Listen to Me (Fusion 1)

“No need to worry. I’m fine.”

“And Jake?”

I sip my latte and lick my lips. “I’m assuming he’s fine too.”

“Don’t be a pain in the ass,” Riley says with a sigh. “I don’t see you very often. I need to know these things.”

“We’re good,” I reply honestly and watch as Daisy pushes into the restroom. “That’s the third time she’s gone in the bathroom in the past hour.”

“I noticed,” Riley says with a nod. “Maybe she has a bladder infection.”

“Mm.”

“Jake. Don’t change the subject.”

“The past few weeks have been great. We spend more nights together than apart these days.” I wiggle my eyebrows at Riley, and then we both dissolve into a fit of giggles. Just then, Daisy walks back out of the restroom.

“So, he’s good in that department.”

“Oh, girl. Good doesn’t begin to cover it. The man should teach classes on the art of cunnilingus.”

“I hate you,” Riley says with a pout. “You get a rock star and he’s good at sex? No fair.”

“You’re not celibate,” I remind her.

“I’m not banging any rock stars either,” she says with a shake of the head. “But I’m happy for you. I can see that he makes you happy, and that’s all any of us want for you.”

“Plus, he’s not a mooch or an asshole,” I add.

“Right. Those things are important too.” We raise our cups in cheers and sip them just as Daisy walks past us toward the bathroom again.

“Something’s up there,” Riley murmurs.

“So, I’m not crazy.” I sigh and rub my forehead with my fingertips. “I’ll go check on her. She’s either got that bladder infection you mentioned or morning sickness.”

“Does she have a boyfriend?” Riley asks with surprise.

“I have no idea.” I shrug and stand. “These menus are perfect.”

“I’ll send them off to the printer, then.”

“Thanks, Ri.”

I march into the bathroom and come to an abrupt halt as I watch, unbelievably, Daisy snort something up her nose. I’m immediately transported back to my modeling days, walking into trailers and bathrooms, even backstage at runway events, watching models snort coke rather than eat a meal, fighting to maintain both their weight and the little sleep they got from partying too much.

“Am I interrupting?” I ask calmly and cross my arms over my chest, standing in front of the door so Daisy can’t escape.

“Oh my God,” she moans and wipes white residue off her nostrils. “It’s not what you think.”

“I think you’ve been coming in here all morning to snort cocaine up your nose,” I reply and tilt my head to the side. “Are you going to tell me I’m stupid?”

“No.” She hangs her head in defeat and begins to cry. “My mom is really sick.”

“I know.” Daisy’s mom has stage four breast cancer, and Daisy has been caring for her from the beginning. “What does that have to do with you doing drugs in my place?”

“It’s so hard,” she mumbles. “I’m with her all day and I work here all night, and I’m exhausted. The coke just helps me cope with it all.”

“Well, the working-here part is about to change.” My voice is hard and cold. Daisy whips her head up to stare at me with wide eyes. “Did you really think that you’d get caught and I wouldn’t fire you?”

“Please don’t,” she says, crying harder. “We need this job. I can’t lose it.”

“We have a zero-tolerance policy here, Daisy. You’re dealing with the public and their food. You could hurt someone.”

“I wouldn’t ever hurt anyone,” she cries. “Please, give me a chance. I’ll stop doing the coke. I promise.”

“How long have you been doing it? And don’t you dare lie to me.”

She bites her lip, then sighs. “For a while. At first it was just occasionally, but now it’s a lot. I feel like I need it all the time.”

“You’re taking the rest of the week off.”

“But, I need the money!”

“You’re lucky you’re not losing your job altogether, Daisy.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and thumb through my contacts. “I have a friend who works as a drug counselor. I’ll ask him to come here to meet you and you two can figure out an outpatient program to get you into so you can still take care of your mom and work for me, but I’m warning you, Daisy, if I so much as see a little sniffle or twitch, you’re out of here for good.”

“I promise, Addie. I promise, I won’t let you down.”

I hold my hand out, palm up. “Hand it over.”

“ARE YOU TWO okay?” I ask, and pat Daisy’s shoulder. She and Cici’s brother, Dan, are seated at a table in the corner of the bar, ready to talk.

“We’ll be fine,” Dan says with a smile.

“Thanks again, Addie.” Daisy offers me a watery smile and I turn to walk to the bar for a glass of wine.

It’s five o’clock somewhere, for God sake. It’s that or go to the gym to work off some of this energy. But when I look up, there’s Jake leaning against the bar, watching me with worried eyes.

It seems he worries about me a lot.

“This is a nice surprise,” I say with a smile and immediately wrap my arms around him, hugging him tight. “What are you doing here?”