Truly Mine Read online

  Standing at the bedroom door, I watch Truly shove clothes into her suitcase and then struggle to zip it closed. I walk to her side and press on the top before easily zipping it.

  “Thank you.” She rushes into the bathroom across the hall. “I can’t believe I slept so late. I was supposed to be on my way home by now.”

  At the risk of looking like a puppy dog chasing on her heels, I follow her to the bathroom. She’s let her long golden-brown hair down, and she is frantically running a pick through it.

  I reach out and brush the hair out of her eyes. “You’re very beautiful. I’m glad you came back, and I’m glad you spent some time with me.”

  She stops what she’s doing to listen.

  “I can see you’ve done well for yourself. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you, Ty. Same goes for you.” She lifts herself up on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around my neck. “I never imagined this visit back here would be so…”

  “So…” I softly kiss her on her sweet lips—probably for the last time. “Fulfilling? Satisfying?”

  “Oh, yes. Most definitely, but I was going to say…completely and wonderfully overwhelming.” She smiles sweetly and returns my kiss but then quickly backs away. “I have to go, Ty. Thank you for everything.”

  After dropping Truly off at her car, I head to the office to deal with Dara.

  “Where the hell have you been, Tyler?”

  I’ve just walked into her office, and she’s already pissed at me. My oldest sister is cold as ice. I’m not even sure why. My mother, Nancy, and my two other sisters are sweet and nurturing women. Dara was, too, once.

  When she started high school, something snapped within her. She changed and most definitely not for the better. Her attitude went to shit—so much so that she’s never had a serious relationship, and she’s forty-three years old. It’s insane.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” I taunt her.

  “Fuck off, Tyler.” She’s in rare form today. “I send you to help my client, and twenty-four hours later, I haven’t seen or heard from either of you.”

  “Relax. She’s out front now. Is that why you blew up my phone this morning?”

  She gives me a speculative look and then narrows her eyes.

  After an awkward silence, I remind her that she has a client waiting for her. “I believe your client is in a rush to leave town. You should probably take care of business.”

  “Here.” She hands me a thick manila envelope. “Try not to fuck the client this time, Tyler.”

  I raise my eyebrows and laugh at her accusation. She knows me so well.

  I open the envelope and slide the documents out far enough that I can read the client’s name.Rodney Addison.

  “I can assure you, I won’t fuck the client.” I slide the papers back into the envelope and exit Dara’s office.

  “Send her in, Tyler,” she calls after me.

  Opening the door to the waiting room, I find Truly pacing the floor. She spins around and is clearly disappointed to find me.

  As much as that sucks, I grin politely. “Dara asked me to send you in.”

  “Oh, thank God.” She rushes past me. Just as she reaches Dara’s office, she turns and smiles. “Thanks again, Tyler. It was really good to see you.”

  “Take care, Truly.” I’ll miss the hell out of you.

  “You, too.”

  And that’s that. I leave Dara’s office, feeling like I’ve forgotten something. I have the file for my new case, and I returned case files to my youngest sister, Kailin. I’m sure I’ve left something behind though.

  Lying on the sofa, I’m not able to sleep. Truly left this afternoon, and I have no way of knowing that she made it to New York safely. I contemplate getting her phone number from her file just to confirm she’s home safe and sound. Just as I’m about to text Kailin to see if she’s still at the office, I hear my front door open, and then footsteps enter the foyer.

  “Hey, Dad.” Rion drops his bags to the floor.

  I stand and walk to him, pulling him into a hug. “I thought you weren’t going to be home until tomorrow.” While I’m glad to see him, I’m relieved that he didn’t choose to come home last night.

  He makes a beeline straight for the kitchen. “We made better time on the road than we’d expected. Do you have any food? I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, there are leftovers in the fridge,” I answer as I follow him.

  He’s quick to open the refrigerator, and he begins digging through the containers. “I tried to call you last night,” he says as he pulls the lid off a bowl. He smells the food inside. He takes out a few more of the dishes and closes the door. “What were you up to?”

  I lean against the counter, staring at Rion’s back, as he gets a plate out of the cupboard and piles the leftovers onto it.

  “Not much.” Biggest lie ever.

  pronunciation in-kuhl-keyt

  (v.) to teach; to influence another

  Truly

  The drive back to New York seemed much less painful than the drive to Fallport. I’m better rested for one, and the nerves that I took there are gone. I guess I’m a little narcissistic for thinking that anyone would be waiting to shame me the minute I stepped foot in town. The fact is, after I left, their lives went on without skipping a beat—my mother’s life included. For that matter, so did mine—for the better, by far.

  Some might disagree if they knew the true nature of what I do for a living. Honestly, at times, I struggle to justify it myself. The only way I know how to explain my choice of career is that I like to think that I save people, marriages, and relationships, much like the ones that my mother destroyed. I witnessed many women who were left lost and depressed when they caught their husbands whoring around.

  It was depressing to me, even as a child who didn’t understand the magnitude of it all. I was ruined before I ever left Fallport. Between what I witnessed with my mother’s extracurricular activities and being Tyler’s friend with benefits for years, at the age of eighteen, I lost all hope of having a healthy relationship. All hope that I would amount to anything was crushed.

