Payback Read online

  “I’ll be in late today. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  “Are you feeling okay?” Carol sounded hollowed out. And she was never late. She ate, slept, and breathed the business.

  “Mark and I got into an argument last night. I didn’t get much sleep.”

  “What?” Carol and her husband didn’t fight. They had what Carol claimed was an ideal marriage. Marta assumed that was because they hadn’t gotten past the honeymoon stage. Nobody had an ideal marriage, did they?

  “What happened?”

  “It’s complicated, and probably silly.” Carol paused, then seemed to mentally change directions. “If Chuck calls about the layout for the next mailing, tell him I’m on it and he’ll get a draft later this afternoon.”

  “Will do.” She wanted to say more, but with the strain between them, she hesitated. “Take care of yourself,” she added instead.

  Marta would have skipped coffee herself and gone straight to the office but by then she was already parked in front of The Daily Joe.

  The line was short and moved smoothly. She exchanged pleasantries with Donna, the barista, while she waited for her latte, then capped the cup and moved to leave.

  “Marta,” a voice called from her left. Alyssa’s mother, Elaine, waved to Marta from the tiny table where she sat with a large coffee and an open book. “I haven’t seen you in ages. How have you been?”

  “Good,” Marta said, moving closer. “How about you?”

  “Can’t complain. Well, I could, but I won’t.” She laughed. Elaine was a marriage and family therapist who readily admitted she hadn’t been able to follow her own advice. She’d been divorced for ten years and had never remarried. Marta didn’t know her well—their lives rarely crossed except through their daughters—but she liked her.

  “You caught me enjoying an infrequent quiet moment to myself,” Elaine said. “Have a seat.”

  “Just for a minute. I have to get to the office.” Marta pulled out a chair and sat. “I hope Jamie’s not been too much trouble for you.”

  “Trouble?”

  “Well, work. She’s been spending so much time at your house lately you should probably charge us rent.”

  Elaine looked at her blankly. “I haven’t seen Jamie in weeks.”

  “Didn’t she have dinner at your place only a few days ago?”

  Elaine shook her head. “No. Like I said, not in weeks. I assumed Jamie was busy with other things.”

  Marta felt a soft buzzing in her head, the sort of lightheadedness she sometimes experienced when she stepped out of a dark interior into the bright midday sun. “I . . . I guess I was confused.” It would be embarrassing to have Elaine know that Jamie had lied to her.

  “I know the girls are going to study together after school today,” Marta added. “At the library. I probably assumed they were at your house before.”

  Elaine looked down at her coffee and frowned. “Alyssa has a dentist appointment this afternoon.”

  “Oh.”

  “Maybe Jamie meant she’d be studying with Harmony.”

  “Harmony?”

  Elaine looked up. “Harmony Shaw. She and Jamie have apparently become quite the friends.”

  “Mmmm. I wasn’t aware of that.” No avoiding embarrassment this time.

  “Teenagers feel the need to distance themselves from their parents,” Elaine reminded her kindly. “It’s a normal part of growing up. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “Thanks.” Marta was willing to bet that Alyssa didn’t lie to her mother.

  Elaine cleared her throat. “I guess you might not know about the boyfriend, either.”

  Elaine’s tone was gentle and nonjudgmental. Marta gave up any pretense of looking like a mother in control. “You’re right, I don’t. Tell me.”

  “I don’t know more than that. I’ve heard Alyssa mention him in passing. In truth, I assumed that’s why Jamie hadn’t been around so often.”

  Marta smiled weakly. “I guess I should be happy for her.”

  Elaine nodded with a smile of her own. “Although it does bring a new set of parenting challenges, doesn’t it?”

  “Thanks for filling me in. The part of me that’s not embarrassed is honestly grateful.”

  “I hope you’re not angry with me. I’d want to know if the roles were reversed.”

