pissed. I’m going home. I need to cool off.”
I turned to leave, and there he was.
“So, I get our daughter, and you go out looking for someone to fuck tonight?”
“Get out of my way, Derek,” I said, glaring back a Britney. “You smell disgusting. Drinking, pills, and smoking the good stuff again, dirtbag?”
“I’ve got your stupid ass doing it on video,” he slurred his words.
“Tell me you narrated it because you sound like you belong in a hospital. What the fuck. How did you know I was here?”
He waved his phone at me. “Cell tracker, genius. You’re still on my plan. Couldn’t track you in London because you went international, and Brit gave you another phone, but I knew you’d be out looking for your fix tonight.”
I thrust my phone in his chest. “Take the fucking phone. You offered this for me to stay in touch with our daughter. Now, I think I’ll find a different phone.” I looked at Britney. “Forget about what I said earlier. I’m taking that position, and I’m getting the fuck out of this godforsaken town.”
A week later and my interviews were out of the way. I was officially in as Stefanie’s assistant at the company whose CEO I’d screwed like a wild woman, and today was my first day. I even used my iron and ironing board for the first time in a year when I had to get the wrinkles out of all of my pencil skirts and button-down shirts.
Stefanie’s office walls were lined with magazine covers where the company had been featured, all of which had Jim’s face plastered on them. If I was honest, I only recognized the sexy black, wavy hair—the emerald eyes, and that scorched-earth look in his photos. That was it. These magazines didn’t do much to bring up happy memories of the times I’d shared with Jim, the man I’d had a blast with in London.
Addy was set to finish out the week at school, and we were going to be moving into our new place—the studio Brit showed me—over the weekend. Everything was in place, and Addy would be coming to work with me next week. I was feeling a lot of pressure fading just by moving this far from Derek. I’d like to see that asshole make it past security and come in here throwing a raging fit. Cameras were planted everywhere and for a good reason too. The place was fancy as fuck.
I was going to be working on the twelfth floor, and that helped me feel more protected. I would get my own cell phone with my first paycheck, and I was sucking it up without one in the meantime. It wasn’t as hard for me to do as it might be others. I’d lived without one for almost all my life, and I’d rather take my chances with my POS car breaking down and leaving me stranded than having Derek stalking me on the other phone.
He had no idea where I worked, where my new apartment was, and I finally felt free of the abusive relationship. There. I fucking said it. Abusive relationship. Would Derek be out of my life forever? Not likely, but at least he couldn’t stalk my ass anymore. One step at a time.
My desk phone rang, and I ran my clammy hands over my neatly pressed skirt before I picked up the phone. “This is Avery with Mitchell and Associates, Personal Relations department.”
“Hey, sis,” Britney said. “I just wanted to make sure I could reach you. How do you like the job?”
“It’s fine so far. I’ve been answering phones and directing calls to others on this floor, and stuff I can’t handle goes to Stef.”
“Sounds adventurous.” She chuckled. “Listen, I just wanted you to know that Derek’s trying to pressure us into telling him where you’re moving and the new job.”
“Pressure? Why is there any pressure?” I asked, almost growled, from my desk. I lowered my voice, “We went over this. Unless he holds a gun to your head, he gets zero info. Understand?”
“I know that.”
“Does Mom know that? There’s a reason I’m not telling Larry or Annette anything. I don’t trust them. If I’m going to start over, it’s not going to get fucked up.”
“Chill out. Can people hear you?”
I glanced around, seeing my first fun co-worker, Amir, smiling at me and shaking his head. He already met the foody and sailor-language woman in me today at lunch. He was so damn cool that I’d actually want