the moron. She practically shoved both me and Tess in the car. We dropped my sister first in Soho, and then Josie at a client’s before the driver brought me to the office.
I headed straight to Hunter.
“You look like shit,” he said the second he saw me. He was sitting in his chair, looking relaxed, as if nothing had happened.
“Thanks.”
“Want to go out for a drink tonight?”
Usually, I managed to put work issues behind me without a problem. I compartmentalized easily enough. Hunter was my opposite, which was why in the early days of the business, I’d often taken him out for drinks after hours, so he could relax and get out of his headspace. Now he was offering to do the same to me? How the mighty had fallen.
“No, I’m going to go over the operational plan I drafted for Delimano.”
“Drowning sorrows in work? Not your usual MO.”
“This isn’t the usual type of jerk.”
“You know what would help?”
“What?”
“Take Laney out.”
I stared at him.
“What? Don’t take this so seriously.”
I cocked a brow. “This, coming from the guy who’s spent so much time brooding that he could teach classes about it?”
“Just saying!”
“I’m just gonna be in my office,” I said, in no mood to continue this conversation.
I wasn’t exactly productive either. When I’d read the same page for the third time, I glanced away from my computer screen, out the window. I kept trying to get to the bottom of why it bothered me so much. It was something I’d built with my family. It was a source of pride and joy for everyone, and I didn’t want that tarnished.
Hunter’s suggestion flitted in my mind a few times. Spending time with Laney would definitely lift my mood. We’d only met a couple of times since we’d been intimate for the first time last week, and each of them had been insanely fun. But I wanted to give her the best of me. Today, I just wasn’t at my best, and when that happened, I preferred to be on my own.
***
Laney
Laney: How did it go?
I wasn’t on a break, but I snuck into an empty room after lunch to text Cole. He’d told me he had a mediation meeting today. It was supposed to be over about half an hour ago, and I wanted to know the outcome. He’d mentioned it a few times, and I knew it was important to him.
Cole: Not over yet. I’m pissed.
Laney: :-( I’m sorry. Can I help?
Cole: No. I’m gonna stay in the office until late today.
Wait a second... no joke or innuendo? Holy shit, that meant he was really pissed. I leaned against the closed door, chewing on my lower lip, working on a plan. Cole was always pampering me when I was tired, comforting me when I needed it. I wanted to do the same for him, but I didn’t have a clue where to begin.
I mulled it over until I finished my shift, and I had an inkling of what I wanted to do, just not a clear picture. I’d promised my parents I’d call them, so I sat on my favorite bench in the backyard of the hospital and called them with FaceTime. They answered immediately, heads huddled together. Mom pushed her huge, black-rimmed glasses up her nose, playfully pointing to Dad. I immediately realized she was poking fun at his haircut. He’d gone for a short, military style.
“What do you think, honey?” he asked.
“Hey, I like it.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “Tell him what you really think.”
“I mean it, Mom.”
“Ha! At least one of my two ladies is on my side. How are you, hon?”
“Just finished my shift.”
“Any plans for tonight?”
“Well, actually... yes. Remember Cole, from Rome?” I hadn’t told my parents about us until now because we’d only had short, hurried calls, but now I wanted to share this with them.
“Hell, yes,” Mom exclaimed. Dad nodded stoically.
“Well, we’ve been going out for a while.”
Mom clapped her hands, smiling brightly. “Oh, I’m so happy for you, Laney. I thought something was different about you when you emailed me all those links.”
I grinned, nodding. I’d been spamming Mom with links to several decor websites with things I liked, such as lamps and paintings, asking for her opinion. When I’d first moved into my apartment, I hadn’t cared about making it feel like home. Honestly, I couldn’t even imagine that any place would feel like home without Ryan in it. It had been a place to sleep in between shifts, nothing more. But now,