  A boyfriend? Marta rolled the idea around in her head as she made her way to the car. That would explain Jamie’s new interest in clothes and makeup. And her recent attachment to her cell phone. She’d started carrying it with her everywhere, even in the house. And she was constantly checking for messages.

  But why hadn’t she said anything? Was he one of the school’s troublemakers? Someone she knew her parents would disapprove of? Is that why she’d kept quiet? Or maybe it was a crush rather than a real boyfriend. One of the popular boys Jamie could only admire from afar. An athlete, maybe. Was Jamie hanging around watching his practices, hoping he’d notice her?

  Marta recalled her own teen years. She’d had her share of crushes but no actual boyfriend. And she certainly hadn’t discussed any of it with her parents. Still, she wished Jamie hadn’t felt the need to lie about it.

  Chapter 22

  When Mr. Vaughan finally turned his back to the class and began scratching the homework assignment on the chalkboard, Jamie slid her phone from her pocket and peeked at the screen.

  Nothing.

  Not a single new text or email since yesterday morning.

  She looked to make sure she had cell coverage, even though she’d checked not fifteen minutes earlier.

  Why was Todd ignoring her? Had he lost interest already? Had he ever been interested in the way she wanted?

  Usually he sent her a text first thing in the morning and again at night. Nothing like the can’t stop thinking about you kind of message she dreamed about, but if he hadn’t been thinking about her, he wouldn’t have sent any messages at all, right?

  She had cleared the afternoon with her mom, even though she hadn’t heard from him last night. He’d probably just been tied up with work or something, she decided. But she hadn’t heard anything this morning, either. His silence gnawed at her. She couldn’t get it out of her mind. She didn’t want to appear clingy, but by the end of first period she’d worked herself into such a desperate state that she’d broken down and sent him a text—Hey.

  As soon as she’d hit send she realized how juvenile she sounded. No wonder he wanted nothing to do with her.

  But she hadn’t stopped checking her phone. She made herself wait until she couldn’t bear it anymore, and then checked again.

  Mr. Vaughan turned back to the class just as Jamie tucked the phone under the hem of her sweater. He looked right at her and she was afraid she’d been caught, but a moment later she was saved by the bell.

  “I saw you sneaking to look at your phone,” Oliver said as they neared the door. He always shadowed her from math to English. “You’re lucky Vaughan didn’t catch you.”

  “I know.” Being caught would have meant detention or, worse, having her phone confiscated. But she hadn’t been able to stop herself.

  “You’ve been really antsy all morning. Is something wrong?”

  Jamie looked at him sharply. “What do you mean, wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Like maybe you’re worried. Or expecting an important message from your mom or something.”

  Her mother? How typically Oliver. “No,” she said. “I’m just bored. Hoping for anything to break the monotony.”

  “You could try paying attention.” He grinned.

  Jamie’s phone pinged with an incoming text. At last! Heart pounding, Jamie grabbed her phone and eagerly checked the screen.

  Alyssa.

  Can I use your Spanish book, I forgot mine.

  Jamie’s disappointment was so sharp it stung. Sure. I’ll bring it to English.

  “Breaking news?” Oliver asked.

  “Alyssa forgot her Spanish book. She wants to borrow mine.”
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  “You’re a good friend.”

  Jamie shrugged. Not such a good friend lately, she thought with a twinge of guilt.

  “Alyssa is lucky,” he said wistfully.

  “How so?”

  “You know, to have someone she can count on to help her out.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?” It was just a book, after all.

  “Not really.” Oliver shifted his backpack to one shoulder.

  “I’m your friend,” Jamie said lightly. “You can borrow my book any time you want.” Not that Oliver would ever forget his book.

  “Thanks.” He smiled but sounded sad.

  Jamie knew he’d been talking about more than borrowing a book. She promised herself she’d make an effort to be nice to him. He was really a pretty decent guy.

  Harmony scurried up from behind and shouldered her way between them. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked Jamie, turning her back to Oliver.

  “If you can make it quick. I’ve got to get to my locker before the next class.”

