“What the hell are you talking about?”
When the phone line remained silent, I checked the screen to find she’d ended the call. Sneaky bitch.
I eyed the door with even more apprehension than before and considered not answering.
The quiet chiming of a cell phone came from the other side of the door. It was followed by murmuring.
“I come in peace.” The voice was soft, despite being pitched loud enough for me to hear easily. It was familiar and warm as a hug. Could a voice hug you?
Pulling my not-fit-for-porn feet under me, I trudged across my living room and pulled open the door to a head full of blonde curls bent over a box big enough to feed a football team.
“I brought pizza,” Otis said unnecessarily, holding it out in offering.
Tobias may have been calling me Angel all day, but Otis with his golden hair, sweet disposition, and cheesy offering was the real gift from God.
Keep cool, Tatum.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, shifting to block the room from my new workmate.
“Well…I know you spent the afternoon with Calix and Toby, so I figured some damage control wouldn’t go amiss.” The boyish grin he flashed at me revealed ridiculously sweet dimples beneath his five o’clock shadow.
Damn, this guy could cause a girl to make bad decisions.
“Can I come in?” he asked, tipping his head toward the box that was probably burning his hand.
I winced. I wanted the pizza, and I really didn’t want to be rude, but letting him in was going to cause a lot of questions.
His expression softened. “Look, I know I’ve shown up out of the blue and you don’t know me from Adam, but in this industry, we need to build trust, especially with a tour coming up. Ruby said Marisa left you with a mess, and I honestly just want to help. If after the pizza, you want me to leave, I’ll leave. Simple as that.”
Cute and smart. Christ, I was in trouble. Wait…
“Ruby told you?” I asked.
He held his cell phone up in response. Right. The phone call. Traitor.
With a resigned sigh, I backed out of the doorway and waved him in.
“Thanks. And I swear, if you want me to leave, I’ll…” He trailed off as he stepped inside and noticed the empty room.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize. Did you just move in?”
“Nope,” I said, moving back to the blanket I’d been sitting on with my laptop as though it were completely normal to live in an apartment with no furniture.
“Oh. I mean…cool. It’s…minimalist,” Otis said, following my lead and sinking onto the floor, placing the pizza box between us.
I snorted.
“Actually, it’s bad breakup chic.”
Otis cocked his head, clearly curious, but too polite to ask. His warm caramel eyes held mine as I debated how much to tell him. I wanted to be the cool, tough manager I was pulling off around Calix with his obnoxious attitude, but Otis made me want to open up.
Danger, my mind screamed, but the floodgates were already open. I told him about the text, the argument, getting fired from my job, and the final stab wound, which had been my return home last night.
“So he took everything except the box of clothes you found on the sidewalk outside? What an asshole,” Otis growled, his pizza slice forgotten in his hand as he flushed with righteous indignation. “Did you call the cops?”
“And tell them what? My ex-boyfriend moved out and took all our furniture? I can’t prove it was mine, and I’d rather never speak to him again. The bank said they’d follow up with the money transfers, but they’re far more likely to bury it than admitfault. I just want a fresh start working with you guys…if I can figure out what the hell Marisa has booked and when.”
Otis grunted. “So, if I hadn’t shown up with pizza tonight, would you have eaten?”
