Page 63 of As a Last Resort
“Let me do some digging.Just because Glenn put him on Oakstone doesn’t mean he’s already made up his mind.It could be a test.There’s got to be something else here.”
There wasn’t anything else here.My boss was giving my work nemesis my project,andmy promotion, and I was stuck in Florida for two more weeks.
“Are you still breathing?”she asked.
“Barely.”
“Give me the weekend and I’ll find out what’s going on and call you Monday.”
“Great.Don’t mind me, I’ll just be sitting here on my wicker couch that has blue starfish screen-printed all over it.”
“Oh, God.It does?”
“Only in hell.”
I hung up and closed my eyes.As much as I tried to find a work-around in my head, I could only land on one sure thing.There was no way Glenn would use Oakstone Springs as a test for Robby.It was too high stakes and too high profile a case to gamble with.Glenn had already made up his mind about the promotion and he was showing off his new shiny toy to the largest client we’ve ever had.
I needed some air.I pushed the screen door open and walked out onto the patio.The sky was starting to lose its blue hue, turning into a hazy honey color as the sun set.
I needed a distraction.Bottom line.
ME:Feel like going out tonight?
LEXI:Ugh I wish!Plans with the in-laws.Everything OK?!?!
ME:Yeah.Rough day.
LEXI:I’m sorry.I’ll call you later!
There was only one other person on the island I could think of that would be the perfect distraction.
ME:How do you feel about a plus one for tonight?
AUSTIN:you down for harpoon’s
ME:If they still serve alcohol, yes
AUSTIN:pick you up in 20
ME:
21
AUSTIN
A zing shot through my chest when her text came in even though I stood ankle-deep in puke.On the last ferry over, someone got sick and spewed on someone else’s suitcase.It was a mess.It happened more frequently than one might think.I was inclined to just head home and get ready for the early morning, but I wanted to see her again.I warned her my typical Thursday night probably didn’t look like hers.After the last run, Patrick and I usually head to Harpoon’s to celebrate the slew of tourists who would make the trek to the island to start their weekend.
“It’s just Harpoon’s,” I said to her as she hopped up in my truck in a tight gray dress.She said she felt like “celebrating freedom from the constraints of corporate America,” whatever that meant.My radar was up.I wished I had a random sweater in the car to throw over her.
I walked into the bar holding my breath.Sam would stick out like a sore thumb in this town on any given day, but especially in two square feet of fabric.And she had a confidence about her that was intimidating.Not a lot of women walked around like that here.I didn’t think she actually knew how objectively pretty she was.I couldn’t stop looking over at her.It felt like I had a ticking time bomb sitting on the truck bench next to me and if I hit a pothole, she’d explode.
The bar was packed as usual.All the locals poured in right from the docks after a day on the water, and the smell of sea salt and sunscreen filled the air.And just like I thought, the entire bar swiveled their heads around like a two-headed dragon had just walked in.
A two-headed dragon in heels.
I stepped closer to her and put my arm around her waist to guide her to the bar.I told myself I wouldn’t take my eyes off her all night, just in case.But apparently neither would every other set of eyes in the room based on the low catcalls that came clawing across the floor.I stepped closer to her.I didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea—she wasn’t some prize up for the highest bidder.Not that I had the right to be upset about it.She wasn’t mine either.
She walked right up to the bar, ordered four shots of tequila from Becky, who gave me a side-eye look, and slid two over to me.
