“I sort of maybe…set you up on a date tonight.”
“Ben…seriously, man? Come on.”
“What? You are on a time constraint, and I know you. You’ll wait ‘til the last second, and then you’ll be really unhappy,” he argued. “Just go on the damn date. What’s the harm in it?”
“She could be crazy, that’s the harm,” he said as he snatched the file off the table that Ben indicated. “Trisha? Really, her name is Trisha?”
“Riley, I’m your friend, so know when I say this it’s because I love you.” Riley snorted as Ben shot back the rest of his whiskey and set his glass down. “Go get dressed and look presentable. You are going on this damn date, even if I have to drag your sorry ass there myself. Oh, and by the way, you’re borrowing my name until you know for sure. Keeps you somewhat secure.” His words were met with another loud curse. “You’re welcome.”
Riley glanced up to find his friend, who rarely ever got annoyed, glaring at him. His green eyes darkened and he tapped his fingers on the counter, waiting for Riley to get moving. “Fine, fine. Just for you, I will go on this stupid date.”
He headed back to his bedroom as Ben called out, “Don’t worry. If this one doesn’t work out, I already set up another for tomorrow.”
“Course you did!” Riley headed to his walk-in closet and stared. What do I wear on a blind date with a woman who might end up as my wife? Hell, this is insane. Who cares? He pulled a button-up black shirt off the hanger and threw it on over his t-shirt, then headed to the bathroom to gel his hair. Once it was not as messy, he rolled up his sleeves, showing off the tattoos on his forearms. Remembrances for those he’d lost. On the left was a white lily with vines and his parents’ initials written along their lengths. On the other was a phoenix feather and Meredith’s initials. The feather ranged in color from red to shades of orange and yellow.
He stared at the tattoo for a long time, remembering how, in the beginning, it had been done to match hers. Then when she’d died, he’d added her initials. His thumb brushed over the black ink and he felt the familiar pain tighten his chest. Heard the sirens wailing in the distance. If he’d been faster to react…if he’d seen the headlights just a second sooner…
If the asshole that hit them hadn’t been drunk.
“Riley, you ready?” Ben called. “We need to swing by your office to go over some merger papers before your date tonight!”
“The merger. Almost forgot about that.” How could he, though? It was going to be the next great step for the company. A contract with the CIA and Homeland Security. It was going to take his company to the next level and help it grow tenfold over the next five years. Creating jobs for the city and giving him a chance to set up new offices all across the globe…if he could get married in the next two months.
Just one more thing to add to his plate of heaping problems. Riley grabbed his black leather jacket and followed Ben out the door and down the twenty floors to the waiting town car.
***
“Evening, Riley,” Linda, his secretary, said as he exited the elevator.
“Linda. So I hear I have some papers to take care of?”
She nodded but looked a bit frantic, eyes darting to his office door and back. “I tried to stop her, but she insisted. Tony’s in there with her just in case.”
“Her who?” Riley snapped, though he already had a feeling he knew. He took a deep breath, then smiled at Linda. “It’s all right. Go ahead and sign out for the evening. I’ll take care of this.”
“I’m sorry, really, I tried to stop her.”
“It’s fine, Linda,” he said gently. “Really. Have a good night.”
She nodded, then hurried back around her desk to pack up her things as Riley marched towards his open office door. He normally left it unlocked. He trusted everyone in his building and never had an issue before. Now, he wished he’d brought Ben in with him to at least run interference, but Tony was there. He’d keep the crazy woman from smacking him again. He hoped.
“Ms. Chandler,” he snapped as he entered his office and spotted the familiar redhead sitting in a chair in front of his desk. “Evening, Tony.”
“Mr. Marston.” The security guard nodded. “The lady here refused to budge.”
“And you didn’t want to call the cops?” he asked with a wink.
“Not unless you want me to, sir,” Tony said with a smile.