Requiem

  "I had to try," I said, opening my purse for him to drop the phone inside. "Someone had to."

  Jared touched my arm. "He's the safest enlisted man in the Army, Nina. He has Claire."

  "And how is that going to work, exactly? Has Claire joined the Army?"

  Jared smiled. "No. We've talked about this. She's keeps an eye on Ryan the same way we were allowed to train. We have connections."

  "That's not the point."

  "I know," Jared said, opening the door.

  I didn't kiss him when I passed through the door, or when he opened the passenger side for me as he always did, or before he left me for the driver's seat. He didn't attempt to apologize, which he only did when he felt he was right. Knowing that infuriated me further.

  "I'm sorry you're angry," he said.

  I glared at him. "That's lame and you know it. You didn't tell me Ryan had enlisted in the first place! You didn't let me say goodbye to Claire! Sorry I'm angry...." I muttered the last words and crossed my arms, settling into an unyielding foul mood. When Jared didn't reply, I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. He was trying not to laugh.

  "This is not funny, Jared!"

  His mouth immediately flat-lined. "I didn't say it was, you're just," he shook his head as he pulled to the curb of Titan Mercantile, "trying to be angry, with a series of annoyed expressions on your beautiful face; it's amusing--I'm sorry."

  "Stop being sorry, and start being...I don't know! Sorry!"

  A corner of Jared's mouth rebelled and turned up slightly before he straightened it again. "Have a good day."

  I slammed the door, beyond trying to have an argument with him. At times it was maddening how in love with me he was.

  I took a few steps toward the building and then stop. I returned to the Escalade and sighed. Sheepish, I opened the door. "Are you coming in?"

  "Not today," he smiled.

  Jared had spent endless hours at Titan Mercantile as a child, and it was his least favorite place to go with his father. It didn't help that the other employees stared at him as if he were a zoo animal. They couldn't figure our relationship out, although most of them knew that Jared was Gabe's son, and my security.

  Seeing Gabe shadow my father was just another day at the office when my father walked the halls, but now that it was apparent that I needed protection, who also happened to be my fiance, it began more than one string of rumors about my family.

  One of my fellow interns in particular, Sasha, had an immediate interest in Jared. She wasted no time with the saccharine-laced pleasantries; on the contrary, she was downright hateful to me on the subject.

  "So...Jared...." she began as I walked into the office we shared. She eyed his Escalade from the window as she spoke.

  "I have a lot to do, Sasha."

  "He protects you?" When I didn't answer, she walked over to stand in front of my desk, tapping on it until I looked up. "From what?" she said, dubious.

  I glared at her long nails clicking against the wood, and then up at her. "I'm busy."

  "But he's your boyfriend, right?"

  "No."

  "No?" she said, her voice an octave higher.

  "We're engaged."

  "Isn't that, you know, a conflict of interest?"

  "Not really," I said, thumbing through a stack of papers.

  "I just don't get it. I mean," she puffed an airy laugh, "I realize you're the princess of Titan Mercantile, but don't you feel a little ridiculous when you stand next to him? You're such an odd couple."

  Recognizing what she meant, my head jerked up, and my eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

  Sasha shrugged then, running her finger along the edge of my desk as she slithered around me. "Doesn't it make you self-conscious? Women must be throwing themselves at him all the time."

  "Not really, no," I snapped as she walked toward the door.

  Sasha smirked, backing away from my glare. "Hmm. Very interesting." Her long, red ponytail flicked as she turned the corner, and I felt the heat radiate from my face.

  On cue, my phone rang.

  "Everything okay?" Jared asked on the other end of the line.

  I covered my eyes with my hand, attempting to calm myself before I spoke. "Everything's fine. It's...Sasha was just here."

  "Oh. That explains it. Is she leaving her coffee mug on your papers, again?" Jared chuckled. For whatever reason, it amused him that the woman got under my skin in such a way that I couldn't think straight.

  I sighed. "No. She's...I can't say what I want to, so I just won't."

  "You do own the company, you know. You don't have to work with her."

  "Right now I'm an intern, Jared. And...," I sighed again, watching her flirt with the human resources manager, "don't tempt me."

