Come Back for You

“She’s one of a kind,” Lainey says, “but she’s the best grandma and great grandma. The kids adore her. She watches them while I work and they’re at home with her right now. She insisted I come out tonight.” We all talk amongst ourselves for a while, consuming more wine and cheese. I shoot Dean a dirty text, promising him some grade A head later, when Clarissa asks a question that has me choking on my wine.

“So, just how big is Jaxson’s dick?” Clarissa says and Avery chokes on a carrot. Lex pats her on the back, handing her the bottle of wine. She sucks some down.

“Fuck, Riss. Can you give a girl a warning before you ask unwanted questions about her boss’s dick?”

“Oh my god, you have seen his dick!” Lex squeals and Avery’s cheeks turn pink. She’s barely twenty-two and we are not subtle women.

She sucks in a breath.

“Yesokayhefuckedmeinhisofficelastweek,” she says in a rush, trading the bottle of wine for the bottle of Scotch and pouring some down her throat.

“Get it girl,” Lainey says, raising her glass in a toast.

“Fuck yes!” I fist pump.

“Thatta boy, Callaway,” Clarissa says, greedily taking the bottle of Scotch away from Avery. “Now, tell us all about it.”

Avery sucks in a breath. “We were working late one day last week, he has a new client that he’s been working with and their finances were a mess, so it’s put him at the office later and later each day. I stuck around to finish up some filing since I was off from the bar. I popped in to see if there was anything he needed before I took off and one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was sprawled across his desk naked.” Her cheeks turn pink at the admission, and she huffs out a frustrated sigh.

“But he’s been avoiding me all week. He’s already in his office when I get to work and he’s there long after I leave. I think maybe he regrets it.” Her eyes well up with tears and Lex wraps her up in a hug. We all know she’s head over heels for him, the only one who doesn’t see it is Jaxson. “Before that night, he was over at my place all the time. It was always under the guise of needing help with work stuff, but we never really worked. It was us up late, laughing after the kids went to bed. Him in my kitchen making dinner. Now I can’t even get him to open his office door.”

“He’ll come around, sweetie,” Lex says, eyeballing me.

Waiting until later, when Avery is distracted by Clarissa in the kitchen, I grab my phone and fire off a text.

Whitley: I will castrate you.

Jax: Well, hello to you too.

Whitley: What the hell is wrong with you?

Jax: Lots. Be more specific.

Whitley: Uh, a certain secretary…. :eggplant emoji:

Jax: Shit.

Whitley: Yeah Jaxson, SHIT. What the hell?

Jax: Stay out of it, Whit.

Whitley: Bite me, Jax. My girl has a broken heart, and you seem to be the cause of it.

Jax: Listen, it shouldn’t have happened.

I see red. I growl just as Avery flops down on the couch beside me. I tuck my phone under my leg and grab the bottle of scotch, pouring myself a shot.

“You okay?” She questions, brows furrowed. The scotch burns my throat and I cough a little as my phone vibrates again.

“Fine, fine. Excuse me,” I leap off the couch with my phone and go to the bathroom, hitting dial as I shut the door.

“I know, I know,” Jax groans on the other end of the line.

“Don’t you dare tell me it was a mistake, because I will call Fred to come get me and drive me over there. He’d be an accomplice to murder, obviously, but he would be compensated well.”

“I’m just not sure it should have happened, Whit. What if I mess it all up?” Genuine concern laces his voice. I sigh.

“I mean, sure. It could all go to shit. But what if you don’t mess it up, Jaxson? What if it turns out to be the best thing to ever happen to you?”