Created In Fire (Art of Love Series) (18 page)

“Are you sure everything’s going to get done?” Lana asked.

“Absolutely,” Carrie said, smiling. “There is always a bit of chaos, but it comes together. You’re distracting me with worry about you. I have lots of things I need to be checking on, but I don’t want you having a meltdown when I need you to be a star later.”

“Okay. I get that I’m in your way. I’ll take a walk,” Lana said, reaching out to pat Carrie on the arm.

“Good,” Carrie said, rubbing Lana’s hand in return. “Make it a long break and you might see some progress when you get back.”

Lana nodded, sighed, and walked off through the mall area.

“Hey, Carrie,” John said, stopping beside her. “I need one minute and then I’ll let you get back to things.”

“Sure,” Carrie replied, tucking the clipboard against her front as she prepared to listen to her boss.

“Are you really engaged to Michael Larson?” he asked.

“Yes,” Carrie said, sighing and standing straighter when she realized it was a personal question and not a business one. “We’re getting married in about two weeks.”

“I never knew you two had that kind of relationship,” John said carefully.

“It’s only been going on a couple months,” Carrie said. “We just got engaged a couple weeks ago. Things have moved a bit fast.”

“Does Lana or Tyler know?” he asked, wondering how the other two artist clients had handled the information.

“No. I haven’t been telling everyone yet. Why do you ask that?” Carrie demanded.

“It’s called conflict of interest. I’m not saying we have one here, but it skirts the edge. If Lana or Tyler makes waves about it, we’re going to have to talk,” John told her.

“I don’t understand the concern,” Carrie said, looking at her boss in surprise.

“If people think you do better event planning work for your future husband than you do for your other clients, they might not take it so well,” John said with a shrug. “Maybe we should talk about shifting Michael’s work to another planner.”

Carrie got it then. She got who had planted the seeds in John and why he’d been watching her so closely today. “Let me guess. Erin told you about me and Michael. I bet she suggested that she take over Michael’s events.”

“Well, it doesn’t really matter who brought the subject up,” John began, only to be interrupted by Carrie’s head shaking.

“No,” Carrie said darkly, “I know you dated Erin and that’s your business. But Erin and Michael dated for years, and that’s mine. You put his events with her and I’ll make sure knowledge of your relationship to her is made public. I’m your senior planner and deserve your professional loyalty no matter who you’ve slept with in the company.”

John’s face flushed. He had forgotten just how fiercely outspoken his senior planner could be, and had learned over the years not to cross her. He didn’t want her leaving because she brought in more money for her events than any two other planners he had. He just didn’t want unhappy clients.

“I’m not trying to upset you, Carrie. This is just one of those business things we need to head off before it becomes a problem. Who would you want to handle Michael’s events if not Erin?” John asked.

“Give them to George,” Carrie said firmly. “I’ll train him to do art events if Michael wants to host another one. George won’t like them as well, but it will give him experience. Michael’s contract is up after two more pieces. There’s a buyer for one who’s hovering on the line. That leaves George moving just the last one. Michael can choose a new planner with you after that.”

“Look—I’m sorry. I should have probably waited to talk to you about this next week at the office. I didn’t think you’d react so strongly. You’re always so level headed about office politics,” John said. “Let’s get together next week and talk this through completely. Maybe we can postpone the planner move until Michael renews his contract.”

“Fine. Whatever you want. Now you’ll have to excuse me so I can get this day from hell over with. Go be a supportive boss, John. Get Erin out of my sight today unless you want a scene at Lana’s art show. If she says anything to me, I will not be accountable for my reaction. I’ve had all the melodrama out of her I can handle this week”

Carrie started to walk off but changed her mind. She was tired of slaying dragons and watching them get back up and attack her again. “You also need to tell my new assistant, who also used to sleep with my future husband, that she’s going to be road kill soon if she doesn’t start doing her damn job,” Carrie said. “Lana and her work deserve a lot more than she’s getting from this company, but I can’t do it all by myself. Find me some women to work with who haven’t slept with Michael.”

“Fine. Sure. I’ll—I’ll take care of things,” John said, realizing that Erin had not been as honest about the situation as he’d credited her with being. She’d said Carrie wasn’t in love with Michael, but John could see that wasn’t the truth.

Damn Larson for sleeping around in his company, John thought, then winced at the hypocrisy. He’d been flirting with Carrie for years too, but she’d never given dating her boss a serious thought. Larson had never been successful with her until now either, and Carrie’s support of him had been a total surprise.

But you couldn’t change history, John thought. You could only deal with the present. Business-wise, he was grateful Carrie’s loyalty to the work was keeping her on task.

John agreed with Carrie that Lana and her work deserved their best efforts. It didn’t need to be a substitute bone between snarling dogs. He had no doubt that if Michael Larson had come strolling in, it would have been more than a scene now that Carrie was so mad at Erin and him. The woman had a devilish temper. It was about her only fault.

Pulling out his cell, John made a couple calls to get some replacements to help Carrie. Then he went to tell Erin and a couple others that they were no longer needed today.

Chapter 13

When Lana came back after lunch, Carrie was calmer. She was still mad, but satisfied to have finished slaying two of the dragons. Now they were really dead and gone from her sight. If she had her way, she’d never work with them again, which is why her conversation with John had also goaded her into making a decision she should have made long ago.

She was going to resign Monday and couldn’t believe how much peace of mind even thinking about leaving her job promised. Maybe it was running away, but the prospect cheered her. Maybe it was just knowing she had fought the fight long enough on the battleground she and Michael had chosen. Even if the past was the past, she was still tired of confronting women he had slept with around every corner. She was tired of working in a place that caused her so much emotional grief.

