Chapter Thirteen

“Fuck.” CJ looked in the rear-view mirror and pulled at the collar of his shirt. He felt fake. This wasn’t him—shirt, suit and tie. But he needed to make a good impression. He needed to get the mortgage deferred. The sound of his cell phone vibrating against the car’s dash distracted him and he stared at Jodie’s name on the lit screen.

He picked up the phone. “What do you want?” he said and sat back in his seat.

“Good morning to you too,” Jodie said and laughed.

“Is it?” he asked and rubbed tiredly at his brow. So far, he had burned his breakfast, stubbed his toe and spent twenty minutes looking for his shoe.

Jodie sighed loudly down the phone. “Nice to see you’ve made a special effort to win everyone over today. You might want to rethink your strategy when you go into the bank.”

He was tempted to tell her to fuck off, but he didn’t have the energy. “I know,” he said and leaned his elbow on the side of the car door. “What if they say no?”

“Then we find another way. We always have.”

They had overcome worse together. “Okay.”

“How about we go out tonight? Let’s go dancing.”

CJ smiled as he imagined her swaying her head from side to side to an imaginary beat. “Maybe.”

“It’ll be fun. We could drive into the City and go to Starlight. You could invite Eric. You could be those guys in the corner booth making out.” She sounded far too excited.

“I’m not making out with Eric or anyone else for that matter, period.” He checked his watch. He had ten minutes to get to the bank. “Besides, when did you start thinking me and Eric was anything but a disaster?”

Jodie hesitated but finally said, “When I saw how much better you are with him.”

CJ didn’t feel better. All he felt was tired and confused. “You don’t know anything,” he said and rubbed his thumb over his brow. “Look, I need to get going.” He didn’t give Jodie time to press him further. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay,” she said. “Good luck.”

“Thanks” he said and hung up. He was going to need it.

* * * *

“So, what’s happening?” Eric asked as he viewed the e-mail over Marcus’s shoulder.

“They are sending a rep from their office. He should be on a flight this afternoon and he’ll go and see CJ.”

“Okay.”

“They’ve set it up as kind of a trust and payments will be made every other month. They seemed to think that was the most tax efficient way to do it. It’s a large sum of money.” Marcus closed the email and spun around in his chair. Leaning back, he looked up at Eric. “So, feel better now?”

If Eric was honest, then no. He felt exactly the same. “CJ needs it. I want to help.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Marcus pointed out. He folded his arms. “Maybe you should tell him.”

How was that a good idea? “I can’t. He would never accept help from me.”

Marcus shifted in his seat. He was clearly uncomfortable with the whole idea. “I just think this is going to come back and bite you in the ass. If I was him, I’d want to know.”

“Well, you’re not him, are you?” Eric said more harshly than he’d intended.

Marcus narrowed his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead got to his feet and pushed the chair under the desk. He turned around and cast a critical eye over Eric. “One day, you’ll manage it.”

“What?” Eric asked.

“To push everyone away.” Eric went to speak, but Marcus cut him off. “I’m heading into town to run some errands. I’ll see you later,” he said then left the room

Closing his eyes, Eric leaned back his head. He was aware Marcus had a soft spot for him. Despite coming into Eric’s life under the pretense of a job, Marcus actually cared about Eric. Above everything else he was Eric’s friend and no matter what, Marcus always put Eric first.

“Stupid,” he said to himself and sighed. Marcus was right. Eventually, he would find a way to push everyone away. Why was he such an idiot?

Making his way through the house, he finally spotted Marcus out back on the porch. Quietly, he opened the screen door and gave a small smile as Marcus looked over his shoulder.

“I thought you were going into town?”

Marcus shrugged. “I was, but then I remembered the car keys were in the front room with you. Didn’t think my exit would have quite the same impact if I came back for them.” He grinned and shuffled across to make room on the swing seat.

“Sorry,” Eric said and sat beside Marcus.

