AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Carmen finished washing them and then put them on the rack to dry. Wiping her hands, she turned around to look at Ramiro. He was still sitting down, arms folded on the table and looking at her in puzzlement and frustration.
"We can't be friends if you want me to remain good at my job, Ramiro. And admit it: I am the fucking best."
"You are. But I'm curious if you've ever cared about any of us.
"Of course I did. I made the arrangements for Temperence's funeral. I kept the press away - "
"Drove me to morgue and allowed me to ruin your t-shirt with my bawling when I found out about Temperence. Did you do those things as a manager or as friend?"
She met his challenging stare. "I did as expected."
"So those late, late nights we had. Before my sister ruined whatever was developing, you did it because it was expected of you?" He was glaring at her as if wanting her to remember. She did. When a lull in their conversation about mountains of nothing fell, they would look at each other a second too long, staring at the other's lips. Just right then, Temperance would storm into the room.
"What do you want?" she asked with a loud sigh. "Why are you so obsessed with what I do?"
"You can't guess?" he snarled back. "Come on."
"I don't want to know." Carmen declared defiantly. "I don't need to know to do my job. I don't want you thinking I need to know because our focus should be getting your career back. I can't be your friend if you want me to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't believe in mixing the personal with the professional."
"Fuck me in the ass and call me Sally, Minx. You're fucking engaged to the guy who used to do my PR."
"We only started dating when Seismic broke up." She pointed out. "And what I do outside of my work is none of your fucking business."
She had to walk past him to leave the kitchen. She was halfway to the bedroom when he called for her to stop.
"Alright. No personal stuff. If you believe that's what we must be, we can get what we both want. I just thought . . . Carmen, I really hope we can be friends. Friendships don't ruin partnerships, Minx." He smirked as he put his hands in the pockets of track pants that she recognized was Tanner's. "It's fucking. And we are never going to fuck, are we?"
"Of course not," she muttered.
"Good. I only thought we could be closer. My time at the retreat has given me a new perspective on things. But I would really like for us to be friends, Carmen. I don't just see you as a manager."
"Tomorrow, I'm going to start making calls," Carmen said suddenly, snapping her fingers. Oh, she liked this where she only ran in two settings, Jackal or Beast. If Ramiro was all Feelings and Connection thanks to the retreat, that was his party, and she didn't want an invitation." And we have to get you all glinty and handsome again."
Ramiro frowned. "What the fuck do you mean?"
"Look at you! You're skinny as a rake and that hair - really, Ramiro, if not for your fucking god-like good looks, I would swear you have fleas. We need to make an appointment for haircut and color."
"Hold on." Ramiro said. "Did you just say I look like a god? And what the fuck is wrong with my hair?"
Carmen looked at the ceiling before lowering her head to stare back at him. "We'll need to get in touch with your old trainer to get you all muscly again. You also need to spend a few days in the sun because you're practically as white as a radish. Then we need to round up the guys and tell them Seismic is back. As for your hair, we need it back to its pretty golden blond color. Oh, I don't know. You're forty-two. You can probably pull off the silverfox look."
She turned to go to her bedroom, muttering about making a list. As she typed the code for her tablet, Ramiro startled her by diving onto her bed and making himself comfortable.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"Doctor Bear said to wake you every two hours."
"I fail to see why you have to be in bed with me."
"Do you have a guest room?"
"I have a lovely couch."
"Which is too small for me. Nah, I'm sleeping here."
