A Million Tiny Pieces

by Nicole Edwards

  Until the last four or five months, they’d usually managed to get together at least once a week for girls’ night. Since school had started, Mia had found herself busier than usual between that and trying to keep her mother convinced that she was doing fine now that she was single and living on her own. Not that Clarice believed her, but Mia certainly tried her best to assure her.

  Mia missed spending time with Alex, though, even when that time consisted of drinking wine on the living room sofa while men acted like teenage boys in the room beyond.

  “His love for hockey really is his only flaw,” Alex stated with a giggle as Mia glanced over her shoulder toward the room where Johnathan and a few of his friends had locked themselves in order to watch tonight’s Austin Arrows game.

  Mia knew absolutely nothing about hockey. Nor did she even care for it. That was probably due to Damien’s complete and utter fixation on the sport for the last year. Ever since he’d gotten it in his head that he needed to own a hockey team, one of his many obsessions, things had started to go downhill.

  “I hope for your sake that they win tonight,” Mia said as a round of boos erupted from the back room. Closing the dishwasher, Mia grabbed a hand towel and wiped her hands.

  “Me, too. Things get rather interesting when they win.”

  Mia didn’t need Alex to elaborate to know what she was referring to. It was no secret that Mia’s best friend had a very exciting sex life. It wasn’t something they had in common, because, of course, Mia had been married to Damien. Not that she knew what interesting sex should be like per se, but she got the sneaking suspicion that it was more than she’d ever experienced with her ex-husband.

  “I don’t even want to know what that means,” Mia said, laughing as she headed into the living room.

  “Of course you do,” Alex teased. “Sit. I’ll be right back.”

  Mia made herself comfortable on the plush, chocolate-suede sectional that sectioned off the formal living area from the rest of Alex’s exquisitely detailed house. Maybe mansion would be a better description. The house was two stories, ten bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, and if she recalled correctly, somewhere around twelve thousand square feet. It was ginormous, even more so considering Alex and Johnathan were the only two who lived there aside from Kevin, their live-in house butler.

  Alex returned a minute later with two glasses. She set them on the table, flipped on two of the lamps at the ends of the sofa before disappearing again. Mia watched her friend as she moved about.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Alex stated when she returned with a bottle of wine, patting Mia’s hand before dropping onto the sofa and pouring two glasses and handing Mia one.

  Mia took a sip, her eyes following Alex as she once again jumped up and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Where’re you going?” Mia asked, not bothering to get up and follow her friend. She was too comfortable where she was, and knowing Alex, she wouldn’t settle down for at least another five minutes.

  “I forgot something. Don’t move.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  An eruption of shouts and clapping echoed from the back room, and Mia glanced over her shoulder toward the closed double doors in time to see one of them swing open as Johnathan stepped into view. “Where’s Alex?”

  Mia pointed toward the kitchen as she watched him stalk across the room. He looked so unlike the man she was used to seeing. Although scrubs were a suitable outfit for him, she was used to seeing him dressed in slacks and a tailored shirt that Alex usually picked out for him. Today he was wearing an Austin Arrows sweatshirt and jeans, a baseball cap on backward, making him look a decade younger than he actually was.

  “Hey. Who’s winning?” she asked.

  “The Arrows,” he said excitedly as he passed through the living room. “They’re on fire this season.”

  Nodding her head as though she actually knew why that was, Mia watched Johnathan disappear into the kitchen. A second later, Alex returned, laughing as she ran toward Mia.

  “That man is insatiable,” Alex declared as she retrieved her glass from the table and flopped back down onto the sofa at the opposite end from where Mia was sitting. “So, tell me, how’s school?”

  “Good,” Mia told her friend. “This is the first full week back since winter break, so it’s like starting all over again. I don’t know what to do with the extra time I have right now.”

  “Maybe you should relax a little. You’ve been going nonstop for months now. You deserve a little break. Speaking of break, how was the Colorado trip?”

  Alex was referring to Mia’s Christmas vacation with her mother, something they’d started a couple of years after her father had died. It was a way for the two of them to get away and spend time together without normal life intruding. “It was … interesting.”

  “Uh-oh. What does that mean?”

  Mia sipped her wine and then considered her next words carefully. “I think my mother is seeing someone.”

  Alex’s perfectly plucked, dark eyebrows shot skyward, and a huge smile broke across her face. “Really? Is it serious?”

  “I don’t know. I think she’s scared to tell me.”

  “Did you ask her?”

  “Sort of,” Mia explained. “I was trying to be nonchalant about it. I don’t think she got the hint. That or she didn’t want to talk about him.”

  “What makes you think so?”

  “She spent a significant amount of time texting on her phone. And I could tell it wasn’t work-related because she was usually smiling like a schoolgirl.”

  “Are you happy for her?” Alex asked.

  Mia heard the concern in her friend’s tone. “I am,” she said, nodding. “My father died when I was ten, and my mother’s been alone since then. I think she deserves to find love again.”

