by Piper Rayne
“Okay, Teegan, let’s meet the same time next week, okay?” She stands, and I try to get a glimpse of the notepad she’s written everything down on. She ushers me out before I can make any sense out of it.
“Thank you and I’ll bring a box of tissues with me next time.”
She laughs, her hand on my shoulder. “No, no. I’ll always supply them.”
“Yeah, but I went through your whole stash.”
“No, you didn’t. I’ve got back-ups.”
“I definitely used more than the average person.”
She smiles, ushering me out the door. “You’d be surprised.”
We move through the front door where there’s a man standing there in a suit that fits him like a glove, shiny shoes, hair gelled to perfection and a million-dollar smile on his lips.
“Asher, go inside, please.”
He nods and heads through the door I came out of.
“Even guys like that are broken?” I ask and she laughs.
“Everyone’s a little chipped, Teegan, but no one is broken. See you next week.”
I wave goodbye and the door shuts. I stand on her doorstep, the California sun beating down on my bare legs, and for some reason all I want is my feet in the sand.
29
Leo
“That was just what I needed. How about you guys?” Vance asks, unzipping his wetsuit.
“The only thing better would’ve been skydiving. Anything to clear my head of all the shit going on.” Jagger plops down on the sand, grabbing a beer out of the cooler.
“That’s your guys’ thing. I tell you every time you go to leave me out of it. Especially now. Layla would kick my ass if I told her I wanted to jump out of a plane,” Vance says with a laugh.
“Such a pussy,” Jagger says. “Don’t you think, Leo?”
I hear him, but I don’t answer, uninterested in joining their banter.
Vance punches me lightly in the shoulder. “It’s been two weeks,” he says, accepting the beer Jagger offers him. “If you’re still this upset, you need to call her.”
Jagger hits his beer against Vance’s.
“I’m not getting myself into a one-sided relationship,” I say. “I was all in, a month away from asking her to move in.”
Jagger cringes and glances at Vance. “That’s a little fast, man.”
Vance shakes his head. He can’t say shit with how fast he and Layla ended up together. “Maybe she was scared,” he says.
“And I’m not?”
Jagger and Vance laugh, staring at one another.
“What?” I ask.
“You’re not scared of anything,” Jagger says.
“Who do you think I am, the Incredible Hulk?”
“No, according to Payne, you’re more like Captain America,” Vance adds. “I’m Batman.”
“Who does he think I am?” Jagger might as well be drooling to find out what which superhero the four-year-old thinks he is.
“The Joker.” Vance laughs and Jagger’s face distorts.
“You’re joking,” he says.
“Hello!” I point to myself. “We’re trying to fix my problem.”
“Go ahead, Captain.” Vance laughs and Jagger studies the sand, shaking his head.
“Seriously, man, the Joker?”
Vance shrugs and I have no idea if he’s razzing him or not, but the fact that Jagger is all bent out of shape about it makes the whole thing damn funny.
“I need to get her out of my system. Maybe I should go out tonight.”
“No!” Vance says loudly. “Bad idea.”
“Why? Let him see what’s out there,” Jagger argues and Vance rolls his eyes.
“Nothing but regrets if you go that route, that’s what’s out there.” Vance stands up. “I gotta go. You’re welcome to our house tonight.”
“Our house? Did you two officially move in together?” Jagger’s forehead crinkles.
“No. Not yet.” Vance finishes his beer and grabs his backpack and surfboard. He walks over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Love doesn’t just disappear because you’re angry. I think you should call her up and talk. Maybe you guys can get somewhere.”
“Yeah, like a boxing ring. From the way you talk about the fight at the restaurant, you guys should’ve had the gloves on,” Jagger adds.
“We weren’t physical, jackass.”
“No, but you don’t fight like that if you don’t both care.” Vance’s lips turn up slightly into a half-smile. “Just think about it. Either way, going out to find a hookup isn’t you.”
“Thanks, man. Tell Layla and the kids hi from Captain America,” I say, happy to have the friend I have in Vance.
“I will. Maybe you could dress up in the role for his birthday party?” He waggles his eyebrows.
I laugh. I’m not sure about that.
“Well, I signed you up for it,” Vance reveals and my mouth opens. “I’m serious. I’ll get the details to you.”
“Like hell I’ll be dressing up like the Joker,” Jagger says. “Get me Iron Man or something.”
Vance laughs. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Okay.” Jagger springs up. “Let’s go get fish tacos.”
I grab all my stuff and we’re walking toward the cars to change when my phone rings. “I’ll be right there.”
Jagger nods, stopping to talk to two women in bikinis on the path toward his car. I shake my head. The man could pick up women at a nun convention.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Is this Leo Vaughn?”
Fucking telemarketers.
“Yeah, and I’m not interested—”
“This is Sam Nichols with Man’s Best Friend, the pet supply company.”
The phone almost slips from my grasp, but I somehow manage to keep a hold of it. “I’m sorry, I thought it was a telemarketer.”
“No apologies necessary. We caught a segment of your work from the Hamilton Dog Show.”
“Yes?”
