“I know,” he grumbles.
He hates it when I tell him how to do his job. I suppose he has a point, but seriously. Men don’t know how to manage things very well. At least this one doesn’t. He’ll want to have a beer with Andy, ask if there’s anything he needs, and move on. He’s fine with confrontation, but if he feels deeper stuff is lurking, he gets all squeamish, tucking tail and running the other direction. Since we have a feeling that what’s going on with Andy has nothing to do with his desire to work or his ability to do so, but rather his personal life getting in the way, Barrett — and Josh in turn — have no desire to have that conversation with him. But they’d better sort it out soon because if they don’t, they know that Lauren, Josh’s wife, and I will be hauling his ass in by the ear and talking to him. They don’t want that, and they know it.
“Good. You realize that if you don’t talk to him today…”
“I said I know. I got it handled,” he reminds me, his voice betraying his irritation with me, or the situation. Probably both.
Why I don’t let it go is beyond me, considering I know this is a hot subject, but I can’t seem to stop myself. “He’s not doing his job, Barrett. You’re paying him really good money to work for you and he’s not doing it. If it were anyone else, he would have been fired a long time ago, and you know it.”
“I do know that. I also know that it’s our business. Ours, as in Josh and me, not you. Not Lauren. You two always stick your nose in our business when you have no clue what it takes, day in and day out.”
He did not just say that. “Excuse me? The business isn’t mine or Lauren’s? I’m sorry. I thought when we, as in the four of us, decided that you two would start up this business that it would be done knowing that we are all involved. We are all at risk.”
“Don’t you think I know that? And yeah, I get it. Andy’s screwing up. He’s in a jacked-up place in his head right now, and that’s affecting his business decisions. I know this. I see it. Josh sees it. We also see that his stupid bitch-of-a-wife cheated on him with some guy she works with.”
I can’t control the gasp that comes out of my mouth. I didn’t know that.
“Yeah. Didn’t know that, did you? So before you start spewing your normal junk about who I should hire and fire, maybe get your facts straight. Andy’s slacking, yes. He’s also in a bad way right now after walking into his bedroom and seeing his wife reverse cowgirl her way to messing up their entire marriage. He walked in on them, Tess. In their bed. That screws with a guy’s head, and I can’t blame him for that. So yeah, we’re gonna talk to him. See if maybe he needs to take some paid time off, because I’m not about to fire him and be a part of what makes him feel like even less than a man than he already feels after finding his wife having sex with another man.”
“I’m sorry… I mean. First of all, why didn’t you tell me? And second of all… dammit. What the hell is she thinking?”
“We just found out a couple days ago, and it’s been crazy around here. I wasn’t hiding it from you. I don’t know what she could be thinking, but hell if I’m going to give him a hard time about his lack of presence at work when in the past he’s been nothing but a stellar guy to work with.”
I’m a little irked that he hasn’t told me until now when he knew a couple days ago, but I decide to let it go. He’s right about it being crazy around here. Though, it always is. “I didn’t know…”
“I know you didn’t. And that’s the only reason I’m dropping this.” He blows out a frustrated breath and shakes his head slightly. “Just… you and Lauren have got to put your trust in Josh and me, that we have the company’s best interest at heart. Just like I put my trust into you with yours. As much as you would like to think differently, you two don’t know everything.”
“We don’t act like we know everything,” I say, my tone a combination of being both lighthearted and a little annoyed.
He scoffs at me while shaking his head, but when he continues, he doesn’t pick up on my lighter tone; rather, his is still lingering on the annoyed side. “Yeah, okay. Tess, you know there’s plenty that goes on that you don’t see or know about. And guess what? We manage just fine. Can you just back off?”
I flinch at his words. I can’t help it; they sting quite a bit. Telling me to back off is not like him at all, although me backing off isn’t like me, either. “I wouldn’t have to put my nose into it if you guys would just tell us what is happening all the time. Yes, I have my business. You have yours, but how would it make you feel if I never told you a single thing that happened at the studio?”
“Honestly, if I don’t have to hear about throw pillows and paint colors all the time, I’ll be fine,” he smirks, deflecting my snarkiness.
“Jerk!” I playfully hit his shoulder. Luckily his smartass comment is enough to stop our arguing, but it still hurts to know that he doesn’t feel the need to share everything with me. I suppose maybe I come across as being bossy and maybe a bit nosy, but that’s not it. I feel disconnected if he doesn’t include me. It only gets harder and harder; we’ve been together for all of our adult lives and then some. To have this disconnect now is just… hard. And scary. And frustrating.
“I’m kidding, babe. You know that.” He smiles at me and chuckles lightly but sobers quickly. He looks me straight in the eye and runs the back of his hand down my cheek. “And I’m sorry I snapped at you. I didn’t mean to. I know I shouldn’t have told you to back off. That was an asshole thing to say. And it is our business, as in all of ours. It’s just that when you question me like that, it makes me feel like you don’t trust me. And, it’s not that I don’t appreciate you wanting to be involved, I want that. I want your opinions and suggestions, but like I said, can you please just show me a little more faith?”
He has a point. I wouldn’t appreciate it if he questioned my choices either. “I know, but thank you for saying that. And I’m sorry, too. Sometimes I overstep because I can’t help myself. I promise, I do have faith in you. Just like I know you have faith in me,” I say as I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss his jaw.
The sound of my cell chiming a text brings another smile to my face, and out of the funk that we were both gearing up to venture in to. Cole checks in every morning. He’s our oldest but will always be my baby. No matter if he’s twenty years old, 6’2”, and has a good seventy pounds on me. When he left for college two years ago, I knew it would be hard, but having him check in so often, all on his own, makes life better.
Before I can check my phone, Barrett stops me. “We good?”
“Of course. We’re good,” I confirm.
He studies my face, and I can see the question still in his mind. “Barrett, I promise. You apologized, and we learned years ago that it doesn’t help anyone or anything to hold a grudge. I promise. I love you. A whole lot. I forgive you.”
He blows out a breath and says, “Thank you. I love you, too.”
With our argument settled, I reach for my phone and pull it out to see what the morning has brought our oldest.