So here she goes again, now that Nick can’t hear. In light of the rumors about Paul and me, her comment annoys me even more than it should. But I bite my tongue for the sake of Guy’s job.
“Thanks again for tonight,” is all I say. “It was lovely.”
We’re at the front of the restaurant now, close by the ma?tre d’s stand. Guy is reaching out to shake Nick’s hand. I think Kim is about to do the same with me, but instead she dunks her hand quickly into a huge ceramic bowl on a table next to the stand.
“Here you go,” she says, thrusting her arm forward and dropping an object into my hand. “You never know when you’ll need them.”
I look down, startled by the gesture, and squint at what’s there.
It’s a tiny box of souvenir matches.
Chapter 15
For a few seconds I stare at the matches, stunned by the brazenness of her gesture. When I raise my eyes, Kim is flashing a guileless smile, acting like the charming hostess who simply wants to make sure I’ve scored my cute little takeaway. I glance quickly toward Guy, hoping he witnessed what just transpired, but he’s caught in a last-minute exchange with Nick.
“No, thanks,” I say, tossing the matchbox back into the bowl. “I’ve got all I need.”
I hold her gaze and watch her eyes widen. My bluntness has caught her off guard, but I don’t care. If she did take the cash and leave the kitchen matches, I need to completely rebuff her, regardless of Guy’s position. And even if this is all a weird coincidence, she’s a nasty woman. Her dig about me and Derek proved that.
As soon as Guy and I are seated in the car, I start to share what happened but catch myself. Guy is biting on his thumb again as he drives one-handed, his mind clearly still miles away.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. I don’t know, I guess I wish we hadn’t come tonight in the end. I like my job, but there are times when sucking up to a blowhard really gets under my skin.”
“Wait, don’t tell me you’re not actually fascinated by the subject of commercial real estate and the ins and outs of site selection.”
He smiles wryly. “Bingo.”
“I thought you handled Nick perfectly. But it’s clear he likes having you in his orbit and is going to do his best to keep you there. Could you figure out a way to distance yourself?”
“I don’t think so. At least not right now. Maybe down the road.”
Even in the dark, I see how hard his right hand grips the wheel, and I sense that his entire body’s wound tight.
“Is there something else?”
“Just work stuff that’s come up. I hate to lay it all on you, especially with everything else you’re dealing with.”
“Don’t be silly, tell me. Does it have anything to do with the call you got tonight?”
“The call? Uh, yeah, exactly. It’s another donor with cold feet.”
“How badly do you need him?”
“A lot, if I want to beat last year’s numbers.”
“You’ll figure it out, Guy. If this donor bails, you still have half the year to court new people.”
“I’m going in early tomorrow to see if I can come up with an alternative plan for him, so he’s not as jumpy. Still aim for the same pledge in dollars but maybe let him pay in installments.”
As much as I want to bring up Kim’s move, I decide not to go there tonight, not when Guy is both stressed and distracted.
Though it’s not even ten when we arrive home, we both head straight to bed. My body aches with exhaustion, though my mind is totally wired. As I lie in the dark, I replay those crazy last moments with Kim in the restaurant.
If the matches weren’t a bizarre coincidence and she really is the thief, I can’t imagine what’s behind her behavior. Is it a weird form of envy? Out of nowhere, I recall an incident in middle school. A teacher had read an essay of mine to the class, gushing about how good it was, and later, as I was hurrying into the cafeteria, a girl from class bumped into me and spilled an entire orange drink on my brand-new top and skirt. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, looking stricken, but I knew it hadn’t been an accident.
As I scrunch the pillow, trying fruitlessly to find a comfortable position, I hear the shallowness of Guy’s breathing and sense that he’s still awake as well. Perhaps fretting about the cold-footed donor. I wonder for the first time whether his job might be in jeopardy. If he doesn’t beat the fund-raising numbers from last year, it will put him in a tough position. One down year shouldn’t be reason enough for him to be canned, but there’s no way to predict how a hothead like Brent will respond.