“Well, we’re very interested in talking to you about developing a line of clothing specific to our stores. We were wondering if it would be possible to set up a meeting.”
Holy shit. My heart hammers in my chest and my stomach feels like it’s full of helium and I could float away at any second.
Finally.
“Definitely. When did you have in mind?”
“We were thinking next Tuesday at ten in the morning. We’re from North Carolina, but we’ll be in L.A. for another meeting. We’d like to see the shop and take a look at your operations, go over some things.” Sam sounds almost as excited as me.
“Perfect.”
“I have an email for you.” He rattles off my email address. “We’ll be in touch with the details.”
“Hold up, Sam. Where did you see the clip?” I ask.
“It was sent to us by your previous PR rep, Teegan Lowery.”
Just hearing her name out loud makes my dick twitch.
“Have you contacted her? About the deal?” I ask.
“We did and she gave us your information, said to contact you directly. That she was no longer with you. Are we missing something?”
I look out to the ocean. Damn her. “She’s my PR rep, at least for this deal. If she set this ball rolling, she’s taking a cut. I’ll get with her and she’ll be at the meeting on Tuesday. Please, copy both of us on all information.”
“Okay, I’ll make note of it. I must say, after hearing that, I have high hopes about working with you. We’ll see you Tuesday.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
We hang up and my shoulders slump before I press down a name on my phone that my thumb has hovered over too many times to count over the past couple of weeks.
“Hello?” Teegan answers, sounding confused, because she’s probably as shocked as I am that we’re about to have a conversation.
“Teegan, it’s Leo.”
“I know,” she says in a quiet voice.
“I didn’t know if you deleted m
e out of your contacts.”
Low blow, Vaughn.
“Nice.”
“Sorry.”
“What are you calling for?”
Damn it, why is this so awkward? It’s never been awkward between us. “I got a call from Man’s Best Friend.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’m glad they found you.” Her voice holds a chipper tone. Why doesn’t she sound as miserable as me?
“We have a meeting next Tuesday at ten. Meet us at the store.”
“I’m not… I mean, no, Leo—”
“Teegan, you’re responsible for getting their attention. You’ll handle everything on our end and get your commission off the deal.”
I glance behind me, making sure Jagger is still busy flirting. Of course he is. He’s pointing to me and the two girls are eyeing me up and down. Jesus.
“I don’t want a pity deal, Leo. I’m fine, really.”
“Are you?” I ask. “Fine, I mean. Because…” I’m not.
“Yeah. Life goes on, right?”
Fuck. Talk about a crushing blow to the chest. And the ego.
Because no. It hasn’t gone on for me.
“Yeah. I suppose,” I say.
“Were you going to say something else?” she asks.
“No. I’m glad you’re happy. I’ll see you Tuesday.”
My brain is screaming at me to find some balls and tell her how I really feel. Apologize for being a dick, tell her we’ll work through this together. That I’ll fight… for the both of us.
“Bye, Leo. Thanks for the call.”
“Bye, Teegan.”
I click the phone off and drop to the sand, my phone still clutched in my hands. “I love you,” I murmur to myself.
Then a shadow blocks the sun. “What the fuck are you doing? I got us some dates for later. Hightail it, we need to get dressed.”
I stand. I should go. Get back out there instead of fighting with Cooper over who gets to sleep with the shirt she left at my place. Pathetic, I know, but it still smells like her. And I miss that smell.
“Come on. They’re hot and just out of college.” Jagger continues to talk on the way to the cars. “I call dibs on the redhead, since I spotted them first. The brunette has an amazing set of tits, so you’re not getting the DUFF or anything.”
He rambles on and on, but my mind travels. “I’m out.” I slide my wetsuit down my body and grab a t-shirt.
“Out? Fuck what Vance said. Come on.”
I shake my head. “Nah. Not yet. I’m not ready.”
Jagger stares at me in disbelief, his jaw open. I round my truck, climbing in with my board hanging out instead of locked on the hood.
I start up the truck and reverse, Jagger shaking his head with his hands up in the air. “Fine. I’ll fuck them both,” he yells.
I shake my head and put the Bronco in drive.
“You two are worthless. I’m finding new friends.” His voice fades as I drive away.
Jagger doesn’t understand how much I wish I could be the friend he wants right now. My heart won’t let me.
30
Teegan
The bell on the door rings as I push open the door and my stomach sinks. John is behind the counter, busy on his phone. “Welcome to Canine Couture,” he mumbles more to his phone than to me.
“Shouldn’t you be asking me what I need help with?” I say with fake enthusiasm.
His head bolts up and then he’s off the stool, running toward me with his arms outstretched. “Teeny,” he says, swaying us side to side. “What happened with boss man?”
“You know relationships.”
He shrugs. “I’ve really yet to have a real one.”
“You will. Then you’ll know.” I scan the area, trying to get my heart to beat at an even pace.
John’s hand lands on my back. “He’s in the back,” he says with what sounds like pity.
I nod a few times.
I can do this.
“Come on over. Take your usual spot.” He leads us to the counter and I see the stool I used to sit on every day admiring Leo from afar. And then from not so far.
