“I’ll grab Mia,” I murmur and saunter toward the kitchen. Maybe Jake’s right. Maybe Landon isn’t as immune to Cami as we all think he is.
He’s just a stubborn man, which is entirely typical.
“Mia?”
“Yeah?” she calls from inside the walk-in refrigerator.
“Landon’s here to say goodbye.” Mia walks out of the fridge, carrying a tray of chicken.
“In the bar?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“Be right there.”
I nod and return to the bar, where Cami and Landon are laughing and Kat is pouring them each some coffee.
Mia walks in behind me.
“Your flight doesn’t leave until this afternoon,” she says with a frown.
“I thought I’d stop in before you opened for lunch,” he says as he hugs his sister close. “Gonna miss you, brat.”
“No you won’t. You’re too busy flying planes and failing at staying out of trouble to miss me.” She has tears in her eyes as she leans her head on his chest and hugs him tightly.
“I always have time to miss you,” he says. “You should come visit me.”
“Sure.” She laughs and steps away, wiping at her eyes. “I’ll do that as soon as I get a vacation.”
“You work too hard,” he says, but Mia is already shaking her head at him.
“We had this conversation already. It’s closed.”
“I didn’t close it,” he begins, but stops when she glares at him. “Fine.”
“How long will you be traveling?” Kat asks, changing the subject.
“About twelve hours,” he says, as if it’s a short flight to Seattle. “I’ll sleep most of it.”
Kat stares at him in horror. “How can you stand it? Oh my God, I’d have a stroke. I’d lose my mind.”
“Kat is afraid of flying,” Cami informs Landon dryly.
“If God had intended for us to fly,” Kat says, “He would have given us wings.”
“He did,” Landon replies with that cocky smile we all love so much. “Metal ones.”
Kat shivers and shakes her head. “No thanks.”
“You’re safer in a plane than—” Landon begins, but she cuts him off midsentence.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve heard the statistics. I still don’t like it.”
“You’d feel safe if you flew with me,” he says confidently.
“No offense, and I’m sure you’re an excellent pilot, but bullshit,” Kat says with a sweet smile, making us all laugh.
“Okay,” he says, holding his hands up in surrender. “It was good to see you again, Kat.”
“You, too.”
I’m watching Cami, who’s fidgeting with her pen and looking down at her spreadsheets.
She looks so damn sad, and it breaks my heart.
“Come here, chameleon,” he says to Cami as he pulls her in for a hug. He’s called her that since we were in grade school. Cami the chameleon. “Stay safe,” he whispers to her and takes a deep breath, smelling her hair.
Mia and I share a quick glance, but don’t say anything as he pulls away, waves at Kat, and grins at me. “Be good, blondie.”
“I’m always good,” I reply, batting my eyelashes. “Take your own advice, please. Stay safe and be good.”
“I’ll be fine,” he replies with a nod. “Love you, ladies.”
And with that, he walks out. When we hear the front door close, Cami dissolves into tears, resting her head on her arm.
“I’ll get the chocolate,” Kat says, rushing toward the kitchen as Mia and I flank Cami, rubbing her back and speaking softly to her.
“I’m so sorry, Cam,” I say.
“Don’t cry,” Mia croons, running her hand over Cami’s pretty blond hair. “He’s a big dork.”
Cami laughs through the tears. “I’m stupid.”
“No, you’re not.” Kat sets a plate of chocolate cake on the bar. “How long have you loved him, Cami?”
“I don’t remember not loving him,” she replies honestly. She sits up and takes the napkin Kat offers her to blow her nose. “And I’m ridiculous. I love a man who doesn’t love me back. He thinks of me like a sister.”
I’m not so sure of that.
But rather than say that out loud, I just sit next to her and let her vent. “I mean, how pathetic am I? I’ll tell you.” Cami points at Kat, on a roll now, still crying. “I was so desperate to forget him, I married someone completely wrong for me. I ruined a perfectly good man’s life.”
