By Chance Page 4

  “He was worried about you … and after his call, so am I. Did you get my messages?”

  “No idea. I haven’t checked my phone. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to spend the week in New York. We need to find a place, plus there are a lot of things I need to go over with Amanda. I think it’ll be easier to just stay there. I may even call Chad.”

  Silence pounded in Seth’s ears. He could hear Aaron breathing on the other end and waited for him to speak. He knew talking now would lead to babbling. He had never been able to master hiding his feelings.

  “Chad? You’re going to New York, staying the week, and calling Chad. Dude, what the fuck happened last night?”

  Seth sat on the couch with a huff. “I had a shitty weekend at my parents. You know this.”

  “Nope. Nice try. This is more than that.”

  Seth leaned back against the couch. The cool leather made contact with his naked back, and he exhaled into the feeling. “I’m good. I just drank a little too much.”

  “Yeah, I heard. My whiskey … dick.”

  Seth chuckled. “I’ll buy you more. Two bottles, if it’ll help.”

  Seth could hear the smile in Aaron’s voice. “Three and we’ll call it a deal. ”

  “Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

  “Because we lived together for so long we’re like a gay couple that just never took that last step.” Aaron let himself laugh fully at his joke before continuing. “No, but for real. This is about what I think it’s about, isn’t it?”

  Seth shifted uncomfortably, the leather that had moments ago been so soothing to his back now sticking to him; as he moved, he felt as if it resisted his movement with its entire being. He bit his lip as he sacrificed a layer of skin in order to stand. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Gid already told me, you know.”

  Seth let out a deep sigh and nodded. It didn’t seem to matter that Aaron couldn’t see the nod, Seth was sure he knew of it instinctually, somehow.

  “He didn’t know,” Aaron said quietly.

  Seth nodded again and let out a breath. “I know.”

  “He wouldn’t have touched her if he had.”

  “I know that too.” Seth began to pace across his office, occasionally going to the blinds and peeking through them. He was desperate to see her, but angry at himself for still wanting to. “How’d you know?”

  “You’re you. Gid only doesn’t because he’s him.”

  Seth settled himself at the blinds, opening them completely when he saw that Shannon had finally arrived and settled in at her desk. “I’m leaving from here, and won’t be back for at least a week.”

  Aaron sighed. “Make sure to update me on the case info.”

  “Will do. I’ll see Amanda in the morning.” Seth made to start moving the phone from his face when he heard Aaron’s voice call out to him a last time. He put the phone back to his ear.

  “Seth, she isn’t right for you.”

  Seth let his breath whistle through his teeth. “I know,” he told his friend before ending the call, tossing the phone onto the sofa before sinking down into the cushions himself.

  Seth let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling. He stared until all the tiny bumps in the plaster above his head began to swirl together, causing him to feel nauseous all over again. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to ward off the sickness that felt inevitable. Slowly, he relaxed into the couch, and fell asleep.

  Seth’s nap didn’t last long. He woke to tapping on his office door. Groggy and still mostly asleep, he went to the door, pulling it open. And there she was, standing before him. His sleep-filled haze didn’t help the situation. He knew talking would be an awful idea, so he just stepped back from the door and moved toward his desk.

  “Is this a bad time? I can come back.”

  Seth shook his head. “No. No. This is fine.” He fumbled around behind his desk, trying to get to the tiny fridge that was built into the shelf. His tongue felt like sandpaper, and he needed water desperately.

  “Are you sure? You seem … off.”

  Seth’s belly warmed with pleasure at the idea that she knew him well enough to tell something was bothering him. Then that same pleasure twisted, causing him to gag as he remembered that no matter how well she knew him, she knew Gideon better. His anger bubbled. “I said I’m fine,” he ground out through clenched teeth. He looked up at her just in time to see her smile fade and her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink.

  Shannon’s voice was quieter when she responded. “Okay, then. It’s just not like you. You’ve never been one to conduct business in a towel.”

