“Jesus.” Her eyes widen and she glances at me again. “And you dated this woman?”
“I want to say she wasn’t always like this but… she was. She loves a good performance. I think that’s why my mom liked her so much. Imogen knew exactly how to play her and mom was happy, so I didn’t fight it. She didn’t have enough life left to be dealing with me and some crazy woman, so I just let it be. But everything is a performance with her. She loves the attention, and she comes from a family that happily gives in to her.”
I lift my hands and rub at my cheeks, chasing away the tired ache that draws them down. The thought of sinking into a hot bath and then bed is absolutely heaven, but I know I won’t settle knowing that Imogen knows where I am.
“She sounds… intense.”
“She is. She spewed a few lies and they kept questioning me over and over, denying me my phone call.”
“Can they do that?” Calliope’s hands tighten on the wheel. “I thought that was a right.”
“It is. They were just being dicks. I eventually got through to Buster and he cleared it up in seconds. CCTV proves myinnocence. They then just delayed my processing due toshort staffing.” I snort and shake my head. “Bunch of bullshit, but whatever.”
For a brief moment, I close my eyes and soak in the gentle sway of the car as Calliope weaves through the streets and follows the GPS back to my hotel. That coupled with the familiar, calming scent of her is enough to bring a bloom of peacefulness to my chest even as Calliope’s prickliness keeps me alert.
“You had a rough day,” Calliope murmurs.
“It’s fine. It’s over now. Tell me about your day.” Cracking open one eye, I roll my head to the side and watch her.
“You don’t want me to do that.” Her grip tightens on the steering wheel and I open my other eye.
“Why not?”
“Because your day will get worse.”
A sudden coldness beads in my gut and I sit up a little straighter. “Calliope?”
“Mmhmm?”
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” She glances at me and this time, there isn’t a single drop of warmth in her eyes. “What’s wrong… well, let me see. I spent all day twisted up because you spent the weekend with me, fucked me, and then didn’t even call or text. Now I know you were in jail, and as excuses go, that’s a damn good one.”
Her voice is so tight, it’s like she’s winding up to snap at me, and my heart skips up into my throat. A few missed calls and textsaren’t all that she’s pissed about. I can tell by the death grip she has on the wheel.
“What else?” I ask cautiously.
“After getting berated by my boss once again for mistakes that are his fault, not that he ever takes any damn responsibility, I was then dragged into an office and questioned for over an hour by an Amber Limited lawyer. Can you guess why?Yourlawyers. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
She continues before I can answer.
“But you do! Because you’re the one who gave them my name as a suspect for some kind of fraud investigation within the company. Me! Is that why you were spending time with me? I was just a target for whatever shit you’ve found out? I can’t believe this. I invited you into my home, I let you meet mysonand spend time with us, I had you in my bed and the whole time,the whole timeyou were suspecting me of stealing! What did I do that made you think that, huh? Is that why you think I’d know about picking people up from jail? Is it?”
Despite the question as she screeches to a stop outside the hotel, I get the impression that she isn’t looking for an answer.
But this is terrible. This is so, so terrible. It had slipped my mind that my lawyers were going to start questioning people now that I’d signed on the deal to see who was a liability and who wasn’t.
Shit.
“Calliope—”
“Don’t!” She snatches her arm away when I reach for her. “I’m beyond pissed at you right now. I can’t even look at you!”
“It’s really not what you think.”
“Really? Because it feels pretty damn targeted. What kind of twisted man are you, huh? Is that why you spent all that time telling me Imogen is crazy? You trying to discredit her, too?”
For a moment, I can’t speak. I’m caught between anger and shock at the heat pouring from Calliope, and everything about this situation tells me to leave. I should leave, let her cool down, and then come back. But I can’t move.
