The Player (4 page)

She was going to die of embarrassment.

Her first mistake had been asking for a second drink. Then a third. And so on. She couldn’t hold her liquor, as evidenced by her behavior the night before. Or by how little of it she remembered. She groaned and squeezed her eyes tight. No matter what she’d done—or hadn’t done—it chafed her that she’d lost control. Blair did
not
lose control. Ever.

But there was still the question of why he’d spent the night with her. She couldn’t help wondering if they’d had sex and then redressed. She couldn’t imagine Garrett staying with her otherwise. But if that was the case, she’d cheated on Neil. Regardless of whether anything had actually happened, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she still wanted him. Even after all these years and what he’d done to her. She wanted him, and that in and of itself was the same as cheating.

The thought made her want to throw up.

She was just like her father.

She shuddered, and the flight attendant was at her side in moments. One of the perks of business class. “Do you need a blanket, Ms. Hansen?”

Blair smiled up at her. “No. I’m fine. Thanks.” Of course, she was anything
but
fine. She prided herself on never falling to pieces, no matter what the situation, but now she felt like a shattered sheet of glass. And she had no idea what to do about that.

Her plane landed after nine, and she checked her phone to see multiple missed calls during the flight from the office and one from Neil. She groaned as she pulled her carry-on bag from the overhead bin. She hadn’t called anyone the night before to tell them about being grounded in Phoenix.

She called her assistant as she walked to the terminal.

“Oh, my God, Blair!” Melissa gushed as soon as she answered. “I’ve been worried sick. I tried to call you last night, and you never answered.”

“I’m sorry. I got stuck in Phoenix overnight—gusting winds or some such shit. I just landed, but I’m going to be late. Stall Lopez for the deposition.” She chuckled. “That shouldn’t be too hard. I doubt he’s eager to see me after our last encounter.”

“Um . . . Lopez couldn’t make it. They’ve sent someone else from his firm, but he’s going to be late too. He says he should be here around eleven.”

“They change attorneys last minute, and the new guy can’t even bother to show up on time? Never mind.” Blair shook her head, getting angry as she maneuvered her rolling bag through the mass of people standing at the gate. She wasn’t going to be on time either, but it was the principle of the matter. “Then I’m going home to shower. I slept in my clothes last night, and I don’t have a clean change of clothes in my bag.”

“But you have an appointment at ten forty-five with Ben Stuart. In his office.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she stopped moving, causing a man to slam into her back. He broke out into a string of curses as she moved to the side. “Wait. Ben? Why?”

“He didn’t say, but he told me to keep it secret. Off the books, even.”

She sucked in a breath. Ben was a junior partner, and although he’d introduced Blair to Neil two years ago, they rarely spoke, and they
never
had meetings.

She started walking again. If she was meeting with Ben, then she definitely needed a shower and a change of clothes. Something was amiss. “But I was supposed to be in the deposition at ten. When did he request the meeting?”

“He came down here looking for you this morning. He found out about the deposition delay and told me to have you swing by his office at ten forty-five.”

“You didn’t tell him you didn’t know where I was, did you?” she asked in a panic.

“Do you take me for an amateur? No, I covered for you.”

True, she’d been in L.A. for a work matter, and she couldn’t help the plane delays, but no one at Sisco, Sisco, and Reece liked to hear excuses. And Blair did her damnedest to make sure she never needed one. While Ben was only a junior partner, he still had voting power, and it was rumored he had influence with the senior partner Robert Sisco Sr. himself. “Thanks, Melissa. I owe you,” she said as she hurried through the sliding glass doors and out into the August heat.

August was miserable in Kansas City. It was hot
and
humid, and it was landlocked besides, so there was no escaping to the beach. Why Neil’s parents had insisted on an August wedding was beyond her, but it wasn’t worth fighting over. She wasn’t one of those girls who made a huge fuss over wedding frills, although that wasn’t to say she wasn’t obsessed over the details. The senior and junior partners at the firm were invited to the wedding, and they and their wives would critique every detail, down to the distance between the tines on the salad forks. Blair wasn’t about to give them a single reason to deny her partnership.

Melissa lowered her voice. “There are rumors going around that they’re about to offer someone a partnership. Maybe the meeting is about that. Just take me with you when you get Rolland’s corner office, and we’ll call it good.”

