Page 59 of Just One Night Together

His lips tightened and for a moment, he looked exasperated. Then he was impassive again. The man of stone. “We have a dance club at F5F,” he admitted. “I hate bars. I hate that social scene, but I was reminded today that I haven’t been doing my part in taking Friday night shifts at the club.” His voice hardened and his eyes narrowed. “No one tells me that I’m not playing for the team.”

“You can’t smoke in bars.”

“But you can smoke outside of them and people do. The cloud is incredible and it’s inescapable.”

“They shouldn’t smoke near the doors.”

He almost smiled. “It’s winter. They do.”

She considered him, knowing that his partners’ accusation had stung. “They accused you of not doing your share?”

He nodded once.

“But it’s because you come to visit your mom.”

“Yes.” Damon bit off the word, which made Haley remember Khadija’s comment. He poked the button to set the elevator in motion again and his eyes glittered when he glanced at her. “So, I did my part tonight and no one has cause for complaint. End of story.”

“I don’t think so.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Haley folded her arms across her chest. “How can you be playing for the team if you haven’t told them about your mom?”

“It’s none of their business.”

“They think she’s your date.”

“I know.” His eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

“Cassie told me when I went to the massage class.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise.

“I didn’t ask. She was venting a little. People tell me things.”

“That’s good to know,” he growled and she knew he wasn’t pleased.

But Haley wasn’t going to let him change the subject. “If they knew she was your mom and that she was in the oncology ward, no one would accuse you of not pulling your weight.”

Damon gave her a cool look. “It’s not their problem. They don’t know and they aren’t going to.”

“I thought they were your friends.”

“More or less.”

“And your partners.”

He nodded.

“Am I right in guessing that they’re the sum of your emotional support network, other than your mom?”

“I don’t have an emotional support network because I don’t need one,” he snapped.

“Everyone needs one,” Haley snapped back. “Especially when the person closest to them in the whole world is going to die.”

Then she caught her breath that she’d been so tactless as to say the truth out loud.

Damon didn’t say anything.

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