Accidental Meeting (5 page)

Bruce
opened the door at the same time the doorbell chimes sounded. “A… Angel."
His sister reminded him of a younger version of their mother, even down to the
narrowed eyes and pursed lips when she felt put-out. "What are you doing
here?”

“Hello,
it’s good to see you, too,” Angel said in a sarcastic tone, cocking her head to
the side. A few strands of short, brown hair tumbled across her face. “Aren’t
you going to let me in?”

“Sure.”
Bruce stepped aside, allowing her to pass by him.

“Can I
ask you something?” Angel turned defensively, her hands on her hips as she
glared at him.

Oh,
great. He sighed. Here it comes. “What?”

“Don’t
you find it odd that your sister had to find out that you had a car accident
from your housekeeper?”

“Doris
told you?” Bruce felt his cheeks grow hot. How dare Doris interfere. If there
were anything to worry about he would have called his family himself. “She
needn’t have bothered you. I’m fine.”

“Well,
it wasn’t me she scared. It was mother. Mother called me and couldn’t believe I
hadn’t called to tell her. She was equally surprised that I knew nothing about
it.”

“There’s
nothing to tell.” And what there was to tell? He didn’t want to relay what
happened to anyone, especially his sister. The irony of it was, she’d probably
laugh her head off. It was embarrassing enough to have it happen in the first
place. How embarrassing it would be to tell other people that you weren’t
exactly hurt
in
the car accident, that you fell down the embankment
backing up away from what you thought was a lunatic coming after you? He knew
she wasn’t a lunatic now. Yet he’d be forced to go into details with Angel and
he’d have to come up with an explanation for why Abbey, the woman who hit him,
was chauffeuring him around. Even he didn’t know the answer to that question. She
displayed a better Christian example than he would have.

“Hmm…
Well, I’m glad you’re all right. Have you eaten? I can make you something if
you like." His sister put her purse down on the table in the foyer.
"I don’t know why you don’t let Doris come and help more. You know she
would.” Angel headed towards the kitchen, not waiting for him to answer. “You
really ought to use both crutches. They’ll give you better balance. With one,
you’re just going to throw your back out of whack. Hey, that rhymes.” Angel
laughed.

“Are you
sure you’re not my mother?” Bruce muttered under his breath. Angel tended to be
pushy on occasion. Especially when her motherly instincts kicked in. Bruce
followed her to the kitchen and took a seat at the table while she rummaged
through his cabinets.

Why
hadn’t he asked Doris to help more? Maybe because she made him feel
uncomfortable when Abbey was around. It was nice being alone with Abbey. She
always had a ready smile and when he did something that irritated her—she sang.
Weird, but it soothed him when she sang Christian songs. Most of them he hadn’t
recognized. They were upbeat and made his heart feel lighter. Maybe that was
the secret to her happiness.

The
doorbell chimed again. Bruce started to get up but Angel hurried past him. “I’ll
get it. You sit down and stay off that foot. Prop it up on the chair next to
you while you’re at it. It shouldn’t be hanging down. That’s only going to make
it swell up.”

Of all
times, why did his sister have to drop in for a visit? All right, it wasn’t a
visit. He knew she was concerned. But he didn’t need her prying into his
private life.

There
could only be one other person at the door and he it wasn’t his mother. She
wouldn’t leave her… husband. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn.
Bruce still couldn’t force himself to accept Ted as his stepfather.

"I'll
get it." Bruce grabbed for his crutch.

"Don't
bother." Angel left the kitchen quicker than he could and stand up.

Abbey
wouldn't stand a chance beneath his sister's scrutiny. Angel would find out the
answers to anything she wanted to know.

"Hello,
may I help you?" Angel asked.

“Hi,”
Abbey said. She was holding a covered dish in her hands. “I brought Bruce
something to eat.”

“Wasn’t
that thoughtful of her, Bruce?” Angel said in a sweet tone. “So, Abbey?” When
Abbey nodded, Angel continued, “How did you meet my brother?”

“Your
brother?” Abbey looked from Angel to Bruce as if she were looking for the
resemblance.

“Yes,
Bruce is my big brother.”

“Angel
is my sister,” Bruce reiterated. “But don’t let her name fool you.”

Angel
glared at him, then pasted a sickening-sweet smile on her face. The kind she
used when she was ready to interrogate a person. No doubt she would try to find
out if there was
anything
going on between them. His sister was a hopeless
romantic. After ten years of marriage he would have thought she would have
given up on matchmaking and realized there really was no ‘
happily ever
after’
, except in fairy tales.

"Why
don't we go into the kitchen?" Angel took the covered dish from Abbey and
headed down the hall.

Bruce
nodded. "Go ahead."

Abbey
went in front of him and he followed her to the kitchen. Angel sat the dish on
the counter then opened a cabinet and retrieved a bowl.

