Dressed in one of Mike’s Polo shirts, a pair of khaki chinos and Docksiders, his brother looked like he’d stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad. The woman gave the appearance of a little pixie, but based on Carly’s description, he’d guess barracuda would be more accurate.
Mike walked into the room and was about to say hello when Pete burst out laughing, prompting the attractive associate to place a manicured hand on his shoulder and laugh with him. Her bare feet nudged Peter’s calf. Then, as if a silent understanding had been reached, they returned to their respective files and work.
Innocent, and yet... Mike shook his head. He ought to throttle his brother, but even as the thought took hold, he felt the vise that had gripped his heart for the last few weeks lessen and ease, until breathing became effortless.
“Hi.” Mike cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”
His brother glanced up from his seat on the floor. “No big deal. We were just finishing up some work.” Pete stood, then reached out a hand to help the woman up from the floor.
Was it Mike’s imagination or did her fingers linger seconds too long before releasing Peter’s hand?
“Regina Grey, this is my brother, Mike.” Pete smiled. “Mike, Regina.”
Mike shook the dainty hand she held out toward him. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same here.” Regina began collecting items off the floor. “I just want to go over some things at home and we can meet first thing Monday morning and discuss strategy,” she said.
“I’ll be there.”
No haggling, no bargaining, no compromise. Interesting, Mike thought.
When Peter returned from escorting the pretty Miss Grey to her cab, Mike turned on his brother. “What the hell’s with you?” Mike asked.
Pete bent to retrieve the documents Regina had left behind. “What? The air-conditioning broke in the office and we came back here to work.”
Mike waved a dismissive hand in the air. “I don’t mean that.” But he didn’t know how to approach the subject with his brother. He raked a hand through his hair. “What is it with you two?”
“Who?” Pete asked, his brows crinkling in confusion.
“You and Carly, that’s who.” After shoving his hands in the front pockets of his shorts, Mike began pacing the room. “You laugh with this Regina?” he asked finally.
“She’s quick.”
“And bright. And pretty...”
“So is Carly,” Pete chimed in. Too late, Mike thought.
“And an attorney,” Mike continued as if he hadn’t heard his brother speak. “And you have a hell of a lot more in common with her than you do with your fiancée, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
“You’ve always spoken your mind before,” Pete said. “But this is my life, Mike. We didn’t have parents to meddle in our lives as kids. I sure as hell don’t need you to do it now.”
“You’re going through with this marriage, then?”
“The end result was never in question.” Pete groaned and sat down on the leather sofa. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“You’re dead wrong. You may not mean to, but you’ll destroy Carly and suffocate yourself.” Forget what this marriage would do to him, Mike thought “Is that a way to live?”
His brother didn’t answer.
“Pete, you’re not...” Mike trailed off. As close as the brothers had always been, they’d never traded sexual exploits, and Mike had no desire to start now. Still, he couldn’t protect Carly if he didn’t know the truth.
And though no one had appointed him her keeper, he’d taken on the role as if it was meant for him alone. “You’re not sleeping with Regina, are you?”
Pete stared from his seat on the couch. His silence pronounced him guilty.
Mike let out a groan. “For the love of...”
Pete had the grace to look ashamed. “I thought I could wait, but...”
Sweet and innocent. How the hell had she gotten involved with either one of the Novack brothers? Each had the power to break her heart.
Pete shrugged. “We’ve been engaged for the last five months and dated on and off for three before that. A guy certainly can’t go that long without...”
“He damn well can,” Mike shouted. “And if you loved her, you would have.”
“If she loved me, I wouldn’t have had to look somewhere else,” Pete retorted.
Mike clenched his teeth. “And what does that tell you?”
“Go back to globe-trotting and let me handle my own life.” Apparently Pete was about to dig in his heels as hard as Carly had. Neither wanted to face reality.
Considering Mike had abandoned his own reality, he had no right to force theirs on them. “Just don’t be surprised when things backfire.”
Peter glared at him through narrowed, suspicious eyes. “Mind your own business,” he said, clearly warning Mike to keep his mouth shut.
“Because you think your partnership’s at stake?”
“Possibly.”
“Then why’d you bring Regina back here? You know I’m staying over. Or did you take that risk on purpose?”
He couldn’t stomach being in this apartment for another minute. Mike turned, scooped his keys off the counter and grabbed his camera from the front hall closet.
“Don’t tell her, Mike.” Pete’s words reverberated in his head as he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
* * *
Parents and children, men and their dates, guys and their dogs and one lone man with his camera romped in Central Park. Mike wandered around, snapping photos without paying much attention to the setup. Each shot captured life in a way he treasured. Each would have a spot in his private collection. A select few he’d bring downtown to his new editor. He wasn’t used to soft pieces, but after the hard stories he’d covered until recently, he welcomed the reprieve.
Until today, he’d retired his camera to the depths of Peter’s closet, hoping to banish the unpleasant memories that went with it. To his surprise, when he’d picked up the camera and snapped the first shot, the rush of adrenaline had been powerful and positive. Of course, it had helped that Carly was his first subject.
If only he could view his life the same upbeat way. During his last assignment, he’d hitched a ride home from the countryside. Close to civilization, mortar fire hit the back tires of a bus ahead of him, sending it careening down the side of a ravine. Nothing Mike hadn’t seen hundreds of times before in cities with different names. By the time he’d reached the bus, the smell of gasoline permeated the air. He and his companion managed to get the survivors out before the explosion hit. Jagged metal ripped through the muscle in his right shoulder. Just the memory made him break into a sweat and he wiped the back of his hand over his brow.