“I think ruined is a bit strong,” Mia says, earning a glare from Cami.
“Brian is a great man, and I broke his heart, all because I’m in love with your stupid fighter-pilot brother.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault,” Mia says and shakes her head. “I think my brother is stupid too.”
“I think you should go home for the day,” Kat says, taking a bite of Cami’s cake. “Or go get a massage or something.”
“She’s right,” I say with a nod. “Go be sad for a few hours, and then pull yourself back together. You deserve a day to yourself.”
“Absolutely,” Mia says.
Cami just shrugs and wipes her nose on the back of her hand. “I guess. I won’t get any more work done today anyway.”
“Someone will drop dinner off to you later,” Mia says, but Cami shakes her head.
“I’ll order in Chinese and watch movies.”
“Atta girl.”
“Speaking of men who suck,” Mia says, turning to me. “How are you doing?”
I look around like she’s talking to someone behind me. “Me?”
“She hasn’t seen it?” Mia asks the others, who shake their heads.
“Landon got here just as I was going to show her,” Kat says quietly.
“Show me what?”
“So, I follow the old Hard Knox page on Facebook,” Kat says and pulls her phone out of her pocket, taps the screen, and hands it to me. “And they posted this this morning.”
My heart stops as I stare at a photo of Jake on a red carpet, dressed in a sexy black suit. Unfortunately, his lips are planted on the cheek of Karina, a famous singer who has her hand on his chest, leaning her ample bosom against him.
Don’t they look just motherfucking cozy?
Rather than throw the phone across the bar the way I want to, I pass it back to Kat and turn to walk away.
“Addie?” Mia calls out.
“I’m fine,” I reply with a wave of my hand and keep walking.
Except, I’m not fine. I’m not even in the realm of fine. I’m pissed and I’m hurt and I’ve just been reminded, again, that I can’t count on men. They aren’t loyal. They aren’t trustworthy.
Even my own father doesn’t want to take the time to talk to me.
The only person I can count on is me, and it’s about time I got my head out of my pants and remembered that.
“UH, ADDIE,” RILEY says as she comes into our office less than an hour later, “Jeremy is in the bar asking for you.”
“What?” I scowl and shake my head. “What the hell is he doing here?”
“Well, given that I’m not psychic, I’m not sure.” She rolls her eyes and sits at her desk. “But you should go see.”
“Smart-ass,” I mutter as I walk through the still mostly empty dining room toward the bar. Cami left about an hour ago, and we’ve barely opened for the day. I mentally cross my fingers, hoping the bar is still empty as well so I don’t have to kick Jeremy’s ass in front of customers.
“What do you want, Jeremy?” I ask as I walk briskly into the bar, my heels clicking on the floor.
“Fucking hell, you’re beautiful, Addie.”
“Cut the shit,” I reply coldly. “What do you want?”
“I want to apologize,” he says with sad brown eyes. I’d believe him, if he wasn’t such a lying piece of shit. “You know that I would never intentionally hurt you.”
“Your fist cocked back to deck me said otherwise,” I reply and cross m
y arms over my chest, and I hear Kat gasp behind me.
Damn it, I never told them that part.
“I wouldn’t have hit you,” he says and shakes his head. “Never. I love you.”
I bust out laughing. “Right.”
“I want you back, Addie. I miss you so much.”
Kat’s watching with interest from behind the bar as Jeremy steps toward me and I take a step back, out of his reach.
I don’t want his hands on me.
“Have you been thrown out of wherever you’ve been staying?”
His eyes lower, and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head. “I could use a place to crash, yeah.”
Unbelievable. “Do I have doormat tattooed on my forehead?” I ask incredulously.
“That’s not it at all,” he says, again stepping toward me.
“Touch me and I’ll have you arrested for assault.”
His eyes narrow. “I’m trying apologize here, Addie. I truly am sorry.”