"It
smells wonderful. What is it?" Bruce sniffed, while he looked over Angel's
shoulder.

"Stew,"
Abbey said.

"I
haven't had stew in a long time. Sounds delicious."

"You
should get off your feet, Bruce." Angel motioned to the kitchen table.

"If
you promise to get off my case." Bruce smiled.

"You
might be bigger, but I certainly have you at a disadvantage." Angel placed
a fist firmly on each hip.

He
reluctantly obeyed, not because of the glare Angel sent him, but because his
leg ached and he needed to prop it up so that his foot wouldn't swell.

“So,
Abbey. You didn’t say how you two met.” Angel pulled out another kitchen chair
and helped Bruce elevate his foot.

“I
really can’t stay long.” Abbey wrung her hands, looking hesitantly at Bruce.

Angel
laughed. “I really get the feeling you aren’t going to tell me how you two met
either.”

“We
bumped into each other. Happy?” Bruce eased his foot off the chair, grabbed his
crutch and stood. “I’ll get your check.”

He could
hear Abbey’s dainty steps following him down the hallway. His sister had the
habit of driving him crazy. No wonder it hadn’t taken her long to run Abbey
off. He knew Abbey didn't want to tell everyone about their embarrassing
encounter.

Bruce
picked up the envelope on the coffee table and turned to Abbey. “
Here.
Next week you can pick up your check from
accounting.”

“Next
week?” Abbey’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, next week?”

“You’re
still working for me… Aren’t you?” Bruce felt his heart miss a beat. He needed
Abbey. Who else could he count on?

“Well,
yes, I mean no. I mean… I’m not exactly working for you.”

Bruce
silenced her with a finger gently laid across her lips. “You can pick up your
check next week at accounting, unless you’d rather me pick it up for you.”

“No…
that will be fine. Thanks.”

Bruce
nodded. “Thanks for bringing me dinner.”

“You’re
welcome.” Abbey blushed. “I really should be going.”

“So
soon?” Angel stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “Hey, we’re
getting together for Easter at my house. Mom’s going to be here and I know
she’d love to meet you. Why don’t you come to church with us and then have
dinner with us afterwards?”

“I don’t
know.” Abbey looked helplessly at Bruce.

His
sister hadn’t even mentioned it to him so he was as surprised as Abbey was.
Bruce didn’t have an excuse for not going except that he needed a ride. Which
was probably what his sister was thinking. Abbey could drive him and then Angel
could derive tidbits of information out of her all afternoon.

“I guess
I could.” Abbey shrugged and looked over her shoulder at Bruce.

Great,
now he was committed. “I’ll let you know the details later. Thanks for stopping
by, Abbey.”

Chapter Six

Week
Two

Shuffling
through papers on his desk, Bruce contemplated talking Abbey out of going to his
family’s house for Easter. He had thought about it a lot since Saturday and
even more on their way to work this morning. Bruce knew it was only because he
wanted an excuse not to go. The thought of Abbey going with him lessened his
trepidation. It had been nearly eight years since his father’s death and a
little over six years since his mother remarried. He shouldn't let the past,
his guilt, or his displeasure over his mother remarrying so quickly keep him
from being with his family.

Knots
wrenched at his gut when he thought back to the Fourth of July eight years
earlier. He should have been at the family gathering. While other people were
taking time off and celebrating, he was busy preparing for a business meeting.
If he had been at the get-together and driven his sister home, his father would
be alive today.

Just then, Abbey walked into his
office carrying two cups of coffee. “Black, like you like it.”

“Thank you.” Bruce took the cup
she offered and set it down on a coaster on his desk. “Since my assistant is on
maternity leave, I would like to have you fill in for her—not just chauffeur me
around. You already know so much about this company it would be very beneficial
to have your input through this transition. Plus, you’ll be well compensated
for your time. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

Abbey covered a yawn and sat down
in the seat opposite his desk. “Sure.”

“Am I boring you?” Bruce thought
Abbey would have been excited. She obviously needed an income and her job at
the grocery store was not something that utilized her talents. He couldn’t
believe she had been working there and helping him simultaneously. If Doris
hadn’t told him, no telling how long Abbey would have gone putting herself
through that grueling schedule. From the shadows beneath her eyes, he guessed
she still hadn't caught up on her sleep.

“Huh?” Abbey blushed. “No.”

“That’s at least the third time
you’ve yawned this morning.”

“I’m sorry,” Abbey said and
yawned again. “I can’t seem to help it.”

“Didn’t you quit your job at the
supermarket?”

Abbey’s eyes widened. “How’d you
know about that?”

