Deceptive Nights (24 page)

He sighed before answering and Phoebe had a
feeling he wasn’t speaking of the subject that was really on his
mind. “She’s getting better. There was inflammation in her pancreas
and she couldn’t leave the hospital until she was able to eat.
We’re flying home tonight on the red eye. She’ll need a lot of
rest.”

“
You’re a very good son.
She’s blessed to have you.” Phoebe complimented him, loving how
deep his voice became as he spoke about his mother. “Although she
hasn’t been near you all your life, you seem very close to
her.”

“
She’s an extraordinary
women Phoebe. I hope you can meet her soon.”

Phoebe used his words back at him. “Only
unless you want me too.”

He chuckled more to himself, but didn’t
respond to her statement. There was this weird tension between them
and she was positive there was a lot more that needed to be spoken
about, but neither he nor her wished to speak about it.

Phoebe didn’t think now was a good time to
speak personally about anything. “Why did you call me?”

His tone of voice became very serious. “To
let you know Abraham Blue, my attorney, is going to come into the
office to deliver some information. I need you to fax it to me in
Lansing as soon as you get it. I have a meeting with some Chicago
people up here early Monday morning and I need a copy of what
Abraham has. Can you do that for me?”

“
No problem. Will there be
anything else?” She did not think this was a good time to speak
with him about her personal feelings at this time.

“
No, Phoebe, I should make
it into town late Monday morning, but as you can see I have a lot
of meetings all this week. Did you make all the necessary
arrangements with each one?”

“
Yes. The conference rooms
are booked down at the technology center just like you wanted and
I’ve set up the account with them. I made sure all the copies are
made and I’ve set up the catering as well.”

“
I knew I would not be
disappointed in hiring you.”

“
I’m glad I could keep your
confidence in me, Jacoby.”

“
Goodnight,
Phoebe.”

Before she could respond, he hung up and
Phoebe was left holding the phone staring at the receiver wondering
what she could she have said to make him see how she felt. He said
he never mixed business with pleasure so when would be a good time
to fit a personal situation in with the business.

Lying down in bed, her last thought was that
this was why she never got involved with office personnel and she
should know way better than to be involved with her boss.

Chapter 26

On her first day at work, she didn’t mind the
quietness of the office. Cathy had helped her set up the email
system for the office and Desmond had come over during the weekend
and made sure all of her electronic equipment was working
correctly. Cathy had told her there was a stipend to hire temp’s if
needed for any extra typing or filing, but Jacoby was very
organized man and his marketing team - which he referred to his
other employees - were very hard working and hardly at the office.
It was her job to make sure they received any communication that
Jacoby had for them and each team member was in charge of a certain
client. Phoebe was needed to make sure that if the team member’s
assistant couldn’t complete something, they would come to her for
help.

According to Cathy, the assistant’s came into
the office more than the team members who preferred to either work
at home or on the road. Cathy had everything organized and properly
address for Phoebe, so she had no problems finding things.

Jacoby had left a list of instructions of
things he needed for upcoming meetings. Cathy would still assist
her for about another month if she needed anything.

Phoebe was nervous knowing she was going to
see him late that afternoon until he shot her an email around three
to let her know he had something personal to do up in Lansing and
would not make it down for their meeting. Checking his calendar,
she saw that he would not be getting back in Detroit for another
week to attend the marketing meeting unless he made a special trip,
which she didn’t think he would do on her account. Not after what
she had done to him.

Throughout the week, there was not even a
hint that he really wanted to speak to her except for business
purposes. He called every morning at nine on the nose to get any
messages he had missed or any e-mail’s he needed to know about. He
was always saying “please” or “thank you,” and he never got upset,
but Cathy had told her this was his natural behavior when Phoebe
questioned her about it.

“
You can fuck up so bad you
want to bury your head in the ground, but he’s not one to get
upset. If you tell him you can’t fix something, he’ll help you out.
He’s cool like that,” Cathy explained. “Just don’t try to hide
anything from him. That pisses him off.”

On Thursday afternoon when it was getting
near the end of the day, Amy called up unexpectedly. She updated
Phoebe on what was going on. Madeline, Latrice, and Simon would be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law for embezzlement and
fraud. Amy said the rumor was that they would get up to thirty
years apiece if convicted.

“
It’s been pretty quiet
otherwise although I was shocked that Joseph bailed Simon out of
jail. Simon is not on this property or in any of his father’s other
business and just has to sit around and wait for trial. Madeline
and Latrice are broke and couldn’t make the million dollar bail
that the judge ordered.”

“
That is terrible, but why
would Joseph get his son out of jail?”

“
It’s his only boy, what do
you expect? But you better be careful, because I heard Joseph and
Simon arguing about you. Joseph was telling Simon to stay away from
you. Simon called you a few choice names. There might be some
repercussions.”

“
I’ll be careful,” Phoebe
promised. “Thanks Amy.”

“
So how’s the dream job
coming?” Amy asked excitedly.

“
It’s a dream, if you must
know.”

“
You do sound bothered
though. What’s up?”

“
It’s personal Amy.”
Although she had known Amy a short time, Phoebe felt comfortable
speaking with her about her present dilemma. “There’s this guy who
I think I hurt badly because I was too hung up over the hurt my
ex-husband did to me. Now that I’m over the hurt, I think I might
have done too much damage to this guy to even get back with
him.”

“
Did you hurt him on
purpose?” Amy asked.

“
Oh Jesus, no Amy. I never
meant to hurt him. He does things to me that I never want him to
stop doing.”

“
Have you told him what he
does?”

“
I don’t think it will
help.”

“
What’s the worst that
could happen?”

Phoebe snorted unladylike. “He could laugh in
my face. He could tell me exactly where I could put my heart.”

