A Twisted Love Story(14)

Her family was no different. Three sisters, all older, none of whom would tell Bianca about their boyfriends or their dates or even their plans for the weekend. She found out anyway, because her sisters weren’t that good about hiding things. Still . . . it was a lot of work.

But Wes: He wins the award for the most work she has ever put into someone. No friend, family member, or coworker has even come close.

After seeing Joey Fisher’s memorial fund on his browser, she tried to find out if he had actually donated. No luck getting into his bank account. She knew where he kept his money—Foundation Bank & Trust, also in his internet history—but couldn’t access it. Wes wasn’t stupid enough to save his password on a work computer.

She went through his entire social media history, all the way back to MySpace. Even back then, he didn’t post much. Even less now. Not a single connection to Joey Fisher or his family.

His friends came next. Bianca checked everyone who followed him, along with their history. It took a couple weeks to get through it all. Nothing. Again.

She ponders this in the late morning, wondering what more she can do while trying not to think about how hungry she is or that lunch is an hour and a half away.

The elevator dings, and a woman walks toward her, someone Bianca has never seen before. The woman stops in front of Bianca’s desk. Her style: designer corporate. Navy blue skirt, modest blouse, three-inch heels. Neutral makeup, manicured nails, and hair one inch above the shoulders.

“I’m here to see Wes Harmon,” she says. “My name is Ivy Banks.” Her voice is bright and cheery, as if she wants Bianca to like her.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I’m just dropping something off. He knows I’m—”

Wes’s door opens, and he walks out smiling. Ivy smiles, too. So many smiles.

He motions for her to follow him back to his office. As she does, Ivy reaches out to hand him a phone.

His phone.

The door shuts, closing Bianca off from the rest of the conversation. Fine with her, because now she has part of the code to Wes’s schedule.

I for Ivy.



* * *



—

Wes’s phone rings as soon as Ivy is gone. The desk phone. On the caller ID: Tanner.

He takes a deep breath and picks up.

“Was that Ivy?” Tanner says.

“It was.”

Big sigh. “Jesus Christ, man.”

“Don’t worry. We’re in a good place,” Wes says. “She’s in a good place.”

“?‘In a good place’? Did you really just say that?”

This is why Wes didn’t want Ivy coming into the office. He was supposed to meet her outside to get his phone, but his conference call ran over. He also couldn’t get mad at her for coming in. She has a job and had to get back to it.

During the five minutes she was in the office, Tanner saw her.

There wasn’t anything Wes could have done differently. He couldn’t order Ivy out of the office.

And this is Tanner. Not only his boss, but the man who hired him seven years ago. The first person who ever told Wes he could be great at sales. Tanner may not be a perfect man, but he taught Wes everything he knows about Siphon’s business.

He was also the one who got Wes into famous quotes. Tanner was always using them, starting on Wes’s first day on the job.

“?‘The problem human beings face is not that we aim too high and fail,’?” he had said, “?‘but that we aim too low and succeed.’?”

Michelangelo.

Wes downloaded his first quotes app that day. He has gone through several of them since, right up until he deleted the latest one. The quote about love being a serious mental disease was enough to break the habit. Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn’t, but he didn’t want that kind of thing popping up on his phone.

Of course Tanner knew who Ivy was; they’d met on several occasions. Over the years, she has been in the office a few times. One of which was tragically memorable.

Tanner will not let him forget it. Tanner is his mentor, his friend, his boss. He’s looking out for Wes, as he has said on many occasions.

As your mentor and de facto big brother, I feel obligated to tell you that your girlfriend is insane.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Wes says now. He hopes this is true. He intends for it to be, he wants it to be, but how can anyone predict what someone will do. Sometimes he doesn’t know what he’ll do the minute before he does it. It’s called being human.

Tanner isn’t having it.

“Keep your relationship under control,” he says, “or I’ll ban her from the building.”

“You have my word.”

“How comforting. And in case I forget to say this, you’re an idiot,” Tanner adds. “You can quote me on that.”

What Tanner doesn’t know is why Ivy had come to Siphon and damn near destroyed Wes’s office.

No reason to tell him.





13




Ivy drives back to her office, thinking about this morning. Wes had spent the night, and when he left, he forgot his phone but not his electric razor. Ever since she mentioned the beard thing, he has shaved every single day.

Good.

She would never tell him, but it would’ve been so disappointing if he had started growing a beard. Someone who does everything you say is too boring. Tedious. No backbone, no opinion—just following orders like a robot programmed to obey.