“Okay. You’ve apologized. Goodbye, Jeremy.”
“I just need—”
“Whatever it is you need, you’re not getting it from me,” I interrupt him, my voice sharp.
“Addie.” Jeremy’s shoulders sag.
“You heard her.” Jake’s voice comes from behind me, surprising me, and washing emotion over me all at once. Fear, betrayal, and anger, but I don’t show any reaction in front of Jeremy, who finally marches out, passing by me without another word.
“Are you okay?” Jake asks and I whirl around, glaring at him.
“I’d like to see you in my office, please.” I’m proud of how even I’m able to keep my voice when I want to rage. My hands are shaking, my heart pounding.
“What did I do?” he asks, hands out at his sides, but I ignore him and stomp to the office. Thankfully, Riley isn’t in here, and I shut the door behind us, then whirl on him again.
“I didn’t need your help back there, Jake. I had it handled just fine.”
“Look, he hurt you before, Addie. Do you think that if I see a man threatening my girl I’m not going to make it known that I’ll do whatever it is I need to to defend her?”
“Why do men have to have pissing contests over every damn thing?” I ask the room at large and pace back and forth. “I’m not a damsel in distress, Jake. I did just fine before you, and I’ll do fine after you.”
“After me?” he asks with a raised brow.
“After you,” I repeat, glaring at him. My heart is pounding and my hands are shaking and I want to smack him and kiss him all at the same time. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
“Addie,” Riley says, coming into the office without knocking. “Daisy is here and says she’s clean and wants to talk to you about putting her back on the schedule.”
“Clean?” Jake asks.
“Daisy’s the one that Addie found snorting coke in the bathroom,” Riley says, making me cringe. Jake pins me in a glare.
“Tell Daisy I’ll call her later,” I say to Riley, who simply nods and backs out of the office.
“You have drug addicts working for you?”
“You don’t know anything about it,” I reply.
“You’re right. Because you didn’t tell me.”
“This is my job, Jake. My business. I don’t have to tell you every little thing that happens here. Just like, apparently, you don’t have to tell me about the women you hook up with when you’re working.”
His eyes narrow and nostrils flare as he clenches his jaw.
“I’m going to start with the first comment, and then we’ll deal with the other. Finding someone snorting coke in your bathroom isn’t a little thing.”
“Are you going to try to protect me from that too?” I ask with exasperation.
“I’d really like to know why you’re putting her back on the schedule,” he says, hands on his hips. “This place is too classy to employ junkies.”
That does it. “Why are you here, Jake?”
“I thought I’d surprise you and take you out for lunch or something.”
“Well, I don’t have time,” I reply, wanting this whole episode over. “I have an appointment this afternoon, and I have to work tonight.” I grab my handbag and turn back to him, but my bag snags on the corner of the desk, spilling its contents on the ground.
Before I can reach for anything, Jake bends over and picks up Daisy’s vial of coke.
“Tell me this isn’t yours.”
“What if it is?”
“What the fuck, Addison?” Now his eyes just look hurt, and he doesn’t have any right to be hurt with me.
Not one.
“It was Daisy’s, Jake. I took it away from her when I caught her with it in the bathroom and forgot to flush it. I told you before, I don’t do that shit. I don’t lie. Unlike you.”
“Okay, point number two. What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You, hooking up with Karina at the awards show last night.”
He scowls. “I presented an award with her.”
“Right.” I blindly grab handfuls of purse stuff and shove them back in. “I’m sure that’s exactly what you were doing on the red carpet when your lips were all over her.”
“I kissed her cheek, and that was it, Addie.”
“Okay.” I need to get the hell out of here. “I don’t want you here when I get back.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Then we’re going to talk about this until you do. I’m not lying to you. I don’t want to fight with you.”
“Well, I’ll just fight with you, then,” I reply and slam the door behind me as I stalk out of the office.
