I gave her my snottiest smile. "You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?"
"Me?" She put a delicate hand to her chest. "Of course not. I wish you all the best."
"Sure you do." I looked to Bishop and asked, "So what's your first step?"
"First, I've gotta find him."
"Which one?" I asked. "Joel or Jake?"
"Whichever one turns up first."
I gave him a sympathetic look. "There must be something I can do to help."
"There is one thing," he said. "You got your phone? You can give Jake a call."
I glanced down to the nearby landline. "I already did." I frowned. "But he didn't answer."
"Not from that phone," Bishop said. "From your cell. So he knows it's you."
I almost groaned. If only I had my cell.
"I wish I could," I said, "but my phone's missing." I tried to smile. "But if I find it, I'll call him right away. I promise."
And then, there was the thing I didn't say. For all I knew, Jake wouldn't be answering any of my calls today, no matter what phone I was calling from.
We had, after all, parted on a pretty sour note.
After a quick goodbye, Bishop turned away, preparing to leave.
Bianca lunged for his elbow. "Wait! You'll tell Jake I warned you, right?"
Watching, I felt my gaze narrow. "Why did you tell us, anyway?"
Bianca hesitated. "Maybe I'm a nice person."
"Or maybe," Bishop told her, "you're hedging your bets, playing both sides."
With a huff, she dropped her hand. "Jeez, why is everyone so cynical? Maybe I'm just trying to do the right thing."
I almost laughed. "Yeah. And maybe I'm the Queen of England."
Already, Bishop was heading toward the doors. Bianca turned to scramble after him. Across the distance, I heard her say, "I'll help you look."
He didn't even pause. "No. You won't."
Silently, I watched until they disappeared from sight, and then, I checked the clock on Pete's desk.
Just as I'd suspected, it was time to get ready for work. I tried to look on the bright side. If nothing else, it would be a break from all the drama, a place to pass the lonely hours while waiting for Jake, a chance to forget all about missing cell phones and rocky relationships.
Or so I thought.
Chapter 43
Parked in the employee lot, I'd just cut the engine and was preparing to go into work when a familiar male figure appeared just outside my driver's side window.
Startled, I gave a little jump and felt my heart practically leap from my chest.
It was Rango, the ex-boyfriend from hell. I glanced around, wondering where on Earth he'd come from. Around me, I saw plenty of vehicles, but none that could belong to him.
Those other cars were all too old, too dirty, or too modest. When it came to Rango's taste in anything, only the best would do.
But then again, who was I to talk? I was driving one of Jake's cars. It wasn't exactly an old rust-bucket.
Reluctantly, I returned my attention to Rango. His dark spiky hair was styled in its usual disarray, and he wore the same kind of designer clothes that he always wore. Through the glass, he flashed me the same boyish smile that he'd used on me the first time we'd met.
Back then, I'd been utterly charmed. Now, I wanted to whack him in the face.
With what, I didn't know, but I was willing to get creative. I looked to my right. Surely, there was something in the glove compartment.
The sounds of tapping on glass made me turn to look.
Rango called through the driver's side window. "Hey, open up."
Sure, like that was a good idea. Instead, I demanded, "What are you doing here?"
He made a circular motion with his hand. "Roll down the window, and I'll tell you."
I stared at him. "No way."
"Why not?" His lips thinned. "I'm not gonna hurt you, if that's what you think."
Honestly, I didn't know what to think. But I wasn't going to take any chances. "Then what do you want?"
"Like I said, I just wanna talk."
"Yeah? Well maybe you should've called first." As soon as the words were out, I realized how incredibly stupid they were. One – I didn't want him calling me. And two – even I did, I no longer had a phone.
It was still missing, probably forever.
Outside my car, Rango said, "Very funny."
Confused, I squinted through the glass. Why was that funny?
Before I could even think to ask, he said, "You've made your point, so lay off, alright? That's why I'm here. To ask you nicely." He hesitated. "As a friend."
