“She did Rowan’s nails three days ago,” he says, roaring out a laugh. “Macie’s, too.”
“Great, and this shit won’t wash off.”
“I don’t think it works like that,” he shrugs. “At least you’ll look nice for the staff meeting.”
Meetings are the second most boring thing about this job, following all the goddamn paperwork. At least in a meeting, there are other people around and conversations to have, even if it’s about budgets or developments or the weekly fucking analysis.
Colt does most of the talking in these meetings; he’s more the face of the company than I am. Most people thinkI’m just some stupid party boy with nothing else to offer, so I like to wait until the end and give ‘em the old razzle dazzle, throwing out the numbers. I’m good with numbers.
After the way-too-damn-long meeting, Rowan slides up next to me with a pad of paper in her hand. “Take your lunch order?”
“Nah, thanks, darlin’,” I tell her. “I’m gonna grab something from that ramen place down the street.”
“Ooo, grab me a spring roll?” She asks. Her eyes drift down to my fingers and she lets out a giggle. “I like the nails, Davis. Pink issoyour color.” She lifts her own hand up, showing me her nails. “I went with a nude, myself, but bold works for you.”
“Fuck off.”
I flick the side of her head and head back toward my office to grab my wallet, making my way out of the office and down the street toward the best fucking ramen shop I’ve found in the entire city. I don’t mind walking there on days like this; it’s getting cooler out, but not enough that you need more than a light jacket to be comfortable, and it’s just a little brighter out during the afternoon than usual. The trees are going different shades of orange and red, but they haven’t started to lose their leaves just yet.
“Davis!” One of the owners greets me with a wave as I walk in, lifting my sunglasses to rest on my head.
“Hey darlin’,” I say with a smile, nodding toward a picture on the counter in front of her. “How’s Admiral Neptune holding up?” She loves that fucking cat. Thing’s like twenty years old and looks like he’s been hung up to dry for the past five. I thought she was gonna have an aneurysm when she told me he had to have his teeth taken out last month.
“He’s a brand new man, fully recovered,” she tells me. “Thank you again.”
I wave a hand to brush off her thanks. “I’m glad he’s doing better. You let me know if he needs anything, alright?”
With a smile and a pat to her arm, I work my way through the restaurant to grab a bowl of spicy tonkotsu to go, and a couple spring rolls for Rowan.
The walk back to the office is slower than the walk here, just because I want to spend a little more time out here, enjoying the weather. It’s busier out here, now, with everyone heading out of buildings and trying to get somewhere to grab a quick lunch before they have to get back to their regularly scheduled corporate bullshit, and I can’t shake the feeling that I know the guy walking not more than fifteen feet ahead of me. It’s just the back of his head, but...
I lift my sunglasses, like there’s a chance they’re fucking with my vision, but nope. I studied that stubby little fucker. It’s him, there’s no doubt in my mind about it.
Sophia didn’t have to tell me it was him that night; I’m sure we’ve passed a good handful of Envy’s regular customers when we’ve gone out, and she’s never had that kind of reaction to any other person around us. It was him.
I let go of the bag of food in my hand, letting it drop to the concrete beneath me, and I pull my phone from my pocket to dial a number, bringing the phone to my ear while I follow Lenny’s shiny, silver head.
“This is Colt Fowler,” my best friend’s voice spills from the speaker in his best customer service voice.
“Call Alec and the lawyers,” I tell him. “I’m on Bradview and I’m about to get arrested.”
“Davis, wh—”
I hang up the call, cutting him off, and I slip my phone back into my pocket while I pick up my speed, staying less than four feet behind Lenny. I unbutton my suit jacket, pulling my arms from the sleeves, and I drop it onto the ground while I trail after him.
All I can think about is the way Sophia looked when she saw him sitting there in that restaurant; her usually confident body shrinking down into her chair, the way she picked at her plate and couldn’t look me in the eye. She triedto laugh it off when she told me about someone at fuckingEnvybeing first, but I saw right through that bullshit display.
I picture his slimy fucking hands touching her skin and the way she probably cringed every time he fucking breathed on her. She might not be the kind of girl who needed it to be some big special production, but no one’s pickingthis guyas the first person they fuck. She didn’t give him something that night; he stole it from her.
I unbutton the cuffs of my shirt, rolling the sleeves up to my elbows for a better range of motion, and my fists ball at my sides.
I wonder if she told him no - probably.
I wonder if he listened – probably not.
I wasn’t there that night or any of the nights after, and he’s lucky for that, but I didn’t need to be there to know the things he must have done to her over the years for her to react to him the way she did.
I’m a creative guy, and she’s not easy to shake.
