I clenched my robe tighter in my fist. “Is there an emergency?”
“What?” He took his gaze off the top of my robe, which was at eye level for him, and looked up at me. “Emergency? No. Electric out.” He waved the flashlight behind him, to where the building sat in darkness. It was probably safe to assume that our entire block was lights out. Great. I hadn’t noticed in my candlelit haven that I was more than ready to get back to.
“Okay, well, thanks for letting me know. Feel free to go wake the others now.” As I went to shut the door, he stepped into the doorway.
“You have batteries?”
I blinked. “You’re here for batteries? Seriously?” Does your car not work for a store run?
He held up the damn flashlight again and showed me the empty compartment where a pair of cells should go.
“Oh my God,” I muttered, and headed to the kitchen, where we kept a drawer full of miscellaneous household items, a.k.a. the junk drawer. Of course Pete would pick me to come to out of the fifty-plus residents that lived here.
“What size?”
Pervy’s gaze rested on my chest. “C. C is goooood.”
I forced myself not to roll my eyes and grabbed the last pack I had. His eyesight must be out of whack, because I barely filled a B-cup, but I wasn’t about to argue that point with him. “Here. Off you go,” I said, ushering him back out the way he came.
“Thank you, Shayne. I bring them back—”
“Not necessary,” I said, practically pushing him out the door.
“Okay, I bring you my homemade tamales—”
“I’m good, thanks, Pete.” My words rushed out, and I shut the door and locked the deadbolt.
He pounded on the door again. “Shayne! Rent due.”
With a sigh, I opened the door. “Rent due, yes, I know. Friday is always payday, so we’ll drop it off to you after work.”
If it wasn’t the roommates giving me hell, or the orange water, or the helicopters constantly roaming super loud overhead, it was my creepy landlord.
What the hell am I still doing here?
The bubble hill was half deflated when I got back to the bathroom, and when I stuck my hand in the water, it was lukewarm.
Just great. Nice, relaxing evening, my ass. This just sums up my life, right here.
Leaning over, I pulled the plug from the drain and then scooped up my cookie butter, cradling it in the crook of my arm. I stuck the spoon of sweet gingerbread in my mouth and swiped the candle with my free hand. I set it all on my nightstand and then curled up in the center of the bed in the darkness, the candle and the faint city lights down below the only light in the room. For the first time in a long time, I felt alone, and I had not one fucking clue what to do. If ever there was a time to call in my tribe, it was now.
With a deep breath, I reached for my cell and dialed a number.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Rally the Troops
NOT EVEN AN hour later, and the troops had rallied, the girls all meeting at Paige’s house, since parking was such a bitch at mine, not to mention the electricity was still out.
“All right, Shayne. You’ve called us all together tonight for a reason, so…time to come clean. The jury awaits.” Paige swept her hand toward Quinn and Ryleigh, who were settled into the plush cream couches and looking at me expectantly.
“Can I do a shot first?”
“Uh oh.” Quinn looked between us. “Should I get the popcorn?”
Paige shook her head. “No shots. No popcorn. Spill. Now.”
“Okay.” I rubbed my hands on my pajama pants, and then said, “I stuffed up.” When they all stared at me, I continued. “I mean, I’m in a…sort of bad position, and I need your help.”
The girls all responded at once, talking over each other.
“Is it money?”
“Did something happen with Val?”
“Did Ace get caught with a supermodel and you need us to hide his body?”
Everyone stopped and turned toward Ryleigh at that final comment. She looked between us and said, “What? I’m good with an ice cream scoop, so I’m sure I could handle the shoveling.”
Paige groaned, and then motioned for me to keep talking. “Hurry up and spit it out before Ryleigh has us committing a felony tonight.”
