Chance Encounters Read online

  “Forgiven.” Clay smiled and kissed her lips. “Congratulations on the promotion. You deserve it.”

  “Thanks, baby,” she said, while looking into his hazel eyes.

  Chapter Seven

  Bailey stood inside Caroline’s work cubicle and practically shouted, “So you didn’t even tell him?”

  Caroline shushed her friend and whispered, “I told Jackson. But I didn’t even tell my own boyfriend.”

  “Shut.Up.” Bailey said, all overly dramatic.

  “I’m not kidding. I never freaking told Clay,” Caroline continued, “and the worst part…”

  “There’s a worse part?” Bailey interrupted.

  Caroline glared at her. “I thought I told him. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t.”

  “That is a worse part,” Bailey agreed.

  “And then he tried to apologize.”

  “Of course he did,” her eyes rolled.

  “This is serious!” Caroline raised her voice in frustration.

  Bailey’s voice softened somewhat. “Okay. What the hell did he apologize for?”

  “For being a bad boyfriend…because he’s always working.”

  “Are you kidding me? What is this guy? A freaking saint?”

  “Pretty much.” Caroline looked into Bailey’s bright blue eyes and asked, “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  Bailey laughed and pretended to count on her fingers. “Where should I start?”

  Caroline let out a huff. “Bails, seriously. What is wrong with me? What am I doing?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with you,” she responded sternly.

  “Then why am I talking to some other guy when I’m currently dating a saint?”

  “Maybe sainthood isn’t as appealing as it once was.”

  “Do you think that’s it?” Caroline’s head spun. Thoughts came at her with warp speed. “No, of course that’s not it. I mean, I love Clay.”

  Bailey put her hands on top of Caroline’s and gave them a friendly squeeze. “Maybe it’s not enough any more?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m not saying anything. You are.”

  Caroline shooed Bailey away and sent a text message to Tracey. “I need to talk to you. Call me when you have a sec.”

  “Having dinner at my mom’s tonight. I’ll call you when I get in the car.”

  When her phone finally rang, Caroline took it outside and filled Tracey in on the latest.

  “I told you this guy was bad news,” Tracey chastised.

  “He is not bad news. I’m the one who’s going around screwing my whole life up.”

  “Things have gone too far…listen to yourself!”

  Caroline held the phone away from her face as Tracey’s muffled voice shouted from the receiver. She slowly brought it closer to her ear in time to hear, “How has this one random guy screwed you up this much? I’ve never heard you act like this—not even when you first met Clay.”

  “I didn’t feel this way about Clay.” Caroline’s voice shook with guilt.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I don’t know, Tray. It’s just…different,” she said, as she stumbled for the right words.

  “Well, you have to stop talking to him,” Tracey insisted.

  “I can’t do that,” Caroline admitted flatly.

  “Can’t, or won’t?”

  “Probably a little of both, I think.”

  “Do you even love Clay any more?”

  The question’s brutal honesty stung and Caroline winced. “Of course I love Clay.”

  “Can you imagine not being with him?” Tracey asked coldly.

  A sick feeling washed over Caroline. “Just the idea of that makes me want to throw up.”

  “Good,” Tracey said with relief.

  “Good?” Caroline asked, confused.

  “Not being with Clay makes you sick to think about…that’s a good thing. You love him more than you think you do. Hey, I’m at my mom’s. Can I call you later?”

  “Of course. Tell Mom I miss her.” Caroline thought back to the many times she and Johnny had gone to Tracey’s mother’s house during college. With the home-cooked meals and the constant fussing, being there felt like being home.

  Conflict overwhelmed Caroline’s mind as she took a deep breath and headed back into the office. What if Tracey was right?

  ****

  Clay had noticed that since Caroline’s return from New York, things hadn’t been the same. She was different somehow, distant. He wouldn’t have thought much of it if the whole promotion discussion hadn’t come up last night.

  He wandered the halls of his office when Gina, a pretty brunette who was also an intern, walked up to him. “Can I help you with anything, Clay?”

  Clay stopped and looked at her. “Clay?” she repeated.

  Clay blinked his eyes a few times. “I’m sorry, Gina. I’m out of it. What did you say?”

  Gina flashed a big smile. “I just asked if you needed any help.”

  “Thanks so much, but I’ve got it.” Clay raised his file folders full of papers up in the air and shook them gently.

  “Clay?” she asked, as he turned away. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, fine. Thanks for asking.” He answered with a smile and continued into the copy room.

  Gina was a stunner. There was no doubt about that. She had bright eyes and short brown hair that suited her bubbly personality. She reminded him of a pixie. Clay liked how friendly she was with everyone she met. She was also smart and that turned him on, had he allowed himself to be turned on by anyone other than Caroline.

  Caroline.

  He found himself lost in thoughts of her again. What was it that made Caroline seem so distant lately? At first he thought it was the loss of Johnny, but later sensed there was more to it than that. Night after night he had tried to get close to her, but she often complained about being tired and instead of asking him about his day, she opted for sleep, or her television shows. He could see in her eyes that she no longer lit up when he walked through their apartment door and he couldn’t figure out what had made them get so off track. Convinced it was his fault, he wracked his brain for every moment, or piece of a conversation that seemed wrong.

