“What about you?” Archer asked Reed. “Your ex was there last night. You ain’t said shit about that yet.”
Reed glared at Archer. “Got nothin’ to say.”
I had to diffuse the situation if I didn’t want an all-out brawl at thirty thousand feet. “Did you get a chance to talk to her at all, Reed?”
He shook his head as he peeled the label of his water bottle. “She barely looked at me, except when she was wrapped up in that sonofabitch’s arms at the end of night.”
“They were just dancing,” I said, knowing how hard it must have been for my old friend to watch the woman he loved with someone else. “I talked to her for a bit. I don’t think it’s serious with that dude. He’s a business associate. An entertainment lawyer, I think she said.”
“Figures,” Reed said, crushing the empty bottle. “Scum sucking little weasel.”
Wow. My boy had a lot of anger. “You, uh, can’t blame her for getting on with her life, buddy,” I said, choosing my words carefully. Reed had a temper and I knew Brooklyn was his sorest subject. “It’s been, what, almost seven months since y’all broke up?”
“I don’t give a shit how long it’s been,” he said, scowling at me. “It could be seven years. I’ll never be okay seein’ her with pricks like that, who don’t deserve her.”
“But you did?” Archer asked. “Deserve her?”
My friend had no filter, and no sense of tact. He said that’s why he preferred his own company, so he wouldn’t risk a fight.
Archer cracked his knuckles and stared straight ahead. The color was rising in his face and I was holding my breath, waiting for the explosion. I had a feeling I’d be peeling these two off of each other by the time we landed.
“No, I didn’t deserve her,” Reed said, finally. “I didn’t treat her right. And I’ve gotta live with that every day.” He looked at Archer. “You think that’s easy?”
“Look man,” Archer said, obviously regretting this conversation. “I know you—”
“No, you don’t know.” Reed stood, tossing his bottle in a waste receptacle. “You don’t know shit about loving anyone the way I loved that girl ‘cause you don’t have the balls to put yourself out there.”
He walked back to the second bedroom at the back of the plane and closed the door.
“Let me have it,” Archer said, sighing. “I was an asshole for bringing up Brooklyn.”
“I don’t have to tell you,” I said, scrolling my phone. “You already know you were.” I’d have to call my publicist when we landed. Do a little damage control since that image surfaced.
He sighed. “I’ll talk to him later, apologize.”
“Probably a good idea.” Archer and Reed went way back. I knew it would take a lot more than that to destroy their friendship.
“So, when are you gonna get a new assistant?” Archer asked, grabbing a copy of Rolling Stone magazine that Reed had been reading. “I tried sending a few songs to you last week and you still haven’t responded. You must be drowning in email and shit.”
“I am.”
I needed to hire a new assistant months ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to give my team the go ahead on any of the resumes they showed me. Probably because I’d sort of offered the job to Charli and didn’t want to disappoint her by giving the job to someone else. But after last night there wasn’t a chance in hell that girl would work for me.
“So, what’s the problem? Can’t find anyone?”
“Finding someone isn’t the problem.” I tossed my phone on the empty seat next to me. “I’ve already found someone, but I…” Archer would take my secrets to the grave and I needed to get this shit out before it ate me alive. “I screwed things up.” I drew a breath before I said, “Charli would be perfect for the job, but, I, uh, slept with her last night… then told her it was a mistake.”
“You what?” He shook his head, looking disgusted. “Must have been those booze-colored glasses you were wearin’ last night. Mistook her for one of those little gold-digging bitches you—”
“Archer. Please.” I didn’t need to be reminded of my ex-girlfriends. I needed some advice from someone I trusted. “I know Charli’s nothing like my exes. I guess that’s why I like her. But I can’t work with her.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t keep my hands off her.” I smiled in spite of my foul mood. “Every time that girl’s within ten feet of me I’m fantasizing about all the filthy things I want to do to her.” I hesitated, but added, “Especially after last night. She did me in. If I wasn’t addicted before, I sure as hell am now.”
Archer laughed, clapping his hands once. “I knew it!” He pointed at me. “I knew she’d be a little firecracker in bed. Wore you out, huh?”
“We broke the goddamn bed.”
