Can't Stop the Feeling Page 23

Jenna immediately felt better about her odds here today.

  “I don’t understand,” Pilar said. “Is Zeke here because he found out he’s not getting a new squad car?”

  Zeke’s brows came together in displeasure. “The department’s not getting the new squad car I asked for?”

  Before Jenna could answer, Larry and Gus showed up. “Looks like everyone is here so let’s get going,” Larry said like he was in charge of the world. “Time is money, people.”

  Mimi threw her an apologetic look. “Best not get Larry riled up. We can talk after the meeting,” she said discreetly.

  Damn it. She’d needed to talk to Mimi and Pilar before the meeting, not after. But what choice did she have?

  They all marched into the boardroom where Denise was already waiting. Larry and Gus took their customary places facing one another across the table. After a minute or so, Ben came in, looking very lawyerly in a dark gray suit. She tried her best, but it was impossible to ignore him. Not when she could practically feel his gaze burning a hole through her. They briefly made eye contact. His dark eyes looked grave, and maybe just a little sad, too.

  Jenna quickly looked away.

  Mimi was about to call the meeting to order when Steve Pappas walked into the room.

  “Oh, hello, Steve,” Mimi said, “I’m sorry, but we’re about to start a city council meeting.”

  “I’m aware of that. Jenna called me this morning and asked me to be here.”

  Pilar turned to her. “You asked both Steve and Zeke to the meeting?”

  “I’m aware this is highly unusual, but I have something important to share with the city council and I think it’s vital that both Zeke and Steve hear it, too.” She could feel Ben’s gaze on her, hard and questioning. But he didn’t get a say in what happened here today. Not anymore.

  Larry made a great big harrumphing sound, catching everyone’s attention. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Pilar leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I hope he doesn’t start expectorating or anything.”

  Jenna forced a smile because that’s what she’d normally do.

  “Thank you, Larry,” Mimi said. “Before we begin our meeting I’d like to introduce Ben Harrison, the attorney representing Nora and Vince Palermo in the suit against the city. He’d like to say a few words on behalf of his clients.”

  Ben stood. “Thank you for allowing me to be here today.” He began by outlining Nora’s case against the city, going over the key points of the depositions made by witnesses in their favor. His voice was rich and deep, almost hypnotic. His presentation short and sweet. And brilliantly persuasive. It was the first time Jenna had seen him in action and she had to admit, she was impressed. He concluded with a brief summary of what his clients planned to do with the land if they should win, and how it would benefit the city.

  Jenna glanced around the room, trying to gauge the reaction. Everyone was riveted. Even Gus, who was staunchly against accepting the offer, was leaning forward in his seat with an odd expression on his face.

  “Thank you, Mr. Harrison,” said Mimi. “We’ll certainly take your points into consideration. If you and your clients would like to know the results of today’s vote, you’re more than welcome to wait in the lobby until we conclude our meeting.”

  Ben nodded cordially to the members of the city council, then as he was walking out the door he briefly caught her eye with a look that seemed almost to be warning her. It was as if he knew what she was going to do.

  Jenna took a deep breath for courage.

  “If you’re not all convinced after that, then I don’t know what will sway you,” Larry said.

  “Thank you for that succinct review of Mr. Harrison’s presentation, Larry,” Mimi said. “Normally, at this point we’d begin the meeting, but…” She looked to her husband and Steve. Both men had been patient up till now but they also looked like they were ready to find out what they’d been summoned for.

  Jenna stood on wobbly legs. She could do this. “Let me explain why I’ve asked both Police Chief Grant and Steve Pappas to come here today. I have something to say to the council members and they need to hear it as well, so in order to save time I thought it was best if everyone involved is present.”

  “Well now, you’ve certainly got my attention,” Zeke said.

  “I want to begin by thanking everyone for the wonderful support I’ve been given since taking over as city manager. This job is a dream come true for me, and I want you to know that this city’s best interests are my number one concern.”

  “Sounds like she’s planning to run for mayor next,” Larry whispered to Denise loud enough for everyone to hear. Denise just shrugged.