Okay, now I was really confused. For one thing, Rango was no friend of mine. And for another, what so-called point had I made?
I had to ask. "What are you talking about?"
"The phones," he said. "They're not mine. So stop calling, alright?" With an obvious effort, he summoned up a stiff smile. "Truce?"
I still had no idea what he meant. I studied his face, wondering what I was missing.
He gave me a pleading look. "Will you please roll down your window? It's really hard to talk like this."
He was right. It was hard. But after everything he'd done to me, I couldn't bring myself to care. "So what?" I said. "I don't want to talk to you at all."
He paused, as if thinking. "Okay. I can deal with that." He gave me a hopeful smile. "Then you're gonna stop calling me?"
"No. Because I haven't started calling you. There's nothing to stop. See how that works? And besides, you're a fine one to talk. You called me like a hundred times yesterday."
"I know." Mumbling now, he added, "And I'm sorry. Okay?"
Funny, he almost looked like he meant it. But with his voice so low, I could hardly hear him.
Screw it. I rolled down the window and said, "And why were you calling me, anyway?"
"Maybe I missed you."
I gave him a dubious look. "Or maybe, Bianca put you up to it."
"So what if she did? It wasn't the only reason I called." With an obvious effort, he plastered on that same boyish smile as before. "Come on. Admit it. Don't you miss me at least a little?"
Why lie? "No."
The smile disappeared. "Yeah? Well, tell me that again after you and Jake split up." His lips curled into a sneer. "The way I hear it, things aren't going so good."
His words found their mark. It was true. They weren't going so good. I still had no idea where Jake was. And stupid or not, I missed him like crazy.
Did he miss me?
Pushing that question aside, I managed to tell Rango, "Well, you heard wrong."
"Yeah, sure," Rango said. "Call me when it's over. Maybe I'll give you another shot."
I looked toward the glove compartment. And maybe I'd find a nice, thick crowbar within grabbing distance.
Hey, it could happen.
I turned back to Rango and said, "Don't hold your breath."
"Yeah. Whatever." His jaw tightened. "So about that truce, is it a deal?"
Okay, I was no expert in military terms, but I knew enough to know that truces were only a thing when both sides had been fighting. As for me, I hadn't been doing anything other than answering my phone.
And now, I couldn’t even do that.
If this was some sort of war, I was in serious trouble. By rights, Rango shouldn’t even be here.
Abruptly, I asked, "And what about your dad? Wasn't he supposed to keep you away from me?"
Rango snorted. "My stepdad? The asshole?"
I gave a non-committal shrug. Whether the guy was an asshole or not, I had no idea. But he had agreed to keep his stepson from bothering me.
Rango was frowning now. "Shit, he's not even my stepdad anymore. Would you believe he dumped my mom?"
I blinked. "What?"
"Yeah." Rango made a sound of disgust. "Catches her one time with the gardener, and he flips the hell out."
Suddenly, Rango looked almost ready to cry. "Makes her move and everything." In a small
, pathetic voice, he added, "And, he cuts off my allowance."
I stared at him. Rango was like thirty years old. "You have an allowance? Seriously?"
"Not anymore. Weren't you listening?"
I gave a little shake of my head. "But you did have an allowance?"
"Hey, I've got expenses," he said. "Who are you to talk?" He made a show of looking at the car I was sitting in. "Is that your car?"
"No." I gave him the look of death. "Because some idiot crushed my car. Remember?"
"Hey, you got paid. What are you griping about?"
How stupid was he, anyway? He'd crushed it for fun. He'd thrown a party and everything. If that wasn't gripe-worthy, I didn't know what was.
And then, there was the other thing. "Yeah, I got paid," I said. "So what? You weren't even the one who paid me."
"Sure I was," he insisted.
"Yeah, right." Didn't he remember? "Just yesterday, you told me you didn't pay for it."
"Yeah, well I did some digging. Turns out, I did." Looking distinctly annoyed at the discovery, Rango continued. "The asshole paid Jake, and deducted it from my allowance. You happy now?"
