“Rhett, darling, so good to see you,” she gushed, and if I hadn’t taken a step back, I had no doubt she would have pushed me out of the way. She planted a kiss on Rhett’s mouth and rubbed her body up against his.
I took another step back and studied my hands, unwilling and unable to look at them any longer. Rhett’s body turned to stone and he took a step back, the only reason why I wasn’t currently engaged in a hair pulling match.
“Violet, I trust you remember Emmi,” he said, waving me closer. I ground my teeth but took the three steps back into the kitchen.
Violet looked me up and down, found me less interesting than the speck of fluff on her suit, no surprise there since I was wearing my usual skinny jeans and tank, and snapped her attention back to Rhett.
“What a beautiful house. Don’t tell me you are finally ready to settle down.” Her hands brushed his chest, and I suppressed a growl. “So what did you have in mind, handsome?”
Rhett pulled me into his side, kissing my head. “Whatever Emmi wants. She’s the boss.” He winked at me, totally oblivious to the tension suddenly taking over the room.
Violet looked ready to sacrifice babies at the altar of Rhett if that meant getting rid of me, and I couldn’t help the smug look from spreading on my face.
“Who’s Emmi?” she had the audacity to ask.
Rhett looked confused and sounded annoyed when he responded. “I just introduced you. Emmi is going to be living here with me, and I want you to work with her on the design. No budget, as long as you okay everything with her.”
Violet looked ready to spew fire. Her eyes narrowed, and she was clearly trying to figure out what exactly Rhett saw in me. “Right. Emmi. Why don’t we walk around and go through the house room by room. I can have a draft proposal for you by next week.”
I just hoped she wasn’t going to trip me on our way up the stairs.
Rhett nodded and released me after a short but wet kiss. “I have to make a few calls. Find me when you’re done.”
There were so many things I would rather do than be left alone with the fire-spitting dragon. She might act professional but I had met a lot of Violets in my lifetime. I bet she would say something about my appearance. Or my age. Because I knew I looked younger than my twenty two years.
“I suggest you go for something similar to his apartment. He likes dark colors, simple forms and leather.”
“And I suggest you let me tell you what I want and then do it without arguing and presuming you know Rhett better than I do.” I wasn’t going to be a pushover, so I refused to simply back down.
She stopped me with a hand on my arm, her nails digging into my skin. “I have known Rhett longer than you. He is a longstanding client and good friend, and I know exactly what he likes.” At that, she smiled at me slyly. “He might want to play with you for now, but he always comes back to me. He likes a real woman, not a child. Once he gets over playing daddy, he’ll drop you. A piece of advice, don’t get too attached.”
Well, wasn’t she just a bucket of sunshine. And here I thought she was going to be a professional. “I think we won’t be needing your services. But thanks anyway.”
I removed her fingers from my arm and turned back to the front door.
“We’ll see about that,” she hissed and brushed past me, sending me crashing into the wall.
When I went outside, she was already pressed against an agitated looking Rhett who was trying to put some distance between himself and Violet. Every time he took a step back, she took one forward. If I wasn’t so mad, I would have laughed at the ridiculous display. When I was within hearing distance, I could make out the last of her infuriating words. “We were so good together. Don’t you remember Paris? It was the best week of my life.”
Barf. I definitely did not need a reminder of the things Rhett did to her. We all had our pasts but there was no need to slap me in the face with it.
When she heard my approach, her head snapped up, her hair hitting Rhett in the face. “Give us a minute,” she barked at me.
“I don’t think so. If I remember correctly, I told you we no longer required your services. Which means get your ass back into your overpriced car and leave.”
“Did you hear that? Are you just going to let her talk to me like that?” The pout on her face looked ridiculous. Nobody over the age of ten should pout like that.
Rhett ignored her and the confusion on his face nearly made me laugh again. He was so smart yet so oblivious when it came to the women that tried to climb him like a stripper pole. I wondered how he could pick up om my moods and always knew what I needed, yet he was an emotional fortress when it came to anyone else.
“Emmi, that was a bit harsh,” Rhett said, his eyes still on his phone. “But if you don’t want to work with Violet I’m sure she can recommend someone else.”
A bit harsh? A BIT HARSH? No, he did not just tell me off in front of her. I didn’t get a chance to respond before Rhett started walking off. “Now I really need to get back to my call. Excuse me.”
He lifted his phone back up and turned his back on us. Not exactly the support I was hoping for. I raised my eyebrows at her and waited. She huffed and puffed up her ruffled feathers before she relented and got back in her car.
Once she was gone I decided I needed a minute and started walking home. Rhett was busy with his call, and I didn’t want to talk to him. Butler was small enough that it would only take me about thirty minutes to get home. I needed time to cool off.
When I made it back, Oma was sitting on the porch swing, waiting for me. I dropped down next to her, and she covered me with half her blanket. I laid my head on her shoulder and we pushed the swing back and forth in silence. I knew Oma had something to say, and she would say it when she was ready. No use pushing her; it was always best to wait her out.