  I’ve never, even to this day, been able to get over the damage that was done before I finally got the nerve to leave. I blame my mother for all of it. I know that everyone in town knew what she did. I felt as if I lived in a glass house and was doomed because of her behavior. For Christ’s sake, she fucked half the town, and when she took too many pills to satisfy the creeps that she brought home, whom do you think they turned to? Fighting off horny drunk men became very old, very fast. It was only a matter of time before I couldn’t escape one of them.

  At first, New York seemed like much of the same. But I settled in, and after meeting Lissa and Marie, everything fell into place. We made the best of what we knew, and what started out as a desperate means of survival quickly turned into a profitable way to make a living.

  I wake up on Monday, feeling well rested. It’s a good thing, too, because the gentleman I’m working with this week has elementary skills when it comes to dealing with women. We’ll be spending most of our days here in the office, and in the evenings, we’ll be attending as many social events as possible. I only hope one week is enough time to accomplish what he’s paying me for.

  “Good morning! I’m so happy to see a smile on your face, Tru.” Lissa pops her head in my office. “You must have had a better time in Fallport than you’d anticipated you would.” She’s only fishing for information.

  If I don’t just give in and tell her what she wants to know, she’ll annoy me all day. And I already have my hands full enough with this client that I don’t need the added aggravation of her not-so-subtle prodding.

  “It was not awful. I saw a few old friends. I met a nice girl at the library—if that’s what you want to call the place.”

  Lissa sits in the chair beside my desk, obviously waiting for more.

  As I turn to her, I’m excited to say, “I actually slept Saturday night.” My lack of sleep has been
an issue for a while now.

  “Well, that’s a nice change. Maybe you just needed to get away from here for a bit.”

  “Maybe.”

  “So, tell me what happened.”

  She scoots to the edge of the chair and hangs on my every word as I tell her the events of Saturday night. Lissa is a hopeless romantic—very different than myself.

  “Hmm…are you going to see him again? You didn’t get near as much naughty time as I hoped you would.”

  She also happens to be a sex fiend. She is the single most sexual person I’ve ever encountered in my life.

  “I most definitely am not going to see him again. I’m good. He’s good.”

  “Yes, my point exactly. So, why not see him again?” she asks, confused.

  “Because I don’t want to. I don’t need to,”I snap as I give her a look that clearly tells her to leave it alone.

  “Okay. If you say so.” She stands, crosses the room, and gazes out the large window overlooking Central Park.

  “So, what’s the game plan with Rodney Addison?” She flicks the folder in her hand. “He’s going to be more work than we’ve had in a long time.”

  “Yes, he’s a bit odd.” I busy myself by looking over the plan for the week. “But he’s smoking hot. It kind of makes up for his weirdness, right?”I joke.

  Lissa dismisses my comment with an eye roll.

  Okay then, I guess not.

  “Have you looked at today’s schedule? Marie has me spending all day getting acquainted with Mr. Addison. We’ll have lunch and attend an art show in the park. Then, he’s all yours.”

  Lissa seems distracted. “Yes, I worked it out with her over the weekend. We used the normal routine—aside from spending a little more time with him, for obvious reasons.” She lets out a heavy sigh. “It’s going to be a long week, Tru.”

  I only nod. We both know what’s in store for us. It’s not like we haven’t had clients like him before. We’ve been very blessed lately with clients that need a little brushing up on their skills or some that have a weak area and only need some coaching. Rodney Addison is not one of them though. I imagine that’s why he’s here. Only thirty-three years old, he’s still young, and hopefully, he will put what he learns this week to good use.

  Tyler Burke has consumed me this morning. I don’t like the way I left things. I was cold and short with him after he had been good to me. I’m flirting with the idea of calling to thank him for…everything.

  Marie peeks her head into my office, pulling me out of thoughts I shouldn’t be having. “Tru, Mr. Addison is here. Do you want me to send him in?”

  “Oh, no. Thanks. We’re going to the cafe.”I stand and collect my purse.

  “Have fun,” Marie whispers sarcastically over her shoulder before laughing.

  Deciding that I’ll call Tyler tonight, I jot a reminder on a notepad on my desk, and then I grab my purse and head out to the waiting area to meet Mr. Addison.

  “Hello. It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Addison.” I extend my hand.

  “Please, call me Rodney. It’s great to finally be here.”

  Shaking my hand like he would with another business associate, he only confirms what I already know regarding the work ahead of me this week.

  “Well, Rodney, let’s get out of here and get to work.” I walk in front of him and to the door that exits our suite.

  Arriving at the door, I wait for him to open it for me. Really?

  We haven’t yet made it out of the office, and the lesson begins. This one is going to make me earn every dime.

  “Please open the door for your date, Rodney.”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” He clumsily steps to the side of me and does as I asked.

  When we arrive at the café, Rodney is quick to open the door for me. As we sit and discuss the week’s itinerary, I can’t help but wonder how someone so easy on the eyes hasn’t yet caught on to the basics.

