From Ice to Flames

by Hargrove, A. M.

  “Not this late in the game.”

  “No, I meant after the event. Although, you’re doing her job and yours. You need a raise,” she said with a chuckle. “But, let’s get back to you and what had you so upset this morning?”

  Covering my face with my hand, I answered. “I’m not sure if I want to drag you into this.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s about my loser of an ex.”

  “Oh, no. What happened? Did he call you up and harass you?”

  “Hardly. I found out through Facebook that he’s been seeing someone for about two years.”

  “Huh?”

  “Yeah. It’s a long story.”

  “I see. How long have you been divorced?”

  “A year. And we were separated a year before that.”

  “Ah, I get it.”

  “Here’s the thing, Ava. His best friend from forever died four years ago and he went into a depression. I was super worried about him. Like crazy worried. We went to marriage counseling, I read tons of books. Spent so much time trying to figure us out. And for a large portion of it, he was seeing someone else. Here I thought it was because he was grieving and … well, you get the picture.”

  “Damn, that was harsh of him. To let you go on and believe that.”

  “Yeah. And then he showed up at my door with the dog and said he’d accepted a new job to begin this new life. I acted all happy for him. He left out the part that the new life included the woman he’d been seeing for those several years. So yeah. I sort of had a breakdown over it.”

  “Gosh, Milly, I don’t know what to say.”

  “There isn’t anything to say. Except that I chose a cheater to marry and I stayed in it for way too long.” I’m suddenly not hungry anymore. My beautiful salad stares back at me and all I can feel is resentment. And it isn’t even the poor salad’s fault.

  “Don’t overthink it.”

  “What?”

  Ava circles her fork in the air. “You’re trying to figure out what you could’ve done differently, and the answer is nothing. Men can be assholes. Well, women can be too. Let’s label them cheaters. Not all men and women are bad. But he really did you wrong. Especially when he knew you were worried about him. That’s a triple backstabber. Just my opinion. So, here’s what I think. You need to join an online dating service.”

  “Are you crazy? I would never do that,” I practically shrieked.

  “Calm down and lower your voice. I know lots of women who’ve met their match that way.”

  “While that may be true, I am in no way ready for that.”

  Ava chuckled. “What about McLuscious neighbor?”

  “Not even him.”

  She picked up her phone and checked the time. “Shit. I’ve gotta run. I have a meeting this afternoon on the Bid for Bachelors with one of the board members. He’s promised to bring me some fresh meat.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “I know.” We paid the bill and headed back to work. Ava did her best at continuing trying to persuade me to join an online dating service.

  “Why aren’t you on one?” I asked.

  “I am. I’m on a couple.” She told me which ones. I was shocked that they had dating apps for hookups. I was so behind the times.

  “I’m a dinosaur. I could never do that.”

  “Hey, don’t be so judgy. It’s fun and just because you like someone and sleep with them doesn’t make you a bad person.”

  “I suppose not.” I thought about this for a moment and maybe I needed that. A fuck buddy. Isn’t that what they were called? “I need a fuck buddy. Or a friend with benefits.”

  “Yes, you do. And you have extreme potential right next door.”

  “That might be a little too close for comfort.”

  Ava snorted. “Yeah, but the walk of shame the next morning would be oh-so-easy.”

  She was right. I’d have to think about it because if it didn’t work, it could also be oh-so-awkward.

  “I know one thing. There won’t be any kind of action for this lady until I get this shoulder better.”

  “Maybe you could get him to make you dinner or something in the meantime.”

  We were back at work and she said, “I’m not giving up on you, Milly. Just call me the relentless matchmaker.”

  I would remember those words in the weeks to come.

  Chapter Ten

  Hudson

  “Dad, did you ask Pearson?”

  “He won’t answer me.”

  “I know why. Because neither of us wants to do it. It’s awkward, Dad.”

  “Son, I know, but it brings in an unbelievable amount of money. I promise you won’t regret it.”

  “Uh, yeah, I will. I’ll do it if Pearson does.”

  Dead silence.

  “Dad, are you there?”

  “Yeah. I’m worried about your brother. I haven’t talked to him in several weeks. He won’t answer my calls.”

  I thought about that for a minute. “Let me see what I can do.” Come to think of it, I hadn’t talked to him lately either. “I’ll stop by his place tonight.”

  “Thanks, Hudson. And you’ll do the Bid for Bachelors then?”

  I sighed. “Yeah, Dad, I will.” I couldn’t say no. The worry I’d detected in his voice was enough.

  “Thanks, son. It means a lot to your mother and me. And let me know how your brother is, will you?”

  “Sure.”

  We hung up and I immediately texted Pearson.

  Dude, where the hell are you? Everyone is worried sick about you. Answer me, dammit. I’m coming over tonight.

  We had keys to each other’s places, so it wasn’t a big deal. I just wanted to give him a heads up because he was a known man whore. He fucked around like no one I knew. Grey and I talked about it all the time. Neither of us knew how he ended up that way.

  I returned to work, sneaking by the flirtatious Nasha. She was still doing all sorts of things, like leaning over her desk showing off her cleavage, winking at me, and sticking her boobs out to get my attention. Apparently, the talk my office manager, Dottie, gave her hadn’t done any good.

