I hadn’t told Aubrey that I’d brought Finn and kitty to my place. After the way Richard reacted, I figured telling them in person was best. The people in my life were always worrying about me, and while I appreciated it, I could take care of myself.
I crouched down next to kitty to pet her. “Did you sleep well?”
“She didn’t sleep at all. She spent the entire night terrorizing me instead.”
When you’re expecting a gentle purr and a gruff male voice answers instead, it’s unnerving. Which is the only excuse for the words that came out of my mouth.
“Holy fucking shit.” I stood lightning fast and spun around to find Finn – hair mussed, shirtless, gray sweatpants – basically every woman’s fantasy. “You scared me.”
“Surprising since you just came into my room and woke me up.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder toward the spare room.
His morning voice sounded like sex and my body reacted of her own accord. Long-distance relationships were hard. It’d been too long since I’d heard a husky, male voice only seconds after waking up.
“I didn’t come into your room. I opened the door so kitty could get out. I was trying to keep her from waking you up.”
“Same difference.”
How two words could annoy me, I didn’t know. “She was meowing something awful. I think she’s hungry. Do you have her on a feeding schedule?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, the movement making all sorts of muscles in his upper body stretch and flex. The blank expression told me he either didn’t know what I was talking about or thought I was bananas.
“Have you ever owned a cat?”
He shook his head.
“A dog? Fish? Any pet?”
“No.” He bristled. “But I’m sure I can manage for a day or two.”
“I didn’t mean to imply…” I stopped myself because that’s exactly what I’d been implying, and it was completely unfair of me. I grabbed my purse and gave kitty one last pet. I think I was sadder about him getting rid of her than he was. Then again, I hadn’t bought her for someone that had betrayed me. “I’ve gotta get to work.”
“It’s still dark outside.”
“Yep,” I said without bothering to glance out the window.
“What is it you do?” He did a once over of my outfit that somehow made me feel bare despite the long skirt and blouse I wore. “School teacher?”
“I’m an executive assistant at an accounting firm.”
“Executive assistant,” he said it like he was trying out a new word.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Nah, sorry. Corporate words are such a mouthful. I never understood why they have to be so pretentious. Chief Executive Officer, what a bullshit title.”
I laughed despite myself and he smiled back. It was the first genuine smile I’d seen out of him and as soon as I had the thought, it disappeared. Pity.
“Anyway, thanks for letting us stay last night.”
“You’re welcome. If you’ll just lock the door on your way out?”
He nodded, and I took one last look at kitty and left.
The small accounting firm I’d worked for the last three years was like a haven. The beige walls and ugly carpets were reassuring in a way that I couldn’t explain. Nothing changed around here and that made me feel secure.
Flipping on the lights as I entered the office, I went straight for the break room to get the coffee going before people arrived. I was the first one in and often the last to leave, but I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to put everything in order. Lights, coffee, water the plants, feed Harry’s fish, and then check messages.
All that before seven-thirty a.m. When DJ’s assistant arrived a few minutes later, she dropped a coffee at reception.
“Good morning,” Bobbi said cheerily. “Is he in yet?”
“No, you’re the first one.”
She shrugged off her coat, dropped her purse on the counter, and dug through it for her lipstick.
“How was your weekend?” I asked, knowing she’d have something eventful to tell me. She was always going somewhere, trying new restaurants, and meeting new people.
Her eyes lit up. “Saturday night we went to a new club opening in LA. You’ll never guess who we ran into.”
“Who?”
“Charlie Hunnam’s girlfriend. At least, I think. It was dark and really crowded.”
“And Charlie?”
“Not with her.”
I laughed and she shrugged.
“What about you; how was your weekend?” She touched up her lipstick and fixed her blonde hair into a braid.
I hesitated to tell her about Finn, but some part of me wanted to confide in someone I knew I could trust. Having a brother that was a famous soccer star, even if it was only for a short while, meant those around me didn’t typically get worked up over fame and status. Bobbi would be excited, but I knew she’d never tell a soul.
“Actually, I met a celebrity this weekend, too.”
“How and where?” I tried not to be offended by her shocked expression. She wasn’t wrong to be surprised. The few places I frequented weren’t conducive to celebrity sightings.
When I finished telling Bobbi the story of how I met Finn, her face beamed with excitement. “So, he didn’t get married?”
“Really? That’s the first thing you have to say after hearing that heartbreaking story?” I tossed a pad of Post-Its in her direction. “You could sound at least a little sad about it.”
“One more smoking hot eligible bachelor in LA – no, I’m definitely not sad about that. What’s he like?”
My mind wandered back to the first time I laid eyes on him. “Sad. Angry. He bought her a kitten as a wedding present. This adorable white Bengal that is totally attached to him. You should see them together.”
Her smile widened and she looked at me with a smug knowing look. “You like him.”
“Please. He’s arrogant and a total mess.”
I’d stopped being attracted to my brother’s friends and teammates about the time I realized the only way to get their attention was to be willing to accept you’d only have it for a short while. Even the worst version of me had wanted more than one-night stands.
“Fair enough. I know you prefer your men stuffy and boring.” She hung her head and snored.
“Someone already sleeping on the job,” Harry’s voice startled us, and Bobbi straightened and grabbed her purse and coat off the counter.
“Good morning. Happy Monday.”
“’Morning Bobbi.” He looked to her and then me. “Adele.”
I took a seat behind reception. “Good morning, Harry.”
Harry, my ex-boyfriend and a partner at the firm, smiled a little too big and a little too long before passing by toward his office.
Bobbi held in a laugh and smiled at me as she followed behind him. Working with my ex-boyfriend was awkward at times, but every time I thought about leaving it just felt wrong. Harry had taken a chance on me with no experience and it wasn’t much of an exaggeration to say he’d been a part of why my recovery had been successful.
I’d needed someone to believe in me, a distraction – a new goal and a new life. He’d given me all those things. Our relationship hadn’t lasted, but we managed to work together with only a hint of underlying tension.