I took a breath that expanded my lungs until they ached, and then let it out on a rush. “The night I met Ace in Vegas, it was as a client meeting, like I told you. But what I didn’t say was that I discovered something during that meeting, and I wouldn’t just be finding one match for him, I’d be hired to find two—one publicly, and one privately. I relayed the whole thing to Val when I got back, and then the next thing I know, Ace’s secret is splashed all over every tabloid magazine in the country, and he’s freaking out, his handler people are freaking out, and they’re like, fix it, fix it, so in a panic, I volunteered to be his public girlfriend in part to keep my job. They made me sign this super-strict NDA, which I’m totally breaking right now, so hopefully I don’t get sued for the pennies I have in the bank, because that’s all I could afford to give them anyway. So I lied to Nate, I lied to myself, and I lied to you guys, but Paige figured it out and I made her promise she wouldn’t tell you, because being a two-timing wench is so much better than being a lying beard, which is what I am, and I suck. I know that. I’m a horrible person, and I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, but…well, there it is.”
Quinn and Ryleigh blinked at me.
Squirming in my chair, I said, “Say something. Anything.”
“This is some crazy shit,” Quinn responded.
“I know.”
“So you’re still a part of this charade because of Val.”
“Pretty much.”
Ryleigh scooted to the edge of the couch and fidgeted with her ring. “And what about Nate?” she asked softly. Then she shook her head, her eyes turning sad. “He doesn’t know any of this, does he?”
“No, he doesn’t. I couldn’t legally tell him either, and now I’m in this bad situation, and I don’t know how to get out.”
“Dude,” Quinn said. “You’ve got to tell Nate the truth.”
“Ace too,” Ryleigh added. “If he realizes he’s ruining your life and your chance at a happy relationship at his expense, I bet he puts a stop to the whole thing.”
Before I could protest, Quinn held up her hand. “Fuck the legal bullshit and come clean. That’s the only choice you have unless you want things to blow up in your face, and I promise, that’ll happen sooner than later. Sounds like you’ve gotten lucky.”
“Well, it’s probably already blown up in my face, seeing as I told Nate tonight that I couldn’t go to his showcase tomorrow because of this red carpet thing with Ace. And his final project is a huge deal for him. Like…huge. So yeah. Nate will barely look at me, much less talk to me.”
“Oh, Shayne.” Ryleigh shook her head, her eyes full of pity.
“If I tell him now, I’ll lose him anyway. It’s a lose-lose situation.”
“Too fucking bad,” Quinn replied. “You’re breaking the NDA to tell us now, so it’s ridiculous for you to keep it from him. And yeah, most likely he’ll fucking run, because that’s a lot for a guy his age to handle. Hell, it’s a lot for anyone to handle. But just maybe he’ll see the spot you’re in.”
“I doubt it. He doesn’t think very highly of Val or my job.”
“Aaand that’s another thing we need to discuss. None of us do,” Paige said, and then stopped herself when my head jerked up. “I mean, not that we don’t think highly of you and your matchmaking skills, but dude. You’ve got to get away from that woman and that company. We’ve been telling you that for years.”
“And the longer you let Val dictate your life and threaten your job, the more miserable you’re gonna be. We won’t let you fall, Shayne.” Ryleigh reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“I appreciate that, but—”
“Do it. Leap off the damn cliff,” Quinn said, as if it were
that easy and she’d made the jump a thousand times.
“When you decide to take our advice and get the fuck away from Val, can we do something awful to her? Send her a chocolate basket spiked with laxatives?” Paige asked, but Quinn shook her head.
“Nah, something more untraceable. Cyanide. Arsenic.”
Paige stopped and stared at Quinn. “Seriously, what the hell is it you do all day, woman? Does it entail having easy access to cyanide?”
“I’d tell you but I’d have to kill you,” she replied, and shrugged.
Paige waved her off and said, “Okay, maybe nothing that will kill her, but something that would make her and that little wench, what’s her name? Nicole? Yeah, something that would make them super uncomfortable and exploding from both ends for days.”
