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“I’m not asking you to have him sacrificed by a cult,” she said into the phone. “I’m just asking for a little accident.” There was a slight pause, then, “Well, I mean, if he dies, then it’s God’s will, right? But I’ll settle for a broken leg or…amnesia. How about amnesia, Row? Can we do one for amnesia.”
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“Well, then tell Mark that we’re going to have to buy stock in tequila, because the longer that I work for the nimrod, the more margaritas I’m going to need,” she went on. “Ask him if he’d rather me be an alcoholic or a murderess?”
My back straightened as I listened to her speak about this Mark person. Was he her boyfriend? Who was Row? Suddenly, I found myself wanting to get to know her beyond wanting to see her naked in my bed, something else that was new.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say that we know who the shadow is,” she griped. “You could have told me that it was going to be Bryant.” She listened again before saying, “What do you mean that it’s not Bryant? Who else could it be?” I watched her sit up straighter in her chair. “Hey, it wasn’t like I had a gun to your head, ma’am. You were enjoying those margaritas just as much as I was, might I remind you.” Landry let out a heavy sigh. “Look, I need to get back to work before that twatwaffle comes back.”
Twatwaffle?
“Tell your husband that he’s still the only man that I will ever love, and he’s only second to my love for you,” she said, grinning into the phone this time. “I promise, one day, I’ll get a husband of my own. However, until then, you’re just going to have to share Mark, and as long as you guys keep me in the alcoholic style that I’ve become accustomed to, we won’t have any issues.”
My chest loosened with hearing that little bit of information. My guess was that Row was either her best friend or sister, and that Mark was the husband. That made me feel marginally better, but I’d still rather hear it from her lips that she was single. I almost laughed when I realized that it was quite possible that Landry could be in an actual polygamous relationship with this couple. You just never knew with people these days, and Landry seemed quirky enough to thumb her nose at convention.
“Okay, I’ll see you guys this weekend, and no drunk readings this time,” she continued on the phone. “I promise we’ll be sober, then get drunk afterwards.” After a lengthy pause, she said, “Okay, chicadee, I’ll see you later. Love you, Rowena.”
As soon as she hung up, I knocked on the door frame, making myself known. Now, while most people would feel bad for eavesdropping, I didn’t. I was a man with a plan, and that plan was to get to know Landry Novak better.
She looked over my way, and as rude as fuck, she said, “Bryant’s not here.” Her face was back in her stack of papers without giving me a second thought.
Ouch.
“Actually, I’m here to see you,” I told her.
Landry looked up again. “For what?”
“To check on you,” I answered.
Her royal blue eyes narrowed. “Did you also check on the others?”
“I did,” I replied, thankful for that foresight. “They seem to all be doing well enough.”
“So, are you here for the good news or the bad news?” she asked, and no matter how I felt about her, my mind went all business as soon as she asked that.
“Did you find something?”
She let out a tired sigh, and it was crazy how badly I wanted to take care of her. My arms wanted to pick her up, then carry her to my car, drive her home, run her a bath, then violate the fuck out of her all night until she passed out in a deep sleep. I’d even call in sick for her tomorrow morning.
Instead, I slid my hands in my pockets as she said, “I can type up the additional findings and-”
“Have you eaten?” I asked, interrupting her.
Landry’s head jerked a bit, those blue eyes blinking at me. “Pardon?”
“If you haven’t eaten, then we can go to dinner while you tell me what you found,” I suggested, crossing a line that I no longer gave a shit about.
After a few seconds, Landry let out a dark laugh. “Are youtryingto get me fired?”
“You’re not allowed to have business dinners with clients?” I posed, knowing that she probably could, what with the whole transparency policy.
“Have you met my boss?” she scoffed. “If you’re having business dinners, then they need to be with him, Rush.” My dick twitched at her calling me by my first name. Though I’d given her leave to, I really hadn’t expected her to accommodate me. “Besides, it’ll look bad.”
“Where’s Bryant now?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Firing off a text to Preston, instructing him to call an emergency meeting with Stanton, I slid my phone back in my pocket before asking, “What if I bought you all dinner and had it delivered here?”
