“What just happened?” I ask anyone who can hear me.
“Looks like you’re still my wife.”
“The fuck I am,” I say, storming out of the courtroom.
15
Ajay
The way Whiskey storms out of the courtroom sends a very strong message. It’s abundantly clear that she doesn’t want to be married to me. It’s fine, I get it. She has a boyfriend and wants to move on with her life. I can’t really blame her, but is it really that bad to have to spend a few days a week with me for ninety days?
Katelyn is by my side, hugging me tightly as I watch Whiskey’s retreating backside disappear through the door. Elle’s in front of me as well and Harrison is talking to Saul.
“What a mess,” Elle says.
“Let’s go to lunch and talk about things,” Katelyn says, motioning for all of us to get moving. Once we get outside, I look everywhere possible for any sign of Whiskey, but the foot traffic here is light and she’s nowhere to be found. It pains me to think that she went running to her boyfriend, but honestly, she probably did. I’m simply the pain in her ass that won’t go away.
The drive over to Bailey’s is short but it feels like an hour. I’m watching the passersby, trying to spot Whiskey. I want to talk to her before I have to leave. I need to tell her that I will do whatever she wants during the time we have to spend together. If that means I’m sitting in Bailey’s while she works, so be it. It’s not what I want, but I lost the opportunity to have a say years ago.
As soon as we step into the restaurant, people gasp. Beside me, Elle mutters, “Great, lunch will be lovely with people asking for my dad’s autograph every five minutes.”
“I am so glad it’s not me,” I lean down and tell her.
She smirks. “It will be soon enough. Enjoy the quiet while you can.”
This is one of the reasons why Elle is such an amazing manager, she has faith in us. Not only as a group but also with our individual crafts.
The hostess takes us to our table and tells us that our waitress will be by to get our drink orders.
“Excuse me,” I say, grabbing her attention. “Is Jamie working today?”
“She is, but she’s not here yet. Do you want me to let you know when she gets here?”
“Yes, please.”
“This isn’t a PR nightmare, right?” Elle asks. I don’t know who she’s talking to, so I keep my mouth shut. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Nothing,” Harrison says. “So, Ajay’s married, it’s not like it’s the end of the world.”
“But married and seeking a divorce?” Elle sighs. “The rag mags are going to be all over this. I swear that judge has the biggest bone to pick with you,” she says, looking at me.
“I have a meeting with him in about an hour,” Saul adds. “I’m going to see if we can get the divorce pushed through. It’s not going to do either of them any good to prolong this for three months.”
“We could offer him money,” Katelyn says, much to Harrison and Saul’s disagreement. I like her, she’s feisty, and the fact that she wants to pay off a judge so I can get a divorce is comical.
I sit there while they decide my fate, halfheartedly listening while watching for any sign of Whiskey. It’s not going to matter what I say, they’re going to make the decisions for me because when it comes down to it, Elle owns my ass.
“Until we get this resolved, we need to figure out Ajay’s travel schedule. I have to submit it to the courts,” Saul adds.
“What about the wife’s schedule? Surely, it shouldn’t be Ajay’s responsibility to always be here?” Elle asks.
“I think because of financial situations, Ajay needs to take the brunt of the travel,” Saul tells her.
“That’s bullshit.”
“Don’t cuss at the table, Elle,” Katelyn admonishes her daughter causing us all to laugh.
The same waitress I had the other day sidles up to our table and takes our drink order. After we’ve gone around the table, she puts her pad away and looks at Harrison. “Are you Harrison James?”