by J. P. Comeau
So many of my clients had come to view Roxy as an integral part of my entire company, and the last thing I needed was to lose that.
Maybe she knows why some girls were eager to get my attention…
I chuckled as I reached for the tequila between my legs. As the television rolled in the background, I tipped the bottle up to my lips again. A few months ago, I’d come across a rumor that made me chuckle every time I thought about it. And that was the fact that the few women I did employ whispered and giggled behind my back about something. I’d never asked why, of course. It didn’t seem fitting for a man of my stature at my own company to ask such a question. But, that didn’t mean my curiosity wasn’t there.
“Maybe Roxy would answer if I asked,” I murmured.
I set my tequila bottle off to the side and stared at the television. I didn’t know what the hell I was watching, but the explosions on the screen made my eye twitch. My hand started shaking as I reached for the remote, and I fumbled around with it so much that I started to sweat. I slid the remote into my lap as my quaking fingers reached for the power button, ready to turn the damn thing off.
Then, a loud blast pulled me from my seat and forced me to the floor.
“Riley! Matthew! Take cover! We’re taking fire!” I exclaimed.
I covered my head and rooted around for my gun. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get away from this war zone. I scrambled behind the recliner and saw the remote control on the floor before a massive thud sounded directly below me. I blinked a few times before I slammed my fist against the remote control. The television turned off, and I sighed, trying to pick myself up off the floor.
But, my head slammed against the underside of the table.
And I listened as that entire bottle of tequila fell to the floor.
“Fucking--are you kidding me!?”
Everything around me was foggy as memories kept flipping between Roxy and work, war, and Bryce. Roxy, work, war, Bryce. Roxy, work, war, Bryce.
“I need to get out of here,” I breathed.
I picked myself up off the floor and scrambled to get to my bed. And just when I sat on the edge of it, my phone started vibrating against my leg. I jammed my hand into my pocket and pulled it out, ready to ignore Zane’s phone call.
Then again, he might need help with something down at the casino.
So, I answered it.
“This is Clint.”
He paused. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, why’s that?”
“You sound like you were on the run.”
I smirked. “Just doing some in-home exercises. Can’t sleep.”
“Well, if you can’t sleep, you could come back to the party.”
I shook my head. “I think I’m in for the night. Another time, though.”
“Clint, you don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“Yeah, pretty sure I do.”
“You need to come out. You need to talk to people. You need to do something other than work.”
My eyebrows rose. “That’s rich, coming from you.”
“Look, Brenden and I are exact role models of what you shouldn't do. And when we decided to focus on other things but work--.”
“I’m not going to sit here and listen to you insinuate that I might find some love of my whatever simply because I come out tonight. It’s not going to work.”
“All I’m saying is that you can’t expect to live life to the fullest if you’re constantly telling yourself why you shouldn't go out and do something. Just come to the damn party. It’s been such a bullshit waste up until this point, and you might be just what we need to salvage it.”
I chuckled. “And the real reason comes out.”
“Just think about it, will you? Yeah?”
“So, now we’ve gone from demanding me to letting me think about it? How long do you guys plan on partying tonight?”
He sighed. “As long as it takes for Roxy to smile again.”
Worry filled my gut. “Why? What’s happened?”
“Look, it’s nothing. But, Roxy and the girls got into a bit of a spat, and now they aren’t talking with one another.”
“Sounds like a smidge more than a ‘bit’ of a spat.”
“Will you stop analyzing shit and just get down here? Please?”
I looked down at my clothes. “I need to change first.”
“I thought you already changed?”
“Yeah, into sweatpants and a t-shirt. I wasn’t planning on coming back out.”
“Fine. Wear whatever. Just get over here? Please, Clint?”
I snickered. “No need to get on your knees, Zane. I’m getting changed now.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you huge.”
“Are you sure Roxy wants me there, though? She wasn’t too friendly when we first ran into one another.”
“Because you told her you were working when you weren’t assigned to work. Maybe just come and tell her you want to celebrate her birthday. Try the truth.”
I drew in a deep breath. “Fine, okay. But, if Roxy is weird about my being there, I’m dipping out. Got it?”
“All I’m asking is that you come and try. That’s it.”
“All right. Give me thirty, and I’ll be there. But, don’t be shocked if I’m the killjoy of the evening.”
“See you soon. And you won’t be a killjoy.”
I walked over to my closet. “It’ll be like Dad showing up to this thing.”
Zane chuckled. “Dad’s horrible at telling jokes. At least you’ve got great jokes on your side.”
I flipped through my suits. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“I’m not sure where Roxy stormed off to, but the rest of us are in this back private room eating cake and the food we ordered. Just come find us when you get here.”
Or find Roxy. “Got it.”
“See you soon, Clint.”
“Yep.”
