’s going on with you?”

  Jessica reached for her water, scanning the room as she sipped.

  “You know I’m your friend, right?
” She nodded. He reached for her hand. “I’m concerned about you, babe. What’s wrong? Are you and Nate having problems?”

  “I guess you could say that.”

  “Is he cheating on you?”

  “Not that I know of.Why would that be your first guess?”

  He shrugged. “It’s a common relationship problem.” The waiter set down their drinks and appetizers. “Is he still tripping over seeing us together in Buckhead that night?”

  “I told him we worked together and were just hanging out as friends.”

  “Then what is it?” Vincent’s phone rang. “Excuse me, babe,” he said, standing. “Important client. I need to get this real quick.”

  She nodded her okay, glad for the break from Vincent’s probing with the determined focus of the shrewd litigator he was.

  Reaching for her cell phone to surf the Web, she thought of Vincent’s comment about infidelity being a common relationship issue. Considering the reality, Jessica would give almost anything for another woman to be their problem right about now.

  For the rest of the day, Nathan worked hard on getting his clients’ needs streamlined and clearing his plate for the added duties to come. Not an easy feat, considering the fogginess inside his head. For a man who’d rarely been sick a day in his life, the past two days had been highly disconcerting. If this rash of symptoms continued, he’d have do the unthinkable—go to the doctor and get checked out.

  Eight thirty, and he was still at the office. He wasn’t surprised to see Jessica’s name on the caller ID. “Good evening, sweetheart.”

  “Hello, Nate. I’m calling to check on you.”

  “That’s very nice, baby, but you needn’t worry. I feel fine.”

  “No more nausea?”

  “None.”

  “The headache’s gone?”

  “Completely.” A slight dizziness had overcome him when he stood up abruptly, but he’d chalked that up to not much food or sleep. Nothing to worry Jessica’s pretty head about. “How was your day?”

  “Just another day at the office.”

  “That exciting, huh?”

  “I wish. Have you eaten yet? I could grab us a bite and come over. Or we could go out.”

  “Unfortunately, I can do neither right now. I’m still at work.” He explained why. “For the next month or so, this is my life. I’ll probably spend more time here than in my home.”

  “I’m happy for your promotion, but concerned there’s so much work.”

  “It’ll smooth out eventually. It’s only during the transition that I’ll be busy like this.”

  “Will I get to see you?”

  “Of course.”

  “When?”

  “Good question. Not tonight; I’m crashing early. By Wednesday, I should have a handle on what all needs to happen, and a schedule for how we’ll operate going forth. So I’ll call you.”

  “Okay. Take care of yourself.”

  “No doubt. Between working here and loving you, I’ve got to stay healthy.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Three times in one night? You figure it out.”

  “Oh. That.”

  They laughed. “Look, babe, I want to finish up here.”

  “Of course. We’ll talk later.”

  Just before ten p.m., a weary Nathan trudged into his loft, stripped off his clothes and took a hot shower. He then went downstairs for a large glass of juice.

  An hour later, the first cramp hit him. His illness was not over yet.

  CHAPTER 22

  It was the slowest week of her life. Or so it seemed. With Nathan working ten- to twelve-hour days, Jessica was left with too much time on her hands. Being alone had never bothered her before. For the most part, this had been her life—rejected, alone, isolated—even while married.

  Not so in the beginning. When Jessica met Edwin she thought her luck had changed. During their one-year courtship he was courteous, generous, patient, and kind. She’d had two prior boyfriends. Edwin showed her the difference between a boy and a man. He had a big house and fancy cars, and always looked amazing. But it was his actions that won her heart. He was so concerned about her welfare.

  A few months into dating, he bought her first cell phone. Sometimes he’d call two or three times a day, just to know where she was and how she was doing. If she went out, he asked that she call before leaving the foster home, then at her destination, and again when she returned. Most days, he’d pick her up from school, wanting to know all about the people she hung out with, especially boys. “To make sure you’re safe,” he’d told her. “It’s a mean world out here.” So caring were these actions to someone like Jessica, someone who’d never felt a parent’s love. When he proposed not long after her eighteenth birthday, she excitedly said yes.

