I’ve just hung up with my fourth call in the last twenty minutes when someone knocks on the door, and I silently groan, banging my head onto my desk. “I’m not here,” I call out, assuming it’s Tabitha again.
“For me, you are. I’m coming in.” My head snaps up at Keeley’s voice and my mood lifts.
“What makes you think you’re so special?” I ask as I get up from my desk and walk toward the door, instantly regretting my words since I’ve yet to figure out if we can joke anymore.
“We both know the answer to that.” Keeley winks and I relax. “Now move out of the way; I need to sit down.” She ducks under my arm, and her wildflower perfume assaults my nose, the familiar scent working like a drug, warming me as I breathe her in.
“That was awful this morning, but you handled it well. How are you feeling?” She launches straight into work talk as she sits down on my couch, and though it shouldn’t, it catches me off guard.
I close my office door and hover near the entry, hesitating as far away as possible.
We haven’t been alone in my office since I kissed her weeks ago, and for some reason, I assumed this moment would play out differently.
Our working relationship may have returned to normal, but this office will never be the same. “I’m fine,” I recover, lying. “As you said, I handled it, and we can move on.”
“Can we?”
“Yes.”
“Sal, I was calling your name from the moment you walked away and you didn’t hear me. The only reason I didn’t barge in here sooner was because Wes needed me.”
“Come on.” I finally leave my position near the door, walking behind my desk. “That didn’t happen.” It’s not possible. Keeley only has to whisper and I pay attention.
“You’re allowed to admit when something affects you.”
“I’m fine,” I growl, standing taller as though that will prove my point. “Zane’s the one you should be worried about. They ripped him to shreds back there.”
“No, they didn’t. Theytried. You protected him.”
Of course I did. Apparently being cleared of any wrongdoing in Landon’s death meansnothingto the media, along with some of our less forgiving fans. Zane’s been forced to relive every dark moment of his past over and over since the case was ruled an accident, and I have to give him credit—he’s handling it better than I would.
Although, for all I know, he’s slamming the door when he gets home, wanting to bang his head against the wall like I am.
I’m thankful he has our team to support him. And, as Keeley’s gaze softens, as though privy to my inner musings, I’m grateful I have her.
If anyone truly believes that women are the lesser sex, they are sorely mistaken. The women in my life are among the strongest people I know. Men, including me, would be lost without them.
“I did what anyone would have done in my situation.” I shrug and Keeley scoffs incredulously.
“Sal, they brought up Paige and Camilla.”
“They did,” I say calmly, thinking back to the moment they mentioned my ex-wife. “I handled it. Now it’s time to move on.”
“You can hide your feelings from the world as much as you want. You can’t hide them from me.”
“I’m fine. Was it shitty to have my faults thrown in my face? Yes. Of course it was. Doesn’t mean I have to dwell on it after.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll drop it. After one last point.”
I glance her way, my lips curling into a small smile.
“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t always have more to say.”
“Exactly. And you better damn well listen.”
“I always do.”
“Good.” She stands up, walking toward my desk, and I subtly step back. “You are not the man they described back there. That’s the Sal from five years ago. Don’t let those fuckers get to you.”
