“I mean, not to get all deep and sentimental, but…you can’t fuck your way out of a lonely heart. Trust me, I know from experience.”
I took a long sip of my drink.
He was right. I couldn’t fuck my way out of a lonely heart. But I sure as hell fucked my wayintoone.
Chapter 41
My foot tappedagainst the floor inside the Ashbourne Investments office building as I pinched the bridge of my nose while holding my phone to my ear.
“Mor—”
I held out my finger to Brian, and he went silent.
“Garrett, I swear if you’re not here tomorrow—yeah, and you’vebeensaying that. You were supposed to start thisthree days ago, but you keep bullshitting me around with excuses. If you can’t do the job you were hired to do, I’ll find someone else who can. We are all on a timeline. Other people sticking totheirtimelines requiresyouto stick toyours. If you’re not here tomorrow, you can consider yourselffired. And thenyoucan explain to your boss why you lost his company such a big contract.” I didn’t wait for him to speak before I ended the call.
“So, you’re firing my subs now?”
I turned to look at Brian, seeing the glint of amusement in his eyes and the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. As the general contractor, all of the subcontractors went through him. Ihad no authority to fire anyone, and we both knew it. “Well, maybe hire some competent subs, and I wouldn’t have to,” I retorted.
Brian held his hands up defensively with a chuckle. “Whoa.”
“Sorry, but you know I saved you that phone call.”
I turned for the front door, hearing him laugh behind me. “See you tomorrow, Sunshine.” My hand flew up in a wave before I pushed my way out the doors.
I made it through my first month in Miami, but I’d been on edge the past week, not because of the project—that hadn’t been going bad save for a few minor bumps, like Garrett, the current pain in my ass. I couldn’t explain why I was so frustrated and testy, but I was.
I got in my car and rested my head against the seat, letting out a slow breath as I closed my eyes. I needed to take up meditation yoga or something. When my phone chimed with an incoming message, my eyes flew open, and I quickly reached for my bag, pulling it out—I deflated slightly when I saw the message from Naomi, my new friend here in Miami, letting me know she was on her way to meet me.
I started the car and put in the address to an outdoor shopping area where I was meeting her; I only had half a working day at the site today because I was waiting for people like Garrett to get their shit together, so we’d made plans for lunch.
I pulled up beside her car ten minutes later and got out to see her standing on the sidewalk, waiting for me. “You look stressed,” she said with a chuckle.
“Nothing an afternoon margarita won’t fix.”
She laughed, linking her arm through mine. “That’s the spirit.”
Naomi was Marcelo’s girlfriend. I met her the first night he’dinvited me out for drinks, and we hit it off. She showed me around Miami, and she and Marcelo had been making sure I got out of the hotel, always inviting me out with them and their friends.
After lunch and a much-needed margarita, I walked with Naomi outside the shops that lined the sidewalk. I saw her check her phone when it pinged with a message, and based on the smile on her face, I knew who it was from. “Marcelo sending you middle-of-the-day love messages?” I quipped.
“He always does,” she said with a chuckle as she typed back a response.
I felt a pang of jealousy and unfamiliar longing in my chest but quickly pushed it away. “I know I haven’t known you all but a month, but you two seem really good together.”
She smiled as she slipped her phone back into her purse. “Thanks. He can be a pain in my ass, but I love him.” She cast me a curious look. “I know you said you didn’t have a boyfriend, but is there asomeone?”
I scoffed with a chuckle. “No. No, there’s nosomeone.”
“No? Not even a recurring fling?”
I let out a breath. “I mean…not unless you count an arrangement of sorts as a recurring fling.”
Naomi smirked. “An arrangement, huh?”
“Yeah, just…a mutually beneficial thing to get a release when we need one.” Which had been a lot, apparently.
“Hm,” she hummed with a smirk. “Interesting. And how long hasthatbeen going on?”
