The Best of Friends Read online

  She’d just unpacked three diamonds and a bracelet setting when Jayne climbed the stairs and joined her.

  “This is where you’re working?” her friend asked by way of greeting. “Seriously?”

  “Isn’t it great?” Rebecca looked around at the paint-spattered cement walls. A guy at the far end of the huge space got out a blowtorch and prepared to climb up a twenty-foot-tall sculpture. “Can’t you feel the energy?”

  “Mostly I’m worried about the building burning down, but if you like it, that’s what matters.”

  “I love it. No one knows who I am, and if they did, I doubt they’d care. I pay rent just like everyone else.”

  “You drive a Mercedes. It’s so new, you don’t have actual plates yet.”

  “The rental wasn’t working for me.”

  “Welcome to the world of the little people.”

  “Don’t mock me.” Rebecca pointed to a stool in the corner. “You can watch me work my magic, then we’ll talk about how brilliant I am.”

  “Lucky me.” Jayne sat down and reached for one of the diamonds. “Ballpark it for me.”

  “Loose? Three. Three-fifty. But with these and in a bracelet designed by moi? A couple million.”

  Jayne carefully returned the stone to the table. “Not even if I made payments for the rest of my life.”

  Rebecca grinned. “I could give it to you for cost.”

  “Even so.” She covered a yawn. “Sorry. I’m still recovering from the brunch.”

  “Did my mother make you stay late and scrub floors?”

  “Nothing that dramatic. I did stay until the last guest left, and then I supervised the cleanup. That was the easy part. Listening to your mother rant about your return was painful.”

  “She was upset?” Rebecca asked, already knowing the answer. Her goal had been to stun Elizabeth. It seems she’d succeeded in spades.

  “Upset doesn’t come close.”

  Rebecca laughed and leaned her elbows on the table. “Good. By the way, you also looked a little shocked. I probably should have warned you, but maybe it’s better that I didn’t. Elizabeth won’t think you were in on the secret.”

  “Thank you,” Jayne said. “Was it everything you wanted? That entrance, making your mother squirm?”

  “No. I always want more. But it was nice that she was unhappy. That makes it a good day.”

  Jayne shifted on the stool, then started to speak, only to stop. As if she were choosing her words carefully.

  “Where’s the win?” she asked. “At what point is toying with her enough?”

  “I don’t know. There’s a whole lifetime of injuries that require payback.”

  “You’ve been gone ten years. Aren’t you over it?”

  Rebecca straightened. “Over not being wanted by my own mother? Over being told that I wasn’t good enough, that I was a constant disappointment? Over the nagging, complaining, and not-so-subtle comments that life would have been better if they’d stopped with a single child?”

  Jayne set her cast-covered arm on the table. “So ‘over’ is the wrong word. At what point do you move on? You’re still defining yourself on Elizabeth’s terms. You’re still making what she thinks the most important thing.”

  Rebecca didn’t like that. She picked up one of the diamonds, then put it down. “That’s not true. I’ve been living my own life, without even thinking about her. I’m focused because I’m back.”

  “Really? Then why did you name your company Rivalsa? Isn’t the revenge about her? Why won’t you tell her you’re the one behind the jewelry?”

  “I don’t want her to know. Not yet.”

  Jayne simply looked at her.

  Rebecca picked up one of the diamonds, then tossed it back on the table. “Fine. I have mother issues. That’s hardly unique.”

  “Yours drag you down. You spend so much time and energy hating Elizabeth. That can’t be good for you.”

  Rebecca shrugged. Hating her mother was a whole lot easier than facing the pain inside. The emptiness. The fact that the only time she felt whole was with Nigel.

  “Enough about me,” she said. “How’s the wrist?”

  “Better. Healing. At least that’s what I tell myself when it aches.” She rubbed the cast. “I miss work. My friends, the patients.”

  Rebecca didn’t want to talk about Jayne’s other friends. “What did you think of Jonathan?”

  Jayne grimaced. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. I’m sure he’s very nice.”

  “I’ll admit he’s not my fantasy guy,” Rebecca said. “But he’s reasonably intelligent and funny. Uncomplicated. I think I need uncomplicated.”

  “You’ll get over Nigel.”

  “Could you give me a date? Even one month in the future. It would give me something to look forward to.” Imagine closing her eyes at night and not hearing his voice or picturing him in her mind. What on earth would she do with her day when she didn’t have missing Nigel to fill up the time?

  “You won’t be in love with him forever,” Jayne said.

  “Is that a promise?”

  Jayne looked uncomfortable. “No. It’s not.”

  Because loving one man for the rest of her life, while old-fashioned and depressing, was entirely possible.

  “Why did I have to fall for him?” she asked, picking up the smallest of the three diamonds and turning it over in her hands. “Don’t worry. I don’t expect an answer. No one knows why we love the people we love. If only love were sensible.”

  “Like me,” Jayne said. “That’s how everyone sees me. Not pretty or funny or charming. I’m sensible and reliable. Like a used compact car. Nothing flashy, but you know it will start in the morning.”