While Blair hoped it was true, she couldn’t see how. A senior partner would be offering her the position, not a junior partner. “You know I wouldn’t dream of leaving you behind. I can’t function without you. Speaking of the corner office, have you checked with the caterer?”

“Yes, he left a message that they’re substituting shrimp for the crab. I plan to call him and let him know there will be absolutely
no
substitutions. His contract says they are part of the menu, and the fact that they’ve gone up in price isn’t our concern.”

Blair felt a stab of guilt. Ordinarily, she would have let the crab legs go, but Robert Sr. loved crab legs. She’d heard stories of Robert Sr. walking out of dinners that didn’t provide them, and she needed him to stay for at least half the reception. Rumor had it that he was happy if he stayed until the dancing started. She wasn’t about to push her luck. “Good. Anything else I should be aware of?”

“Um. . .” She hesitated. “I’ll tell you when you get in.”

Blair stopped next to her car and dug her keys out of her purse. “No, tell me now. I can’t take any more surprises.” She liked to be prepared for any outcome, and surprises left her scrambling.

“Dr. Fredrick’s mother called. She has another change.”

“What? What is it this time?” Blair stopped, her car door half-open. His mother had been nothing short of a nightmare with all her changes and substitutions. Debra Fredrick was a tacky, judgmental, small-town, small-minded woman who had already involved herself in every minute decision involving the wedding. Blair had agreed to some of her suggested changes to keep peace, like putting Neil’s brother’s fiancée in charge of the guest book to give her a role in the wedding. Or like agreeing to her tacky rehearsal dinner plans. After all, any negotiation was about picking your battles, and it had been much more important to refuse Debra’s suggestion that the groom’s cake be changed to a clown. Apparently Neil had been one of the only children in the world to love clowns rather than finding them terrifying. Blair shuddered to imagine what the woman wanted, especially since her demands had gotten more and more outrageous the closer they got to the wedding. Just last week she’d nixed Debra’s plan of releasing doves with helium balloons tied to the birds’ feet. Blair had tried to convince her it was unnecessary since the birds were capable of flight. Nothing had swayed her, so Melissa had made an anonymous call, and Debra had found herself facing the very real threat of PETA picketing outside the church and ruining the wedding.

“She says her mother is switching out Neil’s friend Sean for Neil’s cousin from San Diego as one of his groomsmen.”

Blair threw her purse across the driver’s seat. “You have
got
to be kidding me.”

“I wish I was.” She could practically hear Melissa’s cringe.

Blair groaned as she wrestled her suitcase into the backseat. “Unless he’s five foot two, he’ll never fit in Sean’s tux. They’ll need his measurements, and he probably won’t be here until Friday, and God only knows if they’ll even have a tux in his size—”

“I’m on it, Blair. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” Her voice broke, and embarrassment washed through her. Her encounter with Garrett had affected her more than she liked. She needed to get her shit together. She couldn’t afford to look like one of those emotional brides. Even with Melissa. One of the things the partners at her firm liked most about her was that she rarely showed emotion. She wasn’t about to start now. “I’ll be there by ten forty-five. Make sure Mrs. Norfolk knows the deposition has been postponed, and make sure she has her—”

“Half-caf, soy-milk latte. I know, Blair. Go shower. I’ll have everything ready for you when you get here.”

“Thanks.” She hung up and headed out of the parking lot. As soon as she paid her parking fee, she called Neil, guilt washing through her. Should she confess about her encounter with Garrett? But she had no idea what had even happened. Maybe she should wait and see if she remembered more details as the day went on. Lost in her turmoil, she was surprised when he answered. He was usually tied up with rounds in the morning. She’d expected to leave a message.

“Hey . . . Blair . . .” He sounded distracted. And out of breath. “How was your trip? What time did you get in last night?”

“You weren’t at my condo?” she asked in surprise, scrambling with what to say. “I got stuck in Phoenix. Weather. Sorry I didn’t call. Why aren’t you at work?”

“I figured you got hung up. It was late when I got off, so I just stayed at my place. I don’t have to be at the hospital for another hour. But hey, while I have you, I wanted to make sure you didn’t forget about the family dinner tonight.”