“
He could hug you to death
and kiss you all over, but at least you tell him.”

Phoebe sighed. “My mother said the same
thing, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“
How so?”

“
He’s my boss.”

Amy chortled. “You’re in love with your
boss.”

“
I never said it was love,”
Phoebe protested weakly mad at herself at admitting this out
loud.

“
You didn’t have to. Just
your tone of voice and the intensity you’ve expressed yourself
easily tells me that you love this man, but your boss Phoebe? You
know dating office personnel is never a good practice unless it’s
your husband. Now that wouldn’t be so bad, but Jacoby Knight is not
a man who intends to marry too soon.”

“
That’s what makes it so
bad. On top of that I never can find a good time, since everything
we do is all business. What am I suppose to say? If that’s all the
notes you want me to take we can adjourn to the couch and bump
uglies.”

Amy laughed so hard, it became contagious and
Phoebe couldn’t help herself at her own silliness. “Now that’s a
good one,” Amy said through her howl of laughter. When they were
able to calm down again, Amy asked, “How did he get to you if I may
be so bold to ask?” Phoebe giggled more to herself blushing from
head to toe. Amy must have sensed this embarrassment and asked,
“Not all the juicy details, but what was it about him that made you
so attracted to him.”

Phoebe didn’t have to think hard about that.
“It’s the way he made me feel like a queen in his arms and when we
are together, I’m so happy that I want to scream which I think I’ve
done quite a few times.”

Amy snickered. “Do you think he feels as
intensely as you do about him?”

“
I think he did until I
hurt him. Now all I get is business talk. How am I supposed to even
try to get close to him again when he doesn’t mix business with
pleasure, Amy?”

“
Sometimes you have to make
him break the rules, Phoebe. Seduce him. If you do to him, what he
does to you, any small seduction will work.”

“
Amy, you’re confusing
me.”

Amy described in detail what Phoebe should do
and although it had Phoebe’s cheek blazing, Amy had a pretty good
idea on how to drive a man crazy.

Chapter 27

Desmond only raised a brow at the outburst
that shot out of Jacoby’s mouth. It was so unexpected that he
couldn’t believe Jacoby had said it and the look on his face told
Jacoby clearly Desmond thought he had just past through the
Twilight Zone. “Come again, brother? Stick my opinion where?”

Jacoby sat back in the chair and huffed.
“Just forget it.”

“
Do you know for the past
three weeks, you’ve been sounding like a sailor?” Desmond pointed
out.

“
If you don’t like it, then
quit talking to me,” Jacoby snapped.

“
That’s another thing.
You’re so damn snappy.”

“
I’m not snappy!” Jacoby
snapped.

Desmond chuckled. “If I didn’t know better,
I’d say you weren’t getting your daily rations of sex.”

Jacoby didn’t say anything and if a feather
had touched Desmond, he would have fallen over as if a Mack truck
had hit him.

“
You’re pulling my leg,
Jake.”

Jacoby closed his eyes and leaned his head
back. “If I were, I’d have enough strength to yank it off about
now. I feel like I’m wearing my pants to damn tight, but if I go
back to that damn tailor anymore the man’s just going to adjust my
pants to the next size.”

“
Are you trying to say you
haven’t had sex in a while?” Desmond asked.

“
A while?!” Jacoby snapped.
“Dammit, I haven’t had sex in over a month.” He looked at his
watch. “If you want me to be fucking exact I’m at one month, five
days, eight hours and fifty four fucking minutes as of three
seconds ago.”

Desmond burst out laughing so hard tears
streamed down his face. Jacoby found nothing funny and sat there
glaring at him with no expression on his face. This made Desmond
laugh even harder.

“
You’ve got to be kidding
me, Jake,” Desmond said when he could be understood. “Is this over
Phoebe?”

“
What do you
think?”

“
I think you’re wasting
your time on her, which is the same thing I said to Lawrence who’s
lost his marbles.”

“
I haven’t lost any damn
marbles.”

“
You have if you’re saving
yourself for her. Like I told him and you, she doesn’t care what
the two of you feel.”

“
That’s not true,
Desmond.”

Desmond sighed. “Is this why you’ve been
hiding in my office all week instead of going to Detroit? You’re
the one who offered her the position. If she’s not working out then
fire her and get another person.”

“
But that’s the problem,
Desmond, she’s working out great, but I think if I go around her I
might attack her.”

“
You can’t hide from her,
Jacoby. That’s not normal.”

“
I’m just trying to stay
away from her enough for her to come to her senses.”

“
What senses?”

“
To realize she loves me,”
Jacoby said simply.

“
Now I think you’ve lost
your marbles for real. She’s deceiving the both of you.”

“
How so? Just the other day
you told me she admitted to Lawrence she still has some feelings
for me she just couldn’t explain it. Trust me Desmond, she’s coming
around.”

“
But at this rate you’re
going to wither and die if it isn’t soon.”

Jacoby huffed knowing Desmond was right. “I
just need something to make her see Lawrence is a bad choice.”

“
I take it she doesn’t know
the truth about Lawrence.”

Jacoby smiled wickedly. “I think you’ve given
me the answer to my problem, Desmond.”

“
You wouldn’t!” Desmond
gasped.

Jacoby flipped through Desmond’s address book
to find the number to Lawrence’s previous address. “All’s fair in
love and war, Desmond.”

“
So you love
her?”

“
Damn Skippy, but I’m not
admitting it to her until she admits it to me.”

Desmond sighed exasperated. “This is
ridiculous. If you know she feels the same as you do, why don’t you
just tell her.”

“
Because I’m too damn
stubborn and I’ve waited so damn long that I think I deserve a damn
good I love you from her before I allow myself to give in.” Jacoby
smiled brightly as he picked the card out the Rolodex he was
looking for.