“Hell, sugar-free gummy bears would do that, and it’s easier to feign innocence than poison them. I learned that the hard way when I was stocking the toppings,” Ryleigh said, holding her stomach. “Go read reviews for that stuff when you need a laugh.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that,” I said, and my voice sounded dead even to my ears.
“Hey. Where are your Post-its? We’ll just write down what you need to do, and when you cross off each thing, you’ll feel much better.” Paige squeezed my shoulder and walked us over to the couch. When we sat down, they all gathered around and enveloped me in a group bear hug that gave me the warm and fuzzies.
“Simple as that, huh?”
“Simple as that,” she confirmed.
Quinn rested her chin on my shoulder. “You got this. Talk to Nate. Take the weekend to figure out what you want. And then lean on us.”
* * *
I DIDN’T CALL Nate right away. I knew he wouldn’t answer. But I sent him a message before bed to say I missed him, that I was sorry again, and asking if we could meet tomorrow.
When I woke the next morning…no response.
Another message sent and still nothing when I went to meet Martina and spend Ace’s money on a ridiculously priced designer gown for the evening. There was a gorgeous satin dress that fit like a glove, but it was blue. Blue. As in the only color Nate could see on me, so that one was out.
Maybe it was silly, but if I couldn’t spend his big night with him, I wasn’t about to wear something that would remind me of him the whole night. I didn’t need any reminders. And God forbid he ever see the pictures of me with Ace, but I didn’t want him to see me in that color with someone else.
Like I said. Silly.
I went with a sequined silver number that touched the floor and had me wondering how the hell I would walk in heels and not trip over it. The last thing I needed was to call more attention to myself on the red carpet by falling ass over face, but that was no doubt what would happen tonight. Awesome.
More messages and phone calls left. Still nothing from Nate when I left the shop. Nothing when I got home. Nothing after I’d showered and shaved. Ugh. I had to leave for Ace’s house in a couple of hours, but maybe I should just head over to Nate’s now and pray he was there and had ten minutes to spare—
The shrill sound of my phone ringing cut through the air, and I tripped over myself in the rush to get to it.
“Nate,” I said, breathless as I answered the phone.
“Hey.” A pause. “Why are you breathing so hard?”
“I was trying to get to my phone, but…well, my feet got in the way.”
“Oh.”
Oh? That was it? No joke at my clumsy-ass expense? Okaaaay, that didn’t bode well, did it?
“I saw you called a few times. I’ve been downstairs at school all night, and I don’t get great reception. Was there something you needed?”
Something I needed? Oh bloody hell, just say it, then. “Actually, yes. Could I stop by your place for a few minutes?”
“You could, but no one’s there.”
Uh. “Okay, well, wherever you are. The venue, whatever that is.”
He sighed. “I don’t really have time right now, Shayne. I’m getting everything ready for tonight—”
“I know, that’s what I need to talk to you about.”
“What, did you change your mind about coming?”
“Well…no—”
“Then it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
“But it’s important. Please? I won’t take long.”
“So tell me now.”
Now? I wasn’t about to tell him on the phone. “I can’t talk about it over the phone.”
“You would if it’s that important.”
“It is important, but it’s not the kind of thing I want to tell you over the phone.”
“That’s all I can offer you right now. Take it or leave it.”
Fucking ouch. I weighed whether I should just tell him everything now, but surely waiting another day wouldn’t make a difference.
“Look, I’ve gotta go.”
“Nate,” I said, gripping the phone in my hand. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Seriously. Don’t sweat it.”
“You know I want to be there, right?”
“Honestly, Shayne? No, I don’t. But if this job with your joke of a boss is that important to you, then you should go.”
His words were a slap in the face that had me recoiling. “That’s not fair.”
“You know what’s not fair? That you let that psycho run all the fuck over you, and you don’t do a thing about it. You’re this incredibly hardworking, talented woman, who has no problem saying what’s on her mind except with her. Why is that? You’re not a doormat, Shayne, so stop acting like one.”
