LEXI
“Ithink he’s trying to get rid of me.”
“You took him to Florida where one of the local small-town characters called him a kidnapper, then she and your mom got in a fight,” McKenna said with a grimace. “That’s a lot for anyone. I think maybe you need to make it up to him if you want to keep him. Not that you’re not awesome, but that’s a lot for a man.”
“Did you even give him a blow job in the plane?” Grenadine asked.
“There were people in the plane, Grenadine.”
“Better call him and tell him you want to make it up to him.” The elderly woman opened one of the overstuffed cabinets in the small kitchenette. “I think I have a crotchless leather corset around here somewhere.”
“That’s very kind of you to think of me, but I’ll pass.” I let out a tired sigh. “It’s not that I don’t want to go to Grayson, but we just spent a lot of time together, and he is used to being alone. I don’t want to overdo it.”
“Maybe he’s worried that he scared you off,” McKenna suggested.
“He could never scare me off. I’m stubborn. But,” I added, “I think that he needs some closure.”
“Maybe you can convince his mom to talk to him,” my friend suggested.
I wrinkled my nose. “That might be too much. I was thinking maybe I can host a family reunion with him and his brothers. Siblings aren’t emotional land mines like moms, and who doesn’t love a long-lost sibling reunion? I’ll throw a surprise party and—”
“Probably not something you surprise someone with.” McKenna sucked in a breath. “Just saying.”
“You’re right. He needs to be eased into it.” I tapped my chin. “I just need to broach it to him in a nonscary way. Then he’ll see that I do care about him and do want what’s best for him.”
“If any of his brothers are single, I get dibs on the first double date,” McKenna said.
“You need to convince one of them to give us money to move.” Grenadine shook her head. “Priorities, people.”
“How did the protest go?” I asked.
“There was police brutality. McKenna was pepper sprayed.”
“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” I felt guilty that I hadn’t been there.
I’ll make it up to them.
“Grenadine is the one who pepper sprayed me. She was trying to hit the police officer,” McKenna told me.
I opened my laptop and sat down to compose a note. A strongly worded note.
“Are you telling them to go to hell?” Grenadine asked.
“I’m telling them that they need to fix the following issue in the building or I’m involving the press,” I said as I typed. “I have photos, and I am not afraid to start a social media campaign.”
“The power of communication!” McKenna and I high-fived.
“I’ll print it on the nice paper at the office tomorrow and mail it certified.”
“I’m going to go pass the collection plate,” McKenna’s grandmother said, bustling out with a copy of the letter.
What wasthe best way to suggest to someone who was convinced that his little brothers hated him to let me host a party for said brothers? And buy furniture and cater it, because Grayson really needed to start off on a positive note to rebuild the brotherly bond.
I had written a number of notes then shredded them until finally just settled for a good ol’ fashioned ambush.
A few days later, I was waiting around the penthouse for Grayson to return home. I’d lied to Anthym that he had a hot date that night with the mystery woman.
I’d been lying a lot lately. It wasn’t like me, but I had been desperate—I didn’t want my parents to be disappointed in me, I didn’t want to become the center of office gossip, and I certainly didn’t want to lose my job.
