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At that, both Master and KC laughed. Presumably at Noa’s expression, because I could just picture it.
“I reckon it’s best we tag along,” Ty chuckled. “Maybe we can convince you to adopt from a shelter instead too.”
KC was quick to speak up. “We actually wanted to talk to you about that. We’d obviously prefer to adopt, but the places I called didn’t have any skinks.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ty said. “I can make a few calls.”
It was settled. Could they move on to a more interesting topic now? And not work! Master and Ash had wasted our entire snack time on shop talk, and leave it to my Owner to practically get a job way too soon. Okay, not a job, but he’d promised Ash to take a look at a few things at his company. Because Master was a money guy!
On the other hand, he definitely needed something to do. As long as it didn’t cause any stress.
CHAPTER 12
Back then
KC Hayles
“Do you want another?” Lucian hollered over the music.
I squinted toward the spotlights over the little stage and counted six lights beaming down on the band playing shitty pop rock. The rest of the bar was so dark that I could only see the people nearby. Everyone else was a black silhouette.
“How many spotlights are in the ceiling above the stage?” I yelled back.
He gave me a weird look. “Uh, three?”
I nodded. “Then keep the drinks comin’! I’m not leaving this bar until I see at least fifteen!”
He offered a dry expression before he disappeared in the sea of people, and I slumped back in our booth. Fucking shit bar. But it beat going to one of his goddamn BDSM events. I didn’t need another reminder of what I was missing.
I scrubbed my hands over my face and wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.
I was so fucking tired of everything. But at least Lucian was happy, huh? He was making friends in his kink circles and living the life. Next week, he had meetings in Luxembourg, a seminar at the fucking OECD headquarters in Paris, and then more meetings in Frankfurt. He was making it.
All I got right now were late nights at the office where I was buried in files upon files of shareholder complaints and future lawsuits in the biggest clusterfuck of an acquisition gone wrong. They fucking knew they wouldn’t get their money’s worth when they sold off the subsidiaries, but that didn’t stop them from taking each other to court, now did it?
Actually, I got a lot of Chinese food and self-doubt too. Take that, Leroux.
He returned a moment later with new drinks, and I could kiss him. Fuck no, I couldn’t. Whatever. Fuck. Move on. I cleared my throat. Whiskey—a whole bottle of it. He knew me.
I loosened my tie and shifted closer so we could talk without screaming. My thigh bumped into his, shoving images of Christine to the forefront of my mind. She was waiting for my answer. Are we getting back together or not, KC? Just answer me.
I took a big swallow of my drink and winced at the burn.
I couldn’t touch Lucian, even platonically. Every time I did, I saw Christine, tapping her foot impatiently, as if the mere memory of her wouldn’t let me forget reality for a fucking second.
The bastard leaned in close and spoke in my ear. “You wanna get a room with the bottle?”
“Yeah!” I nodded.
He chuckled and poured a drink for himself too. Then he drained half his glass before shrugging out of his suit jacket, and I sensed what came next. He wasn’t leaving here until he knew my plan.
What if I didn’t know myself? What if I wanted to drink till I passed out and just ignore forming a plan altogether?
“Have you decided what to do yet?” he asked.
I didn’t know if it was the door opening ten feet away, the AC, or the constant motion in the bar, but something sent a whiff of his cologne my way, and I clenched my jaw.
Get back together with Christine and be there for Noa? And keep my parents happy?