  When he couldn’t pinpoint it, he got desperate. Desperate for the old Caroline to come back to him…the one who couldn’t wait for him to get home from work…the one who talked nonstop about the future. Their future. He needed things to be right with her. She balanced him, and if she was out of balance, everything was out of whack. His world made sense as long as Caroline was a part of it.

  He hadn’t realized it, but he left the office and walked down a busy street. Clay suddenly found himself in front of a jewelry store. His eyes lit up as if they recognized that “a-ha” moment that currently stared him in the face. He realized what he needed to do. This would make her happy and everything between them would be right again.

  The engagement ring section was the largest in the store. He browsed case after case, peering through the glass at the sparkling diamonds that reflected back at him. He had no idea there were so many styles and types. He almost called it quits right then. Convinced he had to do this, he continued to look at each ring until he found the perfect one. His finger pointed at an almost two-carat princess-cut stone with smaller diamonds on each side. The sales clerk helped him into a back room where they examined the diamonds together and talked over the price.

  “This is perfect. I’ll take it,” he told the saleswoman confidently.

  “She’ll love it. It’s a gorgeous ring.”

  Clay exited the jewelry store with his new purchase in hand. The green velvet box sat inside a small bag with string handles. His face glowed as he walked toward the office, excited to show off his new purchase. His mind raced with ideas on exactly how and when to propose.

  He tried to convince himself he was doing the right thing. It had always been his intention to marry Caroline and he knew she had every intention of marrying him, as well. Sure, this deviated from her five-year plan a little, but would she really mind?

  Chapter Eight

  Bailey bounded in Caroline’s direction holding a beautiful bouquet of stark white roses scattered between dozens of bright yellow tulips.

  Caroline smiled. “Oh, Bails, you shouldn’t have.”

  Bailey laughed. “I didn’t. I saw them delivered and told Lucy I’d bring them over to you.”

  Caroline grinned from ear to ear. “Clay’s never sent me anything other than roses before. These are freaking gorgeous!” she commented excitedly.

  “No kidding,” Bailey added. Caroline glared at her before Bailey continued, “I mean…no offense, Care, it’s just that Clay doesn’t really think outside the box, if you know what I mean? He’s completely predictable.”

  “Brat.”

  Bailey stuck out her tongue. “Just to prove my point…what are your plans tonight with Mr. Matthews?”

  “Just dinner that I know of.”

  “Of course,” Bailey said through a yawn.

  Frustrated, Caroline exclaimed, “Stop it, Bailey. You like Clay!”

  “Of course I like Clay, but he’s just so predictable. Sends you roses, takes you to dinner at some fancy restaurant you don’t really want to go to in the first place. It’s just the same thing all the time. Don’t you ever get—I don’t know—bored?”

  Caroline rolled her eyes. “Not really. I’m not you, ya know. I like knowing what’s coming. Knowing what and who I can count on. It doesn’t bore me, it’s sort of…comforting.”

  “Boring.”

  “Secure.”

  “Whatever you need to tell yourself,” Bailey tossed over her shoulder as she walked away.

  “Come on. That’s not fair,” Caroline whisper-shouted at her back.

  Bailey stopped and turned back around. “Obviously there is something major going on with this Jackson character. I’m just wondering why—if Clay is so perfect and you’re so secure and happy—this guy is affecting you so much?”

  Caroline’s eyes narrowed into angry slits as she spat out, “I don’t know.”

  Before either girl could say another word, Caroline noticed Lucy walking toward them holding a vase that spilled over with dark red roses and baby’s breath. The poor girl could barely see around the thing while she navigated through the maze of cubicles.

  “These are stunning. Happy birthday, Caroline,” Lucy commented, setting the huge vase down carefully onto Caroline’s desk.

  Bailey and Caroline stared at each other for a moment before either one of them spoke. “Wait. Wait. If the roses are from Clay, then who…?” Bailey dove for the card attached to the tulips before finishing her thought.

  Caroline whipped the card out of the flowers and opened it quickly. “Oh my God.” The words fell out of her mouth in a whisper.

  “What? Who are they from?” Bailey breathed down Caroline’s neck while she tried to peek.

  Caroline quietly handed the card to Bailey.

  “Happy Birthday, Caroline. I wanted to give you a little something that says it all. I hope you like it.” There was no signature on the card.

  “Jackson?” Bailey inquired.

  Caroline nodded.

  “Wow. How’d he even know it was your birthday?” Bailey wondered with her hand on one hip.

  Caroline struggled to recall their conversations. “I don’t know. I didn’t tell him.” And then it was as though a light bulb went off in her head. Her eyes got wide and she tilted her head back. “Wait. I told him on the airplane. We told each other our birthdays.”

  “Shut up. On the airplane? That was months ago. You mean to tell me this guy remembered when your birthday was from one mention of it on an airplane flight?” Bailey raised her eyebrows.

  “I guess.”

  “And you’re not impressed by that? Hell, I’m impressed by that.”

  Caroline didn’t say a word.

  “Well, what did he send you? What’s the “little something” he’s talking about on this card?” Bailey demanded.