  Neither of them said anything for a moment. Mia sipped her wine, thinking about how happy her mother had been during their vacation. They’d spent time at a ski lodge, neither of them doing any skiing, but they’d had a good time, anyway. She looked forward to that trip every year, and now she had to wonder whether or not her mother would be inviting someone else to go with them. Even while Mia had been married to Damien, she had gone with her mother each year. Alone. He had refused to go with her, claiming he couldn’t be away from things for an entire week. It had been a weak excuse, but Mia had never pushed him.

  As though reading where her thoughts had gone, Alex asked, “Have you heard from Damien?” Her expression was guarded, as though she knew Mia didn’t want to talk about him, but felt the need to inquire anyway.

  “Not a single word,” Mia said. “Thank God.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “How about you?” Mia asked, glancing toward the kitchen to where Johnathan had yet to return from.

  “No. Doesn’t surprise me, though. Johnathan never was a big fan of Damien’s.”

  Johnathan traipsed through the living room then with several beers dangling from between his fingers, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were talking about him. Then again, he knew his wife, and as far as Alex was concerned, nothing was off-limits to talk about on girls’ night. Including her own husband.

  For the next half hour, Mia chatted with Alex about school, what they’d both done for the holidays, and the hugely successful charity drive at the children’s hospital that Alex had recently concluded. The conversation had lulled enough that Mia considered heading home when Johnathan erupted from the room he’d been holed up in, followed by a round of cheers.

  “I take it they won?” Alex asked, sparing Johnathan a look.

  “They did,” he said, a huge grin on his face. “I want to listen to the owner’s press conference, and then we’re off to bed.”

  Alex nodded, sending a mischievous look toward Mia.

  “That’s my cue to go,” Mia said, pushing to her feet.

  “I’ll have Kevin drive you home,” Alex said, referring to their butler.

  “I can call a ca
b,” Mia told her friend. “No need to have him get out this late.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m sure he’d be happy to get a few minutes without all the noise. At least when he gets back, it’ll be quiet around here.”

  “Sure it will,” Mia teased.

  “Well, besides that,” Alex confirmed with a sly grin.

  »»»»»♥«««««

  “DINNER AND A beer to celebrate?” Phoenix asked Tarik as he passed him on the way to the locker room, where the players had converged a few minutes ago.

  “After the press conference,” Tarik agreed, reminding him that he had something else to take care of before he could relax for the evening.

  Not that relaxing was the first thing on his mind. He was still reeling from the close game that they’d won in the last seconds. His blood still pounded in his veins the same as it always did when he was that close to the action. The only thing that could’ve been better would’ve been if he’d been out on the ice with those guys.

  Nodding his understanding to Tarik, Phoenix continued down the hall, heading in the direction of the cheers and shouts that erupted on the other side of the heavy wooden door. Making his way inside, Phoenix encountered the rough-and-tumble group celebrating another win.

  Bringing his fingers to his lips, Phoenix let out a sharp whistle, wanting to gain their attention quickly. “Hey, guys. I wanted to stop in and congratulate you. Big win tonight. I’m impressed with the stats. You played hard. It was close, but still a W. Can’t ask for much more than that.”

  Several hands came his way, and Phoenix shook them, clapping players on the back, mentioning some of their personal achievements of the night. He’d made a point to talk to the team after every game. Although his coaching staff did a damn fine job of motivating the team, Phoenix felt it was important to remain hands-on as much as he could. It was something his father had prided himself on.

  When the players started heading for the showers, Phoenix nodded to the team’s head coach as he worked his way back out to the hall, locating Tarik, who was waiting for him.

  Camera flashes erupted when Phoenix walked into the room that had been dedicated to the press conference. He was the first from his organization to arrive, but he knew the coaches and a few of the players would be along shortly. Hopefully by then, Phoenix would be on his way to the hotel, and they could handle the rest of the political crap for the night.

  “Phoenix! What do you think of the team’s performance tonight?”

  Questions were lobbed at him right and left, and Phoenix did his best to answer them with a smile. He’d made a decision to be as transparent with the media as he possibly could, something that he hoped would keep him out of the limelight as much as possible. For the most part, it had worked, although he did find himself answering questions he preferred to pass on to others.

  “Phoenix! Can you tell us more about the lawsuit with Damien Landry? Rumor is that you’re meeting with him next week.”

  Phoenix pretended not to be surprised by the statement. He dared a glance over at Tarik, who gave a very subtle nod, confirming the rumor. “I won’t have anything to say until after that meeting takes place.”

  “Do you plan to settle with Landry?”

  “I have no comment at this time,” Phoenix stated. He didn’t want to go into the details of the absurd accusation that Damien Landry had heaped on him shortly after Phoenix’s father had passed away. According to Landry, Sid Pierce had been negotiating the sale of the team to him, yet no one else was aware of the transaction. No one.

  Which made Phoenix believe it was all a bunch of bullshit made up by a man who was looking for attention. Not that he would tell the press that.

  “Mr. Pierce will hold another news conference in the future, once he has more details,” Tarik interjected before urging Phoenix out of the room.

  Phoenix adjusted his suit coat and followed, thanking the press for coming.