I shook my head as I tossed my cell phone onto the bed. If they wanted me to come out that badly, I would. But, I wouldn't stay if it was only going to make Roxy’s night worse. I wanted to know more about the fight, though. I wanted to know if she stood up for herself because I knew what was bothering her. Roxy had always been easy to read. And with training in the Navy regarding non-verbal body language, it only made her easier to figure out on a daily basis.
I knew things about Roxy she probably didn’t know I knew.
So, maybe I could play that to my advantage tonight.
7
Roxy
I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Roxy?”
I sighed. “What, Kelly?”
“Can we talk?”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not. It’s only my birthday.”
Karina sat down beside me. “Me, too. I want to talk.”
I nodded. “At least I have you guys here now.”
I gazed up at the dark night sky as I stood on the small back patio of the casino. There was no one sitting out here except for a very drunk man that needed to be taken home, and I wanted the space. I wanted silence because I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to stay for the rest of my party.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” Karina said.
I nodded. “Usually, a good thing.”
Kelly scoffed. “Roxy, come on.”
I looked over at my sister. “I’m not making this easy on either of you guys. Because you haven't made it easy on me.”
Karina took my hand. “We know.”
I looked over at her. “Do you?”
Kelly rubbed my back. “Well, we know now.”
I sighed. “Fair enough.”
Karina scooted closer to me. “It wasn’t fair of Kelly and me to take all of those trips and do all of those things behind your back. We should’ve invited you, even if we knew the answer would be ‘no.’”
I looked over at her. “What if I would’ve said ‘yes’?”
She smiled. “Then, we would’ve loved having you there.”
&nbs
p; I shrugged. “Why not invite me in the first place?”
Kelly wrapped her arm around me. “Because sometimes--and don’t take this the wrong way--it’s just nice to spend time with someone else who’s also with someone longterm. You know, so we can bitch and moan and complain without you reminding us constantly how lucky we are.”
I snickered. “Well, you two are lucky. And you should stop bitching and moaning about stupid shit.”
Karina kissed my temple. “That’s exactly the reason why we didn’t invite you.”
I stood up. “I’m heading inside.”
Kelly shot up. “You’re not listening to us.”
I pointed at her. “And you’re not listening to me.”
Karina wiggled in between us. “Yes, we are. We are listening. You feel left out because we’re your two best friends who, all of a sudden, are doing more things together without inviting you. And now, we’re out here celebrating your birthday even though we’ve spent more time with our guys than with you.”
I blinked. “Okay, maybe you’re finally listening.”
Karina took my hands in hers. “Now, listen to us, okay?”
Kelly nodded. “Please?”
I sighed. “Fine. Whatever.”
Karina drew in a deep breath. “Kelly and I are in dedicated relationships. Hell, I’m a mother now, Roxy. And I know things happened fast. I know we didn’t get a lot of time just the three of us when I first moved here. But, there are some things about our lives you don’t understand anymore. And that’s not a bad thing! It just is what it is. So, when I fight with Zane or when Kelly fights with Brenden, it’s easier for us to call up one another and go out on a whim because we get where the other is coming from. That’s all.”
I looked over at my sister. “That’s all?”
Kelly nodded. “We promise you, that’s all that’s happening.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay. I can accept that.”
Karina smiled. “So, you forgive us?”
I held up my finger. “I said I can accept it. No one said anything about forgiveness yet.”
Kelly giggled before she hugged me tightly. “I love you, too, Roxy.”
I hugged her. “Come on, let’s get back inside. I need another drink after this.”
We quickly fell back into the same routines, though. Kelly gravitated back to Brenden, and Karina found her way back to Zane. I sat at the head of the table, alone, while the rest of them sat on either side of me, talking and laughing and eating. I stared at the wall while the girls giggled over a joke Zane told. I ignored Brenden while he told his mindless stories about stupid shit we knew wasn’t true.
Well, that didn’t last long.
“Roxy?” Kelly asked.
I looked over at her. “Hmmm?”
“Did you hear me?”
I blinked. “Hear what?”
“I asked if you were all right.”
I furrowed my brow. “I’m fine. Why?”
Karina piped up. “You just look a bit bored.”
My eyes widened. “Bored? Hell, no. I’m just in a weird place right now, that’s all. I’ll get over it.”
Zane focused on me. “Anything we can do to help?”
Brenden stood up. “You want another drink or something?”
I waved my hand at them. “It’s fine, sit down and enjoy yourselves. I’m fine, I promise.”
Zane sat back down. “So, how are things going at Clint’s company?”
Brenden interjected. “He means, how do you like your job?”
I nodded. “It’s a nice job. I’ve gotten the hang of things, and it pays me enough to cover my bills.”
Karina smiled. “That sounds fantastic.”
Kelly giggled. “I knew you’d enjoy that job. And you were so weird about taking it before.”
Brenden paused. “Really? Why? I thought she was perfectly suited for the job.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want you guys to kiss my ass, you know. All I want is for things to go back to the way they were.”
Silence fell over the table as I slowly realized what I said.
