Page 19 of Hitched

“Yeah, but now he’s going to go around thinking that I’m some chump, that’ll cave at the drop of a hat.”

“So, what do you care?”

“Because he’ll always know that he got the best of me. He walked out of there as proud as a fucking peacock.”

“And you’d rather have it like the other night, when you did the same, walking away from him, like you were the one with all the power.”

“I was the one with all the power. And I’ll get the power back, too, mark my words. Caleb Harris hasn’t seen the last of me.”

“Well, you go girl. It’s about time these assholes learned that women aren’t fucking doormats. He can’t just traipse into your office, fuck your brains out, and leave like that.”

“Exactly.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

I shrug. “Well, he came and pissed on my turf, so I’ll go piss on his.”

“Meaning that you’ll go down to his office?”

“I guess that would be the most logical thing.”

“Or, maybe, so that you don’t set the stage for him to think that you’re fair game, go get him in a public place, like at the bar again, or something. Then he won’t get the wrong impression and start unzipping his fly the second that he sees you.”

I consider that for a moment. Sure, the idea has its merits, but I have something else in mind. “I’d much rather take him down at his office. Show him who’s boss there. I think it’ll have more impact than if I catch him at a bar. But I definitely won’t go to his house. Oh, no. That’s clearly making it a bootie call for him.”

“Agreed.”

Caleb

“Da.” I stutter, shock on my face, to see Dougall Harris sitting at my desk when I arrive back from my tryst with Laney. He looks none too pleased as he stares coldly at me. Not scrolling through his phone, not making a call, no, he’s just waiting for me.

He doesn’t greet me with his usual kiss on the cheek and pat on the back. “Your brother called me.”

“Ethan?” Ethan is my older brother, and da’s favorite. I wouldn’t put it past him to shove his nose further up da’s ass and snitch on me.

He ignores my question. “I see Laney crushed you.”

Here I’m thinking that he’s going to tear me in two for being questioned on a murder, but he’s here about Laney. The man is an enigma. “Not exactly.”

“Caleb, you know better than to try to lie to me, son.” He says, clasping his hands together, in a gesture that I know to mean that he is frustrated.

“She might have last night, but I’ve rectified that.”

“And how did you do that?”

“I just paid her a little visit at her office.”

He opens his phone and marks something in his notes. I’m not sure where he’s going with this, but something tells me that whoever he has keeping tabs on me failed him earlier, since he had no idea that I was with Laney.

“And what went down there.” He says as more of a statement than as a question. “Have you at least made some sort of date with her or is that not the way that women work these days.”

“No, I haven’t made a date with her, da. She has no interest in marrying, me or anyone else for that matter.”

He waves. “That’s nonsense. All women want to get married. And you’re quite the catch, Caleb. She’s the perfect match for you.”

My voice is hesitant, but not argumentative. “That may be correct, da, but Laney insists that she’s never getting married.”

“Well, Caleb, then it’s up to you to turn on the charm. There’s a reason why you are the most eligible bachelor. Use that to your advantage, son.”

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