Carey has never come to our store. I don't think he even knew we had a store. In the months since the thanksgiving dinner, Darcy had convinced me to open a shoe store with her. It was a harebrained idea I got one night when we were talking about how difficult it was to get affordable shoes that are suitable for multiple occasions. Darcy had then said we should be the ones doing it and a few months later, we had opened our store. As much as I felt like Darcy was a whirlwind, her idea had been a good one. I finally felt like I was doing something instead of sitting around waiting for the next party invite.
I was in the backroom arranging the new inventory when Carey came. When I came out, I saw him standing by the party shoe rack section, one red stiletto heel in his hand as he keenly observed it.
He placed the shoe back on the rack and turned to face me. He looked immaculate in a gray suit, blue shirt and deep blue tie. Anyone seeing him would think me lucky to have him as a husband.
"You own this place?"
Technically, Darcy did. She had put up most of the upfront costs and we both made a deal that I payback my end ininstallments. It's not as though the allowance Carey gave me was doing anything. "Yes."
"Huh. Well look at you. The chauffeur's daughter is really on the come up."
"What do you want Carey?"
"Nothing." He thrust his hands in his pockets and darted his gaze around the store. "Just wanted to see your place of business."
"Right." I folded my arms. "Because you've cared so much before."
"You're right I haven't. I have been shirking my husbandly duties recently."
His eyes darkened and my breath caught in my throat. He could not mean what he was implying. The room felt hotter all of a sudden as Carey's gaze bore into me.
"You and I should talk," he said.
"We are talking now." I glared back, wondering why he was here in the first place. "Don't you have criminals to defend. I am working."
He raised his eyebrows. "Is that all you're doing back there?" He jerked his head to the storeroom
I glanced back in time to see Jack, our inventory clerk, come out with boxes of the new stock. Carey's gaze followed the young man as he went about doing his job. "Is there a problem?"
Without warning, Carey grabbed my hand and dragged me into the storeroom and closed the door. He went through the backroom looking around, kicking empty boxes as he marched, and I stumbling into them. Satisfied that no one else was in, he locked the back door and the front door.
"What the fuck!" I wiggled out of his grip and he let me go. I stumbled backwards until I found my footing.
"Who is he?"
"Who?"
"That man you were with in here."
"Jack is my employee. You would know this if your cared a little about what I do during the day."
"Is that all he is to you?"
I frowned, wondering what he could mean by that. I scoffed when it clicked. "You think Jack and I are fucking?" I raised my chin. "So what if we are? 'Feel free to indulge in your own business.' Isn't that what you said?"
"So you're fucking your employees, is that it? Don't come to me when you're slapped with a workplace harassment lawsuit."
I rolled my eyes and went to the door. "If you don't have anything better to say, please leave."
His hand went over mine on the door handle. My pulse beat that much faster as his cologne enveloped me masking the scent of new shoes and cardboard box. It teased my nostrils like a love potion designed specifically for me. I could feel his chest behind me, imprisoning me between him and the door. I turned around to face him.
"Are you going to let me leave my own storeroom or not."
"Not until you tell me what is going on between you and Jack."
I don't know if I've ever seriously looked at Jack. He was a college student working part time for us. So far he had showed signs of being a good worker and not interested in much else other than video games. He was like a little brother to me if there was anything that would be described as a relationship between us. But I didn't feel like explaining all of that to Carey. He had no right barging into my work and stealing my time after spending months ignoring me. "The same thing that's happening between you and Gemma," I said.
He thrust his other hand against the door, pining me between it and his chest. "Are you cheating on me?"