  When I was close to finishing up, I called Wiley’s nanny to see if she could stay late while I checked on Pearson. This wasn’t a visit I wanted to risk taking my son on. She was good, so around six, I headed over to my brother’s apartment. When I got there, I let myself in.

  “Pearson, you here? It’s me, Hudson.”

  No answer. The place wasn’t too bad, although he was one of the neatest people I knew. There were a few things out of order and dishes in the sink, but it wasn’t like a bomb went off or anything.

  “Dude, you here?”

  I went straight back to where the bedrooms were. He had a two bedroom, two bath apartment. When I entered his room, he was in bed, alone, sound asleep. His room smelled like a combination of stale liquor and pussy. What the fuck. This place needed airing out.

  “Pearson? Hey?” I shook him until he woke up. Then I flipped on his lights to see he looked like absolute shit. “Are you sick?” I felt his forehead, but he wasn’t warm to the touch. “What’s the deal? You won’t answer anyone’s calls or texts. And damn, you need to air this room out. It’s rank in here.”

  “Ugh.” He rubbed his face and then his eyes. He sat up and asked, “What time is it?”

  “Close to seven.”

  “In the morning?” he croaked.

  “No. At night. Dude, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

  He blinked, long and slow. Then said, “Yeah, I’m fine now. I had a migraine earlier.”

  “Migraine? Since when did you start getting migraines?”

  “Had my first one a couple of months ago. They’re ball busters too.”

  “I wish you would’ve told us. But why the fuck aren’t you answering your phone? And why don’t you even know what time of day it is?”

  “I, uh, got suspended from work. Temporarily.”

  “What? Wait, they can’t susp
end you. You’re a partner. Besides, you’re one of the best attorneys out there.”

  He groaned.

  “You look like shit, by the way.”

  “I missed one of my court dates. And my contract does include a suspension clause if I’m negligent in my duties.”

  “Hang on. Go back to what you just said about missing a court date.”

  He rubbed his face again.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Slept through my alarm.”

  While he was speaking, he wouldn’t look me in the eye. Something was off. I grabbed the hair on the top of his head and rectified the situation by forcing him to. “Look at me when you speak.” I felt like I was talking to my son.

  “I slept through my alarm,” he repeated.

  “And you did that how?”

  “Because I was fucking wasted,” he yelled.

  “At what time? Six in the morning?” I yelled back.

  “Six-thirty, but what business is it of yours?”

  “I’m your brother, so it makes it my business. What the fuck are you doing being wasted at six-thirty in the morning, and is that why you’re still in bed at seven at night? Is it really a migraine or something else?” He was holding something back. I knew my brother almost as well as myself and he wasn’t telling me everything.

  He didn’t respond.

  “Talk to me, Pearson. I can stand here all night if I have to. I’ll even call Mom and Dad if need be.”

  “Well, aren’t you the little tattletale.”

  “Come on, man. You know me better than that. I’m your concerned brother. You haven’t responded to any of our calls. Has it occurred to your selfish ass that we’re worried about you?”

  He finally got out of bed. He wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing, which didn’t surprise me because I slept naked too sometimes, but he looked like he’d put on fifteen pounds since I’d seen him last. He was tall, as tall as my six-foot-two-inch frame, and we’d always competed with each other in the gym with our workouts. But he’d been absent the last couple of months, and I’d been extremely busy, so I hadn’t thought much about it. It really showed on him.

  I followed him into the kitchen where he guzzled some orange juice. “Hey, you had my back when I went through all that shit with Lydia. I swear I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Let me help you with whatever you’re going through. You know I’m here for you.”

  “It’s nothing, really. I pissed off one of the partners by shooting my mouth off. Then I went out that night and overdid it. It was stupid, really. I ended up missing court. Of course, it was like pouring gasoline on an already smoldering fire. When I got to the office, they were waiting for me. Or rather Tom was. He’d already convinced the others to put me under suspension. So here I am.” He spreads his arms wide.

  “Then what’s this all about.” I pinched the extra fat on his waist. “This isn’t you. Or the you I used to know.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve been a little busy lately.”

  “With who? Jack or Johnny?”

  He smirked. “Maybe a little of both.”

  “Are you in trouble? And I’m not talking about work.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Can you stop? Drinking?”

  “Of course.” He was indignant that I’d even asked.

  “Then prove it.” I went directly to his liquor cabinet and grabbed what I could. He watched me as I opened the first bottle and started to pour it down the sink.

  “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “Getting rid of all your problems.”

  “Jesus Christ. You’re fucking crazy,” he yelled.

  When that bottle was empty, I started on the next. I did that until his entire liquor cabinet was completely empty. Then I checked his refrigerator for beer. When that was gone, I headed to the bathroom in search of cough medicine with alcohol in it. I opened up the medicine cabinet and got the shock of my life. There were two prescription bottles for pain meds. I grabbed them and confronted him with them.

  “Pearson, what the fuck!”

  “Those are for my migraines.” I didn’t get migraines, so I knew nothing about them.