  The honeymoon period ended during the honeymoon, when she was introduced to Edwin’s other side: possessive, controlling, angry, mean. On the way to dinner a man complimented her appearance. Edwin accused her of flirting. She’d donned a cute bikini to join him poolside. He called her a whore and made her change, one reason Sherri and Nathan’s Bahamas berating had stung so bad. The next to last night of that trip, Edwin wanted anal. Jessica didn’t; even cringed at the thought. That was the first time he slapped her. Then he took what he wanted without her consent.

  Afterwards he was full of apologies, accompanied by cards and gifts. Post-abuse good behavior usually lasted several weeks. Then she’d get hit again.And the cycle continued. Jessica learned to hide her emotions better than the bruises, to judge his moods and play the required role appropriately. How abusive was he? By the end of their marriage, Jessica had enough diamonds, jewelry, bags, and shoes to open a consignment store. When the divorce came through, she walked away from it all.

  Is that what you’d do, Nathan, if things were different and we got married? Show the ugly side of you that Sissy swears is there? Except for that single moment at the beach, it hardly seemed likely. Of course she hadn’t thought Edwin to be violent either. Abusers rarely came with a warning label.

  Jessica walked from her couch to the window, to the dining room and back again. Plopping down, she reached for the remote. The idea of watching TV was short-lived. Eight o’clock on a Friday and Nathan was still working. The only good that had come from his long hours is that she’d spent more time with her sister. She and Sissy had talked every night. One conversation was particularly memorable. In quiet moments, it replayed in her head.

  “I’m so sorry, Jessie. Will you ever forgive me?”

  “What for?”

  It was late night, almost two a.m. Jessica just happened to bring the burner phone upstairs to charge. Normally she didn’t. That it was on her nightstand is the only reason she’d heard it ring. Her sister couldn’t sleep.

  “For not being there.”

  “Why blame yourself? You were only ten years old!”

  “Doesn’t matter. You were my responsibility. I failed you.”

  “You saved my life!”

  “I kept you from dying. I didn’t save your life. You went through hell, from foster homes to a jail of a marriage. Maybe what I’m asking is too much after all.”

  Jessica became indignant. “From what you’ve shared, your life was tough, too! Abused as a child and again at the orphanage, homelessness, lying boyfriends, scratching to survive. I hate what Nathan’s family did to you! Helped send you to prison based on a lie.”

  “That’s not unusual for people like them. People of privilege are used to getting their way. They take what they want and then we’re tossed out like garbage. While they get to continue living their perfect, happy lives.”

  “We deserve happiness, too.”

  “Being a real family, enjoying what others take for granted.”

  “I can’t even imagine. That sounds like a dream. Other than pictures, I haven’t seen you in over fifteen years.”

  “That makes me very sad.” Sissy’s voice abruptly changed, became upbeat. “All of life will be a c
elebration, to make up for that lost time. Starting with July fifth, a most important occasion.”

  “My birthday! You remember.” She paused, deep in thought. “I don’t remember yours.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Soon we’ll have all the time in the world to get reacquainted.” She yawned. “I think I can sleep now. Sorry for keeping you up late. I know you have to work.”

  “It’s okay. Sleep well, Sis.”

  “I love you, Jessie.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Sissy loves me! Jessica lay down wondering why three simple words could make her feel so many things at once, happiness highest among them. And then it hit her. Aside from men, most of whom didn’t mean them, it’s the first time she could recall those words ever being said to her.

  A ringing cell phone startled Jessica out of her thoughts. She pressed the speaker button. “Hey, babe.”

  “Hey, you. I’m finally leaving the office. Thought I’d stop by. Are you hungry?”

  “No, I ate earlier. But feel free to bring something over.”

  “I’ll make a stop on the way.”

  “Sounds perfect. I’ll be waiting with a hot cup of tea.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Nathan checked himself in the mirror. He didn’t feel good. Was it the long hours at the office? The stress from being promoted? Lack of sleep, lack of loving, or all of the above? He’d missed time with Jessica, but she’d been so sweet. She’d brought over juice and soda and more of her soup. Still, some type of bug persisted. But it didn’t matter. Tonight was special. And day after tomorrow his promotion would be announced. Life-changing occasions.And nothing, not even sickness, could spoil his mood.

  Halfway from his en suite bathroom to the walk-in closet, his phone rang. One look at the caller ID and he grimaced, then answered. “Sherri, don’t start. I know you’re angry. I was supposed to call you back.”

  “Oh, that’s okay,” was the sarcastically cheerful response. “It’s only been a week.”