  “Some of you are aware that I’ve had grave concerns about the enormous cost in building the new rec center, to the point that I became a little OCD about it. But to be honest, I tend to be a little OCD about a lot of things.”

  “I can vouch for that,” Larry grumbled.

  “It’s what makes you such a conscientious city manager,” Mimi added smoothly.

  “Thank you,” Jenna said. Here goes. “The other night while I was out, curiosity overcame me, and I stopped by the rec center to see how construction was going. I know it was wrong to be out there so late, unsupervised, but I wanted to make sure everything was on schedule for myself.” She turned to Zeke, who was watching her intently. “So, it was me out there last Saturday night. I’m…not sure if you’d have a chance to review the security footage, but all you’ll see is me skulking around.”

  She smiled weakly at Steve. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Pappas. I understand the importance of keeping your construction sites off limits and I truly do apologize. All I can say is that it certainly won’t happen again.”

  No one said anything for a few seconds.

  Steve was the first one to speak. “Thank you for clearing that up. I’ve checked with the site foreman and nothing was disturbed. As far as I’m concerned, no harm, no foul.”

  “So you don’t want to press charges?” Zeke asked him.

  “God, no. I thought it was kids out there trying to stir up trouble. If I’d known it was Jenna all along I would have never raised a stink about it.”

  “Good. So that’s all settled,” Zeke said.

  “Hold on,” said Larry. “Just because she’s the city manager doesn’t mean she can go around breaking the law. Isn’t that what we locked up Wentworth for?”

  “Are you comparing Jenna to Doug Wentworth?” Pilar asked incredulously. “You really are a crazy old—”

  Mimi placed a hand over Pilar’s arm to silence her. “Zeke and Steve are satisfied that no harm has been done, and Jenna already said she was sorry. I say we move this meeting along.”

  “And I say, we need to hold her to the same standard we’d hold any other trespasser in this town,” said Larry.

  Pilar began to protest again, but Denise interrupted her. “Larry is right.”

  “You’re damn straight I am.”

  “Larry!” Denise admonished. “Your language!”

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  Mimi winked at Jenna as if to say no worries, she’d handle this. “Larry,” Mimi said, “if we review the security footage for the night in question, and we can prove without a doubt that Jenna wasn’t involved in any acts of vandalism, then will you drop this so we can move on?”

  Oh no. Oh no no no… It was like someone had pulled her chair out from under her. Only instead of falling flat on her ass, she’d fallen into the first circle of hell. Maybe Stuart Malloy hadn’t sent the footage over yet. Maybe—”

  “As a matter of fact, I got it right here,” Zeke said. “He pulled out his cell phone. I received an email from Stuart Malloy with an attachment this morning but I haven’t had the chance to review it. I can email it to Mimi and we can all take a look at it on her laptop.”

  “Sounds okay to me,” Larry conceded.

  “No!”

  Everyone turned to look at her. “That is, I…don�
��t think it’s a good idea to see the tape. Not here anyway. We have a meeting and we need to stay on schedule, don’t we?”

  Pilar looked at her with concern. “Are you okay?” she mouthed.

  Zeke frowned. “Is there something on there you don’t want us to see?”

  “I knew it!” Larry crowed. “You can’t trust a redhead. They’re too sneaky.”

  “Shut up, Larry,” Pilar said. “Steve already said nothing was taken or disturbed on the construction site. If Jenna doesn’t want us to see the footage, then she has a good reason.” She looked at Jenna. “Right?”

  Jenna still couldn’t say anything.

  “You look pale. Let me get you some water.” Mimi reached over the table and poured her a glass of water. She drank it all down to the last drop, to stall for time. How was she going to get out of this mess?

  There was only one way she could see.

  And that was with the truth.

  “I…” A great big knot formed in her throat, making the words difficult to spit out. Her reputation stood on the shoulders of her professionalism. She’d never once let her personal life interfere with work. Until now. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to recuse myself from today’s vote.”