  Seth felt his own face start to redden and looked down. He’d forgotten he wasn’t dressed. Passing out after talking to Aaron had completely thrown him off. It made him feel badly for being curt with her.

  “You’re right, of course. Give me just a moment. I apologize. Today has been … well, it’s not been one of my best days,” he told her as he stepped out from behind his desk. All of their offices had attached bathrooms, complete with small closets and even a treadmill, because they spent so much time there. It was nice to be able to stay overnight if they needed to. Last night hadn’t been his first time sleeping on that couch, though it had been the first while drunk. He’d never been intoxicated on the property before.

  Seth threw on a pair of black slacks and covered his back with an ice blue shirt. He grabbed a clean pair of socks and went back out to finish up with Shannon. He came out hopping on one foot while trying to sheath the other in a sock.

  “Sorry. Really.”

  Shannon looked at him from the chair across from his desk and shook her head. “Forget it. I’m sure way more than you traipsing around in a towel has happened in here.”

  Seth smiled at tight smile. Her eyes were slightly more sparkly than usual, and the soft pink in her cheeks had deepened, letting him know that she was thinking of all the things she had firsthand experience with in other offices. She shifted in her seat before continuing. “So, Aaron called and said you were going to spend the week in New York.”

  Seth slid into his chair. “Yeah. I’ll leave in an hour or so and won’t be back here till next week. This lawsuit needs to be handled, and I know Amanda will find it easier with one of us there. Plus, this way I can look at properties.”

  “Right.” Shannon pulled a folder from the pile of things she held. She slid it across his desk. “Here’s all the information I’ve been able to gather on properties in Manhattan. I’m sorry there isn’t more, but I’ve set you up with Gerald. He’s the best of the best where Manhattan real estate is concerned. You’ll have to call his office and set up an appointment once you’ve gotten things straight with Amanda.”

  Seth opened the folder, flipping through and scanning the documents it contained. He nodded in acknowledgement and appreciation at her work. “Thank you. This is great stuff,” he told her as he lifted his head, and they made eye contact. His throat went dry. He swallowed hard and dropped his gaze.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Shannon leaned toward him in her chair.

  Seth looked back to her sparkling eyes, trying not to think about how the sparkle got there. “Great. A little hung over.”

  Shannon laughed a quiet laugh, got up and went toward the door. “Right. I’d forgotten for a second. The whiskey.”

  Seth smiled, getting to his feet. “Now if only I could forget.”

  Shannon stepped out into the hall and turned around. “Try and have some fun this week too. Not all business.”

  Seth smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Six

  He really needed to get a decorator. Someone that could come in and make his apartment feel more like a home. His place with the guys had been warm and homey with its mismatched furniture and random things strewn all over the place. His new place was full of new furniture. Everything seemed to be smooth and cold, made of leather, glass, or steel. He needed artwork and thro
w pillows, maybe a rug. Seth tossed his bag onto the table by the door and wove through the apartment to his room, where he pulled out a suitcase. After setting it up on the bed, he began to fill it with all the things he’d need for the coming week.

  He’d have to pack a few more formal work things, so he’d bring a hanging bag for jackets and shirts. Once he was sure he had everything, he filled a small bag with his essentials from the bathroom, double-checked that he’d remembered his toothbrush, and set back off toward the door.

  Shannon had called Justin to drive him to the train station. She’d looked completely perplexed when Seth had asked her to secure him a train ticket. He liked riding the train. It was something he’d grown up doing. That and the bus; he remembered riding the bus everywhere as a kid before he’d finally gotten his license. Choppers and limos were new to him.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he checked it to discover that Justin had arrived and was waiting outside. He gathered his bags and locked the door after taking one last look at the sterile space. He really needed to have Shannon find him a decorator.

