“She will be,” he says, smiling with a devious grin.
“Am I about to get a front row seat to The Taming of the Shrew?”
He winks.
A lot of people might take one look at Tony, at the size of him, and what he does, deciding he must be a meathead. But the guy has a university degree and graduated Cum Laude. He was in a bad car accident not long after he graduated and it fucked with him, took time for him to come back from it. He’s been through a lot in his life and came to work for me at a time when he was feeling low. His loyalty has been proven more than once, but the way he’s been about this? It’s given me more confidence in him than ever.
He fucked up. His feelings for a beautiful woman got in the way of some common sense. I know how that is. And I’m also feeling like he’s learned from it.
41
Violet
Killian walks in as I’m setting a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree.
“Hey, baby.” He approaches, taking his jacket off and setting a stapled paper bag on the counter on his way to me. “How you feeling?”
“Hi,” I greet and get up from the floor. “Hungry. Get my ginger beef?”
He kisses me and then wraps his arms tight around me. “Got it. Fuckin’ missed you today.”
I look into his eyes. “You missed me?”
He nods and puts his lips to mine again. “Spent the day feeling like I was comin’ outta my skin being in another state.”
I caress his jaw and put my lips to it.
“How was your day?” he asks, rubbing his nose along the side of mine.
“Christmas shopping is mostly done. I have one thing left to wrap, but it’s getting delivered.”
“Nice. I guess I have something to get, too.”
“What?”
“A gift for you.” He pokes me on the nose.
“You already bought me the ridiculously expensive, ridiculously awesome SUV.”
“That wasn’t a Christmas gift, it was just transportation. You have fun shopping?”
“You have no idea. So much fun. I wrapped all your gifts in the laundry room so you couldn’t spy on me. Did you try?”
“No, actually. Looked in once this morning when you were getting your shoes on.”
“No snooping,” I say. “Or you’ll be on the naughty list. Oh, I ran into Heidi at the mall today, too.”
“Heidi? Heidi who?”
“One of your employees, silly. She served me at Genesis that night and screwed up the orders? You took my advice and gave her an office job.”
“Oh yeah, her. Right.” He smiles.
“She has the biggest crush on you still. I’m glad she’s worked out after all.”
“Your idea to put her in the back office was a good one. Alana says she’s workin’ out well. Good with computers, with numbers.”
“Would it be weird if I became friends with her? Would you rather I didn’t do that with your employees?”
He laughs. “You went shopping today with Alana and Patricia. Both of them work for me, baby.”
“Right. I know. But I thought I’d ask. I like Heidi. Oh yeah, and then when I was leaving, I could’ve sworn I saw her get into Guy’s car. If it wasn’t him, the guy looked like he could pass for his brother. So maybe I can be chummy with her because if she’s got a guy, ha, get it, a guy named Guy? If she’s got him, I don’t have to worry she’ll try to steal you from me.”
“As if she could.” He rolls his eyes. “But I doubt she’s seein’ Guy. Not his type. What make was the car?”
I shrug. “Red El Camino. Souped up.”
“Guy drives a silver Jetta.”
“Oh. Maybe it wasn’t him. Who knows. Anyway, forget all that. Talk to me about what’s going on.”
He goes to the wine wall and into his liquor cabinet.
“That bad?” I ask.
“No. Not at all actually. I’ll fill you in after you eat.”
“Talk to me while I eat,” I counter.
He shakes his head. “You don’t eat when we’re talking serious shit. You push your food around and lose your appetite.”
“Well aren’t you getting observant,” I mutter.
“You eat while I go make a couple work calls and then we’ll talk.”
“Fine,” I grumble and unpack the bag and crack open a bottle of water before I reach for my light-up chopsticks.
***
We’re in bed, fireplace on, and I’m sifting through Christmas movie choices.
“Wes get ahold of you?” Killian asks.
“Yeah, I filled him in on my schedule the rest of the week. It’s gonna be a busy week.”
“Run it down for me.”
“Tomorrow, I’ve got lunch with Tennille and an appointment with a lawyer.”
“Which lawyer? I want that paid out of our joint account. Not yours.” He points at me.
“My account is also our joint account.” I point back.
“Then, let’s say I want it paid out of the joint account that has more than eighteen hundred bucks in it.”