“That’s not an answer.
Customarily, if someone asks you a question it’s polite for you to answer. Then
you can ask a question in return. So, did you quit your other job or not?”
Bruce was not going to let her finagle her way out of answering his question.
Abbey had avoided answering his past inquiries concerning her departure from
this company. He'd had to do some investigation of his own, but was as much in
the dark about her employment history as the day he'd met her. Most people he'd
talked to seemed oblivious to the reason for her dismissal. The overall
consensus was genuine disbelief because she had a good reputation with her
peers.

“Yes. Sort of.”

“Sort of? Either you did or you
didn’t.” Bruce leaned his forearms on his desk, folding his hands in front of
him.

Abbey’s mouth quirked up on one
side while she stared at him for a moment. “I put in my notice.”

Bruce sat up straight in his
chair.

“I couldn’t just quit on them,”
Abbey rambled. Bruce could tell how anxious she was by the way she tried to
defend her decision. “They’re
short handed
and it
takes time to train someone else. One of the other cashiers needed time off for
minor surgery, too. I couldn’t just say, ‘Adios, thanks but no thanks,’ and
leave them stranded.”

“That’s commendable on your part,
but how do you expect to keep up with this schedule for very long?”

Abbey didn’t sound like the
irresponsible employee Gary had made her out to be. Her behavior and concern
for others didn’t fit that mold. Bruce couldn’t worry about that right now. For
now, he needed to convince Abbey that it was ridiculous for her to keep up a
pace that was obviously killing her. She could barely stay awake as it was. How
in the world was she going to keep both jobs for an indefinite amount of time?
He needed her. Surely the grocery store could replace her much easier than he
could.

“Ruby, my manager at the grocery
store, said she would call a couple other applicants and hoped to hire someone
else this week. If so, I shouldn’t have to work next week.” Bruce noticed Abbey
had crossed her fingers. That small gesture amused him.

“Good. Do you think you’re up to
taking a letter for me?”

*                                             
*                                             
*

Abbey sat typing at the desk of
an employee who had called in sick. With the hiring freeze initiated after the
company takeover, there were a couple open positions, even her old position,
available in the company. Earlier, she contemplated using the computer in her
old office to type a letter for Bruce, but decided against it when she thought
about the possibility of bumping into Gary. Up until now, they had only seen
each other when Bruce was around. She didn’t fancy the possibility of running
into him alone. The sneers he’d given her in the last week were enough to make
her skin crawl and her stomach acids burn her esophagus. Thinking of it still
made her stomach gurgle. She grabbed a bottle of acid relief medicine from her
purse, shook a couple tablets into her hand and chewed them. As hard as she
tried, she still couldn’t block out the images of his unwelcome advances right
before she'd quit her job.

If she thought it would do any
good she’d tell Bruce what kind of person Gary really was. However, it would be
her word against his. She would sound like a disgruntled ex-employee. No, she
sighed, she couldn’t tell him the truth.

Abbey finished typing her letter.
When she realized there wasn’t any paper in the printer. She headed into the
storage room to get some more. The door clicked quietly behind her. Grabbing a
pack of paper, she turned to leave and collided with a solid object. “Oops.
Sorry…" Her heart pounded in her chest when she realized who it was.
"Gary, I mean Mr. Hartman. I didn’t see you there.”

“So I noticed, among other
things. I find it kind of interesting how you turned up at Abbot &
Ellingsworth
escorted by the new CEO. I’m curious, Abbey.”
Gary reached out and entwined a strand of her hair between his fingers,
twirling it. “Wasn’t I good enough?”

Abbey took a step back.

“I mean, you bypassed me and
headed right for the top." Gary's eyes narrowed. "In fact, I don’t
know of anyone else in lower management who was privy to the information of a
take-over. So how did you find out?”

“I didn’t know about it either
until last week.” Abbey tried to step around Gary but he blocked the exit.

Gary laughed. “Sure. You expect
me to believe that?”

“I don’t care what you believe.”
Abbey shoved past him, her steps picking up pace as she hurried out the door.
For a moment, she sensed he was following her until she heard a deep voice call
his name. She was too nervous to turn and look. Her hands shook as she opened
the package of paper. Half a dozen pieces crinkled on the end when she stuck
them into the slot on the printer. Calm down, she told herself and discarded
the damaged sheets.

*                                             
*                                             
*

The look of fright on Abbey's
face made Bruce's heart rate quicken. When he saw Gary following behind her
from the copy room, it took everything in his power not to yell and chase after
them on crutches.

"Mr. Hartman." Bruce's
voice sounded stern to his own ears, at least it wasn't wobbly from panic.
Whatever happened between Abbey and her previous boss needed to come out in the
open, especially when she looked so fear stricken being around the man.

After a moment, Gary paused in
his steps and turned toward Bruce. "Yes, Mr. Harrington. Did you need
something?"

