“I didn’t get the job,” he said immediately.
My shoulders fell because I didn’t already know this. “You didn’t? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He glanced away. “You weren’t exactly speaking to me at the time, so...”
I took his hand, feeling like an absolute bitch for staying away as long as I had. Sure, it had hurt to learn everything I’d learned, but I’d asked to hear it. I’d...I was just a total bitch. “I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head, unable to look me in the eye. “No, it’s fine. They, uh, they had someone else in mind, I guess.”
“Those fuckers,” I muttered, pissed as I was relieved that they hadn’t chosen my Oren. “And you said it went so well, too.”
“Well, I was still riding a high from that orgasm you’d given me right after I put my suit on, so...yeah. Everything felt pretty damn good that day.”
I slugged him in the shoulder. “Jesus, Oren,” I started, but my scolding didn’t last any longer than that. I hugged him and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry you didn’t get it.”
“I’m not.” Turning to me, he kissed me full on the mouth and he showed me how sorry he wasn’t that he was going to stay around a while longer.
I had to silently admit, I wasn’t sorry to see my husband stay, either.
The week progressed. I kept seeing Caroline every night I could, except we didn’t bother to hide anything. I pulled into her driveway to pick her up now, and we actually went out to see a movie at the theater and then a restaurant the next night.
I didn’t see or talk to Gamble, and Caroline barely mentioned him. I asked her every day if everything was okay, but she merely smiled and said, “It’s fine. Don’t worry. He’ll come to his senses and get over it. He always does.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I let the issue drop.
But I wasn’t the only one worried. Pick yanked me into his office the next time I worked.
“You know how much it sucks to be your boss and friend at the same time, right? Am I going to be forced to pick sides between you and Gamble?”
I shook my head. “No, Gamble was right. I shouldn’t have kept it from him. He has every right to be pissed at me.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “I notice you’re saying you shouldn’t have kept it from him, not that you shouldn’t have touched his little sister.”
“Staying away from her wasn’t an option.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have ever touched her but it was too late for that, and I didn’t regret a minute of what had happened between us.
“Fuck,” Pick muttered, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “So I’m guessing he’s still more than pissed at you, and there’s going to be a lot of tension when you two work together.”
I nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Lovely.” He growled out another frustrated breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll try to rework schedules to keep that from happening as much as possible. But there will always be Thursday nights.”
“I know.” I started to shrug it off again when a new thought struck me. “Wait! You’re like every woman’s personal defender. Why aren’t you threatening me to stay away from Caroline the same way he his?”
“Because I’ve noticed how much you’ve changed lately. You’re faithful to her. And she’s happier than I’ve ever seen her before. I think you’re both good for each other.”
I snorted. “Mind mentioning that to Gamble? He’s obviously not spotted any of the shit you have.?
?
Pick smiled and patted my arm. “Just give him time.”
God, I hated time. It moved on, though, and Thursday came before I was ready for it. Ladies’ Night at the Forbidden Nightclub started, and Gamble worked the bar with Lowe, as he usually did.
For the most part, we avoided each other. I took my orders to Lowe, and it worked out just fine…for a while.
At one point, I saw Gamble talking to some scantily clad chick. He motioned toward me and she looked my way, but I didn’t think much of it, not until Gamble told me to go into the back and fetch another crate of Heineken. I still didn’t catch on, not until I was in the stockroom, cornered in the last row of shelves next to the wall with my arms lifted to drag down the necessary crate, when a pair of feminine hands wrapped around my waist from behind.