Oddly enough, I was – especially because Rango looked so unhappy about it.
Did that make me a bad person?
Did I care?
Apparently not. Because I was actually smiling. "Poor baby."
"No kidding," Rango said. "Hey, uh, that reminds me. I've gotta ask you something."
"What?"
"So, uh, can I borrow some money?"
I almost laughed in his face. "You can't be serious. And if you are, the answer is no."
He gave me a pleading look. "But I really need it," he whined. "I've got expenses, you know?"
As someone who had never gotten an allowance, not even as a kid, I was no stranger to expenses – or how they were generally paid.
Again, I smiled. "Yeah? Well, the restaurant's hiring."
Rango drew back like I'd just spit in his face. "What? You want me to work as a—" He swallowed. "—waiter?"
I shook my head, enjoying this way more than I should've. "Not as a waiter. That requires experience." I brightened. "But you could always work as a busboy."
He looked utterly horrified. "A busboy?"
"Or a dishwasher," I helpfully added.
I knew Rango. There was no way on Earth he'd be caught dead in a service job. I started to wonder about all those businesses that he supposedly owned. Maybe he didn't own them after all. Maybe he'd been merely running them for his stepdad.
If that was the case, Rango was in some serious trouble. But that wasn't my problem, and the way I saw it, some humility would do him a load of good.
I was still mulling this, when I heard a cell phone ring somewhere outside my car.
With a muttered curse, Rango reached down and retrieved a black satchel from somewhere near his feet. As I watched, he rummaged through the bag and pulled out a small silver cell phone. He studied the display and frowned.
A moment later, he looked to me and demanded, "Alright, how'd you do that?"
"How'd I do what?"
Abruptly, he leaned forward and stuck his whole head inside my car.
Caught off guard, I leaned back to avoid contact. "What the hell are you doing?"
His head swiveled from side to side. "Alright, where is it?"
"Where's what?"
He pulled back and practically spat the words, "Your fucking cell phone."
Chapter 44
Talk about nerve. Sitting in the driver's seat, I considered the absurdity of his question.
Where was my phone? Maybe he should worry about his own phone. It was, after all, still ringing.
Rango looked to my lap. "What? Are you sitting on it?"
"No, I'm not…" I hesitated as something slowly dawned on me. "Wait a minute. Are you implying that I'm calling you? Like right now?"
As an answer, Rango shoved his phone – or, more accurately, one of his phones – practically into my face.
I felt my eyebrows furrow. On the display, sure enough, I saw my own name, as clear as day.
How was that possible?
His phone was still ringing. I snatched it from his hand and hit the answer button. And then, silently, I waited.
A moment later, I heard the sounds of – What the hell? – a porno movie, playing on the other end of the line.
Or at least, it sure sounded like a porno movie, unless – heaven forbid – it was the real thing. I heard grunting and groaning and naked skin slapping together in ways I could only imagine. And then, I heard – I paused. No, that couldn't be right – a cow?
Sure enough, there it was again. A distinct mooing sound.
I swallowed. Oh, my God. It wasn't just a porno. It was, well, I didn't know what it was exactly. But overall, it was pretty darn disturbing.
And then, I heard something else. A snicker.
And not just a generic snicker. A familiar snicker.
Damn it.
I yelled into the receiver. "Hey! Ass-munches!"
Suddenly, the movie – if that's what it was – stopped playing. A moment later, I heard Steve's voice say, "Gee, that's pretty rude."
"Rude?" I wanted to throttle him. "Not as rude as animal porno." My voice rose. "Seriously, what the hell? You stole my phone?"
"Nah, we just borrowed it."
"I don't freaking believe this." I lifted my gaze to Rango, who stood, staring down at me from outside the car.
Deliberately, I turned away, looking to avoid eye-contact. In a much quieter voice, I told Steve, "Well, I need it back. Now."
"Get real," Steve said. "We can't bring it back now. We're working."
"Oh, for God's sake. You're not working. You're making obscene phone calls."
