Free Bourbon & Branch Water by Patricia Green Page B

something offensive?”
    “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “Are you breaking up with me?”
    “Would you care?” she said,
bitterness dripping from each word.
    “Yesterday, I would have said yes,
I would care. But today, I’m not so sure.”
    “Fine, be that way.” She went on to
murmur, “fickle bastard.”
    “That’s enough!” Jeff picked up the
conference room phone and dialed a four-digit number. After the person on the
other end answered, he said, “ Marny , have you got an
ETA on the Portermans or the Randolphs ?
They’re pretty late.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I should have
called you. I forgot you were in the conference room waiting. I’ve been
thinking you were in your office.” She giggled and Jeff tried to cut to the
chase.
    “And?”
    “Right, so the Randolphs can’t make it. Something about a sick horse…or was it cow? Anyway, the Portermans will be here, but they’re having trouble finding
us. I gave them directions, but they’d gone way off track.”
    He might have just enough time. “Thank
you. Please show them into the conference room when they arrive. I have to do
something in my office and it’ll take a few minutes.”
    “Okay, Mr. Hand.”
    Jeff put the phone down and looked
at Stormy. She was watching him, a look of suspicion on her face. It kind of
went with the frown. “Come with me to my office. You and I are going to hash
this out.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Your behavior is rotten today, and
damned if I can think of why you’d be so pissed off at me.” He paused and her
cheeks flushed. “We’re going to talk in my office.”
    “I don’t want to go.”
    “Stormy, I don’t much like the
hostility you’re showing. Either you want to be with me or you don’t, but you
ought to have the decency to tell me outright.”
    She stood and picked up her
briefcase.
    “You can leave your stuff here. It’ll
be safe.”
    “Oh right! Until one of your
minions steals my case notes!”
    “Minions? Baby, are you listening
to yourself?”
    She blew an errant strand of hair off
her face, continuing to clutch her briefcase to her chest. At least she had the
grace to blush. “I’d rather take it along, thank you.”
    “Fine, if it makes you feel more
secure.”
    She nodded, still not meeting his
eyes.
    Jeff opened the door for her and
led her down the hall to his office. It was a spacious office, with a modest
view out the one set of windows. His desk was black lacquer
and spotlessly tidy .
    “Have a seat.”
    “I’ll stand.”
    Shaking his head at her obstinate
behavior, Jeff came right out with it. “Why do you hate me today? You didn’t
last night, but this morning you’ve been mean-spirited, rude, and anything but
affectionate. Tell me why.”
    Stormy bit her lower lip, and then squared
her chin. “I don’t like being two-timed.”
    “Two-timed? Where did you get that
crazy idea?”
    “You must think I’m stupid. You had
a call with the other woman last night, practically right in front of me. The
dinner date you had with her didn’t work out because I was a ‘situation’ to be ‘handled’.”
Her fingers were white-knuckled on her briefcase.
    The only phone call he’d gotten the
night before was from Kelly. Realization struck him and he laughed. It was so
funny that he laughed until his eyes watered.
    Stormy took umbrage, if her stiff
body posture meant anything. “Yeah, laugh at me. I’m the biggest joke in the
world. I thought you were special, that we were starting on something. But you
had me fooled. You’re still seeing Kelly.”
    He tried not to chuckle, he really
did. “You’re right. And I intend to keep seeing Kelly. I see Kelly every day,
in fact.”
    She snorted, but her eyes got wet. “I
knew it. You bastard.”
    “Now, now, babe. No need to call
names.” He gestured toward the door. “Follow me for a moment.”
    Stormy quickly swiped at her eyes,
and clutched her briefcase as though it was a lifeline. Jeff realized that if
she was