Stuck-Up Suit(73)

His eyes closed for a moment before he turned, got into his car, and drove away without another word. I watched, sobbing, until I could no longer see a trace of his car.

What had I just done?

***

“DON’T BE SUCH A PUSSY.” Tig’s hands were cupping his cousin’s face. He had showed up with Del fifteen minutes after Marco and I came inside my apartment. I hadn’t even realized Marco had called them.

“I really think that should be done in the emergency room.” It was the second time I’d voiced my opinion that Marco’s obviously dislocated jaw should be reset in the hospital.

“It’s fine. I’ve done it before. Three times when he was doing that stupid kickboxing shit.” He handed Marco the bottle of Jack he had brought with him. “One more swig, make it a good one.”

Poor Marco gulped from the bottle then stood in front of his cousin with his eyes closed. “Ready.”

“On three. One…”

“Fuuuuuuccck!” Marco let out a bloodcurdling scream, and I ran to the bathroom. This time, I really did vomit.

When I came back, Tig chuckled. “I forgot what a girl you are.”

“You said on three and did it on one. You didn’t give me a chance to run out of the room.”

“Of course I did it on one. Who the f*ck actually does it on three when the person is tensed up and waiting for it?”

“How the hell would I know?”

“Get your loverboy a bag of peas, will you, babe?”

I dug into the freezer, searching for a bag of something frozen. But I didn’t even have any vegetables. “I don’t eat peas.”

“What else you got?”

I pulled out a box of Choco Tacos—ice cream in the shape of a taco. Tig pulled one from the box and handed it to his cousin. “That’s perfect. A taco for the * who gets his jaw dislocated by a suit.”

Marco winced bringing the frozen ice cream to rest against his cheek. “Throws a good punch for a pretty boy.”

“I take it that things didn’t go exactly as planned?” Del had held me in her arms until I’d finally stopped sobbing. By then, Tig was playing doctor with his poor cousin.

“Not at all. We never even made it into my apartment. He saw us on the street, so I panicked and grabbed Marco’s hand.”

“That must have given him a good visual.”

I blew out a deep breath. “It was awful. He was so hurt, Del.”

“You knew he would be. You think he bought it?”

I nodded my head, silent tears again streaming down my face. “He did. Honestly, I don’t think there was any other way to do it. Even seeing me holding another man’s hand and hearing Marco call me his girl, he still wanted confirmation. He believed in us so much, he didn’t even want to accept it when it was right before his eyes. He’s been that way since the day I met him. I never knew a man could be so unwavering in his love and support. It was the most beautiful part about him.”

When my shoulders began to shake again, Del wrapped me back in her arms. “He’s going to give that to his little girl. You wanted to do this for her. That part of him won’t change. It just won’t be you he’s devoted to anymore.”





CHAPTER 29


GRAHAM



“REBECCA!”

Was it so hard to find competent people these days? I smacked the intercom button down again, yelling louder. “Rebecca!” There was no way she couldn’t hear me the last ten minutes. The entire damn office had to have heard me, even though my office door was shut. With no response, I went in search of my secretary. Her desk was empty, and it looked like she wasn’t in today, even though she was sitting there when I walked in only three hours ago. Grumbling to myself with a stack of papers, I headed to reception.

“Where is Rebecca?”

“Who?”

“My secretary. She’s not at her desk again.”

“Oh. You mean Eliza.”

“Whatever. Where is she?”

“She quit this morning, Mr. Morgan.”

“She what?”

“She quit.”

“Jesus Christ. It’s impossible to find dependable staff anymore.” I tossed the stack of papers I was holding onto the reception desk. “I need five sets of these.”

A little while later, there was a knock at my door. “What?”

The receptionist held the photocopies I’d asked for, along with a stack of newspapers. “Where would you like the copies?”

I pointed with my finger, without looking up from my work. “On the credenza.”

“You haven’t been taking your newspapers out of your mail slot this week, so I brought them to you.”

“I don’t want them.”

A few minutes later, I still hadn’t looked up, and I realized that the receptionist was still in my office. Sighing, I acknowledged her, not that I wanted to. But seeing as she was standing on the other side of my desk staring at me, she left me little choice. “What?”

“Ava. My name is Ava.”

“I know that.”

“May I say something, Mr. Morgan?”

I tossed my pen on my desk. “You’ve already interrupted me, so spit out whatever it is you’d like to say, and get it over with.”