AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Me: I’m getting ready to run and grab a sandwich. Need anything while I’m out?
Hallie: No thanks.
Me: All right. If you change your mind, let me know.
Hallie: Will do. Have a good one.
I fire off a quick reply and place my order for a sandwich pickup. Just as I turn to start pulling an order for a local contractor, the bell over the door chimes.
“Honey, I’m home.” Like nails on a chalkboard, my balls draw up into my body as my ex-wife enters, the clicking of her expensive heels echoing through the building.
“Weren’t you supposed to be back at noon?” I ask, checking the time on my watch.
She snickers, flipping her long, blond hair over her shoulder. “Are you kidding? I own the business.”
“Lead by example,” I reply, taking the list Gavin Pierson dropped off an hour ago and a basket before walking around the counter. I’m really hoping she’ll head back into the office she claimed for herself, leaving me in peace, but unfortunately, that’s not what happens.
Ignoring my comment, she scurries down an aisle, trailing behind me. “Whatcha doing?”
“Working,” I state, looking for the right length of truss wood screws. “You should try it.”
She sighs dramatically. “Why so testy? Did you have a bad weekend?”
“No. My weekend was fine,” I reply, grabbing what I’m looking for and dropping them in the basket before walking to another aisle.
“Are you mad at me?”
I scan the electrical supplies and take a dozen white outlets and the blue outlet boxes. “Why would I be mad at you?” I ask, even though I don’t want to know. I should have just said no and left it at that.
“You’re short and tense.” Suddenly, her hands are on my shoulders. “Remember what I used to do when you were tense?” she coos, squeezing my shoulders gently. And no, she’s not referring to a massage.
“Not happening, Shay,” I state bluntly, stepping away from her eagle claws before she can dig them into my skin. I grab the terminal connectors and throw them in the basket too.
“You sure?” she sings, batting her overly blackened eyelashes at me, as if flirting has any effect on me anymore.
“Yep.” With most of the stuff needed, I walk with purpose toward the register, start scanning the items and tossing them into a bag.
“Why is Hallie texting you?”
I glance up, realizing I left my phone sitting on the counter, and now Shay is holding it, staring at the screen. I’m not worried about her reading the message. It’s password-protected, and as nosy as she is, I’m certain she doesn’t know the number sequence. It’s not any of the important dates she’d think I’d use, not that she’d remember any of those anyway. She’s too self-involved for that.
“None of your business,” I tell her, reaching for my device and grabbing it out of her hand.
“Geez, you’re so pissy,” she counters, crossing her arms over her fake tits and pushing them up and out the neck of her tank top. As much as I want to pitch a fit about her attire, I know it won’t do me any good. The last time I complained about her not wearing a company shirt, she went and had the logo printed on the ones I bitched about.
“I’m not pissy. I’m private. There’s a difference.”
I realize my mistake immediately.
“Private? About what? About Hallie? Are you seeing her? She’s totally not your type. That would be, just no,” she spits out without taking a breath.
“It would also be none of your business,” I repeat, this time with a clipped tone, leaving no room for discussion. I’m not talking about Hallie, especially with Shay.
“Fine, whatever. Do your thing,” she replies, flipping her hair once more. “Just don’t come crying to me when—”
“No worries, Shay. I won’t,” I state, punctuating each word in hopes she understands this discussion is closed.
“Okay, whatevs. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”
