I send her a text on Signal, but it doesn’t show she’s read the message.
Meaning she’s turned off her personal cell, and I’m not about to have a couple’s meltdown on her work cell.
Public records, yo.
Before I leave, George leans in for one more kiss from me. “Come home with me. Please?”
“Let me try to fix this with her first, Sir.”
He nods. “Okay. She reallywasworried about you, though. She asked me if I knew why you’d left early, if you’d cleared it with me or not. Then she tried calling your work cell. After she tried texting your personal phone, she stopped by your place and saw you weren’t there, but your car and wallet and stuff were.”
“Yeah, because I went running.”
“She didn’tknowthat. She overreacted, yes. She knows thatnow. Give her brownie points for caring though, huh?”
One more kiss, then I leave the office and head home—again.
When I get there, Casey’s car isn’t there.
“Oh, you gotta beshittingme.” I call her work cell from my work cell and wait for voice mail to pick up.
I keep my tone neutral. “Ms. Blaine, this is Declan Howard. I know it’s late, but I need a quick follow-up discussion with you about this afternoon’s meeting, please? I would appreciate a call tonight as soon as you receive this message.” I brain-fart, wanting to add something to that. I gentle my voice. “I really did appreciate the water. Thank you for that. Please, call me.”
With a sigh, I duck my head against the rain as I run inside. I’m not going to embarrass myself and drive over to her house tonight just to find she’s locked me out of the gate codes or something.
I could go to George’s, but without having this resolved between me and Casey, I’m afraid there’s going to be emotional spillover we can’t afford.
I call George’s personal cell via the Signal app.
“That was fast,” he says.
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t talk to her?”
“No. Her car was gone when I got home.”
“Funny. I just came downstairs with the detail and I’m looking right at it as we speak.”
“Sonofabitch. I’m on my way back. Keep her there.” I hang up and turn around, practically hit the front door running, back out into the rain to my car.
Igetit. She’s got issues, too, but we’re trying to run a fuckingstatehere.
When I return to our office suite, George is there.
“I thought you were leaving, Sir?”
He sits back in his chair, an evil smile on his face. “I was, but I need to hear how this plays out.”
“Not with me bent over her desk this time.”
He fakes a pout. “Aww. Sad panda.”
I roll my eyes and turn, stalking down the hall to her office.
Door’s locked.
It wasn’t a few minutes ago when I was up there with George, and it’d been standing wide open.