  Usually, the more handsome the man, the more experience he has with dealing with women even if that experience results in pissing them off more than pleasing them. We learn from our mistakes after all. But this poor man must have been hiding from women because he doesn’t seem to know basic dating etiquette. If I knew his upbringing, I’m sure it would shed some light on his awkward behavior.

  “So, where did you grow up, Rodney?”

  “Uh…I grew up in California. Went to college in Iowa. Then, relocated to Texas when I was offered a position with CFG Technologies here in New York, and I’ve been here ever since.”

  “Okay. Are your parents still in California?”I ask.

  He nods. “My mother is.”

  “And your father? Where is he?”

  Before he can answer, the waitress appears with our lunch.

  “Who has the chicken Caesar salad?”

  I lift my hand, and she places the salad in front of me and then Rodney’s sandwich in front of him.

  Once the waitress has left the table, I question him about his father again, “So, your father?”

  “Um…I’m not sure. He wasn’t around much.”

  That explains it.

  After leaving the café, Rodney and I spend a few hours in the park, wandering through an art show. He seems attentive and well mannered, quite the opposite of what he was earlier in the day.

  By the time we make it back to the office, I’m more than ready for the day to be over. I’m not feeling my best, despite the fact that I’ve had two good nights of sleep.

  “I’m going to turn you over to Lissa now. I had a very nice time today.” I quickly cross the waiting area of our office.

  “So did I. When will I see you? Tomorrow?”Rodney asks.

  I turn to face him. “We’ll meet here at ten a.m. Will that work for you?”

  “Yes, that’ll work.”He smiles kindly and takes a seat.

  “Great. I’ll see you then.”I pass through the door, leaving Rodney alone.

  I knock on Lissa’s door and then push it open. “Prince Charming is all yours,” I whisper.

  Lissa stands. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be here for a bit still. Is Tony here yet?” I ask.

  Lissa stops, and her head falls to the side. “Yes, he’s in the security room. Are you concerned?”

  “Oh, no, not at all. Rodney’s harmless. He’s odd, but he doesn’t seem to be an issue as far as your safety is concerned.” I walk directly across the hall and into my office. Still standing at my door, I finish updating Lissa. “Besides, I briefed him on the agenda for tonight. He knows Tony is here and that he can see every square inch of this office.”

  The moment I sit down at my desk, I notice the Post-it note with Tyler’s name, reminding me to call him. It’s now eight forty-five in the evening, and nobody’s going to answer at the law office. That’s the only means I have to get in touch with him.

  I power up my laptop, and as I wait, I mindlessly trace Tyler’s name over and over. My laptop comes to life, the sounds and tones of the alerts pulling me out of my daze. When my desktop appears, my Facebook page is already open. With Tyler on my mind, I type his name in the search bar and hover over the Enter key. I finally press the button and look to the heavens, taking in a deep breath and then blowing it out very slowly, before I look at the screen. Such a simple thing yet so significant for me. I’ve convinced everyone that I’m fully satisfied living my life alone. And I am. That’s why ending my relationship with Scott was easy.

  I see several Tyler Burkes, but only one is my Tyler. I stare at the profile photo of him before I open his page and see several more pictures, family photos for the most part. I can’t see his personal information or his albums when I click on the icon. He must have his privacy settings secured, so the public can’t access it. He couldn’t find me if he wanted to. I’ve implemented every privacy setting possible.

  I certainly have no intention of requesting him as a friend, but I suppose I could private message him. If I reach out to Tyler on social media, i
t would give him the impression that I’m thinking of him, that he is occupying my thoughts. That makes me feel weak.

  And I hate my mother for this also. I watched as she made herself available to men who did not deserve the time of day. I’m pretty sure that, subconsciously, I’ve decided to take this to the exact opposite extreme. I’ve made it my goal to be emotionally unavailable. I think I’ve damn near perfected it, too.

  The fact is though that I am thinking of him and have been all day. While lying in bed this morning, I thought about how it felt to wake up yesterday with my body molded against his. I’m regretful of my behavior that morning. I might have been fine had the situation regarding his cleaning lady not reminded me of what assholes men can be. It was obvious he was truthful about who she was, but my fucked up mind had taken me to bad places. Just as I was exploring how good a domestic situation might feel, I got lost in my memories of our past.

  Sitting here now, I can admit that there is something about the way he spoke to me at times that even now makes me smile. He was bossy and demanding when we had sex. I’ll be damned if I can’t get it out of my mind. I gently shake my head, wishing I could shake the thoughts of Tyler.

  I log off of Facebook and get to work on finishing up with Rodney’s case for the day.

  The next three days consist of spending time with Rodney, making little progress toward his ultimate goal. As the week comes to an end, Lissa and I will spend the last day together with him, refining the skills we’ve taught him during the week.

  I’m not sure what the problem is. I like to think I’m a great coach, but this man is challenging me like no one has in all the years that I’ve been doing this. One minute, Rodney seems to be progressing nicely, and the next, I wonder if we’ve made any progress at all.