Caught in the Middle

Chapter 29

"Oh my gosh," Irene said. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh."

"I think I lost her," I muttered as I watched her keep repeating herself. Poor Harlan, he seemed lost how to console her.

"Oh my gosh," she repeated.

I just looked up at the ceiling. Perhaps me telling them about Dane was too soon.

"I should have just waited."

"No," Harlan was the one to reply. "It's a good thing you told us. We wouldn't want any more surprises."

"It's too late for that," Irene finally pitched in. I was grateful she stopped chanting "oh my gosh." Then she looked at me with a straight face. "How does he fit into all of this?"

"Well, um, you see... he was the one who witnessed Mr. Pierce and me on our date."

"That might be a good thing. He can testify in court, be a witness," Harlan supplied.

"No." I shook my head. "He's more important than that."

"Of course he is. He's Mr. Pierce's business rival," Irene added.

"What?" I asked.

"That makes sense," the attorney concluded.

Irene scooted closer to me on the couch and then grabbed my shoulders. "Mr. Cole has the title of fashion king for a reason. Anything he says goes in the world of fashion. That's where he makes the big bucks. And because of the profits he makes, Mr. Pierce and he have been at each other's throats with making the most money."

"I certainly don't get what you're saying," I whispered.

"Tessa, the only one who can face Mr. Pierce on equal terms is Mr. Cole."

"Oh," I said.

"If we can get him on this case, we have a fighting chance to nail Mr. Pierce," Harlan commented.

"Okay, you have to let us know all the details."

I looked at the cup of tea on the coffee table. It must have gotten warm by now. I reached for the cup with a hand, brought the rim to my mouth and took a mouthful of the warm sweet substance. I had to admit that Harlan was a great tea maker. It was like he knew I needed the extra sugar to keep me energize. And believe me, I was going to need all the energy I could muster to fill in everything to Irene and Harlan.

Putting the tea back on the saucer, I faced both occupants in the living room. Harlan's good-looking face remained calm. Irene's beautiful face seemed painted with anxiety.

"So, this is how it all happened." I told them from the beginning how everything went down, from the emails I exchanged with Nathan to the time I stayed with Dane. Of course, I omitted certain parts of the truth like how I was tricked to stay with Dane or how I slept with him. Irene would definitely freak out if she knew the whole story.

"Wow," my best friend breathed out at the end of my story.

"I must admit that having Mr. Cole on our side is a great asset," the attorney stated.

"I'm shocked. You have two handsome men, although one of them is a big dick," my best friend said.

"That narrows it down to one," I finished for her.

"And that must be the one you wanted to see," Harlan pointed out. I see why he made a great lawyer.

"Wait, that's... Mr. Cole is the one you have feelings for," Irene replied as she caught wind to what Harlan was saying.