Instead of two weeks notice, she was going to give four months. That would take her out to almost the end of the pregnancy and allow her to fill her commitments at work. The last bit of time she would prepare for the baby and plan what to do with the rest of her life.

Several windfalls of commission over the years had helped her build a savings that would allow her some time to choose. Maybe she would look for work in a gallery somewhere. Maybe after the baby was born and Michael had full custody, she’d move to Bowling Green, live close to Darla and Alison for a while.

Either way, she was for damn sure not going to be slaying any more of Michael Larson’s dragons after four months from now.

And the next time she developed a relationship with a man, she was going look for a guy that would be all hers.

“Hey,” Lana said, looking around and smiling. “You were right. This looks great now.”

Carrie smiled. “It’s the way the process works. Art out of chaos—I’m sure you get that.”

Lana nodded, her gaze taking in Carrie’s hands as she arranged cloths over the tables, where her paintings would be featured.

“Wow, Carrie. What a beautiful ring. Somebody really loves you,” Lana said, laughing. “Who’s the guy?”

Carrie stopped, looked up to meet Lana’s gaze. “Michael Larson.”

It surprised her when Lana just smiled and laughed.

“That doesn’t surprise me a bit. I went to a show you did for him before I signed with John,” she said. “Michael watched every move you made all evening. At first I thought he was worried about the job you were doing, then I followed his line of vision to your legs. I asked him if you were worth your commission. He said you were worth everything. I thought that was a little melodramatic, but I guess he was gone on you even then.”

“We only got together a couple months ago,” Carrie said, going back to her task and trying not to regret shutting Michael out back then.

“Does the man move slow or do you?” Lana asked. “What I’m talking about happened a couple years ago.”

“I was probably married at the time,” Carrie said flatly. “When I wasn’t married, Michael wanted to date me, but I kept turning him down. I didn’t trust him back then.”

“Do you trust him now?” Lana asked, coming to help with the cloths.

Carrie laughed. “I guess I do in some things, but he’s too popular with women to be an easy man to be involved with in a serious relationship.”

“They’re usually the best kind of guy though, right? There’s usually a good reason they’re so popular,” Lana said, teasing.

Carrie nodded. “Yes. I guess that can be true. In Michael’s case, I didn’t have to look far to find his appeal.”

Carrie looked at the laughing woman and couldn’t stop herself from asking what she wanted to know. John had planted seeds of doubt, but she was determined not to let them take root and grow. If she was being biased to clients, Carrie decided, she needed to know so she could correct the situation.

“Can I ask you a question, Lana? I need you to be honest.”

Lana frowned. “Sure—I guess. What do you want to know?”

“Does my relationship with Michael make you think I’m going to do a bad job for you?” Carrie asked, stopping to listen.

Lana looked shocked, and then she looked around.

“Are you kidding? No. That’s laughable. I’m still coming to terms with my work being worth this kind of trouble in the first place. You have a way of making an artist feel like their work is valuable. I can certainly understand Michael falling in love with you. If I was a lesbian, I’d go for you myself just to have you look in my eyes and tell me how great I am all the time.”

“You
are
great, and that’s the best compliment I’ve had in ages,” Carrie said, grinning. “If I was a lesbian, I’d probably say yes to you. Unfortunately, I seem to fall for the worst guy-guys God makes.”

Lana giggled, then sighed as her work came in the door, framed and shining.

Carrie grinned. “Finally, something is going right today. Those look amazing.”

She walked to the movers that worked for her company, greeting them with a smile.

“Match the picture plaque to the easel plaque. Mount the 3-D ones on the pegs on the side boards. Try to put one large piece and two small ones on each.”

Lana beamed at the art and then at Carrie. “This is why I like working with you. You look at my art like I do. I’m surprised you aren’t an artist yourself.”

“Never had the urge even,” Carrie said sincerely, “but I did hang around them in college. I have—I guess I would call it an appreciation for personal expression. I never get tired of watching Michael work. His patio is a metal shop. I can sit at the kitchen table and watch him work just beyond the doors.”

“God, I hope someone falls that much in love with me one day. Michael is so lucky you feel that way about him,” Lana said to her.

Carrie’s smile faded as the truth of Lana’s statement hit her. She closed her eyes to stave off the instant tears the knowledge that she loved him brought.

“Oh—I’m stupid. So stupid,” Carrie said, rubbing her forehead. “What did I think would happen?”

“Are you okay?” Lana asked.

Carrie nodded. “Yes. Sorry. I—I—I think I forgot something. And I need a bathroom break.”

“For heaven’s sakes—go,” Lana said, laughing. “I can help them place the art.”

Carrie nodded, saying nothing in reply. She turned to leave and walked to the nearest restroom. Once inside, she went to the mirror, emotionally sick when she saw the truth written on her face.

She was in love with Michael Larson, probably always had been, probably never really got over him. No matter what she had done—it was still the truth for her.

It was only a matter of seconds before physical sickness followed the epiphany.

Carrie was retching in a stall, when she saw a worn pair of expensive cowboy boots under the door.

“Carrie?” a deep female voice called.

“Jessica?” Carrie said in return, stopping only to empty the rest of her stomach.

“Oh, honey,” Jessica said. “Can I get you anything?”

“A big handful of wet paper towels,” Carrie said. “It’s easing now. I think the worst is over.”

Jessica was walking back to the stall when Carrie came stumbling out. Jessica put her arm around her and handed her the wet towels. “Let’s get you to the couch I saw in the entrance.”

Carrie nodded, grateful for the help.

“Stressful day?” Jessica asked.