  “I’ll walk with you.”

  Oliver pulled ahead and walked on alone. Jamie wanted to call after him to make up for Harmony’s rudeness, but before she could figure out what to say, he was lost in the crowd.

  “TJ is having sort of a party Friday night,” Harmony said. “Kids who’ve been out of school a while. You know, older kids. Why don’t you come and bring your friend?”

  “Alyssa?”

  She laughed pointedly. “No. Your boyfriend.”

  “My—”

  ”The Hottie.”

  Harmony had been dropping subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, hints ever since she’d seen Todd at school last week. Who was he? How well did Jamie know him? How did they meet?

  “He’s not exactly my boyfriend,” Jamie said, then immediately wished she hadn’t. Harmony was clearly impressed.

  “I guess he’s not really a boy, is he?” She laughed at her own cleverness. “Your adult male friend then.”

  Not a boy, but not the sort of male friend Harmony meant, either. Jamie wasn’t sure what their relationship was. She knew what she wanted it to be. But Todd was, as Harmony pointed out, not a school kid. He was older. Experienced. He’d probably had dozens of girlfriends over the years. Dozens of lovers, in fact.

  Jamie knew he was attracted to her. She could tell from the way he looked at her. The way he talked and listened and remembered little things she’d told him. The fact that he met her every day after school.

  And the way he touched her. Not romantically, exactly, but it was like he went out of his way to find reasons to touch her. He didn’t have to put his hand on her back when they crossed the street. Didn’t have to brush a stray hair from her cheek or rest his arm along the seat back so that it just grazed her shoulders. He didn’t have to spend time with her at all.

  She thought maybe he was worried about taking advantage of her. She had tried to make him see he wouldn’t be.

  She wanted more. She wanted him.

  “Anyway,” Harmony said, “do you think you can make it?”

  Jamie pulled herself from her daydream. She couldn’t imagine Todd at a party of just-out-of-high-school guys. Besides, she didn’t want to share him with anyone. Least of all, Harmony. “I don’t know. I’ll have to see.”

  “Try, okay?”

  They reached Jamie’s locker as the warning bell rang.

  “Shit,” Harmony said. “I wanted to dump my jacket but I’ll never make it to my locker in time. Can I leave it here until lunch?”

  “Sure.” It was cool the way Harmony sometimes acted like they were good friends. Too bad none of the divas were around to notice.

  Jamie slid into her desk in English as the final bell rang. She tried to catch Oliver’s eye but he pretended not to see her.

  Her phone pinged again, loudly enough that a few heads swiveled. But thankfully not Mr. Darby’s. He was still busily filling out the attendance card.

  Jamie glanced at the screen.

  Todd!

  Meet U after school? he asked.

  Jamie couldn’t wait. Sooner?

  Not a good idea.

  Plse.

  Lunch?

  Mr. Darby looked up. “Jamie, is your phone on?”

  Jamie blushed. “Sorry, I forgot. I was just turning it off.”

  “Do it then.”

  Jamie managed one last message. C U. She hoped it sent before she hit the off switch.

  The minute the lunch bell sounded, Jamie sent a quick text to Harmony with her locker code so she could get her jacket, then ran out of class and raced down the stairs to the parking lot. When she didn’t see Todd, her heart fell. Maybe he hadn’t gotten her final message. Or maybe he wasn’t interested.

  Then she spotted his car at the far end of the drive and raced to climb in.

  He greeted her with a smile and a hug.

  She leaned her head against the headrest and smiled back. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

  “Your day that bad?” He seemed amused.

  “I couldn’t wait to see you.” She’d meant the comment to sound light, not desperate.

  “Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head. “It’s just that I miss you.”

  A pulse fluttered in his jaw. “Ah, Jamie,” he said after a moment. He touched her thigh. “Jamie,” he said again. “I miss you, too.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded.

  Jamie was afraid to breathe. “You didn’t text me yesterday,” she said after a moment.