Bruce clenched his teeth. Gary's
response was well schooled, you'd never know anything had transpired. But
something had. Bruce may not have known Abbey very long, but he could recognize
trouble in the workplace when he saw it. After all, he hadn't risen to the
position of authority as a CEO by not learning to assess his peers or his
competition. "Yes, I'd like to speak to you in your office a moment, if
you don't mind."

"As you wish." Gary led
the way as Bruce shuffled behind him.

Once inside, Gary leaned on the
edge of his desk. Bruce knew this tactic, he'd used it himself. Force the other
person to sit so that you can look down on them. A matter of intimidation. It
wouldn't work. Broken leg or not, Gary didn't know how much he was out of his
league when measured up against Bruce. He may intimidate women, but that was
about as much as the puny weasel could hope for.

How should he play this out?
Bruce needed the best way to make Gary reveal what really happened, something
to throw him off guard so he couldn't distort the truth. He didn't like lying,
but needed to make some vague accusations and let Gary 'fill in the blanks'.
"Miss Martin and I have been talking." Which wasn't a lie. "And
I understand some impropriety has gone on."

Gary laughed. "Oh, please.
You can't believe anything an employee who has been fired says."

"Normally, that may be true,
but since Miss Martin works for the company now, I hardly see how she would
have anything to gain from lying."

Gary frowned.

Score one for Bruce, and thus far
he hadn't fibbed. "So." Bruce sighed, hoping to come off sounding
disappointed. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Look, I'm not the first guy
to get caught up in office romance." Gary shrugged. "And when you
work around hot babes all day who tend to bend over longer than they should,
they're inviting you to come on to them." Gary smiled. "I'm only a
man. You can't expect me not to rise to the challenge."

"Yes, I can." Bruce
felt heat rise in his cheeks. "What you do off the clock is your business,
but when you cross the line in the work place, it becomes the company's
business, more specifically mine."

Gary's expression sobered.
"But—"

"No buts about it. You're
fired." Bruce turned to go, then paused. "Get your things and clear
out of the office immediately. I'll send security to help you to your
car."

Bruce could have almost walked
out of the office without his crutches, more a matter of pride. He should have
felt good about finding out the truth, or part of it. Pressing Gary for more
details would have only ended in assault charges because it took everything in
Bruce not to wring the man's neck. If he found out how far Gary pushed his luck
with Abbey—he didn't want to think about it or he'd turn around and knock the
man upside his head.

Not that Abbey was like a sister
to him, he still felt protective. She didn't deserve to have to deal with this
in the workplace—any place for that matter. Visions of soft green eyes, bouncy,
brown, shoulder-length hair, and wide-eyed innocence racked his gut, his chest
tightened. Bruce paused in the hallway outside his office, pulled out his cell
phone and called security. "Please escort Mr. Hartman from the building
immediately," he emphasized immediately. Otherwise, Bruce wouldn't be
responsible for his actions.

Abbey was dusting bookshelves
when Bruce hobbled into his office. “Hi. I wasn’t sure what you wanted me to do
next,” Abbey said, waving the dust rag in her hand.

Bruce nodded. “That’s fine. It
was probably better that you were in here anyway.”

Pausing, Abbey twisted to look at
him. “What do you mean?”

“I had to let… someone go.”

“Oh.” Abbey’s brow furrowed then
she turned back to the bookshelves and began dusting again. “Anybody I know?”

“Mr. Hartman.” Bruce waited a
moment to see what her reaction would be. Abbey’s rag stopped, but she didn’t
look at him. “Seems he’s prided himself as being a
ladies
man. Unfortunately, he’s crossed the line with a few employees. He’d even
threatened to fire people.”

Bruce knew Abbey was upset when
she began dusting the same shelf she had finished minutes before. “Abbey?”

“What?” her voice was barely a
whisper.

Bruce maneuvered himself around a
leather wingback chair and stopped behind her. He carefully laid his hands on
her shoulders and gently eased her around to face him. A few tears trickled
down her cheeks. His heart constricted in his chest. “Abbey, why were you
really fired?”

“I wasn’t fired.”

“What? But I thought…”

“Gary wanted me to… compromise
myself and I wouldn’t, so I quit. He followed me to his door and hollered,
'You’re fired!' and I knew that if I said anything, it would look like I was
retaliating for being fired." Abbey's tears changed from a trickle to a
stream as she told her side of the story.

Bruce balanced his weight on his
good foot and embraced Abbey. The scent of apple shampoo tickled his senses—her
hair smelled delicious. He chastised himself for allowing his mind to stray.
Extracting a handkerchief from his back pocket, he handed it to her.

“Thank you.”

“Abbey, I’m sorry for what
happened. Mr. Hartman was out of line. It happened before my company took
over." Bruce inhaled a deep breath. "But I feel it is our duty to
reinstate you and compensate your pay. And since it appears we now have a
position open, I’d like to ask you if you would be willing to take over Mr.
Hartman’s previous job?”

“I… I can’t.”