“Forget it.” Marcus shared the blanket he had over his lap with Eric. He met Eric’s eyes and smiled. “I get it. I do. Being here and this whole CJ thing has you all crazy and a little more messed up than usual.” He wrapped his hand around Eric’s and squeezed. “I’ve put up with a lot of crap from you. It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me.”

“I know.” Marcus had been there through the drinking, the fucking around, the men, the women, everything. “I love him and I want what’s best for him and even if that means him having the money and I leave, then I’m okay with that.”

“Really?” Marcus raised an eyebrow as he looked doubtfully at Eric.

No.

“I just think he would appreciate you being honest with him. Let him know who you are and not just the picture that’s been painted in magazines or the scared teenager you were when you left here.” Marcus cupped Eric’s face with his hands. “You are a good man. Flawed as hell, yes, but you have a good heart. He should see that.”

Eric focused on Marcus’s blue eyes. There was a warming charm about them and he wished he could immerse himself in their depths. “Maybe,” he said.

Marcus pulled away his hands and turned to look out into the yard. “Do you want a ride?”

Smiling, Eric pulled Marcus into a hug. “Thanks,” he said.

* * * *

CJ loosened his tie and rested his hands on his hips as he stood alone in the empty center. Sunlight shone through the high windows illuminating the hall in a mix of bright patches and dark shadows. He closed his eyes and stood beneath the warming rays. His cell phone rang in his jacket for a fifth time and CJ quickly canceled the call and returned it to his pocket. What was he supposed to tell Jodie? That he had fucked up? That the bank, without any need to explain, had refused his request to defer the mortgage?

His cell’s message tone sounded and he considered what to do. It would be Jodie messaging him. She’d be worried that he kept canceling her calls. He couldn’t face her. Not yet. All the work she had put in to try and find sponsors and grants and in the end none of it had mattered. He couldn’t afford to keep this place and the house. There was just no way.

The familiar creak of the main doors brought him back to the real world and he looked toward the entrance at a man he didn’t recognize.

“Mr Williams?” the man asked and walked briskly forward. The man held out his hand. “I’m Alex Dean from Denton and Weir.” He shook CJ’s hand. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

“What about?” CJ said and eyed the man suspiciously. The bank couldn’t be looking to foreclose on him already. Sure he had made some late payments, but he had never actually missed one on the place yet.

“Have you an office or something?” The man couldn’t be any older than CJ. His dark bangs were swept back and molded into place, and his suit looked like it cost a hell of a lot more than CJ’s.

“I do.” Agitated, CJ placed his hands on his hips. “Look, what do you want?”

“Your office?” Alex Dean indicated his briefcase and CJ figured there was paperwork he didn’t want to risk mishandling and fumbling over in the middle of the hall.

Conceding, CJ nodded toward his office. “This way,” he said and led the way.

“So, who are you again?” CJ unlocked his office door and flicked on the light.

“Alex Dean,” the man said as he followed CJ inside.

“Right,” CJ said and sat at his desk. He waited for Alex to join him. “So, what can I do for you?”

Alex rested his briefcase on the desk and took out a file. “I’m here to get your signature and to explain a trust that has been set up in the center’s name.”

CJ rested his arms on the edge of his desk. “I’m sorry, what?” A trust? The man had said trust, right? He must have misheard him, surely.

“A trust. Bimonthly payments will be made to you of fifteen thousand dollars.”

Laughing, CJ shook his head. “Sure. And this is where you want my bank details, right?” He wasn’t going to be fooled that easily. “It’s a scam, right? No. You’re not having my bank account details or credit cards or anything else.”

“You’ll be paid by check.”

CJ sat back. He didn’t understand.

“Your choice if you cash it or not.” Alex slid a sheet of paper across the desk. “In the event of you selling West Grove, the payments will stop.”

Glancing down at the paper, CJ looked over the details. “There’s no name on this.”

“Your benefactor wishes to stay anonymous.”

“Anonymous? Why?”