  “I don’t know. Do you see anything? ’Cause I don’t see any…”

  Caroline was cut off by the sound of the receptionist at her desk again. “Caroline, this box was at my desk. I think it fell out of the flowers from Clay. I’m really sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay. Thank you, Lucy.”

  Bailey looked at her longtime friend. “Well, OPEN IT!” Caroline stared at the small white box in the palm of her hand. It was tied delicately with a simple yellow satin ribbon that matched the tulips.

  “If you don’t open that box right this second, Caroline Weber, I will!” Bailey threatened.

  “Okay, okay. Stop pressuring me!” Caroline slowly removed the top of the box. The first thing she noticed was a business-sized card that read:

  “Sometimes When A Heart Is Separated, It Becomes Stronger”

  Her heart battered against her ribcage as she carefully removed the card from the box. Under it lay a silver heart charm. It belonged on a necklace, but there was no chain attached. She knew Jackson had purposely left it out. She couldn’t wear a necklace with a heart on it that wasn’t from her boyfriend.

  She removed the charm and looked at every detail. She’d never seen anything like it before. There was a small separation in the top of the heart where the two halves would normally meet. At the bottom, the right half of the heart was slightly longer than the left half. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

  “Good God, Care. This guy’s in love with you,” Bailey breathed while she inspected the charm.

  Caroline stared at her best friend through tears that began to spill over her eyelashes.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” Bailey grabbed Caroline by the sleeve of her silk blouse and pulled her toward the ladies’ restroom. Once inside she peered underneath each stall to make sure they were alone.

  “What am I supposed to do?” Caroline implored her best friend for an answer.

  Bailey simply hugged her. “What do you want to do?

  “I don’t know,” she cried, her heart at odds with her mind.

  “Do you have feelings for him?”

  Caroline looked silently into Bailey’s blue eyes. It was one thing to know how she felt about Jackson, but keep it buried within herself; it was quite another to admit her feelings to someone else. Once she allowed the words to breathe outside of her lips, she gave them life. She wasn’t sure she wanted to give those feelings any more life than they were already taking from her.

  “Caroline, come on. Do you have feelings for the guy or what?” Bailey pushed.

  “Obviously I do, or I wouldn’t be a blubbering idiot in the bathroom right now, would I?” Caroline snapped.

  “I knew it,” Bailey said smugly. “I just wanted to hear you say it.”

  “Thanks for the support.”

  “Could be worse.” Bailey shrugged.

  “Really? How could it be worse?”

  “You could be a horrible person that no one loved or wanted to date,” Bailey teased.

  Caroline grinned. “I’ll work on it.”

  Bailey walked over to the paper towel dispenser that hung on the wall and grabbed a single sheet. She turned the left handle on the faucet and placed the towel into the warm running water. Once the towel was thoroughly moist, Bailey turned off the faucet and walked toward Caroline. Black lines of mascara streaked down Caroline’s face and Bailey wiped at them, struggling to get them off. “Please tell me you have some makeup here.”

  Caroline nodded. “In my purse.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Bailey rushed out the bathroom door.

  Caroline pulled out her cell phone and turned on the screen. She opened her text messages and sent, “Just got the flowers and the charm. They are equally stunning, thoughtful, and unbelievable. Thank you so much.”

  Before Bailey returned, Caroline’s phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down and read, “Neither are as stunning as you. I hope you have a great day. Happy Birthday.”

  Caroline struggled to catch her breath as Bailey careened through the door. “Jesus, that receptionist is going on and on about Clay’s roses. She won’t shut up about them. Like she’s never seen a freaking rose before.”

  She went to toss the bright yellow purse at Caroline before she noticed the pained expression on her face. “What happened during the whole minute I was gone?”

  “Nothing,” Caroline tried to lie.

  “Don’t bullshit me, or I’ll take the makeup back.” Bailey tucked the purse tightly under her arm.

  “Nothing. Really. I just sent Jackson a text and he responded.”

  Bailey held out her hand. “Gimme your phone.”

  Caroline didn’t move.

  Bailey folded her arms across her chest. “Fine, then. Read it to me.”

  Caroline grimaced before opening up the text message and reading it out loud. She watched Bailey’s expression change to disbelief with each word.

  Bailey fanned Caroline’s face with her hands in a vain attempt to get it to return to its normal color, instead of the beet red that spread over her cheeks. “You have to calm down, Care, or we’ll never get out of here. And I am NOT trying to spend the rest of my life in some old bathroom.”

  “I’m trying. I’m so sorry.” Caroline’s eyes began to fill again.

  Bailey snapped, “NO! I cannot fix your mascara again. No tears! Think of clowns, or unicorns, or something else happy!”

  Caroline placed her palms against her forehead and concentrated on breathing slowly and methodically.

  “Not to add more pressure or anything, but your situation doesn’t really seem to be getting any better.”

  “Trust me; I’ve noticed.” Caroline took another long breath to steady her pulse.

  “Seriously, Care, I’m sorta worried about you.”

  “I’m sorta worried about me too,” Caroline admitted. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Your life would suck…obviously.” Bailey’s voice softened. “Are you feeling better?”