  “I had a problem with my phone.”

  “Oh.” Now that he was here she felt like an idiot for sounding so needy.

  “Did you think I was ignoring you?”

  She shook her head, but she could see Todd wasn’t buying it.

  He tilted her chin so that her eyes met his. “You’re not someone I can forget, Jamie. Even when I try.”

  “Why would you try?”

  He looked at her a moment, then dropped his hand from her chin and turned to start the car. “What time do you have to be back at school?”

  “I don’t.”

  Todd raised an eyebrow. “What about your afternoon classes?”

  “I can skip them.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.”

  He seemed lost in thought until he asked, “You want to take a drive?”

  “Sure. Where are we going?” She didn’t really care. She’d have gone to the city dump if that’s where Todd wanted to go.

  “There are a couple of old bridges I’ve wanted to capture.” When Jamie looked perplexed, he added, “Photography is a hobby of mine.”

  “Cool. I keep thinking that’s something I’ll learn someday.”

  “Perfect. Maybe I can give you some tips.”

  *****

  It was almost dinner time when Todd dropped Jamie off at home. A block away, as usual. He got out of the car and opened the door for her.

  “Are you ever going to let me drive you all the way home?” he asked.

  “What does it matter?”

  “You’re not embarrassed to be seen with me, are you?”

  “Of course not! It’s just that my mother—”

  ”Doesn’t like me.” He grinned, like it didn’t matter to him whether she did or not.

  “She’d probably think you were too old for me,” Jamie explained.

  “I probably am.”

  “Don’t say that. Ten years is nothing.”

  “Eleven,” Todd reminded her.

  “Only because you just had a birthday.” Jamie wished she’d never mentioned the age thing. The afternoon had been wonderful and she didn’t want to spoil the mood.

  But Todd grew suddenly serious. “Come here.”

  He pulled her closer and kissed her. A long, slow kiss that left Jamie breathless. She’d never been kissed like that, ever.

  Then he traced a thumb over her lips and kissed her forehead. “You tempt me, honey. That can be dangerous.�
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  “Not dangerous,” Jamie insisted. “Not when I want what you want.”

  He shook his head. “That’s where eleven years starts to mean something.”

  “It doesn’t have to.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying, Jamie. You have no idea.”

  “But I do. Please don’t be that way.” What was he trying to say? He couldn’t be leaving her. Not now. Not after the day they’d had.

  She threw her arms around him and pressed herself against him. She didn’t care who was looking. “Please, Todd. I want to keep seeing you.”

  She felt close to tears. Todd’s body was warm, soft, and solid at the same time. His strong arms encircled her as he held her close. She could feel the beat of his heart in her own chest.

  “I want to keep seeing you, too, Jamie.”

  “You do?”

  He pulled away and nodded. “Just remember, I still think it’s a bad idea.”

  “Text me,” she said as she left. “I’ll show you it’s not a bad idea.”

  Jamie felt like skipping down the street but of course she didn’t. Todd was watching. She skipped in her heart, instead.

  She hoped her mom wasn’t home yet. But when she stepped inside, her mom was in the kitchen.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she called.

  Uh-oh. Had the school called about her afternoon absence? Jamie didn’t think they did that until things got really bad. She took a breath and braced herself. Then wiped her mouth for any traces of Todd’s kiss.

  Her mother was at the stove stirring spaghetti sauce. The aroma of tomato and spice permeated the room. It was a homey smell, usually welcoming. Today Jamie just wanted to get to the privacy of her room where she could relive her conversation with Todd.

  And she really didn’t want to have whatever conversation her mother was about to embark on.

  “I tried calling you right when school got out,” her mother said casually.

  The call Jamie had ignored. She’d known from the ring tone that it was her mother.

  Todd had been posing her at the edge of an old bridge when her phone rang. “You’re a good model,” he’d told her moments earlier.

  “All I’m doing is standing and looking where you tell me.”