◆◆◆
“Hello, beautiful,” Grady mumbled from beside me. I looked up to figure out what he was talking about and saw Neva headed into the garage. “Come to Papa.”
“Best friend,” I elbowed him. “Ewww.”
Grady just laughed and walked beside me as I went to greet Neva.
“I’m a nice guy, Jamie. And for a sweet little thing like that, I’d be extra nice. And gentle,” Grady whispered.
“Well, she isn’t gentle when she uses her strap-on and let me say, that’s a definite requirement if you’re going to get with her,” I whispered back. I was lucky enough to be looking at his face when it paled and I bit my tongue so I didn’t smile. He dropped back and disappeared like smoke before we got all the way to Neva.
“Who was that?” Neva whispered. “You’ve been holding out on me, haven’t you?”
“Don’t get too excited - his boyfriend works here, too,” I told her, deadpan. I heard Daughtry laugh from behind me and looked down at the floor, ashamed at my lie. “What’s up?”
Neva was carrying a garment bag and one of my backpacks. This did not bode well for me.
“You forgot to bring your clothes for tonight.”
“Seriously. Not happening,” I growled. “I never agreed to this.”
“You’re not getting any younger,” Neva used her free hand to touch the faint lines beside my eyes. “Seriously.”
“I fucking hate you,” I said simply and loud enough for the people at the end of the street to hear. Daughtry didn’t have any trouble laughing at me. The asshole.
“Hi, neighbor,” Neva said as she turned to him knowingly. “Good to see you doing well.”
I hoped that Daughtry didn’t hear her mumble as she turned back to face me, “And with a shirt on, dammit.”
He heard her. He laughed.
“I’m not going,” I told her. “I don’t care what you have to do to get me out of it. Lie, cheat, steal, have that threesome that’s on your bucket list…”
Daughtry started to choke and I glared at him.
“But I am not going on a double date with you and Mr. Businessman.”
Daughty’s cough turned into a growl.
“You are. And you have no excuses. Heath and Josh are going to be staying the night with their new friend Spruce and Adam is fine at home by himself. He won’t even notice we’re gone. You don't have a curfew, you’re not dead, and you’re not in a real relationship. You’re going,” Neva stomped her little foot and pouted. “Please! I really want to go and if you cancel, it will be weird.”
“A date?” Daughtry asked. “With who?”
“It’s this guy I met at the store. His name is William and his friend’s name is Frank. They both work downtown.” Neva spilled all the beans and then raised an eyebrow at Daughtry before she said, “And it’s time for Jamie to dip her toes into the dating pool.”
“You’re going on a date with a fucking suit?”
“She’s not going to be wearing a suit,” Neva scoffed. “I brought her favorite dress.”
“He means a man that wears a suit,” I explained to Neva. “And it’s not my favorite dress, it’s my only fucking dress and I’m really not going if I have to wear that.”
“Okay, I knew you’d say that, so there’s a pair of tights and that swoopy shirt that looks so good on you in there, too. Forget the dress,” Neva told me. Then she leaned in close and begged, “Go with me.”
“Stop making that face,” I told her. “You look like you’re having a stroke or something.”
“You’re not going to go on a fucking date. I forbid it,” Daughtry whispered.
Oh really? He forbid it?
“Fuck it. I’ll go,” I said as I stared Daughtry in the eye. If he wasn’t going to give me a reason not to, I’d go on the damn date.
Neva cheered as she jumped up and down and did some little kick. Like a fucking cheerleader.
“But this is it and you know why,” I stared at Neva until she nodded her head. “It’s just dinner.”
Neva thrust the garment bag at me and then the backpack.
“Everything you could possibly need is in those two bags. We’re meeting them for drinks after they get off work, so you’ll have to change here and go straight to the restaurant by six. Don’t be late.”
“But Mojo and Lola,” I tried to argue, grasping at straws now.
“Taken care of. They’re in their box and have been since last night. Nothing to do but toss some food and water in there.”
“Alright,” I gave up. I’d been beaten. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I hated her. I absolutely, positively, with no doubt in my mind, hated her.
“See ya!” Neva grinned and hauled ass out of the garage.
Daughtry and I just stood there watching her as she got into her little VW and drove away.
“You’re dating?”
“I guess,” I tried to laugh. “But it’s under duress.”
I needed to do it. Just bite the bullet and go out and meet someone, anyone at this point. I just couldn’t sit at my house pining for this man in front of me when he had zero interest in me other than fucking me and keeping it a secret.
“Blind dates are dangerous,” he told me.
“I guess that’s why we’re meeting at the restaurant.”
“I don’t think you should go.”
“Why not?” I asked him, a little irritated that he thought he could tell me what to do or not do. I was a grown ass woman and didn’t answer to anyone. Unless he stepped up to the plate and changed our relationship, I was going to go and meet this guy for dinner. If anything, it would be nice to have another friend in town.
“I just don’t think you should.” He shrugged. “You’ll get distracted and we have a lot of shit to work on around here.”
“I can’t date if I work for you?” I asked, angry now that he couldn’t just say what he meant.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” Daughtry said calmly. Then he yelled, “Get back to fucking work!”
I jumped, but realized he was talking to someone behind me. When I turned to look, I realized that every single man in the shop had stopped what they were doing and were intensely following our conversation. Great.
◆◆◆
Daughtry stayed in his office most of the day, only coming out to growl at someone and then walk back in and slam the door. I saw Lout go in for a while and then later, Sonny went in and talked to him.
His visit ended with Sonny rushing out of the office while Daughtry yelled, “I said I don’t fucking feel good!”
Apparently he needed a manpon and some Midol because he was extra cranky today. I had a feeling that was my fault.
I waited until straight up 5:00 to start cleaning up my area and then I didn’t have a choice but to go clean myself up and get dressed. I was going to be a little late as it was, but I would blame it on work. The longer I stayed here, the less time I had to spend faking a smile and suffering through small talk.