“I’ll just wait here.” I stay on the other side of the counter, hoping that ten o’clock comes quickly.
The door to the salon area opens and a shiver spreads out from the back of my neck. My heart picks up even more speed and my hands get clammy.
John has a cat-that-ate-the-canary look on his face, as though he has a bet on how our greeting will go.
The first one to greet me isn’t Leo though—Cooper barrels past him, jumping up on my side, sniffing every inch.
“Cooper, down!” Leo’s stern voice rings out and John startles.
Cooper sits down at my feet, his eyes pleading for me to pet him. I missed him. Believe me, it takes a lot for me to admit that.
I crouch down and pet his head. It beats having to stare at Leo and mourn what we lost anyway.
“It’s okay.” Leo looms over us, his eyes dull and lacking the luster of life they usually contain. “I know you don’t like dogs.” He snaps his fingers and Cooper’s head shifts from me to Leo and back to me. Cooper finally trots off to his owner, head hanging down.
“Yeah, but I like Cooper.”
A hollow laugh leaves Leo’s mouth. “Like. What a word ‘like’ is.”
“I think I need to get in the back, right, boss?” John asks and walks by me, not waiting for Leo to answer. “It was great seeing you, Teeny. Stop by anytime.”
I smile a tight grin. I’m not sure his boss would like me returning for a visit.
John claps my shoulder a few times and then it’s just the two of us. Leo and I stand in the small space, Cooper’s panting the only sound to fill it.
“I’m sorry, Leo,” I say.
He’s looking down at the ground. Slowly, he raises his head and looks up at me and nods. “Me, too.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I lied and you’re right, I was never all in.”
He shuts his eyes for a moment then leans back on the counter and crosses his arms. His biceps look bigger and his chest more inviting than it used to. Probably because I have no right to be looking at them anymore.
“I accept your apology for lying, but please accept mine for pressuring you to go faster than you wanted. I was like an overworked puppy around new people.”
I smile at his comparison. “I liked the puppy.”
“I was hoping you’d love the puppy.” His lips dip and there’s such sadness in his eyes that it feels like someone took a sledgehammer to my chest.
“No.” I step forward. “Leo, don’t—”
The bell on the door chimes and Leo plasters on a smile, focused behind me now.
Sam Nichols and his team of three women come in and for the next few hours, Leo wins them over with his skills and his ideas. They agree in principle on a line for toy dogs and ask about what he sees for the bigger dogs, because a tutu on a dog like Cooper would look absurd.
“I can definitely draw something up,” Leo offers.
“Actually”—I raise my finger and they all focus on me—“Leo has a line of coats for dogs.”
“Tee.” Leo sighs, and I wish his nickname for me didn’t make me want to grab his face and kiss him.
“He’s modest, but they’re corduroy with a lambs’ wool lining. Perfect, especially for the colder months.”
Sam nods and looks to one of the women on his team. “Get us a prototype.”
“Done.” Leo nods, a smile widening his lips further.
Sam claps his hands. “I think we’re good then. We’ll take some of these patterns back to our manufacturing plant and you can come out there, see how you like the materials, make sure you think they’ll work with the designs. I’m thinking that if we really push we’ll be good to go for late fall, early winter if not.”
“That’s great. Thank you.” Leo’s fists clutch one another and his knuckles turn white.
“We have a flight back right away, so we should get goin
g.” Sam stands, as do the women.
“It’s a great shop,” one of them says, scoping all of Leo out.
Where’s my pen so I can stab her in the eye when I need it?
“Thank you,” he says.
One of the other woman calls Sam over to look at something and the second joins him while the third stays at Leo’s side. Maybe she ought to lick him like a dog would, since she wants a taste so bad.
Leo smiles and rocks back on his heels while Cooper trots over to the woman.
“Aren’t you a cutie?” She crouches down in her short skirt and heels, letting Cooper lick her face.
Leo glances at me and then back to them. “He’s overly affectionate,” Leo remarks.
“Oh, I don’t mind, I love dogs,” she says in a syrupy-sweet voice.
“Watch out, his drool can be a little excessive,” I add, trying to get her to let the dog go. I mean she’s going to choke him, she’s holding him so tight.
“That’s okay. You should see my Dobermans at home.” She laughs and I give a fake one back.
“Doberman. That’s a big breed,” Leo says and the child in me wants to make the non-verbal gagging motion with my finger.
“Yeah, they’re great though. They each sleep on one side of me when I’m at home.” She makes kissing sounds to Cooper. He licks her face again.
Traitor.
“Where do you sleep, sweetie?”
“Usually on the floor,” I say and Leo’s head whips in my direction, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his lips.
“He does?” The woman stands up and now it’s me she’s looking up and down—sizing up the competition, I suppose.
“Yeah,” Leo doesn’t refute my implication.
“I must have heard wrong,” she says. “I thought you were the ex-PR rep.” Each word comes out of her mouth in an annoyed and very pointed fashion.
Leo says nothing, an amused expression on his face.
“I was the ex… er… am the ex, yes.”
Leo’s gaze falls to the ground.
“Then maybe you should go join another conversation,” she says with fake sweetness.
