noticed those same things too. She was a mother, but she didn’t enjoy doing anything with him, taking him anywhere. All she cared about how she could use him to get to Deacon. It was such a terrible thing to think, and I didn’t want it to be true either. Derek deserved more than that.
He took another drink of his beer then set it down. “I have some work to do. Do you mind making dinner?”
I was surprised at the request because he never asked me to do anything. But it also felt really nice, to be viewed as an equal partner, to ask me for help when he needed it. “Sure. I’ll get Derek in his pajamas and brush his teeth afterward.”
“Thanks, baby.” He moved to me and kissed me on the corner of the mouth before he turned away. He grabbed another beer before he walked out of the kitchen and to the dining table. He pulled out his laptop and paperwork and got to work, like he wasn’t the least bit concerned about the responsibility he’d just given me. On his left wrist was the watch I gave him, a cheap contrast to the more expensive things he usually wore, but he still wore it proudly…and that meant the world to me.
Five
Cleo
I worked at my desk in the lobby, my earbuds in my ears so I could take phone calls while continuing to work.
When someone approached my desk, I lifted my eyes.
And I saw Jake standing there, his face still bruised even though more than a week had passed since he’d initially gotten his injury.
I was quiet because I had no idea what else to do.
He stared me down like he expected me to speak first.
“Yes?” I asked, mildly annoyed.
“You better tell your boy to back the fuck up.”
I listened to the threat and felt my blood start to boil, felt the indescribable rage take hold. Without thinking, I was on my feet, staring down the man who had been so close to claiming my heart before I’d found out he was an adulterer. “If you want to continue living here, I suggest you shut your mouth.”
He obviously hadn’t expected me to fire back with my own threat because his eyebrows rose. “Like you have any power to change that.”
“Oh, but I do.” My hands flattened against the desk, and I leaned forward. “I run this place like a commander in the armed forces. My boss pockets a fortune every month because of my hard work. If there’s a conflict of interest, you think he’s gonna choose some whiny tattletale who always complains? Or the woman who makes him a shitload of cash?” I opened my drawer and pulled out a sample of the contract he’d signed when he moved in. “You must have skimmed through the contract, because my boss has the right to force eviction in the event of a conflict of interest. This threatening behavior toward Deacon and me is considered a conflict of interest. So, your ass will be gone.” I sat back in my chair and looked at my computer.
When he couldn’t find anything to say back, he turned around and walked off.
Wise decision, bitch.
It was unusual to have Derek at the condo during the week, and it changed our routine immensely. Deacon couldn’t always leave the office early to grab his son from school, so I left the office and took care of it myself.
I greeted him outside the gates of his school and took him home.
“Can we get ice cream?” he asked from his side of the car.
I wanted to spoil him rotten but knew that wasn’t my right. “If I asked your father, what do you think he’d say?”
He cringed. “No…”
“Then no.”
“Couldn’t we just not tell him?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” I said with a chuckle. “Ice cream is a once in a while treat.”
He groaned. “Man…”
We arrived at the building, and I took him to the residence. He dropped his backpack and hopped on the couch to watch TV.
I stepped away to call Deacon. “Hey, I just picked him up, and now he’s at home.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you guys in a few hours.”
Both of my eyebrows rose in surprise. “Uh…what does that mean?”
“Is that a problem?” he asked, clearly confused.
I didn’t mind watching Derek at all, even though I’d never really been alone with him except on a flight, but that wasn’t the problem. “Well…I’m working right now.” I worked long hours too, either at the desk or with