“Then, I won’t go. Easy enough.”
“But,” she said softly. She cringed, as if she hated even having this thought. “I do want it to be over, Landon. I hate hiding. I hate all of this.” She dramatically splayed her hands out. “It sucks.”
I reached for her and pulled her close to me. I hated seeing her hurt. I hated knowing that I didn’t know how to fix all of this.
“Me, too, Heidi. You know I hate this as well. I don’t even want to hide you.”
My lips softly brushed against hers. She dissolved into me for a heartbeat before breaking away.
“Landon,” she hissed. “We’re at work!”
“I know. I’m sorry. I can’t help it around you.”
“You are my boss. I am your employee. There is a line we’re not supposed to cross, and you keep hurdling it.”
“With pleasure.”
She shook her head. “I hate the idea of you spending any time with Miranda. She’s unpredictable, which makes her a liability. However, if you think you can make headway, then go.”
“Heidi—”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just…go hang out with Em. She’ll understand.”
I winced. Yeah, I’d hurt Emery. I’d been a total dick. I regretted how I’d acted, and I still carried a great deal of guilt over how that had all gone down. But to have Heidi insinuate that Emery would understand because Heidi was feeling the same way Emery had all those years ago? That felt like a punch to the gut.
“I’m not going. Not if you’re hurting half as much as Emery was.”
Heidi sighed. “No, I didn’t mean that with you. I meant, Vanessa,” she said, mentioning Jensen’s ex-wife. “Em goes to see Colton every month and has to deal with her. She can commiserate. Seriously…just go, but don’t enjoy it.”
A small smile quirked on her lips, and all I wanted to do was take them for my own. To take her right here on this very desk.
“I could never enjoy a single moment spent with her…when I could be spending it with you.”
She leaned forward and offered me a short peck. “Good. Now, make the bitch sign the damn paperwork.”
I laughed. “Deal.”
I was on my way out of the office, contemplating how to address Miranda about dinner, when Austin and Patrick came up on either side of me.
“Hey, bro,” Austin said, nudging me.
“Hey, hey,” Patrick said.
I could smell the whiskey coming off of Austin. Jesus Christ.
“Have you been drinking on the job?” I asked Austin.
He shrugged unapologetically. “Maybe?”
“One day, they are going to fire you.”
“Doubtful.”
“And not why we’re here,” Patrick said with a grin. “We heard that wifey showed up at the office today.”
“God, have you been talking to Morgan?” I asked.
“She said that you were going to dinner with Miranda,” Austin said. He raised his eyebrows in question.
“Yeah. I’m going to get her to sign the paperwork.”
“Not a good idea,” Austin said.
“What would you know about good decisions regarding relationships?” I asked with a laugh. “Either of you actually. Have you ever had a serious girlfriend?”
“Oh, there was that one time,” Patrick said.
“No, there wasn’t,” Austin said.
“I mean…you were serious with that HR chick for, like, a hot minute.”
“Julia?” I asked. “I didn’t know y’all dated.”
“We didn’t,” Austin said with annoyance. “This isn’t about us. This is about Miranda. I mean, I know you’re banging Heidi…”
“Could you keep your voice down?” I ground out, looking around the parking lot wildly. Luckily, there was no one nearby. But, Jesus!
“And Miranda has a way of fucking you over, dude. I mean, you had to marry her before you realized she was a massive bitch.”
I stopped walking once we reached Jensen’s Mercedes that I was still borrowing. I stared at both of them. I knew they meant well, but they couldn’t possibly understand where I was coming from.
“Appreciate the concern, guys, but she’s signing the paperwork. That’s it,” I told them.
“Should I take care of your girl while you’re away?” Patrick asked with a laugh.
Before I knew what I was doing, I had slammed Patrick backward. He was pressed up against the SUV next to my car, and my hands were fisted in the front of his suit coat him. His eyes widened in alarm.
“Dude, I was joking!” Patrick cried.
“Do not ever make a joke like that about Heidi again,” I growled. “Ever.”
“You know I’m just fucking around,” Patrick said.
“Landon, bro,” Austin said, placing his hand on my sleeve.
“Ever,” I repeated.
“Got it,” Patrick said. “Clear as day. No jokes about Heidi.”
I released him with a shove and clicked the key fob to open the car. “I’m going to this fucking dinner with my soon-to-be ex-wife, and it’s the last goddamn thing that I want to do. I want this marriage to be over. I want to move on with my life. So, while I appreciate y’all trying to steer me in the right direction,” I said, looking them in the eyes, one at a time, “back the fuck off.”
Patrick straightened out his suit and gave me a two-fingered salute.
Austin just nodded. “Text if you need an out. We’ll be happy to make a scene.”
“Thanks,” I said with a genuine smile.
Miranda had put me on edge. I hated that I’d gotten into an argument with my brother and his best friend. I’d just lost my shit. The idea of someone else getting near Heidi while I was trying to eliminate my baggage had made me see red. I wouldn’t let that happen.
With a heavy sigh, I sank into the driver’s seat of the Mercedes and sent Miranda a text.
I’ll do dinner if you agree to sign the paperwork.
See you at seven at West Table, darling. Wear my favorite suit.
Twenty-Four
Landon
I showed up right on time. Not a second before or after seven. I wanted to keep my time with her to a minimum. I was already dreading this whole fucking thing. Not to mention, the last time I had been at West Table, I’d been hitting on Heidi while she was with someone else. Now, here I was, with Miranda.
And, of course, she showed up a full ten minutes late. I cringed at the fact that I had walked right into her setup. She had the upper hand already because she had kept me waiting. And I’d stayed.
Like a fucking idiot.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, not rushing in the slightest as she catwalked up to the table I’d reserved for us.
She’d changed out of her red dress for a black number that I’d never seen before and hoped to God never to see again. It was…slinky. Clearly meant to be seductive. And covered very little.
“I was about to leave,” I said as way of a greeting.
She shot me a smooth smile. “No, you weren’t.”
I ground my teeth together. She sank down into her seat, which was a blessing since I could now only see her top half. The other problem was, now, I could see her top half.
“You wore the suit,” she said with a big grin.
I looked down at the charcoal suit I had picked out with disdain. I’d probably never wear it again.