  Rebecca stared at her. “That’s not really what you think, is it?”

  “Sure. I’m the sensible friend, the person Elizabeth can count on to do the right thing. I can be trusted to know where the good china is and not steal it. I’m a paragon of incredibly boring virtues. You get to be all beautiful and fiery and dangerous.”

  “I’m hardly dangerous.”

  “You had your mother sweating yesterday at the brunch. And then she sent me to make sure you stayed in line. I’m like those placid dogs a family buys when the dog they chose first is too high strung. I’m the pet’s pet.”

  “Which makes me the high-strung dog?” Rebecca asked, trying not to smile.

  “Do not make this about you,” Jayne snapped. “I’m serious here. Your mother asked me to help David house hunt. Apparently, men aren’t capable of buying a house on their own. How lucky for all of us that I broke my wrist and am available. Although I’m sure if I was still working, she would explain to me why helping her son was more important than my job.”

  “Isn’t everything?”

  “Yes.” Jayne covered her face with her hands. “She asked me to tell her any information I may pick up about who he’s dating.” She dropped her hands. “I told her no, but that’s not the point. She asked. She expected I would be her spy. I’m an unpaid family retainer.”

  “Is that better or worse than being a reliable used car or a Labrador?”

  Jayne’s mouth twitched at the corners. “There are mean-looking tools all over this place. Don’t make me use one on you.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “Absolutely. It could get ugly.”

  “You can’t take me.”

  Jayne stood. “Want to bet? I have years of resentful bitterness on my side.”

  Rebecca rose and walked around the table. “I have four-inch heels.”

  Jayne’s expression softened. “Thanks for being my friend.”

  Rebecca stepped close and hugged her. “Always. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  They held on to each other for several seconds.

  “It would make me really happy if you told David to buy a house that would piss off my mother.”

  Jayne laughed. “I’m sure it would, but I thought you liked David.”
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  “I do. You’re saying any house that would annoy Elizabeth would be bad for him?”

  “It’s a possibility.”

  “Oh, sure. Think of everyone but me.” She returned to her side of the table and sank onto her stool. “What’s he seen so far?”

  “A place in Malibu. It was lovely, if you’re in to floor-to-ceiling views and forty-seven fireplaces.”

  “Forty-seven?”

  “Okay. Three or four. It was huge and beautifully done. Ten acres. What does anyone need with ten acres unless you’re keeping livestock?”

  “It’s for privacy.”

  “I didn’t realize David was being stalked.”

  Rebecca laughed. “He’s not, but land means wealth.”

  “I guess, but I think it’s silly. And way too expensive. My entire condo is smaller than the master suite.”

  “What did he think of it?”

  “He said it was nice, but he wants to keep looking.”

  “Did he say why he’s looking in Malibu?”

  Jayne rolled her eyes. “No, and if he did, I wouldn’t tell you. If you want to know, ask him yourself. You sound like your mother.”

  “Hey, there’s no need to be mean. I’m nothing like—”

  Her cell phone rang. Rebecca walked to her purse and grabbed it, then stared at the small screen. There was a single word there.

  Nigel.

  “What?” Jayne asked, hurrying to her side. “Oh. What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing.”

  She listened to three more rings, then there was silence. A few seconds later, the message envelope popped onto the screen.

  “He’s doing this on purpose,” she whispered. “He doesn’t want me, but he doesn’t want me to forget him, either.”

  “Does he know you left Milan?”

  “I don’t know.” Part of her wondered if he’d gone to see her, only to find out she was gone. Or was that wishful thinking on her part?

  “Are you going to listen to the message?”

  Rebecca nodded, then pushed the speakerphone button before dialing her voice mail. Seconds later, she heard Nigel’s voice.

  “Becca Blue,” he said, that familiar, low voice making her stomach hurt. “Where are you? I can’t get you anywhere. Are you hiding? I have to go to New York in a couple of weeks. Want to meet me there? The usual place? I promise days and nights of fun. Call me.”

  Anger replaced longing. She glared at her phone. “That bastard. I’m good enough to fuck, but not good enough to marry?” She pushed the button to delete the message. If only it were so easy to erase it from her memory.

  “I’m sorry,” Jayne told her.

  “I know. Me, too.”

  “Are you going to New York?”

  “No. Not even to annoy my mother.”

  “Well,” Jayne said sympathetically, “that’s progress.”

  If only it were enough, Rebecca thought. She looked back at her phone. She hadn’t heard from Nigel in weeks. Not since he’d gotten married. She was cynical enough to think he wasn’t missing her all that much. She would guess he might be having second thoughts about the blue diamond he’d given her. Was greed more powerful than guilt? She had a feeling she was about to find out.

  Seven

  AT ONE O’CLOCK, DAVID took the elevator down to the Worden of Beverly Hills boutique. The company offices were on the three floors above the store. His new office was next to his father’s. After nearly two weeks, he was enjoying the transition from the excitement of searching for rare gemstones to a more structured day, complete with meetings and an assistant. He stuck his finger between his neck and his collar. The tie was tougher to accept.

