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"Oh, shit," I mutter.
This isn't good. Pierce looks more pissed off than I've ever seen him, which is really saying something considering I once incurred his wrath for signing him up to a bunch of email lists for sex toy companies.
"Are you sure it's him?" I ask, shoving Pierce aside to get a better look at the reservation. "I mean, it could be another Reece Miller."
He jostles against me, but I don't budge so we stay stuck together as he leans forward, staring gloomily at the screen. "It's him all right. Same address, phone number, and email address. Fuck."
I wrap my arm around him in a side hug. "Hey. It'll be okay."
It's an empty reassurance at best. I have no way of knowing that since Pierce has never delved into the details of what happened with him and Reece. All I know is their split was ugly and that this Reece guy hurt him badly. After the breakup, Pierce hightailed it out of New York and started working here a few months before I joined. He's mentioned coming to Florida for a 'fresh start,' but he always kept it vague.
I've never pushed for more details, which I regret now because if I knew the score, I'd be able to help my friend. It's clear this is affecting him, and I hate feeling like I can't do anything about it.
"What can I do?" I ask, but before Pierce can answer, the sliding doors open, and someone shrieks, "Oh my fucking God."
Pierce's body goes stiff beside me, and I can instantly tell who the douchebag in head-to-toe Versace striding toward the reception desk is. It's Reece, with his newly wedded, equally Versace-clad husband tailing him.
"I can't believe it. This has got to be a sign," Reece declares, draping his left hand over the counter in exaggerated slow motion, showing off his wedding band.
I want to retort that it's a sign of a bad manicure and severe personal insecurity to be flashing his bling around like that, but I am technically working, and Reece is technically a paying guest. So I bite my tongue.
For now.
"You and me both," Pierce manages to say. He clears his throat and forces a fake smile, tucking some fallen strands of hair behind his ear.
I can’t say anything to Reece, so I just glare at the guy who's caused my best friend so much pain and heartache.
"You work here?"
"I do." Pierce's demeanor is set to professional mode, but under the counter, his hand clutches mine in a vice-like grip. I run my thumb over the top of his palm, hoping it relaxes him…and makes him relax his grip before I lose circulation to my fingers.
"Wow." Reece taps his fingers on the white marble top, sounding completely unimpressed. "I dump your ass. You leave New York. And now you work in the"—he scrunches his ugly nose—"service industry."
I bristle. What an arrogant fucker. What the hell is wrong with working in the service industry? I happen to love my job. And I'm damn good at it. Screw this guy and his stupid judgments.
Side note to self: ask housekeeping to bypass the swan towels in the honeymoon suite for dick-shaped ones instead.
"And let me guess," the dummy continues, giving Pierce a filthy, arrogant look. "You're still single?"
Oh, that's it. You've really done it now, Asswipe.
I flick my eyes over to Pierce and will him to come up with a zinger of a retort. Fuck being professional. This guy may be a customer but he's being rude and insulting. We may be lowlyservice industry workers, but we don't have to stand for that.
I'm sure our boss Leo will have Pierce's back, and as someone who's been on the receiving end of some epic one-liners from Pierce, I can't wait to see how he serves it back to King Fuckface.
But…there aren't any quips or insults from the most confident guy I've ever met. No smart-ass replies or snarky comebacks.
Just silence. A whole lot of silence.
It's like Pierce has been disarmed. He's just standing there, blinking, stone-faced.
I don't know if it's seeing Pierce like this, or the fucking sneer on Reece's face like he's won a prize, but whatever the reason, I lift our joined hands above the counter and display them triumphantly toward Reece and his poor sap of a husband.
"Actually, Pierce isn't single."
Pierce's light-brown eyes fall on me, silently askingwhat the hell are you doing?
I focus my attention on Reece and smile sweetly. "Pierce and I are together."
