Page 81 of Talk Wicked to Me

“Have a good one,” he called back, surprised Evie hadn’t said anything about the cookies Emerson had given him to share with them. He wondered if Evie had already left, but she usually touched base with him before leaving for the day. He noticed the door to one of the exam rooms was closed. She probably hadn’t heard Tori.

He opened the door, and Evie and Quinton startled, both of them taking a step back.

What the…?

“Hey,” Evie said a little too breathily, smoothing her hair. “We were just going over the lab reports for the Davises’ dog.”

Lab reports my ass. He eyed them.

“Baz—” Quinton started, but Evie cut him off.

“I wanted to talk to you.” She grabbed Baz’s arm, tugging him out of the room. “Let’s go to your office.”

He gritted his teeth as they headed down the hall.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said as they walked into his office.

He closed the door, watching her pace nervously. “That he should’ve come to me. That you should’ve come to me? What the hell, Eves?”

“Don’t get mad at Quinton. I asked him not to say anything. I wanted to tell you myself, but we’re so busy during the day, and you’re never around after work anymore. Not that I’m blaming you. It’s totally my fault, but these last couple of months, you’ve been out of here as soon as we’re done for the day.”

His thoughts stumbled. He tried to remember the last time they’d hung out after work like they used to several times a week. She, Quinton, and Tori were at the Salty Hog a few weeks ago when he’d gone with the guys after a meeting, but now that he was thinking about it, Evie hadn’t been as chummy with him as she usually was. Shit. How had that happened? He didn’t have to search far for the answer. This was on him. Emerson and Brennan were always front and center on his mind, and even when he was out with everyone else, he wasn’t as present as he used to be, because he wanted to be with them.

“You could’ve asked me to stick around or texted me to meet you somewhere to talk.”

She crossed her arms and uncrossed them. “I could’ve, but for the first time, I didn’t know what to say.”

He looked at the woman who had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, and he didn’t like the rift that was developing between them. Not to mention that an office romance complicated everything if it went bad, and then there was protecting Evie from getting hurt, which he’d always done. How the hell was he supposed to navigate this?

“Fuck.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “How long has this been going on?”

She stopped pacing and shrugged. “A few weeks. Several, maybe.”

“Holy shit, Eves. How could I have missed that?”

“It’s not your fault. You weren’t there when it started, and until tonight, we’ve been really careful in the office.”

His protective side took over. “And the start of it? Was it consensual? He didn’t push you?”

“Not at all. He’s every bit the good guy you used to talk about.” She started pacing again. “We were at the Hog with everyone one night and we ended up talking for hours. We had a lot in common, and it was fun. It was better than fun. He’s smart, and interesting, and he’s a great listener. Like you. He drove me home that night because I’d gotten a ride with Mads, and I asked him in. One thing led to another—”

He held up his hand. “I don’t need those details.”

“We just talked, Baz. We talked until five thirty in the morning, and we had dinner the next night, and things progressed from there. It’s not serious. Or maybe it is.”

He arched a brow.

“Okay,” she said reluctantly. “I want it to be, and I think he does, too, but…” Her brow furrowed. “Are you mad?”

He took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly to center his thoughts before responding. “No. I want you to be happy, and I know Quint’s a good guy. But this complicates things. You know that. If this goes south, then we’re out a vet. Or worse. I’ll lose you.”

“You’re not at risk of losing me if things don’t work out. He and I have already talked about it.”

“I’m not trying to piss on your parade, but the timing of this couldn’t be worse. If you guys break up, it’ll fuck up my travel plans.” He’d been struggling with the idea of leaving, but he’d made a commitment, and he was a man of his word.

“You’re still going?” She looked shocked.

“What do you mean, still?”