“Their decision,” Alex said.

CJ narrowed his eyes and read over the page. “How many payments?”

“Roughly five years.”

“Wait.” CJ did some quick math. “That’s ninety K a year for five years.”

“Depending on your circumstances and your benefactor’s, that may well increase.”

This was some kind of joke. Who the hell would pour money into this place? “No. This is too weird. You’re telling me someone wants to give me almost half a million dollars? What’s the catch?”

“No catch.”

CJ frowned and eyed the sheet of paper. If this was a joke, then it was a fucking cruel one. “Okay,” he said. He needed more details. He needed to hear exactly what he was getting into. “Let’s start this again.”

Alex cleared his throat. “Mr Williams, I am Alex Dean of Denton and Weir, and I need you to look over some papers.”

* * * *

“Do you want me to come with you?” Marcus asked as he and Eric sat together in the car and stared across the empty parking lot toward the center.

The time was a little after two and having had no luck at CJ’s house, he assumed he was here setting up for the after school activities.

“I’ll be fine. I need to do this by myself.”

“Well, I’ll be here if you need me,” he said and turned up the stereo before sliding low in the driver’s seat.

Eric pressed his lips in a line and took a deep breath. “I won’t be long.” Getting out of the car, he zipped up his hooded sweater and jogged over to the entrance.

The door swung back on creaking hinges as he entered the center and he brushed a hand back through his windswept hair. There were no lights on in the main hall, but Eric assumed someone was around as the front door was unlocked.

“CJ?” he called and wandered into the hall. He spotted the light on at the back in CJ’s office. “CJ?” Gently, he tapped on the open office door and leaned inside. “Hey.”

There was a curious expression on CJ’s face. The yellow bulb from the lamp on CJ’s desk gave his hazel eyes a beautiful amber tone but couldn’t disguise the fact something wasn’t quite right.

“You okay?” They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other since the night they’d slept together.

“Mmm.” CJ ran his hand over his mouth. His tie hung loosely around the open collar of his shirt and his hair appeared unkempt as if he’d been running his fingers through it over and over.

“I was hoping to talk to you. Now a good time?”

Slowly, CJ tapped his fingers against the top of his desk, the beat quickening until he suddenly stopped. He tilted his head, as if coming to a conclusion.

Maybe not a good time. “I can come back.”

“It was you, wasn’t it?” CJ’s voice was emotionless.

“Me?”

The atmosphere in the room cooled as CJ got out of his seat. “You know.” He picked up a sheet of paper and held it out to Eric. “You really think that little of me?”

“What?” Eric took the paper and as soon as he read the name of his lawyers, he knew what CJ’s mood was about. He tried to push away Marcus’s voice in his head. I told you so.

“I’m not one of your casual fucks. I don’t screw and tell. You don’t need to pay me off.”

“What?” This was not what he had expected. “No. I don’t think that. I’d never think that.”

“So, this is you?” CJ pointed to the document.

“Yes, but it’s not what you think.” Eric hadn’t been prepared to defend himself.

CJ snatched back the paper. “You sleep with me, I don’t hear from you in a couple of days and then a lawyer shows up saying there’s half a million dollars in some trust.”

“No,” Eric said and rushed forward. “Shit, no.” What was he supposed to say? As far as CJ was concerned, Eric knew nothing about his money troubles. “I just wanted to help.”

Angrily, CJ pushed past him and spun around. “Help how? To ease your conscience? To say you’re sorry? What was the other night? Some pity fuck?” He looked firmly at Eric. “You know what, Eric? I wanted to believe you’d changed. I really did.” He headed for the door. “I don’t want your pity or your money,” he said harshly and left the office.

“CJ, wait,” Eric called after him. “Please.” He stepped out of the office, deflated as CJ jogged across the hall and to the exit. “Shit.” Deflated, he leaned back against the doorframe. This was his life. This was how it had been for the last seven years. In the end, he screwed everything up.