Smokescreen
“Thank you, Marshall. Thank you so much.”
“Sweet baby girl. Never say thank you to me. I’ll always watch out for you.”
“You know everything don’t you?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re the best second Dad I could ever have. If you were here right now, you’d have to pry me off you. I love you so much,” I cry openly.
“That’s all the thanks I will ever need. No one goes after my girls. But I have a feeling your dad and I have some competition. Maxwell McCoy seems to be pretty smitten. I’d even say he’s fallen into the Stella Bella web of beauty.”
“I hope so,” I say softly, eyeing Max at the doorway watching me.
“Bring him over for the holidays. Let’s see if he can handle us before I give my final stamp of approval.”
“We’ll see. I’m not sure his family will be happy with me taking him away.”
“Invite them all, I met them at your birthday.”
“Okay, Marshall, I’ll see what
I can do.”
“You do that and let us know.” Without a goodbye, he hangs up.
Max walks lazily to me and hands me another glass of champagne. Nuzzling in my ear, he kisses a trail to my collarbone and whispers against my skin.
“Are we back to this?” Laci breaks in smiling widely, not sorry for the interruption. “Thought you may like to know, you’re on the news. Seems like every douchelord that reported the story without facts is backtracking. Time to be spectacular, babe. Let’s go!”
“She’s right, time to be spectacular,” Max murmurs.
We walk into the living room hand in hand and see the tail end of a news report. Max and I are pictured in side-by-side photos while the reporter tells that we are cleared in all allegations. Max’s phone rings and Edward’s name pops up on his screen, I nod for him to take the call.
“Edward.”
Silence
“Yeah, I have a lot to tell you. I got the story today. We need to talk.”
Silence.
“I’m sorry your family is being hounded by the press. Actually, I’m not sorry. You did this shit. What the fuck were you thinking? Brian Claxton is an asshole. I fired him for a reason. Didn’t you think to talk to me before going behind my back and believing his lies?”
Silence.
“I don’t care what you thought. I’ve always made decisions based on what’s best for the company. You want to hash this out, fine, but don’t expect me to roll over. I’ve got the whole story and it’s not pretty. It’s time you take responsibility for your fucking actions.”
Silence
“Okay, but I’m bringing Stella. Erica can’t be there. Do you understand me?”
Max must be satisfied with his answer because he hangs up without another word. Scout barks from my mom’s lap and I plop down to the ground for her to come to me. She barrels into me so fast champagne spills onto my lap. She licks it up before turning her attention to me and nudging me with her cold nose. The room goes silent and when I look up everyone is staring at me.
“What?”
“Sweet as fucking sugar. Lucky motherfucker,” Jake mutters.
“This I know,” Max replies, rubbing my head lightly.