  A few minutes later, once they were safely ensconced in the limo, Phoenix let out a ragged breath. “I still don’t know how my father did this.”

  “He made it look easy,” Tarik confirmed, staring at him as the limo pulled into traffic.

  “That he did.” Pinning Tarik with a glare, Phoenix followed with, “Why didn’t anyone tell me I’m meeting with Landry?”

  “Just came up. He’s a persistent little fucker,” Tarik snarled. “He wants a one-on-one with you.”

  “Who thought that would be a good idea?” Phoenix questioned.

  “Phil.”

  Phoenix made a mental note to have a conversation with his lawyer. Why he’d want to force Phoenix to talk to Damien Landry, he didn’t know. As far as he was concerned, the guy needed to go away. Whatever nonsense he’d conjured up in his head about Sid selling the team to him was exactly that … nonsense. “When’s this meeting?”

  “Monday.”

  Phoenix stared out the window as the limo weaved its way through the parking lot.

  “There’s something else you should know,” Tarik said, drawing Phoenix’s attention toward him.

  Without asking, Phoenix waited for him to continue.

  “Mia Cantrell. Your mystery woman from the elevator…”

  Phoenix cocked an eyebrow. “What about her?”

  “She’s Damien’s ex-wife.”

  “Are you shitting me?” Phoenix asked, sitting up straight and staring at Tarik.

  “Not at all.”

  “Motherfucker.”

  “Exactly. What are the odds that you’ve got a hard-on for Landry’s ex?”

  That was a damn good question. Was it a coincidence that she’d crossed Phoenix’s path? “How long have they been divorced?”

  “Officially only a few months. She asked for the divorce nine months ago.”

  “Nine months?” Surely that couldn’t be a coincidence. That was about the time Landry had brought a lawsuit against him.

  “If it’s any consolation,” Tarik said quietly, “I don’t think she has a clue what Landry’s up to. According to what I found out, she left him because he cheated on her. She moved in with her mother temporarily and filed for divorce. Once that was done, she bought the condo and started school.”

  Phoenix nodded. He didn’t know what to say to that. He knew it was a damn good reason for him to get the woman out of his head. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He didn’t know her, so there would be no loss on his part if he pretended she didn’t exist.

  Too bad he didn’t want to go that route.

  Chapter Seven

  FRIDAY NIGHT — ODDLY dubbed date night by Alex — came far faster than Mia thought it would. Since she went to school on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, she had been lucky enough to have the entire day to lounge around, which she had.

  She’d spent the morning in the coffee shop, studying for a test that was coming up the following week. Then she had walked a few blocks over and gotten a manicure and pedicure, something she’d denied herself for the last few months in an attempt to save money after spending an enormous chunk of change purchasing the condo. Frugal had seriously become her middle name.

  When she got back to her building, Mia was quite relaxed and looking forward to spending a night out with Alex and Johnathan. The three of them hadn’t been out together since before Mia’s divorce, although she’d gone to their place several times, and she generally talked to Alex at least once a day on the phone.

  Alex was worried about her, she had said when they’d spoken on the phone earlier that morning. Apparently, Damien had become exaggerated in some of his media claims after last night’s hockey game, and for whatever reason, he’d dragged her name into it, something he’d done for a while now. Mia wasn’t sure why he’d mentioned her. Based on what Alex had told her, it didn’t make any sense. But Damien was Damien, and she figured he was all about gaining attention, something that was relatively easy for him.

  Mia had told her friend that there wasn’t anything to worry about. Mia wa
s actually happier now than she had been in months, maybe even years, and she really didn’t give a shit what Damien had to say about her. On the days she went to school, she focused only on that. On the days she had off, she studied. But no matter what, every day that week had been a better day than those she’d spent married to Damien. At least over the course of the last year of their marriage.

  She was quite content with things exactly the way they were now.

  Granted, she’d thought about the guy from the coffee shop — Hot Hoodie Guy, aka Coach — every single one of those days, too. The same guy she’d practically run over in the lobby when she’d stepped off the elevator. She refused to think about the other guys who’d caught her attention, hoping that by limiting her options, she’d eventually let go of the fantasies altogether.

  Considering she wasn’t interested in a relationship, Mia knew that nothing would come of her errant thoughts, so from time to time, she allowed them to run free. Not too much that she’d get carried away, but enough to give her mind a little break from her schoolwork.

  Now, as she ran her curling iron through her hair, touching up the few pieces that hung down from the twist she’d fixed on top of her head, Mia watched herself in her bathroom mirror. She certainly wasn’t thinking about Hot Hoodie Guy now. She was too busy wondering whether or not she was going to run into Damien tonight.

  The date Alex had insisted Mia go on with her and her husband was actually a charity event that had been planned a full year in advance. Mia had RSVP’d her attendance long before she’d asked Damien for a divorce, and when Alex had mentioned it earlier in the week, she’d realized she really did want to go. Just because she’d given up that life didn’t mean that she had to give up everything that was important to her. So, Mia had agreed to go with Alex.