Page 31 of Miss Behaved
“How’s avoiding the mega hottie going?” Luce asks with raised eyebrows. The woman could be straight out of a magazine with her long blonde hair, red lipstick, and picture-perfect face.
“Not well,” I tell them, setting down my eyebrow pencil and sinking against the wall. “I swear he’s signed up for every session I have. And even when we had to draw random numbers to pick a partner today, somehow we still got paired together. And if that isn’t bad enough, the man is bunked directly across the hall from me.”
“That’s convenient,” Kennedy says with a wink.
“No, it’s not,” I grunt. “Remember, bad idea.”
“He’s that bad, huh?” Kennedy asks.
I shrug. “Well, not exactly. But that’s part of the problem. If he was a jerk, then it would be so much easier to hate him. But he’s being nice, and sweet, and funny….” I trail off and sigh. “Why can’t he just make it easier to keep hating him?”
“What if he doesn’t want you to hate him?” Luce asks.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Kennedy gives me a sympathetic look. “There are only a few days left, right? Then you can go back to not seeing him for ten years. Problem solved.”
Why does that thought bring up a stinging sensation in my chest?
“Enough about me.” I wave my hands up. “Tell me what I’m missing back home and take my mind off Carson’s six-pack.”
“Good luck with that,” Luce laughs. “Nothing exciting here, unless you consider being basically locked in the office working a case thrilling. I’m starting to rethink my whole ‘don’t bang co-workers’ rule because I need to get fucked.”
As one of Seattle’s top divorce attorneys, Luce is married to her work. Big cases mean we don’t see her for months at a time sometimes. I’d go crazy, but to each their own.
“I’m still surprised you haven’t hate-fucked Jesse yet,” Kennedy laughs. “Talk about sexual tension.”
Jesse is a total hottie, and even though Luce claims to hate him, the room is practically on fire when the two of them are in it together.
“I’m not that desperate.” Luce brushes off the comment.
“Poor Lucey,” Kennedy says.
Luce and I both roll our eyes at her.
“What?” Kennedy gasps.
“Ms. Fucking-a-Billionaire-on-a-Regular-Basis does not get to talk,” Luce says. “At least until I’m out of lockdown, that is.”
“Zac’s pretty amazing,” Kennedy says, her eyes drifting off to space. “Did I tell you that he’s renting an office in Hearts Inc.’s new building because he was worried that we’ll both be too busy to see each other?”
“Or he just wants hot office sex,” Luce says as she taps her index finger on her chin. “Come to think of it, maybe that’s the solution to all my problems. I’ll just move a boy toy into one of the empty offices upstairs. Get in. Get off. Get out.”
“Romantic,” I say.
Luce smiles. “Mon, dear, I don’t need romance. In fact, I think you could use a little less of it yourself. You’re so tightly wound! Why don’t you let that blonde hottie unravel you a bit and send you home feeling better.”
“Tempting.” It’s not a lie. “But there’s just too much history there. It’d be like going back to Steven.”
“No.” Kennedy shakes her head. “That dipshit cheated on you. If you so much as text him, I’m revoking your phone rights.”
“How is that worse than what Carson did? He left without a word.” I remind her. “We…you know, and then he just disappeared. How is that better?”
“It’s probably not,” Kennedy says. “But have you asked him why? Could something have happened? I mean, the guy seems to be chasing you pretty hardcore ten years down the road for someone who was just hitting it to quit it.”
Luce nods in agreement.
They aren’t wrong. I’ve thought about bringing it up, but why should I have to? Carson’s had plenty of opportunities to tell me what actually happened, if something even did. So if he wants to explain himself, I shouldn’t have to tie him to the back of a truck and drag it out of him.
