“Miles Baxter, this is Kendra Colette.” I stood back and watched while they shook hands, and Miles studied her.
“Is your sister Kylie?”
“She is. Do you know her?”
“She’s Lily Bradshaw’s roommate, right?”
“Correct. How do you know Lily?”
Oh damn. Miles and Lily had been in a five-year situationship. I couldn’t wait to see how he explained it.
“We’ve been dating on and off for a while.”
Kendra pointed to the name on the ice, where Baxter’s law office proudly sponsored the Boston Bears. “Any relation to you?”
“Yes. I come from a long line of ambulance chasers.”
Kendra laughed. “Well, your commercials were always the best.”
“It’s great to see Hawk bring someone around.”
“It’s not like Jonathan could avoid me. I seem to turn up almost everywhere he goes.”
Miles caught my eye, and I shook my head. After I broke up with Giada, I had mainly let her spin the breakup narrative. He was the only one who knew the truth. What Kendra just said scarily hinted at a stalking situation. Which was exactly what had happened with Giada. He also wouldn’t have missed her use of my given name.
“We work together,” I said by way of explanation.
“I’m going to use the ladies’ room.” Kendra excusedherself, leaving me to face Miles and whatever question he felt he had the right to ask.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Miles lit into me. “Have you fucked her yet?”
He knew after Giada’s manipulation that I had avoided intercourse. I wished now I had never shared that information with him.
“I’m not sharing that with you.”
“Either way, it’s telling. You like this woman.”
“I do.”
“Is she the reason you held out on committing to the game tonight?”
I responded late to the game invitation, only accepting after I found out Kendra had plans.
“She is.”
“I hope it works out then.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
kendra
Another woman enteredthe bathroom while I was in the stall finishing my business.
She was deep in conversation on her phone. Initially, I ignored her, but it became apparent that she was talking about me to whoever was on the line.
“G, I think she works with him.” She paused while she listened to what the person on the line said. “I heard her call him Jonathan. But don’t worry, this is the first time I’ve seen her. There’s no way it can be serious—no, I’m sure—I’ll do my best to get the scoop—okay—talk soon.”
She left the bathroom without using the facilities, and as I washed my hands, I tried to compare her voice to the voices of the women I had seen in the suite. I debated telling Jonathan, but when I got back, he’d already noticed something was off with my expression.
