The Truth

Every interaction I’ve had with Tiffany over the years reframes itself in my mind, clicking into new focus. She transforms in my mind, becoming a woman I want to know more of.

The hits keep coming, though, and not all of them good.

Billy chuckles. “She’s driven Elle nuts for years lusting after you behind your back.”

“Daddyyyy!” they mimic, and I know it’s true because I can hear the name rolling off her tongue in her drunken stupor. It’s all sinking in deeper and deeper into my brain, and honestly, into my cock. Thankfully, I’m behind my desk.

That kiss was fire, and I can feel instinctively that Tiffany and me together would be earth-shattering. “Damn.”

“I think he’s getting it now,” Billy says from far away.

“Fina-fucking-ly,” Ricky says, raising his arms to the ceiling in praise. “Okay, if that’s it, I’m going to head home so I can still get Miranda and the kids to the movies. Bring me my money tomorrow.”

“Wanna go for a beer?” Billy asks me, standing up as Ricky departs. “You look like you could use it after that mindfuck.”

I think it over and nod. “Actually, yeah. I know just the place.”

I don’t tell Billy that I want to go to The Den just in case Tiffany does go there again. He probably already knows, anyway. And I need to let all this new information settle so I can turn it over in my mind and figure out my next move.

Chapter 12

Tiffany

The sound of dogs fills my ears as I open the door, and in so many ways, it is sweet music to my ears. I know doggos, and I know that the number-one thing they have in the world is an almost unlimited amount of love to give.

Right now, I need it, and I’m glad Ace asked me to stop by the daycare tonight after work. After the past few days, I need doggos. Daniel didn’t say one word to me today. Mostly because I didn’t see him, but he could’ve texted me or emailed me or stopped by my desk.

But nope. Silent as a ghost.

And with Vanessa back at her desk, I don’t have an excuse to go up there again.

I even stayed a little late, reasonably thinking that maybe he was waiting for everyone else to leave before approaching me. But when I started looking at Instagram on my work computer and he hadn’t even left his office—not that I was stalking the elevator or anything—I knew it was time to get out of there.

I think I might’ve overplayed my hand. Maybe I should’ve taken what I could get? One night of magic on his conference table certainly wouldn’t have been a bad thing. It just wasn’t everything.

But now, I have nothing.

Except puppy breath and fluffy fur, which is pretty much the cure for everything and exactly what I need.

Harper is here helping too because it’s a Doggie Date Night, some marketing genius that Ace came up with. The dog parents get a night out without ‘the kids’, and the dogs get a special dinner menu of meatballs and peanut butter truffles, music to dance to, and special toys to play with like rubber champagne glass squeakers and sparkly tug-o-war ropes.

Ace has posted plenty of pics of it on his business Instagram, and they’re so cute that he has followers that aren’t even in this area. They follow his ’gram simply for the awwws.

Like tonight. The boy dogs are all wearing bowties and the girl dogs have bows in their ears. Except for August, who is wearing both because they’re an equal opportunity sniffer. Some of the dog parents went all out and brought their dogs in full costumes because Ace is also doing pet portraits of the dogs.

“Hey, guys, where can I help out?” I ask as I come in, squatting down to scratch the ears of a Scottish Terrier in a plaid vest. “Well, what clan are you, buddy?”

“That’s Willie, and he needs his ball to pose properly,” Ace says, holding up a green lumpy rubber ball. “But with Harper on the printer and me on the camera, I’m out of hands. Wanna be the prop bitch?”

“Sure,” I reply, and minutes later, I’m moving the ball around while Ace rapid-fire snaps shots of Willie. “Think you got enough?” I tease after he’s taken easily twenty shots.

“As the pros say, never work with animals or children,” Ace says with a grin as he swaps out memory cards to pass over to Harper. “It’s not like these guys even smile. Well, other than Angel, but she smiles all the time. But babe’s going to spend ten minutes trying to pick out the one shot she thinks works. And yet we’ve re-shot how many pups today, babe?”

“Four,” Harper answers, giving Ace a big smile as she sets Willie free to go play with his friends. “And each of them was completely worth it. You even said you’re going to use the retake of Zeus in your marketing.” She pats Ace on the shoulder affectionately, and out of the corner of my eye, I see the glittering rock on her finger.