Just One Taste (Topped #2)(56)

Tiffany’s eyes widened. “Honey, this is not like it was before. You can talk to Eric. And we can call the company back. Maybe the job is still open.”

Deena took a deep breath. “No, it won’t be. Hell, I wouldn’t take me back, either. I’m going to take a few days and reassess my situation. I might talk to Chef. I have some ideas about restaurant publicity. Maybe I can consult with him.”

“Or you can come in and talk about rehabbing McKay-Taggart’s image. We’ve run into some trouble after Ian got pissed at a rival firm and sent the managing director a big box of glitter dildos,” Charlotte said. “He rigged it so they blew up and went all over the dude’s office. We’re getting sued for glitter injuries, and one of the flying dicks might have poked an eye. In Ian’s defense, that * screwed up two of our operations in Africa and ended up getting Liam briefly kidnapped by a rebel army. He’s totally fine. Li bought them all whiskey and escaped after they’d partied too hard, but Ian felt like a little revenge. Guy can’t take a joke. I mean that literally. His name really is Guy.”

“Yeah, I will look into that for you.” It appeared she needed to find a good publicist for all of the people around her.

Charlotte stood up. “Don’t give up on Eric so easily. He’s scared, Deena. When guys get scared they turn into massive tools. Women, we tend to grab a bottle of wine and talk it over with our friends, but guys get difficult.”

“Well, he can be difficult all he wants. I won’t try to help him again. He made himself very plain.” She was going to be calm. Hey, at least they weren’t living together like she’d been planning on suggesting. She hadn’t fully tied her life to a man who didn’t really want her. That was a plus. She could save her dignity and be pleasant with him and he didn’t ever have to know what she’d almost done.

She worked the buttons of her shirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkles.

“You made yourself plain,” Tiffany said quietly. “It didn’t stop him.”

Deena turned. Both Tiffany and Charlotte were watching her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Tiffany took a few seconds but seemed to come to some conclusion. “It means you’re a pain in the ass and he still wanted you.”

She could handle the pain in the ass part. Tiff was right about that. To say she’d been difficult at the beginning of their relationship was an understatement. “I accept that but he doesn’t want me now. I think he’s one of those guys who likes the chase. Now that he’s got me, he doesn’t want the same thing from me and I can’t be the girl he seems to need.”

“Whoa, that is some nice deflection there, Holmes.” Charlotte clapped her hands together. “You’re good at this.”

Maybe she wouldn’t be working for McKay-Taggart. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

Charlotte nodded. “No one ever does. It’s a real mistake because I’m super good at this. Kai and Eve might be the ones with the fancy degrees, but I’m the one who deflected for years and you can’t even come close to me, little girl.”

“What the hell am I supposed to be deflecting?”

“Oh, I think you’re good at deflecting everything. Emotions. Friendships. Definitely relationships.”

“I was trying to have a relationship with Eric.”

“And the minute Mr. Perfect wasn’t so perfect, you ended it,” Charlotte pointed out. “I would bet he doesn’t even know you’re ending it. He’s probably out there waiting for you to walk out so he can talk to you because he feels bad. What’s your plan when he walks up to you and puts his arms around you?”

She’d already thought of it. She’d seen it play through in her mind. He would feel bad, but she knew the real Eric now and she wouldn’t buy it. When he tried to touch her, she would walk away, tell him she wasn’t ready and then she would stop answering his calls, stop seeing him, move on.

Like she’d always done. Walk away because it was easier than working things out.

Charlotte didn’t wait for her to answer. “You plan on shutting him out, but that’s a mistake. Once you start down that road, there’s not a lot of going back. Not for someone like you. Tell me something. How long would it have been before you stopped answering Tiffany’s calls? Your friends from the club’s?”

Charlotte was getting to her. She didn’t like the antsy feeling in her gut. How many times had she walked away? How many times had she watched her mom do it?

“I don’t know. It’s…I’ve never had friends like this before and sometimes I don’t know how to trust any of this.” She felt tears welling. “My mom and I moved a lot. We did it because we would run out of money or she would need a fresh start. I was always the new kid until I met Eddie. I felt like the new kid here until I got together with Eric.”

“They’re not the same,” Tiffany insisted. “Not even close. I think Charlotte is right. Eric is being an ass because he’s scared about this deal. He wants it badly and he’s afraid to do anything to mess it up. Neither one of you is trusting the people around you to have your backs. I’m your friend, D. I’m going to be your friend whether you ever call me again because I decided a long time ago that’s who I am. This is your moment. Who are you? Are you the woman who lets a guy like Eric go because he’s a dumbass? Or are you woman enough to fight back?”