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“For how long?”
“Let’s just say I think you might be doing that calendar.”
“You’re a prick, Miguel.”
“I love you too, man.”
Landon laughed, despite his annoyance. Truth was, he and Miguel had become pretty good friends in the past year since Miguel had joined the force and they’d been partnered up.
Landon walked into Aaron’s office. “I’m sorry about—”
“Shut the door, Landon.”
He turned and did as commanded, then took the chair Aaron gestured to. The two of them faced each other across Aaron’s large desk, the surface piled high with file folders and paper.
“This isn’t dying down.”
If it had been anyone other than Aaron speaking, Landon’s natural response would have been “no shit, Sherlock.” However, he’d never speak so disrespectfully to his boss and mentor.
“No,” he said, “it’s not.”
“We’re going to have to find a way to draw the line of fire away from here. This is a police station, Landon. Not the set of Big Brother.”
Landon grimaced. “I realize that.”
“I think it would be best if you took some time off until this whole thing blows over. I can’t have the dispatch line tied up with reporters, single women, the tabloids and Ellen’s people, trying to get ahold of you.”
Landon panicked. This job was his life. “Are you suspending me?” he asked in alarm.
“No. Of course not. But I looked at your file and you have a couple weeks of vacation time coming to you. Take a week of it. If you stop showing up here, maybe those reporters and women outside will get bored and start staying home too.”
Landon sighed. If he stopped showing up here, they’d just surround his apartment.
He wanted his normal life back.
“Aaron, listen, I don’t think—” he started.
“This isn’t up for debate, Landon. Shit’s getting out of hand here. Started with everyone wanting to know who hot cop was, then Sunnie’s name was leaked, now her relationship to me and the fact I’m your boss. I’m not telling either one of you to talk to the media, but your silence seems to be sparking a firestorm in terms of speculation and fairy tales. You know what I read this morning? Fucking Yahoo news is running some click-bait article about me being outraged by your ‘secret relationship’ with my daughter. I’ve been cast as the villain, working against some illicit love affair. Fuckers even found an old driver’s license photo of me. The bad one that Riley has teased me about for years, claiming I look like a seventies porn star.”
Landon couldn’t help it. He laughed. He’d seen that picture, and Riley hadn’t lied. “I’m still not sure why you thought a mustache was a good idea.”
“I’ve told all of you a million times. I lost a goddamn bet to Tris. Had to sport that fucking thing for six months. I can’t help it that’s when my license renewal came up!”
“I’m sorry about the article.” Landon hated to think about Aaron being portrayed as an asshole. Aaron was the most upright, honest man he knew. Landon spent his entire childhood wishing Aaron was his father. Even when his mother remarried, it was still Aaron he had turned to whenever he had a “guy” question he couldn’t ask his mom. Aaron had taught him and Finn how to drive, how to shave. He’d snuck them boxes of condoms when he’d found out they’d both started fooling around with girls. While his mother had—awkwardly—given him the sex talk, it was Aaron who’d answered the twelve thousand questions he’d had afterwards.
Aaron sighed and stood up, walking to the window. “I think you need to change your attitude about all of this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Miguel had a point out there. It’s time to start laughing about the whole thing. I can see you’re working your ass off, trying to do your job. I appreciate that. But the cards are stacked against you right now. So embrace it. Enjoy it. You haven’t been by the pub all week. Why not?”
“I didn’t think it was a good idea for me and Sunnie to be in the same place while those tabloid guys are hanging around. Thought I should try to protect her privacy.”
Aaron snorted. “Have you ever known my girl to shy away from a crowd? She was down in the pub last night signing autographs.”
Landon chuckled. Of course Sunnie would embrace the situation, rather than run. But the women chasing him had been tenacious.
Then he had a disquieting thought.