"Hey, we're doing both," he said. "It's called multi-tasking. You ever hear of it?"
Multi-tasking? Like slapping him silly and yelling? On that front, I was feeling highly motivated.
From somewhere in the background, Anthony called out, "And besides, we're on break."
Steve said, "See?"
I so didn't have time for this. Through gritted teeth, I said, "Tonight then. Nine o'clock. Bring the phone, or else."
"Oh, alright," Steve said, not sounding too happy about it. "But just so you know, you're buying the pizza. And don't be skimpy this time. We want two – no three – pizzas. With everything." He paused. "And beer, too. Bottles, not cans."
"Fine," I snapped. "But you'd better have the phone."
I ended the call and looked up. Rango was still waiting, looking nearly as disturbed as I felt.
In worse news, I was already late for work. Silently, I grabbed my purse and pushed open the car door, nudging Rango out of my way.
He was still looking a little shell-shocked. "So, uh, about that truce…"
"Fine," I said. "Whatever. A truce. Just stop calling me, okay?"
He gave a nod so vigorous, I was surprised he didn't break something.
I shut the car door behind me, locked it with the remote, and hustled toward the restaurant, leaving Rango staring after me.
I know, because I looked.
So much for my newfound self-control.
Chapter 45
"Hey, don’t be mad," Steve was saying. "We did it for you."
"Yeah," Anthony agreed. "You should be thanking us, not griping about it."
I gave them a look. "You stole my phone."
"Nah," Steve said. "We just borrowed it, like I told you."
Did I really need to point out the obvious? "It's not borrowing if you don't ask permission."
Sitting across from me in Jake's penthouse, Steve was making another pizza sandwich. "Hey, you got it back, didn't you?"
Yeah. I did. And I wasn't letting it go. Even now, I was clutching it so tight, I was half-surprised that it didn't shatter.
I looked to my brothers. "About Rango, how many times did you call him, anyway?"
Steve grinned. "A lot."
&n
bsp; Stupidly, I couldn't stop myself from grinning back. The look on Rango's face had been so priceless I almost wanted to giggle.
How twisted was that?
"See?" Steve said. "You liked it. We knew you would."
"I wouldn't go that far," I told him.
Steve shoved the pizza sandwich into his face and started chewing. "Sure you would. You just don't wanna admit it."
I was still smiling. "Oh, shut up." I paused as a new question popped into my head. "And why wouldn't he just block my number?"
"Good question," Steve said. "Want us to call and ask?"
"No," I blurted out. "Definitely not." Deliberately, I changed the subject. "But about those sounds…" I hesitated, unsure how to put this. "Was it, like, from a movie or something?"
If so, I definitely didn't want to see it – or hear it again, for that matter.
Next to Steve, Anthony laughed. "Not one movie. Two movies."
I gave him a confused look. "What?"
"Yeah," Anthony said. "We took a regular porno, and threw in some bits from this old farm show. A cartoon, actually."
He leaned back, looking unusually proud of himself. "We got Trey to help us. He got a total kick out of it."
No surprise there. Cows did have nipples, right?
Still clutching my phone, I sank back onto the sofa, trying to pretend that everything was okay. I wasn't eating, and this time, I didn't care one bit whether they saved any for me.
I didn't want pizza.
I wanted Jake.
It was just past nine o'clock, and my bartending shift had ended an hour earlier. Even at work, I'd gone through the motions with a distracted mind and an aching heart.
Where was Jake?
And how pathetic was I, sitting around waiting for him to return, like the sad sack that I was? If I had any dignity at all, I'd probably be packing my bags and moving my stuff out of his place.
But then again, I had no stuff, or at least, not enough stuff to matter. Probably, I could throw everything I owned in one big suitcase and walk out with very little trouble.
Should I?
Maybe that's what Jake wanted me to do, move out to save him the trouble of throwing me out. I didn't want to think that, but maybe I'd be foolish not to.
I glanced down at my phone, praying for it to ring.
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