  "Think you could slip away a bit early today?" Jared asked.

  "Probably. Why?"

  "It's your first day back to Brown tomorrow. I thought we could get on the bike and head to the Oak tree, have some lunch...."

  "The Oak tree...?"

  "The one I've wanted to take you to...where my father took my mother."

  I smiled. "That sounds fantastic, but I have a meeting, first."

  "Right," Jared said, pretending he'd forgotten.

  I straightened my skirt at the waist, and then pressed the button for the third floor. My entire last day of freedom could have been spent with Jared, but Mr. Patocka asked that the interns come in for one last meeting before school began. Some of them were leaving, and he needed to redistribute responsibilities. I had looked forward to this meeting all week, only because it was Sasha's last day. That alone was cause to celebrate.

  "Interns," Mr. Patocka began, looking through the papers in his hand. He always said interns as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

  "Anna, Brad and Evan will be leaving us, leaving Shannon, John, Nina and Sasha with new responsibilities. I would like to say..."

  Mr. Patocka's words blurred together after I realized he'd put Sasha in the wrong category.

  "I'm sorry, Mr. Patocka?"

  "Yes, Miss Grey?" he said, obviously irritated. I was well aware that had any other intern interrupted him they would have been promptly asked to leave the meeting, but everyone knew, including Mr. Patocka, that I wasn't just an intern.

  "I think you've made a mistake. Sasha isn't staying," I said as professionally as I could manage.

  "Still not paying attention to your briefs," Sasha snapped. "I'm staying on through the school year."

  "What?" I said, my tone more disgusted than I'd meant. I looked to Mr. Patocka, who nodded while looking incredibly bored with the turn the conversation had taken.

  "I...she...." I stumbled over my words, trying to think of a way to save face after I'd made it so clear that I was shocked and dismayed at the news.

  "It's okay, Nina. We still get to be office mates," Sasha purred. Her smile was that of a cat being polite to the bird just before she ate it.

  "Moving on," Mr. Patocka continued. "Sasha, you'll be taking over Brad's duties, Shannon, you'll be taking over Anna's duties, and John will be taking over Evan's. I expect those departing to make sure those staying behind have exact instructions."

  "What about Nina?" Sasha said, glaring back at me over her shoulder.

  Mr. Patocka sighed. "Nina will be training with Grant during the school year, Sasha. Try not to make me feel as though I'm babysitting more than I already do, please."

  "With Grant?" Sasha groused.

  Grant was second in command at Titan. When Jack died, he assumed the management responsibilities until I was ready to take over. Working with him was not something I looked forward to; I had spent my teenage years watching Grant suck up to my father and, to Jack's amusement, shamelessly flirt with me.

  Jack saw something in Grant that I couldn't--or wouldn't--see. Not only did he give Grant promotion after promotion, he tirelessly tried to persuade me to go out with his up and coming, incredibly intelligent, star employee.

  While being within five
feet of Grant usually made me a bit nauseous, Sasha had been scheming to land a job as his assistant since her first day. Mr. Patocka's decision to place me in the very position she'd been working for all summer would no doubt push her beyond any irritation she'd had for me before.

  I smiled at the thought. This would mean an all-out war.

  "Is there a problem, Sasha?" I asked, trying to preserve a bit of respect from my future employees.

  "Problem? Not at all," Sasha said with the sickeningly sweet laugh that liberated her from most awkward situations she'd created for herself. "I apologize, Nina. I didn't realize you were so sensitive," she smiled.

  I looked to Mr. Patocka. "Are we finished here?"

  "I'm finished with the meeting, but I need you to come to Grant's office with me, Nina. He needs to brief you on a few things before you start back next week."

  The other interns filed out of the room, shaking hands and saying their goodbyes. I nodded to each of them as they made a bee-line to the elevator, but not before meeting Sasha's cheap grin with one of my own.

  Mr. Patocka escorted me down the hall and into the elevator, punching button four, where my father's office still resided. Grant's office was on the opposite side of the floor, parallel to Jack's. Half of his walls were covered in degrees and pictures of polo ponies, and the other half allowing the sunshine to pour in from large windows that overlooked Fleet Rink.