“I WAS THINKING about trying a new color on you today,” Cici says as she removes my old polish off my toes. “What do you think?”
“Do whatever you want,” I reply with a frown.
“Well, aren’t we just two scoops of bitchy in a bowl full of grouchy this afternoon?” Cici says. “What crawled up your ass?”
“Men suck.”
“Well, that’s true,” she says. I come in every other week for a mani-pedi and for some girl talk with Cici. If it hadn’t been last minute, I would have canceled today though. I just don’t want to talk about it. “What did he do?”
“He tried to come to my rescue when I didn’t need it.”
“Hmm.”
“And I have photographic proof that he had his hands and lips on another woman last night.”
Cici stops cold and stares at me with her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”
“He says that nothing happened and that it was a photo for the press, but I don’t give a shit. He shouldn’t have kissed her.”
“Was it the kind of kiss where it looked like he was about to eat her face, or was it a peck?”
“He was kissing her cheek.”
She sits back and blinks at me, frowning. “Okay.”
“He’s constantly butting in, trying to ‘help’ me,” I say, using the air quotes. “As if I’m not an adult and need his help.”
“They do have a tendency to be very testosteroney,” she says with a nod.
“Right! I mean, I’m an intelligent woman. He doesn’t always have to come save the day.”
“Micah does that all the time too,” Cici says, smiling as she thinks of her husband. “But it’s just because he loves me.”
“But it drives you batty,” I insist.
“Yes.” She nods and rubs my feet, just as my phone lights up in my hand. Jake. I roll my eyes and toss my phone into my handbag.
“That him?”
“Yeah. He can just go to voice mail.” I sigh, thinking of all the things that completely annoy me about Jake. “You know what else he does? He’ll drink almost all of the juice or milk or whatever, and put the last few drops back in the fridge.”
“Ugh, I hate that!” Cici chuckles. “Or when you ask them what they want for dinner, and they say ‘I don’t care,’ but when you start suggesting things, t
hey don’t want any of the suggestions.”
“Yes!” I point at Cici in agreement. “I hate that! Or when they put the new toilet paper roll on, with the flap facing the wall. I mean, who does that?”
“Exactly,” Cici says with a nod, switching feet. “And why can’t they actually put dirty dishes in the sink? Why do they put them on the counter beside the sink?”
“Actually, I can’t complain about that because Jake will put his dishes in the dishwasher.”
“Oh my God,” she says, staring at me with wide eyes. “I thought the dishwasher-loading man was a myth.”
“Nope, I found one in his natural habitat.”
“Impressive.” We’re quiet for a moment while she continues to rub my feet, then cleans off my nails to paint them. “At least Micah doesn’t pee all over the bathroom, and he’s teaching our sons not to either.”
“That’s good,” I reply softly. “Also, I really do love it when Jake cuddles with me.”
“Seriously? You hate to cuddle!”
“I know.” I smile, then laugh. “I used to hate to cuddle. But Jake is really good at it. And sometimes, he’ll cuddle me and not expect sex after.”
“I love it when that happens,” Cici says. “I mean, I love the sex too. Obviously because I have four kids.”
“I was wondering if you knew where those come from,” I say and watch as she applies the top coat over my robin’s-egg-blue polish.
“Micah brings me coffee in bed every morning. And I do mean every single morning, no matter what.”
“Even when he has to get up super-early for work?”
“Yep.” She smiles softly. “It’s our quiet time together before the kids get up and life gets crazy.”
“That’s so sweet.” We move over to the manicure station and get settled. “Jake brought me wine and ice cream when I had a bad day a few weeks ago,” I say softly. “It made me feel really special.”
“Aww,” she says and smiles up at me. “That would make me feel special too. He sounds like a really nice guy, Addie.”
I sigh. “He is. Except the kissing other girls part. And speaking of the sex, damn girl.”
“Good?”
“The best. Ever.”
Listen To Me (Fusion #1) Page 16