“I-I-I-I don’t mean back to before the guys were in our lives. Not at all. I just mean--.”
Zane held up his hand. “We get it.”
Brenden nodded. “We understand completely.”
I paused. “Do you, though?”
Karina hissed at me. “They’re trying, just give them a chance.”
I cast her a look. “You’re doing it again.”
“We’re going to defend our men, Roxy. You can’t stop us from doing that.” Kelly told me.
I leaned back. “Yeah, just like they can’t stop you from going out without me because I’m single and you’re not. Right?”
The silence hung even heavier this time, and I was ready to throw in the towel on this evening.
“Is being a front desk secretary what you want to do for the rest of your life?” Zane asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Brenden leaned forward. “What kind of other things are you interested in?”
Karina smiled. “She likes having a good time!”
Kelly nodded. “And partying.”
“She’s also a whiz on drinks. She could take bartending classes.”
“Oh, sis! You’d be so good at bartending. You’d get all the tips with your outfits and things like that.”
I paused. “I have a job, but thank you.”
Kelly shrugged. “We’re just thinking more long-term, that’s all.”
I sighed. “No, you mean like building my own fashion line or heading up an entire department. Not just being some lowly secretary.”
Karina pinned me with a glare. “That’s not what we mean, and you know it. Stop twisting our words.”
I shrugged. “Not very hard to twist at this point.”
Kelly threw her napkin onto her plate. “That’s it. I’m done with this.”
Brenden gripped her arm. “Sit down and just hear her out.”
Karina stood. “No, I’ve had enough of this. Roxy, just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean you get to sling around the kind of vile you’ve been spewing all night. If you had issues like this? It’s your problem for letting them fester and get to this point. You should’ve approached us a long time ago and addressed these concerns instead of keeping them so pent-up like you have.”
I slowly stood. “Well, forgive me if I can’t get any time with you two between the day trips to the beach and the spa retreats in the middle of a fucking Tuesday afternoon.”
“That’s it!” Kelly exclaimed.
“We’re leaving,” Karina said.
I held up my hand. “Oh, no-no. Don’t let me inconvenience the mother and the girlfriend of the year. No, no, I’ll take my leave.”
“Roxy, just stop,” Zane said.
I shot him a look. “You’re lucky I came around to liking you after the shit you pulled with Karina. How many times did she call me up crying and ready to dump you like a bad habit back in Hawaii? I lost count. You’re lucky I’m even in your corner. So, can it.”
I stormed out of the room and charged through the multiple blackjack tables. I headed straight for the bar before I ordered myself an entire bottle of wine. I carried it straight up to the second floor, where my own personal V.I.P. room had been set aside for me. A treat for myself, of course. I shelled out the money once I got here to have a room with only my name on it because I knew I’d need a place to go where no one could find me.
“I hate my life so much,” I murmured.
As I poured myself a very full glass of wine, I started thinking about their questions. What did I want to do for the rest of my life? Was being a front-desk secretary as good as it got for someone like me? I mean, I didn’t have the business acumen that Kelly had. I didn’t have the stomach for stupid people like Karina had. And it wasn’t as if I went to college. Hell, I was lucky enough to scrape by during my two-year medical transcriptionist program that I ended
up not doing anything with.
Maybe you’re nothing but a party girl who can’t grow up.
Tears sprang to my eyes as I leaned back against the leather couch. I gazed out over the muted casino and saw everyone gathering downstairs. Kelly and Brenden; Karina and Zane. All of them were standing around someone with smiles on their faces and laughter on the tip of their tongues.
Then, I saw the person in the middle turn my way.
“It can’t be,” I murmured.
I saw Clint glance up to my window before he pulled away from the crowd. I watched him weave his way through people before he disappeared beneath me, and I shot up from the couch. He wasn’t really coming up here. He wouldn't have that kind of nerve, right?
I waited with bated breath as my eyes stayed locked on the door that led into my room.
And when the doorknob turned, I let out the breath I’d been holding.
“I hear there’s a birthday girl up here who isn’t very happy,” Clint said.
The door swung open, and I noticed he was wearing a new suit.
“You changed,” I said.
He stepped inside. “Got some alcohol on my other one.”
I lifted my glass. “Cheers to that.”
He closed the door behind him. “Pretty full glass you’ve got there. Mind if I join you?”
He brandished a wine glass from behind his back, and I shrugged.
“Suit yourself.”
I sat back down on the couch as he poured himself a half-glass of wine. Then, he had the nerve to sit down beside me. I chugged my glass of wine before I went to get up. But, Clint reached for the bottle and refilled my glass for me.
“There you go,” he said.
I nodded slowly. “Thanks.”
He crossed his leg over his knee. “So, why are you really up here?”
“Like I’d tell you.”
He shrugged. “I’m the only one up here. You might as well.”
“Happy birthday to me.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that sounded sarcastic.”
“Well, at least wartime didn’t rattle that old brain up there of yours, yeah?”