I promised not to go into the office, but these are extenuating circumstances. It’ll be a cold day in Hell before I sit back and allow a man to make a move on Kiyah while she is legally Mrs. Grant Maxwell Baker.
Chapter Thirteen
Grant
I entered the firm’s lobby and found Daisy speaking to Governor Hopeful Thaddeus Branson Jr.
“So… you’re not lesbians?” Thaddeus asked. I could hear the gears turn in his head as he tried to make heads or tails of Daisy’s explanation of her and her fiancée’s sexuality.
“We don’t like to think of ourselves as lesbians. We’re not attracted to other women—just each other.”
“What about men?” he asked.
“Hmph… I never really thought about it. I’ve only ever been interested in Nori.”
“You’re a Nori-sexual.”
Daisy laughed and slapped Thaddeus’s shoulder repeatedly. “Nori-sexual, that’s a good one, Governor.”
He smiled affably. “I’m not governor yet, but that is the goal. Ultimately, it’s up to the people.”
“Jesus, you look like you want to rip the man’s face off,” Kieran whispered, sidling beside me.
“This is how my face always looks,” I countered.
“Wait,” he said, eyeing me up and down. “Big Bro… are you wearing… sweats? I wasn’t aware that you owned sweats.”
“It’s too early for you to be this annoying,” I sighed.
I admit I didn’t dress to impress, and perhaps I should’ve dedicated more time to grooming myself instead of raking my fingers through my hair and chewing two sticks of gum to cover up whatever morning breath I might have.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pressing the back of his hand to my forehead. “You’re burning up, Grant.”
I shoved his hand away. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine to me.”
“Where’s Kiyah’s phone?”
“I have it,” he admitted, reaching into his suit jacket for it. “I planned on giving it to her when I saw her next, but she hasn’t been home since Monday evening.” I attempted to power on the phone, but the battery was dead. “Aren’t the flowers beautiful? I think Kiyah will like them.”
“She hates pink roses,” I said through clenched teeth as my eyes bore holes through the wife-stealer and the “charming bouquet” displayed at the receptionist’s desk.
Lies. Kiyah fucking loves pink roses. She jokes that they’re the only pink besides my dick that she’ll allow in her life.
“Grant, what are you doing here?” Daisy asked, finally noticing me. “And why do you look like you’ve been on a week-long bender?”
I cleared my throat and ran a hand through my hair for the final time.
This is a bad fucking idea, but as Kiyah says, I always let my emotions get the better of me.
“Good morning, Daisy. I hope you closed out those cases we discussed,” I said with practiced measure—my way of telling her to get the hell back to work. Her eyes widened, and I prepared myself for the excuses.
“I’m… I’m working on th—”
“You must be Grant,” Thaddeus interrupted, outstretching his hand towards me for a polite handshake. I glanced downat it and used the last shred of my self-control to not curl my lips up in disgust. I returned his gaze and noted the amusement that he attempted to hide behind his easygoing politician smile. If his smug smirking wasn’t enough to piss me off, then it was our slight resemblance—blonde hair similarly styled, a strong, punchable jawline, and a suit I swore I had in my closet.
He’s the knock-off version of me.
