Chapter Twenty-Five
Aidan
It had beenthree days since Jane heard the news. She had a late afternoon meeting with her agent to sign papers and then I was taking her out for a night of celebration. She was still constantly pinching herself, and I couldn't blame her. It was a big fucking deal.
I had showered and finished dressing. I decided to play some video games while I waited for her to come home. Two seconds after I sat on the couch, there was a knock on the door.
"That was fast," I said loudly so she might hear it out in the hallway. I'd expected her to be a few hours longer. I opened the door.
Diane from marketing and Bonnie from shipping were standing in the hallway. Diane marched in on her high platform shoes, without waiting for an invite Which was usual for Diane. Bonnie was barefoot, with her heels dangling from her fingers.
"Oh my God, this place sucks, Aidan. How can you stand it?" Diane went straight to the refrigerator for a beer.
I hadn't noticed the grimace on Bonnie's face until she stepped farther into the apartment. She held the shoes out as if they might bite her. "Gum. All over my brand new shoes. I'm so disgusted I want to just throw them in the incinerator. Do you have one in this building?"
Diane emerged with her beer. "No, don't burn them. I think they can still be saved. Aidan can clean them for you. He has strong fingers."
I returned to my game. "Sorry, I'm with Bonnie on the incinerator. Only this building doesn't have one."
Diane pulled up a kitchen chair to the television. Bonnie went into the bathroom with her gummy shoes.
Diane watched me as I played the game. "You clean up so pretty, big guy. Expecting company?" She sat forward. "Ooh, are we going to meet the new girlfriend? Chase said she's very cute. When is she coming?"
"Sometime after you leave."
"Ah, that's no fun."
"Where are you two headed?" I motioned toward her leather mini skirt. "You look like you're ready for a night of dancing."
"Yep. That's where we're headed. Only now my wing girl has bare feet. So Chase says she's a movie star or something like that," Diane continued.
I sighed and put the game on pause. "She's an actress. She's going to be starting her first big role soon."
"How cool. Aidan and the movie star. I still can’t believe all you guys are settling down with women. I thought you'd be running the playboy circuit until you were all too old to get it up."
"Ugh, I hate gum. What kind of pig leaves his gum on the sidewalk?" Bonnie complained from the bathroom.
Diane tilted her head toward the hall. "She has a big crush on Heath."
"She's not alone. He's quite a distraction in the warehouse."
"I'll bet."
Bonnie came out of the bathroom and dropped her shoes on the floor. "They are ruined. I hope you've got something strong to drink somewhere in this apartment because those shoes cost me a week's pay."
My face shot up. "You're kidding, right?"
"I wish I were." Bonnie went to the kitchen to look for something to drink. She found a bottle of tequila. "Jackpot."