  He walked away and went to his room. I followed. “We need to talk about this.”

  He pulled on some jeans that he could barely button, and then a T-shirt. “No, we don’t. I’m fine.”

  I held up a finger. “One, you got suspended. Two, I find you in bed, hungover, at seven at night. Three, your room stinks like liquor and pussy. Four, I find narcotics in your medicine cabinet. You are not fine. All of these things point to one glaring thing. You need help.”

  “You have all the answers, don’t you?” His lip curled.

  “No, but I wish I did.”

  He held his hands out. “Hudson, listen to me. I’m fine. Work is killing me. Tom and I don’t get along. That’s it. He and I are oil and water. He wants me out of the firm and is doing everything he can to make that happen. That is my problem. Not what you hold in your hand or what you poured down the drain. I promise.”

  “Then don’t let him defeat you. And that’s what you’re doing.”

  “The truth?” he asked.

  “Nothing but.”

  “I don’t want to stay there anymore. He’s an asshole and his mission is to make my life miserable.”

  I stared at him. “The Pearson I know would return the favor.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re stronger than this. You’re letting him win. That’s not what my brother would do. My brother would beat him at his own game.”

  “I’m not sure I have it in me anymore.”

  “That clearly is something my brother would not say. The Pearson I know would be rubbing his palms together, itching to get into this fight. Stop being lazy and get in the damn game. This is your opportunity to prove to them you are better than they believe you are. You have to show them what you’re made of. Outsmart them, Pearson, and beat them at their own game. But whatever you do, do not quit. Wests don’t quit. We weren’t raised that way.”

  He locked eyes with me and when I saw his nod, I knew I had him.

  “And for Christ’s sake, get this place cleaned. I can’t believe any woman would walk in here and stay.”

  “Yeah, let’s not go there.”

  I hugged him, because he was my baby brother and always would be, but then I said, “Dude, you stink.”

  “Thanks. You actually smell pretty good.”

  I laughed. “Come visit. Wiley asks about you every day.”

  “Hey, Hudson. Thanks.”

  I gave him a nod and left. The feeling still nagged at me that something wasn’t right. But like the rest of us, Pearson was proud and maybe he had his reasons for not telling me everything. Hopefully he could get things straightened out soon.

  Chapter Eleven

  Milly

  The meeting with Glenn and Linda was the most uncomfortable thing I’d ever experienced. Even though he hadn’t intended to, he plunked me right in the middle of it. He mentioned the calls Clinton had made to me directly and then put Linda on the hot seat.

  “Why aren’t you returning his calls?” he asked her.

  She glared at me.

  “I have returned them. Every single one. But they always go directly to his voicemail and then he never calls me back.” She stared daggers at me and I’m pretty sure she wanted to strangle me.

  “Milly? Why would Clinton say those things?”

  “I have no idea, Glenn. I’m in the middle here. All I know is that he called and was extremely upset. Maybe we should call him and put him on speaker now. It might be the only way to clear everything up,” I suggested.

  Linda’s face immediately flamed red. Glenn said, “I think that’s a great idea. Do you have his number?”

  “Yes, let me pull it up.” We were in the conference room, so I opened up my contacts and grabbed his number. Then I made the call, opening up the speaker line.

&nbs
p; “Hello?”

  “Clinton, it’s Milly. I hope you are well. I’m here with Linda and Glenn and we have you on speaker. We’d like to get everything ironed out with you today if that’s okay with you?”

  “I’d like nothing better. You know my feelings on this matter and I don’t know if you’ve shared them with Glenn, but I’d be happy to.”

  Glenn stepped into the conversation. “No, that’s fine Clinton. Milly tells me that you’ve had some issues with Linda and you won’t be working with us again next year if you have to deal with her. Is that correct?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Clinton, we’re trying to get things straightened out here, but Linda claims she has returned your calls.”

  “If she has, I’m not sure how because there is no record of them. I can even give you a screenshot of all the calls I’ve made to her and the ones I’ve received if you’d like.”

  Glenn sighed. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. From now on, you’ll only deal with Milly. Does that suit you?”

  “That would be wonderful. Milly is very professional and easy to work with. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re very welcome. And thank you, Clinton. We appreciate everything you do for us.”

  We hung up and Glenn directed his gaze at Linda. “You know I can’t outright fire you. This has to be a decision that’s agreed upon by the board. But if it were up to me, that’s exactly what I’d do.”

  “Then lucky for me, you can’t.”

  “You won’t have a job then by end of the day,” Glenn said.

  “I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Linda said, smiling.

  “That’s all. You can leave.” She left the room. “Milly, can you ask the other employees to come in here for a minute?”

  “Sure.” I went and gathered the other three. We were a small group. Everyone took a seat and Glenn began.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your afternoon, but a serious complaint came in from the caterer regarding Linda that I had to investigate. Do any of you have complaints about her?”

  Everyone’s eyes did the ping pong thing until Ava broke the silence. The truth came out about how she never did her job and would push her responsibilities on to others. By the time everyone concluded, Glenn had a decent idea of the type of employee Linda was—not a very valued one.