  Justin wasn’t much of a conversationalist, so the ride gave Seth plenty of time to think on the fact that he’d spent the last few months thinking about a woman he’d never have. He needed to move on. Meet new people, new women. His mind was occasionally a dark place, and his thoughts drifted to Shannon and Gid. He wondered if they were an actual couple, or if it was just a fling. Had they been together before that one night? Would they be together again? He tried to stop himself, but the questions kept rolling through on a loop until finally Justin’s voice snapped him out of it.

  “We’ve arrived, sir.”

  Seth looked out the window, and sure enough they were at the station. People were bustling in and out. Students with backpacks, business folks with briefcases, vagrants with wandering eyes and unsteady feet, all hustling this way or that in an attempt to get where they needed to be. One of the many reasons he liked public transportation … people watching.

  Seth opened his door and rounded to the trunk where Justin had already started pulling out his bags. Seth helped, the two shook hands, and Justin was on his way. Seth liked him. He was as quiet as Evan was chatty, though they both seemed to have a knack for knowing when to chat and when not to. He was pleased with himself for hiring them both. He loved that Genesis Inc. gave them the power to change people’s lives even if it was just in the small act of compensating them properly for the work and services they provided. He also loved the fact that the guys never argued about charity work. They were all about giving back, and any idea that Seth brought to the table was given an immediate green light.

  Seth towed his one bag and settled the others on his shoulder as he pulled out his phone and brought up his virtual ticket. After finding the platform he needed, he found a piece of wall to lean against as he waited the ten minutes or so it would take for the train to arrive. He’d have about twenty minutes on the train before he got into the city and would have to hail a cab to the hotel. Shannon had offered to set up a car and have a driver waiting for him, but he’d declined. There was something thrilling about riding in a taxi in Manhattan, dangerous and comforting at the same time.

  Seth zoned out on his phone, checking his email and social media accounts as he waited. He felt it before he saw it. The rumble of the cars on the track echoed through the cement and up through his shoes. He returned his attention to his surroundings just as the first train car plowed through the tunnel, gradually coming to a stop at the platform. Seth sighed at the sight, and immediately moved to enter the car furthest to the right.

  He spun a little sharply, and the bag he was pulling tilted onto one wheel, balanced for a moment, then decided to flip over onto its front, rendering the wheels useless and causing Seth’s arm to yank from its socket.

  An intoxicating laugh reverberated through the air, and Seth was involuntarily brought to stillness. He searched the platform for the source of the laughter. Seth was pleasantly surprised when he found that the laugh had come from a petite brunette that had been following right behind him. His mouth lifted into a smile without him having to think about it. “Think I’m funny, do you?”

  She grinned hugely and tilted her head to the side. “Not at first, but now? Yeah, a little bit.”

  She stood a few feet away, and Seth could do nothing but stare. She was beautiful, but not blatantly so. She had a small frame, and freckles that arched across her nose. Her dark hair was pulled into a sloppy bun at the top of her head, and she was wearing a sweater so frumpy he couldn’t have even tried to guess what her body looked like. The thing that caught him were her eyes. She had deep, soulful brown eyes that touched a place within him that he hadn’t known existed. He started to open his mouth, but she beat him to speaking, while nodding in the direction of the train. “It’s going to leave without us.”

  He stood dazed as the word “us” bounced around in his head.

  “Hello?” She waved a hand in front of his face. “The train. We’re going to miss it.”

  Seth shook himself, knowing he wouldn’t be able to speak, and quickly flipped his suitcase over and almost ran the short distance to the train car. The fascinating woman followed him, crushing against his back as they entered just as the doors were beginning to close. Seth stumbled forward as the train lurched, that laugh once again touching him.

  “You should probably find a seat before gravity makes good on its promise and takes you down completely.”

  Seth smiled and let go of the pole that he’d reached for in an attempt to catch himself. He nodded and found himself a seat. He made sure to find a place with two seats together, hoping beyond hope that luck was with him in some fashion today, and that she’d decide to sit next to him.