  “Recuse yourself?” Denise said. “Whatever for?”

  “I have a conflict of interest.”

  “What kind of conflict?” demanded Larry. “If you’re going to recuse yourself from the most important vote this city has ever seen then you better have a damn good reason. And what the hell does that have to do with the tape?”

  “Language!” Denise hissed.

  It felt like she was stabbing her career in the back. But what choice did she have? She couldn’t allow them to play the video. She just couldn’t.

  “I have a personal relationship with the attorney representing Nora and Vince Palermo.”

  “Personal as in…you know him, or personal as in, you know know him?” Denise asked.

  Jenna winced. “Um, the second one.”

  “Okay,” Mimi said slowly. “These things happen.”

  Pilar addressed the rest of the board. “In an effort for complete disclosure here, both the mayor and I were aware that Mr. Harrison and Ms. Pantini had known each other previously. They met in college and so when this suit came about, there was already an established relationship between the two parties. Neither of them sought each other out.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Gus said. “You don’t think you can vote objectively because of the relationship between you and Ben Harrison. Is that it?”

  “Yes, that’s it exactly.”

  Everyone took a few seconds to absorb what they’d just heard. No one seemed overly shocked and so far no one was threatening to lynch her. Maybe everything would work out after all.

  “I don’t understand,” said Denise, “what does this have to do with the security footage?”

  “Yeah,” Gus said innocently. “Am I the only one who’s still confused here?”

  “I still say we need to see that film,” Larry insisted.

  “If it will stop you from harping about it, then fine.” Mimi pulled out her laptop. “Zeke, go ahead and send me the attachment.”

  “Please don’t,” Jenna said quietly. “I really can’t let anyone look at that footage. At least not here. Not now.”

  “Why not?” Denise pressed.

  Seven pairs of eyes looked at her, waiting for her to answer. The truth and nothing but the truth was the only way she could stop this. “The reason I don’t want you to see the video footage isn’t because there’s any evidence of vandalism or anything else illegal—it’s because I wasn’t alone at the rec center.”

  “Come to think of it, the report said there were two cars in the parking lot,” said Zeke.

  “So who was there with you?” asked Denise.

  “Mr. Harrison,” she admitted. “And although we didn’t do anything illegal, we did…um, have an encounter that would be horribly embarrassing if it were ever to be made public.”

  “Okay,” Gus said. “So what’s that got to with—oh.”

  Everyone looked at her in shock. Except Denise, who looked more confused than ever.

  Jenna’s face was on fire. This was worse than the time she’d tripped in front of the entire school during the fourth-grade spelling bee. Worse than the time she’d spilled the smuggled beer all over her prom date senior year and gotten everyone in trouble with the chaperones. And even worse than having her mosquito bite outed in front of the entire town. It was the humiliation to beat out all the other humiliations of her life.

  Larry threw down his pen in disgust. “Well, at least now we know who gave her the hickey.”

  * * *

  Ben would rather have a root canal than spend one more minute waiting in the lobby with Nora and Vince Palermo. The city council meeting should have been over an hour ago. He’d never been a patient man, but he’d always managed to keep a professional demeanor with his clients.

  But he’d never had clients that he personally disliked as much as these two clowns. In the past couple hours, they’d gone from squabbling over everything from where they’d parked the car to long spans of silence so awkward that Ben had been forced to walk away.

  Vince picked up on Ben’s foul mood. “Give your pacing a rest. The longer they’re in there the better it is for us. Isn’t that what you said an hour ago?”

  Was he pacing? That was something Jenna did. But he could see the appeal. There was a sick kind of nervous energy running through him that he had to get out of his system and it had nothing to do with whether or not he won this case. He didn’t give a rat’s ass if they were voting yes or no in there. The only thing in that room he cared about was Jenna.

  “I also said that in all probability we won’t get a resolution today. According to my information, the council members have been tied three to three on this offer and I don’t see any of them changing their minds. Most likely, this won’t be settled until we take it to court.”

  That little speech shut Vince up quick.

