Macy planted her feet wider. The smug look on Avery’s face angered her. He was propped up on her sofa, looking more comfortable than she’d ever been on the cheap fabric. If she could put her outrage into a few well-structured sentences, he would slink out the door like the worm he was.
He was asking to help her, but if he had let her explain things to the auditors, she would have been given some time. She was positive she could have convinced the auditors and HR she could unravel this mystery.
She sat on the opposite side of the room in the only chair available and exhaled through her mouth. “I don’t understand how we can work on this together. I don’t trust you to look out for my interest. You work for English, and no matter what happens or what you find out, that’s where your loyalty is going to be. You just said it.” She sounded calmer than she was.
“We need to find out where the money went. You have the same questions that English has. There is only one answer to that question. I want to help you find it.” His words sounded rehearsed.
Now she had an inkling of how her mother felt when her father strutted off. Loving her father and hating him at the same time. Today, Avery looked as if he’d taken extra effort on his appearance to visit her. Every hair slicked into place with perfection, the cleft in his chin didn’t sport one dark hair, and even though his tie hung loose, she still thought he was as handsome as ever.
“I’m helping you. Why are you fighting me on this?”
She studied his face. Her stomach bubbled with anger, but her heart wanted to reach out to him.
Gayle stuck her head out of her bedroom door. “Macy, can I talk to you?”
She glanced at her roommate. “Now?”
“Yeah. Right now.” Gayle beckoned her with her hand.
She gave Avery another hard look before walking away. Maybe he’d get the hint and leave before she came back. There had to be something more interesting he could destroy.
Gayle closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed. “What are you doing?”
“What are you talking about? He barged in here.” Macy pulled her hair back and tied it with the band that was lying on Gayle’s bed.
“He’s offering to help you. Why wouldn’t you want his help? You haven’t had any luck on your own.”
“Are you eavesdropping on us?”
“No. You’re talking so loud I can hear you over the television. The neighbors probably can hear you.”
Macy dug her toes into the thick carpet. “You don’t understand, Gayle. If he’s offering to help me, there must be a reason. He’s a Malveaux.”
“Listen to yourself. You’re not making any sense. If he was out to get you, why would he keep coming here? I get it, your father was a jerk and maybe Avery’s father is a jerk, too. But that doesn’t mean all men are jerks or that all men suck.” She paused. “And what did your horoscope say today about asking a co-worker for help? You read that bull every day, so why don’t you take the advice? He’s a co-worker, and he’s offering his help.”
Macy eased onto the bed beside Gayle. “You have no idea what I’m going through.”
Gayle pressed her lips together. The skeptical look on her friend’s face said she had a whole lot more to say.
“Are you kidding me? I know exactly what you’re going through. We’ve been friends since junior high school. You have complained about your father since the day I met you. You have found something wrong with every man you’ve ever met. But I saw you the other night, or morning, when you came home from Avery’s place. You were glowing like the morning sun. You like him. Maybe you love him. Honey don’t go messing this up just because you can’t get over being mad at your daddy.” She squeezed Macy’s leg. “You get me?”
Macy stared down at her hands. Things had to be getting pretty bad if Gayle was the levelheaded one. “I don’t love him.”
“Yeah, sure, go with that.”
“I’m not saying everything you said was true. But maybe I could let him help me.” Macy stood.
“One more thing honey?”
She didn’t want any more advice tonight. Gayle had given her too much to think about already. She exhaled through her nose loud enough for Gayle to hear. “What?”
“Please comb your hair and put on some clothes before you go back out there. A man doesn’t need to see how bad you can look until he’s put a ring on that finger.”
She shook her finger at Gayle. Oh, what the hell. She spun around and stormed into her bedroom. Who did Gayle think she was saying all those things about her? Sure, Gayle could be carefree and careless. With a mother and a father who thought everything she did was the most wonderful thing in the world, her self-esteem was high. There probably has never been a day when Gayle stared back at her image in the mirror and wondered if tomorrow was going to be the day when her world fell apart.
Macy picked up her brush, ran the bristles through her hair and examined her face in the mirror. There was even something sticky on her face. She swiped it with her finger. “Jelly. No wonder he thinks I’m a pushover. I’m not putting on makeup,” she muttered. In the closet, she stepped out of her pajamas then pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank top.
Without checking her appearance again, she went back into the living room. Avery was still in the same position. But now his face was expressionless.
“I was wondering if you were coming back. You changed?”
“Yeah, so what?”
He held up his hands as if he’d never had to surrender to something before.
“Look, this is how it’s going to be. You can help me untangle my accounts. But that’s it. We can start tomorrow. Stop by when you’ve finished work for the day.”
“I’ll be here at nine.”
“In the morning?”
“The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll get some answers.”
She nodded without showing excitement. “You’re going to give me the whole day?”
He nodded.
She pointed her finger at him. “I’m calling the shots. Okay? Don’t show up until ten.” Nine would have been okay, but with him, she needed to be tough or at least pretend to be.
He stood. Working with him was going to be harder than she imagined. She needed a plan where he did his investigating at his place, across town.