Saving Dallas (Saving Dallas 1)

“So, who gave me the day off, you or Luke?” Lindsey asked her face wrinkled up in confusion. I was speechless. Dallas Knox, one of so many words, was speechless once again. “Just kidding,” Lindsey said, laughing and looking very pleased with herself. I laughed along with her, although I didn’t find the comment as humorous as she did. “Well, it sounds to me like you have it bad for this incredibly hot guy,” she said, laughter subsiding.

“I had it bad. Not anymore. I am totally over him. I could care less if I never see his face again,” I said, nodding my head in agreement with myself.

“Liar,” Lindsey retorted. Before I could respond, she was speaking. “You like him. I’m not fully convinced that you don’t love him. Either way, this guy has had a major effect on you. Trust me, it’s a good effect. No offense,” she said, holding her hands up as if to surrender. “Now, your problem is that…. Wait, can I speak bluntly and like not lose my job?” she asked.

I motioned to her with my hand, “By all means, you have the floor.” I knew to prepare myself for the bitter truth of what a bitch I was. I had heard it before, but it would do me some good to hear it again.

“Good, anyway your problem is that you live in a bubble. In your bubble, everything has to be perfect and just as Dallas sees it. That’s fine when you are at work, running a multi-million dollar company. But, when you step into the real world, you have to learn to stand out of the spotlight a little. You follow me?” Lindsey asked.

“I follow you, but I don’t live in a bubble Lindsey, I just simply know what I want and what I deserve,” I responded, not at all offended by what she was saying.

“You’re a bitch,” Lindsey blurted out. She was now standing up. The shock of what she had just said, apparent on her face. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked, her hands coming to her mouth.

I laughed, “I know that Lindsey. I was hoping you would be a little more creative.”

“You have no idea how long I have wanted to say that.” she said laughing. I joined in. It was nice to laugh, even if it was at my own expense. “Ok, I’m sorry. Really. I shouldn’t have said that. Ok. Back to Luke, you are lucky. He could have done what he did in front of everyone. Now that would have been embarrassing,” Lindsey said, helping herself to the candy dish sitting on the counter.

“You speak as if from experience,” I said, eyeing her curiously. Surely Lindsey was not an executive assistant by day, biker chick by night.

“No, it has never happened to me, but I have seen it. My ex-fiancé is in a bike club. I was there with him through the whole prospect period a hundred and seventy-six days to be exact,” she said. I could tell she was trying to go for nonchalance, but I saw the pain behind her smile.

“What happened between y’all?” I asked.

“He got patched in. Women were throwing themselves at him just for a chance to ride with the club. He loved that life much more than he loved me. I was tired of the late night phone calls saying he was not going to make it home. Soon, he got to where he wouldn’t even call. I had enough and ended it. He was relieved. I knew it was what he wanted. He had been trying to push me away for months. That was before I moved here,” she responded, busying herself in the kitchen, so that she wouldn’t have to face me.

“What did you mean earlier when you said it could have been worse?” I asked, feeling a change of subject was in order.

“Well, in that world, it isn’t about you. Luke is the president, right?” she asked, looking at me for an answer.

“I think so,” I responded unsure.

“You think so, great. Well if he is, then he sets an example for everyone else. Now, how do you think it made him look to have the woman he brought with him, chatting up another man?” I looked at her with an impassive face. I tried to think about what I had done, but I saw no wrong in it.

“It wasn’t as bad as what he was doing,” I responded. “Bikers hug and kiss their family. By family I mean people who ride with them, fellow club members, other club members. It’s a way of communication for them.” I just stared at her, not sure what she wanted me to say. “Ok, think of it like this, in the real estate world, you are the queen, the Alpha and Omega, top of the line. Nobody does real estate as well as you. In the bike world, that’s Luke. You know how you tend to take three hour lunch breaks? Sometimes it’s because you have business to attend to, sometimes you just want to go to 306 Front Street and eat, knowing good and damn well it will take and extra thirty minutes just to get through traffic. My point is that you can do that because you are the boss. But, what if I did that? What if your clients had to wait because your employee wanted to take a three hour lunch break? How would that make you look?”