Faking It with the Frenemy

Champ, loyal canine that he is, does not abandon me to check her out.

She notes that with a raised eyebrow and frowns. “You okay?”

“Me?” I inwardly wince at how pitiable I can make that one syllable sound.

“Yes, you. Who else?” She props her butt on the couch’s opposite arm. “Okay, tell me. You know you want to.”

“No, I don’t.” It’s a lie. Not that I don’t want to, but I don’t know if I should dump my problems on her. She and I have been bonding more, but still…

She stands. “Ha!”

The sound is vaguely threatening even though she isn’t doing anything overtly menacing. She heads to the kitchen and returns with a bottle of very good scotch. A brand Salazar likes.

“How did you get that?” I ask, wondering if she somehow read my notes on the things I need to order for my boss.

“I bought it. With money. Okay, I expensed it to my brother’s account.” She brings it over with two glasses, then pours. “Here. Drink this and tell me. It’s expensive, so make it good.”

I laugh a little at that. Like she cares about the cost. But the scotch is tasty, and it dulls the sharp edge of my miserable humiliation. So I tell her as much as I can, withholding anything too specific about Wyatt’s divorce settlement.

When I’m done, Yuna takes a long sip of her drink. “You like him, don’t you? Maybe even love him a little?”

I say nothing. Acknowledging the situation seems even more pathetic.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.” She leans closer. “Want me to destroy Geneva? I could do that, you know.”

I look at her, wondering if she’s joking. She sounds too serious, but maybe it’s the alcohol making me think that. “Uh… No. I don’t think that’s going to help.”

“Okay.” Yuna considers. “Should I have offered to kill Wyatt?”

The scotch goes down wrong, and I cough as the liquor burns in my throat. “That won’t do either,” I say, gasping.

“Why not? It’ll be satisfying.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that he said no and I’m feeling the way I do. Besides, there’s Vi to consider. I can’t make her an orphan.” Geneva wouldn’t want her without Wyatt’s money. And I don’t want him dead. I just… I’m just hurt he doesn’t think there could be more between us.

Yuna nods, then sighs hard. “You’re right. There’s a line. Bastard. I shouldn’t have given him any of my adult cream pies last night.”

Chapter Fifty-Six

Kim

Wyatt and I don’t see each other for the rest of the weekend—no calls or texting, either. I’m very careful to avoid him. The wound from the rejection is still raw. If he’d at least acted like he was giving it some serious consideration, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much.

Okay, who am I kidding? I’d still be squirming and wondering. But at least I wouldn’t be avoiding him out of humiliation.

I leave for work two hours earlier than normal. As I walk out of my apartment, I look at his door. Maybe I should move. This place is nice, but I don’t need a roommate anymore, and it’s too big for one person. There are other places that are better suited—probably cheaper, too. The only thing I feel bad about is Yuna, but maybe she can move in with her soul sister Ivy. I’m sure her mom won’t be able to pressure Anthony Blackwood to reach her. He doesn’t strike me as the type who would just roll over.

The drive to the office is quick and quiet, the traffic much lighter at this early hour. I munch on a granola bar at my desk and work on Salazar’s expenses. He left me a note to look into classes so he can do the cooking and massage. He also wants to know if he should sing, and if so, I’ll need to hire him a voice instructor.

Normally his unbridled love for his ex-wife makes me shake my head and smile, but right now…

I decide he should sing, although I have no idea how he sounds. Why not? Ceinlys will appreciate the effort no matter what.

His butler Al sends me a text at nine to let me know Salazar’s not coming in because he has a brunch date with Ceinlys. A last-minute impulse decision. I check his agenda. Nothing urgent or that I can’t handle.

I brood some more. Should I have said yes when Yuna offered to destroy Geneva? That would’ve at least solved Wyatt and Vi’s problem. Maybe he couldn’t give my proposal the consideration it deserved because he was too frazzled. I would have been too, if I were in his place.

My desk phone rings. I pick it up. “Salazar Pryce’s office.”