  Mr. Patocka knocked on Grant's half-opened door. "Er...Mr. Bristol? Nina's here to see you."

  "Bring her in."

  I walked into his office, sitting in a puffy green chair, feeling amiable for a change. Grant had worked for my father for ten years, and like every cliche rise-to-the-top story, Grant started at entry level. The only thing that would have made his story any more boring would be if he'd began in the mail-sorting trenches, had we kept a mail room. But Grant didn't begin his days at Titan as a mail boy.

  He began as an intern.

  "Nina," Grant greeted me over his thin, square glasses.

  "Grant," I acknowledged with a nod.

  Grant looked at Mr. Patocka and smiled politely. "Thank you, Eugene."

  Mr. Patocka ducked from the door and shut it behind him. Even though I saw Grant as somewhat of a weasel, the rest of the employees regarded him as their personal savior.

  "Okay, what's with all the formalities, Grant?" I said, crossing my arms.

  "Give me a break, Peanut," he smiled.

  He sat in his chair, leisurely crossing his ankles on top of his desk. I frowned at his ridiculous argyle socks. They resembled the very thing I hated about Grant Bristol. He was handsome in an annoying, maddening way. His light, brown hair and clean-shaven baby face made most women at our office swoon. He was well dressed and well spoken, and I suppose he was even funny at times. All of which made me want to plant my fist straight into his square chin. He reminded me of the token soap opera star. His words were fake, his smile was fake, and his very presence affected me like nails on a chalkboard.

  "Ugh...you know I hate it when you call me that," I groaned. "If we're going to work together you're going to have to stop that, Grant. I mean it."

  "Anything you say." He smiled with his too-straight, too-white teeth. "I want you here when you're not in class. If I could do it, you can do it. No excuses."

  Attempting to keep my temper in check, I stood and offered a small grin. "See you tomorrow."

  "One more thing...," Grant said. I turned and waited. "Nice skirt, Peanut."

  I stomped out of Grant's office, trying not to kick anything on my way out. When I pushed through the front door, I saw Jared's Escalade parked against the curb across the street as usual, only this time he stood against his door looking extremely uncomfortable while Sasha leaned against his car on her shoulder, not six inches from him. I could see that he was trying to be polite as he kept his arms crossed, careful not to react to her flirtation, but my eyes zeroed in on Sasha giggling and touching his shirt, chest and arms with every other word.

  "Nina! Hi, Sweetheart." Jared said, my interruption a relief. He pulled me into his arms and made a show of planting a kiss on my lips.

  "Hey, Nina," Sasha gushed. "I was just telling Jared that we should double date sometime."

  "No," I snapped, my patience far beyond its limit. Jared walked me to the passenger side and opened the door.

  "I can get into the car on my own," I said acerbically.

  "Nina...." Jared smiled, amused at my mood.

  "Don't Nina me," I said, looking straight ahead.

  "Well," Sasha called from the other side of the SUV, raising her eyebrows. "I guess I'll see you on Monday. It was nice to finally have a chance to talk, Jared."

  Ignoring Sasha's final attempt for his attention, Jared watched me for a moment, trying to decipher my emotions. Finally, he walked around to his side, and slid in beside me. He watched Sasha trot across the street and then shook his head. "You don't honestly think I was--,"

  "No. I don't think you were flirting with her," I grumbled.

  Jared pulled away from the curb and nodded. "Good, because that is completely ridiculous. Not only am I madly in love with you....she's...." Jared shook his head, making a series of disgusted faces as he tried to think of the correct description. "She's something else."

  "That's a word for it," I said, crossing my arms.

  "How was your meeting?" he asked.

  "You mean you don't know?"

  "I kept tabs, but it was difficult to get the details with Sasha two inches from my face. Is Grant still a jackass?"

  "Yes," I nodded.

  "What's wrong?" Jared paused a moment and then his eyebrows shot up. "Oh."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "Nothing. I didn't mean anything," Jared said, trying not to smile.

