Chasing Shadows (complete)

Chapter 9

Jenny pulled up outside Carter’s building and killed the engine. From her glove compartment, she took out a little make-up kit that had seen better days. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup, but she figured a dab of lip gloss wouldn’t hurt. She felt a little grimy from being on her feet all day at the store, and what she wanted most of all was to soak in a bath and curl up under the sheets, but she’d promised Carter, and she didn’t want to break that promise.

She’d spent hours poring over the books and was no closer to figuring out how to keep both Winnie and Marianne on the payroll. She’d had to stop seeing her therapist because she couldn’t afford to go anymore, and she wouldn’t ask Mr. Chambers for help. Carter’s father had done enough already in terms of her education and mental health, and if she couldn’t hack it as a business owner, it was her problem, no-one else’s.

She did need help, though, and while a business consultant would cost money, too, it was her last chance at sorting out her mess. She hoped that Carter might be able to recommend someone.

Realizing she was stalling, Jenny put away her kit and grabbed her bag off the passenger seat. She checked the rear-view and side-view mirrors before getting out, then locked up the car and hurried over to the entrance.

Carter’s building had its own concierge, and she announced herself at the front desk. The elderly gentleman made a call and then directed her towards the elevators.

“Top floor, Miss,” he said and Jenny smiled back at him.

“Thank you.”

The elevator ride was short enough, but she could swear her insides were riding up along with the wrought iron contraption. The elevator gave a little jolt when it reached its destination, and Jenny felt like her heart dropped all the way back down to the foyer. Maybe she would take the stairs on her way down.

The small hallway between the elevator shaft and the only door on the top floor was carpeted and looked and smelled like it was vacuumed daily. There was also a little, probably antique, table to the side with a vase of fresh flowers. The building screamed old elegance and money, and she felt a little underdressed in her simple gray pencil skirt and powder pink cardigan. Her hair was up in its usual bun and she was wearing her glasses, for crying out loud. She looked like a secretary running errands for her boss. She was just about to shake out her hair and dig around for her contacts when the door opened.

“Hey. I thought I heard the elevator come up. Come on in,” Carter said and held the door wide open. He was wearing jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a gray T-shirt peeking out from behind his open collar.

Jenny smiled timidly and passed him, feeling self-conscious about the way she looked. “I came straight from work,” she said by way of explanation.

“I figured,” he said with a smile. “You must be tired. Do you want to have a seat on the couch and I’ll finish dinner?”

“I would offer to help, if you weren’t a chef and I- well, can I help set the table or something?”

“I’ve got it covered. Sit, relax,” he said, ushering her over to the black leather couch that took up most of the living room area. “Would you like some wine? White, red?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” she said and took a seat on the edge of the couch, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Where the building looked like old money, Carter’s apartment looked like modern businessman meets arty designer. She’d noticed the brick walls and spiral wrought-iron staircase immediately, and it took her breath away. She turned a little to see Carter walk over to the kitchen section, where the equipment looked state-of-the-art, with a large kitchen island, bar stools and pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. She glanced up at the loft, which was edged by a steel railing and, she guessed, housed his bedroom.