  He walked through the back room and into the quiet elegance of the retail store. Recessed lighting illuminated the brilliance of the stones, while polished glass protected millions of dollars worth of inventory. The salespeople were well dressed, knowledgeable, and charming; the carpet was plush; the two security guards by the door were huge and armed.

  He glanced around until he saw Jayne leaning over a display of earrings. Her long brown hair fell onto the case. She pulled it away, holding it in one hand, the way women with long hair do. It was one of those unconscious gestures that drove men wild. At least it drove him wild.

  There was something about Jayne. Something quiet and unassuming. She didn’t demand attention or expect to be in the middle of everything. Yet whenever she spoke, he found himself wanting to listen.

  She turned and saw him, smiled and gave him a little wave. Unexpected anticipation coursed through him. As if he’d been waiting for her to show up so his day could start.

  “So you brought me back to the scene of the crime,” she said quietly as she approached. “Do I look guilty? I feel guilty.”

  “Guilty about what?”

  She poked him in the chest with her index finger. “My felony. I stole a necklace from here.”

  “No one cares.”

  “Ha. That sounds great, but wait until the police find out.”

  “I won’t tell them.”

  “You say that now, but we’ll see.”

  Laughter brightened her eyes. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, so he could see the freckles on her nose. There was something glossy on her lips, something he wanted to wipe away so he could—

  “David?”

  “What? I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? You look… I don’t know. Strange. Are you feeling all right?”

  “Great. I’m great. Come on. The elevator is this way.”

  He hurried her through the store to the doors at the rear. “This is our workroom. We replace watch batteries, do minor repairs, that kind of thing. Anything big is sent upstairs, where we have two full-time jewelers.”

  Jayne hadn’t asked for an explanation, but he felt the need to keep talking. Mostly because, for one brief second, he’d been thinking that he wanted to kiss her. Kiss Jayne.

  Talk about trouble. She was his sister’s best friend, his mother’s… he didn’t know how to define her relationship with Elizabeth, but it was a complication. She wasn’t his type. She wasn’t…

  He stopped by the elevator and looked at her. She looked back.

  “Do you need a glass of water or something?” she asked. “Did you hit your head?”

  “No.”

  Why not Jayne? She was smart, funny, easy to be with. The only difference between her and the women his mother had wanted him to meet at the brunch was a trust fund and family connections. Neither of which had ever mattered to him. He wasn’t saying he was ready to propose, but there was no reason not to explore the possibilities. Assuming she was interested.

  He pushed the up button.

  She eyed him cautiously. “I have professional medical training, so if you need help, just say so.”

  “What I want is your opinion. That’s why I asked you to come by.”

  “You said something about meeting a new designer. Does Rivalsa know you’re cheating on her with someone new?”

  “We have multiple designers working for us,” he said as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

  “Uh-huh. Just promise me I’ll be in the room when you explain that to you know who.”

  He pushed the button for the fourth floor. “I have another house viewing scheduled in a couple of days. Want to come with me?”

  “Sure. Maybe something nicer this time. You know, with a real view. And that kitchen? I doubt you could serve more than seventy or eighty people.”

  He laughed. “You’re saying it was too much?”

  “I’m saying you’re going to need a series of ‘you are here’ maps to find your way around.”

  They walked out onto the fourth floor.

  “The conference room is over there,” he said, pointing toward the glass doors.

  “I thought there’d be more security,” Jayne said, her voice quiet. “A metal detector and one of those things you have to put your palm on. This is very disappointing.”
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  “We don’t keep the actual jewelry up here.”

  “Damn. And I brought my cat burglar suit and everything.”

  “Next time,” he promised.

  Jayne looked at him and raised her eyebrows. “You say that now, but I’m not sure I can trust you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Apparently, you’re the kind of guy who says one thing and does another.” She smiled. “You moved out of your mother’s house.”

  He shuddered. “I had to. She was…”

  “Too close?”

  “Oh, yeah. She called you?”

  “Uh-huh. She’s not a happy camper. I’d get her something small but tasteful, if I were you. But she’s pleased with your choice of hotel. If you have to leave the safe confines of her home, at least you’re suffering at the Four Seasons.”

  There was something about the way she said the name. “You have a problem with the hotel?”

  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sure it’s lovely.”

  “It’s a place to sleep.”

  “Oh, please. Do you even know what a room there costs a night?”

  He didn’t have a room… he had a suite. “No. Do you?”

  “I know if one has to ask, one probably can’t afford it. I’ll be fine.”

  He held open the door to the conference room. “The Four Seasons is really close to the office.”

  “You don’t have to justify yourself to me. I’ve heard they have the best turn-down service.” Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

  “Now you’re just mocking me.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  They entered the conference room. Peter, their marketing director, was there with the designer.

  David took care of introductions. “Jayne is a friend of mine. I wanted her thoughts on the pieces.” He waited until Jayne took a seat across from the two men. “I discovered Élan’s work while I was in Spain last year. I asked him to submit a few pieces for us to consider for the stores. They would be exclusive, of course.”