  I shook my head, watching the trees pass by the window. Eli had once told us that when we made a commitment in a physical way, Jared's senses concerning me would be heightened. I still wasn't sure what that entailed. Jared never let on that anything had changed, but when his former urgent curiosity about the motives behind my moods or feelings had all but disappeared, I knew something was different. I cornered him on more than one occasion to explain his new attunement, but he always seemed to maneuver his way out of the conversation with an efficient and irresistible diversion.

  "Do we still have lunch plans?" I asked, my attention still focused on the passing landscape outside the window.

  "Absolutely. I have a surprise for you," Jared said, taking my hand and pulling it to his mouth.

  My mood quickly changed as the warmth from his lips shot up my arm. "I love surprises."

  "I know," he said against my skin.

  Chapter Two

  Gone

  "Carved your name. In a tree? That's so sweet!" Beth squealed.

  "Yes, in a tired, done-three-billion-times kind of way," Kim droned, unimpressed.

  I ignored her, smiling at Beth. "He brought me to a field that had a lone Oak tree in the center. We rolled out a blanket for the picnic lunch he packed. It was perfect."

  "You're up," Kim said, elbowing me.

  "Oh," I said, briefly glancing to the menu hanging from the ceiling. "Large coffee. Black." The girl behind the counter nodded, and punched the buttons on the register, waiting for my check card. I nudged Beth. "Did you want anything?"

  "Nah, not today."

  I rolled my eyes. "She'll have a Large Skinny Mochachino, please."

  "I said I didn't want anything," Beth said, feigning annoyance. "And since when do you drink your coffee black?"

  "We're not going to have our morning coffee talk on the first day of school without coffee," I said, "I know things are tight for you and Chad right now. Moving is expensive. It's not a problem."

  "I'm not a mooch."

  "Southern hospitality. Isn't that what you call it?" I winked.

  "You're a Yankee," Beth muttered.

  The girl turned to make our drinks, and Beth leaned in. "So the tree....
"

  I smiled. "The carving was amazing. Brilliantly detailed. I've never seen anything like it. He walks me to the other side, and his parents initials were carved there, too, from like...years ago."

  "No way!" Beth shrieked. She looked around, settling down before her next question. "So have you guys set a date? For the wedding?"

  I looked down. "Er...no. But it was a nice lunch."

  "A nice lunch?" Kim asked.

  "He didn't mention it," I said.

  "Well, that's a first," Beth teased.

  It wasn't hard to guess why Jared's questions about a wedding date had tapered off--he was worried about the nightmares, and he didn't want to make them worse. I knew Jared wanted to set a date. As the weeks passed and I was still reluctant to discuss it, he had begun to get anxious. Once the sleepless nights began, the wedding was the farthest thing from his mind.

  We took a spot by the window, and updated each other on our summers. Beth and Chad had cut back on their hours at their jobs because of the fall semester. Money was scarce, but they were enjoying playing house. Kim had traveled to see family, but returned early.

  "My dorm room missed me," she smiled.

  "How did you get them to let you in?" Beth asked.

  "I have the gift of persuasion," Kim said, rubbing her fingers together.

  "So you traveled most of the summer, didn't work, and you had enough money to bribe the powers that be at Brown University?" I asked. "Right."

  Kim shrugged. "I robbed two banks and a liquor store on the way to Chicago."

  "Nice," I said, taking another sip.

  "So Ryan's in the Army?" Kim asked.

  "Kim, Jesus," Beth said, shaking her head.

  I nodded. "Wrote me a letter, and just popped in the mail on his way to war. Like it was nothing. Like a freakin' birthday card."

  "Or a post card," Kim added.

  "With soldiers on it," Beth said. She looked down, trying not to smile.

  "With green and black faces, and big guns," Kim smiled.

  Beth waited a moment, and then spoke again. "In camo speedos."

  "Lying on a hammock on the beach, with 'Greetings from War' in big, yellow, bubble letters," I frowned.

  Beth giggled before making a poor attempt at a straight face. "It's not your fault."

  "It's completely my fault. I should have stopped him."

  Beth's smile disappeared. She touched my arm. "Nigh, you didn't know to stop him."

  "No, I sure didn't," I said under my breath, knowing Jared could hear.