  God, he really hoped this thing didn’t go to court. That would mean at the very least another year of having to deal with Vince. Maybe when he got to Miami he’d tell old man Martinez he wanted to slow down. Or start doing some pro bono work.

  When was the last time he felt really passionate about a case?

  He couldn’t remember.

  Even the money didn’t matter anymore.

  Nothing mattered really. Except Rachel. And Jenna. His mom had found her own happiness but he’d been standing in her way. He’d have to fix that.

  Ben sat down as far away from his clients as it was politely possible then pulled out his phone. He’d check his emails. Anything to keep his mind off what was really bothering him.

  Steve Pappas and Zeke Grant were the first to walk out. Neither man stopped to speak, but Zeke, he noticed, gave him a look that made Ben’s spine stiffen. The look wasn’t unfriendly, it was more like an unspoken warning.

  Another thirty minutes went by before the door opened again and Larry Jefferson came out, grinning like a madman. He slapped Ben on the back. “You won!”

  Vince jumped up from his chair. “You mean the city council voted to accept the offer?”

  “They did indeed!”

  Vince grabbed Nora and gave her a swift hug that she half-heartedly returned. “We did it, baby!” Then he ran over and shook Ben’s hand. “I knew you were the right man for the job! Whatever you said in there must have convinced them to take the offer!”

  Ben nodded in acknowledgment, but this didn’t make sense. For the city council to approve the offer meant that someone had to have changed their vote in his favor. He couldn’t see Pilar changing his vote. Which left—

  Gus was the next one to come out. Gone was the friendliness they’d shared at the football party. Instead he gave Ben the same look he’d given him the first time they’d met at The Bistro. With an air of distrust, he walked right by without saying a
word. Gus had been firmly in the no column. Could he be so disappointed with the end vote that he’d take it out on Ben?

  If Pilar and Gus had stuck to their no votes, then in order for him to win it must mean that Jenna had been the one to change her vote. But he didn’t see that happening.

  A few seconds later, Denise Holbert made her way out to the lobby. Like Gus, she, too, didn’t look particularly happy but she did take the time to stop to talk to him. “You should be ashamed of yourself!”

  He had absolutely no idea what to say to that, so he just shrugged. She gave him a look that would freeze hell over and back, then stomped away.

  By the time Mimi and Pilar emerged from the conference room he’d been ready to storm the door. Mimi’s smile was strained. “Congratulations, Mr. Harrison,” she said tightly. “The city of Whispering Bay is happy to inform you and your clients that we accept your offer in exchange for dropping the lawsuit you have against Earl Handy’s estate.”

  “You’ll have it all in writing by Monday morning,” snapped Pilar. Then she added sarcastically for good measure, “Well done, as usual.”

  “Thank you,” he mumbled. But he didn’t care about the verdict. “Where’s Jenna?”

  “Aren’t you curious about how you won the vote?” Pilar asked, her brown eyes gleaming with animosity.

  “I assume that Jenna changed her vote.” It was the only thing that made sense.

  “Oh, she didn’t change her vote. She recused herself from the vote, which made it a three to two win in your favor.”

  He stood perfectly still. “On what grounds did she recuse herself?”

  “What do you think? She told us she had a conflict of interest because she had a personal relationship with the attorney involved on the other side of the case. Or was that before she confessed that there’s a tape showing the two of you breaking into the new rec center?”

  “She didn’t.”

  “Oh, she did,” Mimi said. “Then Larry Jefferson demanded her resignation and Denise seconded it.”

  He felt the blood drain from his face. “Please don’t tell me she quit her job.”

  “No, but only because the two of us demanded that we put it to a vote,” said Mimi. “We’re reconvening first thing Monday morning. Jenna has the votes to stay, because it’s only Larry and Denise who want her gone. But unfortunately, Larry is threatening to go public with the whole debacle. Which wouldn’t look good for any of us. Not for Jenna and not for Zeke if he doesn’t press trespassing charges. It will look like a case of favoritism for a city employee.”