“Bet you do,” Garrett scoffed, taking a pull of his coffee.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve unwisely asked.
“Means our music isn’t for tight-assed, limp-dicked fuckers like you. Bet you listen to the Golden Oldies or some shit.”
Obviously deciding that Garrett wasn’t worth his time, Steve’s attention came back to me. “I’ve been texting you for days. I was worried.”
He wasn’t lying. Ever since our date, he’d sent one text message a day. I hadn’t replied because of what was happening between Garrett and me. And keeping secret the fact that Steve was still trying to reach out clearly didn’t sit well with Garrett, because he boomed, “Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”
“Calm down,” I warned. He looked just seconds away from exploding. I held my hands up to stop any more insults before they could be hurled, but Gina jumped in before I could speak.
“He was hitting on Gwen, but she shot him down, sayingshe was already seeing someone. No offense, dude, but you don’t seem her type.”
Steve’s entire frame went rigid. “Then obviously you don’t know your coworker. I’m more her type than this tattoo-covered, foulmouthed Neanderthal.”
Garrett shot up from his stool and crowded Steve against the counter—which was easily done since he had three inches and at least thirty pounds of muscle on the guy. “I’ll show you Neanderthal, motherfu—”
“All right, enough!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Gina, restock the display case.Now,” I ordered, then looked at the two men locked in a stare-down. “Both of you, my office.” I headed for the swinging door that led to the back and held it open, yelling, “Move your asses!” when neither of them followed.
Once both men finally stepped into the small, closet-sized box I used as an office, I slammed the door shut and glared at them both. “What thehellwas that?” I screeched, throwing my arms out to my sides.
“He started it!” they both answered simultaneously.
Bringing one hand to my forehead, I started to rub at the headache building behind my eyes.
“I wouldn’t have gotten pissed if this asshole hadn’t stormed in and demanded to talk to you.”
Steve let out a sarcastic snort. “Excuse me, buddy, but I’m dating this woman. I have every right to ask to speak to her. Just who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m the guy who’s spent the better part of the last week and a half balls-deep inside her!” he thundered in return.
“Garrett!” I shouted furiously. It was a completely unnecessary answer and undeniably inappropriate. It wasn’t his place at all to announce our relationship to anyone without us discussing it first, let alone the guy I’d been ghosting for the past severaldays.
“Is this true?” Steve asked, his voice low and laced with hurt.
I released a sigh, the frustration and anger building anew in my stomach. “Steve, Garrett is Liddy’s father.” I shot the tall blond rocker a killing look. “I would have preferred you found out a different way, but there it is.”
“Is this…?” His attention went from me to Garrett and back again. “Is this a joke?”
“No joke, jackass—”
My hand shot out, my palm stopping just an inch from Garrett’s face. “Stop talking!” I snapped. “You’ve already done enough. Because of you, I have to fix thisandgo out and beg Gina not to spread this news far and wide. Itoldyou she was a gossip. Every reporter in the tri-state area would get their hands on this story simply because she likes to talk. This could have all been avoided, but you just had to piss all over your territory, didn’t you?”
“That’s not—”
“Just stop!” I demanded. Then, just as quickly as it came, my fury petered out into heavy exhaustion. “Go home,” I said quietly. “I’ll talk to you later tonight.”
Garrett took a step in my direction but I backed away. “Go. I’m serious. This is my workplace, not the set of a goddamn soap opera.”
He stared at me for several seconds, his green eyes flashing unhappily. When I didn’t say another word, he took his cue and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
I almost forgot Steve was still in the room until he spoke up. “You had achildwith that guy?” he asked, his tone twisted with repulsion that set me immediately on edge.
“I did,” I answered rigidly, suddenly defensive of the man in question. It was one thing for me to be angry with him and fly off the rails. It was quite another for someone else to speak badlyabout him. No way in hell would I tolerate that. “And before you say something that’ll piss me off, you should know he’s a good man.” Then I quickly amended, “No, he’s agreatman.”
“He’s a pig! Those tattoos… and thatlanguage. Really, Gwen? He talks like that around Liddy?”
He’d officially gone too far. “Don’t youdarequestion his integrity as a father!” I seethed. “That man treats my daughter like she’s a princess, and she worships him for it. I didn’t keep his existence a secret because I’m ashamed of him. Far from it. I kept it quiet because I didn’t want the media to invade Liddy’s life. I understand that you’re probably upset right now, and I get it if you never want to see me again, but I’m asking you to keep everything you found out today to yourself. If not for me, then for Liddy. She doesn’t deserve to have her picture plastered across magazine covers.”