She shook her head in confusion, even if he couldn’t see it. “What family dinner? We’re all going to Boulevard Brewery for the tasting and dinner Thursday night.”

“Sorry, Blair. Mom’s decided to have a pre-wedding festivity dinner tonight at a barbeque restaurant. Just you, me, Mom, and Dad.”

“You did
not
tell me that.” If he had, she would have nixed it right away. Which was probably why she was only hearing about it now. Blair had no delusions about the real reason Debra Fredrick was in town four days early. This was her pathetic attempt at a power grab over the remaining details of the wedding. She was hoping Blair would be too busy with her job to notice—a job Debra Fredrick hated, but would use to her advantage, nonetheless.

“Well, now you know. And you
have
to go. Mom said she left a message with Melissa, so I’m sure you already heard the news, but my asshole cousin is going to be in the wedding. Mom’s about ready to have a seizure.”

“If you think he’s an asshole, then why the hell are you having him in the wedding?” And why hadn’t he told her himself?

“I’m not. And neither is Mom, so don’t take it out on her. This change has been decreed by Nana Ruby.”

“Well, just tell her no. Your mom needs to get her under control, Neil.” She sounded dismissive and mean, but she was already on edge. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

“Tell you what.
You
tell Nana Ruby no. You’ll get your chance tomorrow night. She’s coming early and has declared Thursday to be Family Fun Day.”

There was the sound of running water in the background, and she was almost certain she heard a woman’s voice. “Is someone with you?” Suspicion had crept into her voice, catching her by surprise. She was obviously deflecting her own guilt.

He paused. “It’s the television, Blair. One of those morning talk shows with women hosts. What are you accusing me of?” His voice was tight with anger.

“Nothing. Sorry.” She was really losing it. Neil had the libido of a sloth. He was the last person she’d suspect of cheating. It was one of his most appealing traits.

“Mom’s going to text you the address of the restaurant. She says to be there by six.”

She stifled a groan. The last thing she needed was a night of
fun
with his mother. “I’ll try my best.”

“There is no try. Only do.” His tone was stern, but she heard the hint of teasing.

Blair rolled her eyes, but she felt a stab of nostalgia. He’d been so horrified to learn she’d never seen
Star Wars
that he’d insisted on a six-movie marathon to make up for lost time. That was back at the beginning of their relationship, when they used to have fun. She couldn’t remember when that had changed. “Whatever, Yoda. See you later.”

As she hung up, she mulled over the fact that they hardly ever said I love you. Megan and her husband said it to each other often enough to make everyone sick . . . but still sort of happy for them. And then there was that other issue. She and Neil had sex once a week, which was more often than they professed their love. But it had been that way for a while, and she hadn’t had a problem with it yesterday morning. Why did it suddenly bother her today? That damn Garrett. He was ruining everything all over again.

Her chest felt tight, and she sucked in several deep breaths. Cold feet. That’s all this was. It was normal to feel nervous right before such a life-changing experience. She would have called Megan to talk about it, but the last thing she wanted to hear about right now was Megan’s super-happy, crazy-in-love domestic life. It would only make things worse.

Libby. Blair could call her other best friend, Libby.

She pressed the speed dial number and instantly had second thoughts. Megan, Libby, and Blair had been best friends since kindergarten. Even back in grade school Libby was notorious for sleeping late, so there was a chance she would wake her up, but her friend answered after the second ring.

“Hey, Blair!”

“Why do you sound so awake? And chipper?”

“I just dropped Noah off at Megan’s dad’s office . . . well I guess it’s his office now too.”

Blair blinked. “Why were
you
taking him to the office?”

“He and Josh are only in town from Seattle for a couple of meetings and the wedding, so they’re sharing a rental car to save expenses. Noah and I went out to breakfast this morning, so I dropped him off.”

Megan’s father’s engineering firm had recently merged with Josh and Noah’s firm in Seattle. Somewhere in the middle of Josh and Megan’s whirlwind courtship, Noah and Libby had become friends.
Close
friends from the sound of things, which wouldn’t have been so strange if Noah weren’t a serial womanizer and Libby didn’t hop from man to man. “Did you finally break up with Mitch?”