Wow…had all that been building up overnight or longer? The phone shook in my hand, my heart skipping erratically in my chest. “I…was not…expecting…that. So…you think I’m a doormat.”
Nate sighed, and I could picture him running his hand through his hair. “I don’t think that. I’m just frustrated that you don’t stand up to her—”
“What would you have me do? Quit my job? Take up begging for dollars on the train?”
“That’s not what I’m saying—”
“Sure sounded like it. Until I can figure out a Plan B, I’m stuck where I am, so get off my back.”
The sting of tears had me pinching my eyes shut so they wouldn’t fall. We were silent except for our breathing, and I hoped he couldn’t hear the hitch in my throat.
When he finally broke the quiet, he said, “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just exhausted. I haven’t slept in three days, I’m stressed about tonight, and I’ve got less than four hours to get everything set up with the team and make things perfect, or I can kiss my dream job goodbye. Okay? And yeah, I’m upset that you won’t be there, because this is important to me, but fuck. I don’t want to fight with you, Shayne.”
Swallowing hard, I struggled to make my words come out without wavering, and I almost succeeded. “I don’t want to fight with you either. If I could be there, I would.”
“Yeah, I know you would.” The sound of loud voices chattering rang out on his end of the line, and he sighed again. “I’ve gotta go, but I’ll try to call you after it’s over. If not then, I’ll come see you tomorrow. If you want me to.”
“Of course I do. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.”
Then he clicked off, and the tears I’d been holding back came out full force. I had to get myself out of the deep hole I’d gotten myself into, but how was I supposed to do that without hurting Nate, Ace, or both, on top of losing my job?
Where the hell was a fairy godmother when you needed one?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Erase and Rewind
OH GOD. I looked bloody ridiculous.
Okay, so maybe ridiculous would be the wrong word to anyone else looking at me. To them, I might look sort of glamorous, like I could walk a red carpet and not be an embarrassment to Ace. The floor-length silver gown was satin and practically painted on me, my face was airbrushed, my lips matched my hair, and the heels were entirely too high. To
tal glam bomb.
But all I could think was, How the shit am I going to walk in these shoes or breathe in this dress? And how long will it take to wash the five pounds of makeup off my face or the two cans of hairspray holding my curls in this fancy bun?
I was going to fall on my face, I just knew it.
The town car had picked us up from Ace’s house and was now navigating the streets of downtown. In my state of nerves, my mind a million miles away and focused on Nate, I hadn’t even bothered to ask where we were going or what movie we were going to see. If it was even a movie.
As we pulled up to the venue, my brow furrowed. We were across the street from the main entrance of Nate’s uni, which meant I was way too close for comfort. What if Nate was somewhere close by? He’d never mentioned his project being shown on campus, but I’d just assumed. So if he stumbled onto our event?
Fuuuuuck.
“The premiere is here?” I asked, but before Ace could answer, the car slowed to a stop and the door was opened.
Ace smiled at me. “You’re up first.”
Right. Of course. And I needed to be graceful getting out of the car and all that jazz. As I took the hand of the man holding open the door, I carefully stepped out onto the sidewalk, making sure to keep my dress lifted enough so that my heel didn’t catch the end of it. It didn’t. Thank God.
When Ace made his way out of the car, it was then that I noticed there wasn’t a red carpet. And there wasn’t a large crowd or cameras everywhere. There was a steady stream of people walking into the building, but other than that, it was the same reaction we would’ve garnered had Nate and I been going inside instead—none.
“Is this the back way?” I asked as I took Ace’s proffered arm and he led me down the tiled walkway, followed closely by his driver slash bodyguard.
He chuckled. “No, it’s not a huge event.”
“It’s not?”
“Not at all. Remember when we talked about indie films and getting back to basics?”
Hooker (L.A. Liaisons Book 2) Page 17
