Page 20 of Letting Go
Damn it, I need to clear my head before my co-worker notices how much my cock wants to consider the angles of Vivian’s breasts, the softness of her skin, and everything else about her.
Dentures.
Cats vomiting hairballs.
Listening to people chew loudly.
I crack my neck and try to recall what Harlow just asked me. When in doubt, pivot.
“What was your take on the interview?” I ask without answering whatever mystery question she asked while I was thinking with my dick like a teenage boy.
Harlow snorts a laugh and tries to cover it up with a cough. “I think Vivian Stone is a grieving woman, not only for the loss of her husband but also as someone who is processing a significant deception by a man she clearly trusted implicitly. She may also be dealing with the embarrassment of the affair becoming public knowledge, which is understandable. As far as the case goes, I didn’t get any inclination that she had a guilty conscious and her reactions were all textbook for what I expected to see today. Well, at least I can say that about her reactions. Your reactions? Now those were surprising.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh huh. You always gaze at women like they are an ice-cold glass of water and you’ve been walking through the Sahara Desert for the last three days.” My head snaps to her—was I that obvious? Harlow breaks out in laughter. “Oh my gosh, your face right now is priceless! Calm down, Walker. No one else would have noticed anything. I was only able to tell you were attracted to her because I’ve known you for so long and well, because I’m me.” She points to herself. “It’s both a perk and a curse of being a child prodigy and all that jazz.”
I can only hope I didn’t do anything to make Vivian feel uncomfortable or her sister suspicious of my motives. Regardless of my attraction to Vivian, I still have a job to do—I just now have a little more incentive to do everything in my ability to keep her safe.
And I suspect, I also now have an absolute angel to dominate my thoughts. Now I can’t help but wonder how she feels about domination …
Dentures.
Cats vomiting hairballs.
Listening to people chew loudly.
Damn it.
Chapter ten
Vivian
It’s a quick drive downtown and I find a parking space less than a block away from the bar. I park and lock my car as I walk toward the best little bar in town. O’Dell’s has the charm of an old Irish pub with the strong drinks to ensure authenticity. As I walk in, I notice MK and Lauren at a high top near the back wall. “Vivi!” Lauren looks beautiful as always in a light blue sundress as she gets up and wraps me in a big hug. “You look hot, mama!” she tells me as I look down at my black tank top and cream paperbag waist shorts I paired with sparkly wedge sandals.
“Thanks honey, I knew I was out with you bombshells tonight so I had to keep up.” I lean over to hug MK whose hair has a fresh blowout, with perfectly manicured nails, and a lacey lilac romper that looks like it was made for her. “If you weren’t one of my best friends, I might have to hate you for being so perfectly put together, MK!” I tease.
“Oh please, go on. Tell me more about how fabulous I am, darling.” She laughs in response as Brittany and Willa arrive, joining our table.
“Our girl is finally home!” Brittany declares to the entire bar as she pulls me into a hug. “It’s about damn time. I’ve missed your beautiful face so much.”
“I’m so happy to be home. Although, I might miss your legendary rage voice note soliloquies. Feel free to occasionally pretendI still live in Chicago whenever you get the itch to vent,” I jokingly tell her.
“Hey, I can’t help it but that last one was totally justified. I’ve ordered the same sandwich from there for six years and they just change their bread out of the blue? Without warning? I was not prepared, and we better change the subject or I’m going to give you an in-person rage soliloquy.”
“And that sounds like my cue for the first round of drinks.” MK waves to the bartender, who brings over a tray of lemon drop shots. “To being blessed with the best girls growing up and being reunited with the best friends a girl could hope for, welcome home, Viv!”
“Woooo! At least we aren’t required to start these nights with straight tequila anymore,” Lauren says as she sets down her shot glass with a grimace.
“Honey, no one wants a repeat of Spring Break 2012!” Brittany declares as we all shudder at the memory. To this day, I’ve never been as hungover as I was on that trip. “Also, Zander is off tonight so I voluntold him to be our driver when we close O’Dell’s down.”
“Voluntold?” Lauren scrunches her eyebrows in confusion.
“Yes, I told him, but made it sound like he wanted to do it, so I voluntold him,” she replies with a wink.
“So he agreed with sober Brittany knowing he would end the night with drunk Brittany in his bed?” Willa giggles.
“Obviously, but no guarantees we make it to the bed, although I will try to keep my hands to myself until y’all are home safely. Really, it’s a win all around!” Brittany laughs as she toasts another round of shots that appeared out of nowhere.