  Seth watched as she took the seat across from him, but instead of berating luck for leaving him in the dust, he threw a silent thank you into the wind because now he could look at her, and it would be completely natural. He settled his bags against his seat and stared at her for a few minutes as she dug around in the giant purse she had slung over her shoulder.

  “So, do you always laugh at strangers’ misfortunes on the train?” He’d finally forced words to exit his throat.

  She halted her rummaging and looked up, and after finding his eyes, she smiled a little. “Not usually. You seem to be a special case.”

  “Is that so?”

  She let the bag fall from her shoulder and hang between her legs as she bent over leaning across the aisle toward him. “Yeah. You seem a little uptight. Clenching your teeth so hard while skimming Twitter or whatever is ill-advised.”

  Seth felt a little jolt run down his spine. She’d been watching him. He nodded. “So not only are you an unapologetic mocker, you’re also nosey.”

  The girl sat back up and wiped the smile off her face. She stared him down, her eyes boring into and through him. He began to feel ashamed, like he’d read her wrong. She wasn’t someone to joke around with. He’d hurt her feelings. Just when he’d parted his lips to apologize, she relaxed into a smile, shrugged, and said, “Only sometimes,” so nonchalantly that Seth couldn’t help but be impressed.

  He nodded to himself and let the smile on his face grow even wider. She impressed him in a way that he hadn’t been in a long time. He settled into his seat and watched as she went back to rummaging through her bag. He briefly wondered what she was looking for, but the thought passed quickly as his eyes locked on her mouth. She was muttering under her breath. Her lips were perfectly formed; full on the bottom, with that slight dip in the center of the top that gave it character. He felt himself getting red as he stared, the heat making it harder to concentrate. He dropped his gaze and took a few breaths before turning his attention back to the woman. She had a small notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, and was furiously scribbling something. He continued to watch her, but not as intently. He rested his head against the wall and let the movement of the train lull his thoughts towards the busine
ss he would be dealing with while in New York.

  Seth’s thoughts went to the day that started this entire debacle, when Bella had served them the lawsuit papers. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud at the picture in his mind of Aaron answering his door completely naked. That situation would have been enough for him to think that Bella was the craziest girl he’d ever met—but then she’d taken it as far as anyone could go and held Aaron, Julie, and Julie’s mother hostage in their home. Seth often wondered how Lily and Oak felt justified continuing down a path that a lunatic had set them on, but they were relentless.

  Seth knew he was in for days full of legal jargon and paperwork, all on top of looking at real estate spaces. But he needed to try to have some fun, too. He’d promised Shannon he would. He squeezed his eyelids tighter and brought his thumb and forefinger to his nose to pinch the spot where his headache had concentrated as he felt the train begin to slow.

  As his headache dulled against the pressure his fingers were creating, he exhaled as an idea popped into his head. The girl from the platform was fun. She was cute, too. He would ask her to dinner, or they could grab drinks. The train stopped, and with the settling of its breaks Seth dropped his hand and opened his eyes. He immediately started to ramble, “So, I’m going to be in town a few days … any chance you’d …” and then he stopped, focusing on the space in front of him. She was gone. He searched the train car, even got up and walked around and asked a few other passengers if they’d seen where she’d gone, but no one had. It was like she’d never been there in the first place. Disappointment washed over him as he settled back into his seat when the train started to move again, to wait out the final ten minutes of the ride into the city.

  Seven

  Seth struggled with his luggage through the turnstiles at the station before hitting the escalator and connecting with the concrete that covered almost every square inch of Manhattan. He stood still for a split second, taking in the sights and sounds and smells—all of the things that assaulted your senses upon arrival in New York. It was a city like no other, and as much as he wanted to tell himself that he’d been places he loved more, there was something about Manhattan that always brought him back. When the third body unapologetically crashed into his still form on the sidewalk, he figured he’d better get going and hit the curb to hail a cab.