“Hi, Cary!” Lara shouted from the reception desk.
He waved but said nothing.
She opened the office door and Rory rocketed past them like a furry torpedo. He skidded to a halt, did a double take, and then bounded back with his tail ticking like a metronome.
“Rory!” Cary picked up her dog and closed the door.
Tyler sat at her desk and stared at his vacantWhat did I do?face while her dog sat on his lap like a traitor and licked his face.Aw, that’s cute. No. She shook her head and peered out the window.Would he fit through it?
With every passing second her temperature rose until she broke out in a sweat.
Cary leaned forward in his seat. “I’m sorry, babe.”
Don’t you fucking “ babe” me.
She shrugged. “You don’t have to explain.”
“Explain? I’ve been trying to explain for two weeks. I get it. I’m sorry you’re upset.” He apologized as if he’d stepped on her foot by accident, not slept with his ex.
Her voice came out shakier than expected, “You don’t owe me anything.”
“Wait. Do you think something happened between Emma and me? Are you serious?”
How dare you say her name in front of me! Do you really want to hurt me? If so, mission accomplished.
All he needed was a banner on a naval ship.
“It’s none of my business,” she said, breath smoldering. She doodled a knife on her notebook, and the shower scene music fromPsychoserved as her soundtrack.
“Nothing happened,” he professed. “I swear on Rory’s life.”
The dog perked his ears and tilted his head.
Bite him, Rory.
The blood in her veins bubbled underneath her skin. She’d heard enough lies from musicians to last her this life and the next.
“Emma showed up unannounced, claiming she left a necklace at my place—even though she hasn’t been here in months. I told her to wait outside while I asked my housekeeper. That’s when she snapped the picture of Rory.”
“Sounds like you owe him an apology,” she said coldly, pointing at her dog.
Cary scratched him behind his ears. “Sorry, buddy.”
Rory licked his hand as if to say,That’s okay, and she glared at the little Benedict Arnold.
No more cookies.
“At the gallery you introduced me as someone whoworksat SDM,” she snipped.
“You told me not to tell anyone!” He seemed to catch his voice rising and lowered it. “I mean, obviously Kim knows.” He clasped his hands on his lap. “I wanted to introduce you as my girlfriend.”
Had she been mistaken? She’d shown up to his exhibit a few beers in and ended up in a foul mood after running into Tommy.
That fucking idiot.
Kim was convinced he hadn’t done anything wrong. Maybe it was all in her head.
“I haven’t told anyone here,” she whispered, although the door was shut.
