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“I don’t care. They can fine me, tag the build, what-the-fuck-ever.” I pull a bottle of whisky from my bottom drawer and pour me a shot. I need something to numb both the pain in my hand and my heart. “She said that she didn’t want to be with me past this build,” I say to Darlene, trying to answer her question.
“Why’d she say that? What did you do?” She takes a seat at the desk and stares at me with concern.
“I told her that I lied to her when I said I didn’t know how I felt, when in fact I do know. I love her.” I swallow the brown liquor in my glass and then pour another one.
“Well, that’s odd. Wonder why she chose to end it instead of accepting?”
“Beats me. But I’ll be okay. Thanks for the ice pack. Since she will be here most of the time, I will work out in the trailer. I don’t want to see her or even talk to her. Understand?”
“Brent…”
“Darlene, do you understand?” That cold and calculating part of me was back. Kara’s voice and honey had softened me, but her rejection shut me back down again.
“Yes, sir.”
Darlene leaves, and I pour another drink and slam it in two gulps. This is what I get for taking a leap. I sit in my chair and sulk as I help myself to another. The velvety smooth whisky does nothing for the pain of my heart but make it more real. I decide I need to go back to my room and sleep it off. I grab my keys and realize that her stuff is still there from the weekend. We even sent clothes to be laundered.
“Fuck,” I loudly express the pain that is seeping out in my eyes. My phone rings, breaking the current mood, and I answer a bit gruff. “Yeah.”
“Mr. Phillips, this is Tanner from the Crescent City Suites, and there’s a young lady here demanding access to your room. She seems quite knowledgeable about you, and the staff recalls her spending the weekend with you. Shall we let her in?”
“Yeah, let her in. She’s there to get her things. Call me when she leaves.”
“Yes, sir.”
We disconnect, and my plans to leave are stalled.
“Brent.” Darlene buzzes my speaker.
“Yes, Darlene.”
“There is a large delivery here for the designer. You need to come check it in.”
“That’s not my job,” I say rudely. “I’ll be there,” I quickly recant my previous statement and head down to the loading dock.
“Here are the tables as ordered,” the delivery man says.
I look at him as he hands me the bill and see that the attention is for Kara. If only I’d known how hard I was going to fall for her.
“Where’s the young lady who placed the order?”
“Why?” I question. My tone is completely fucked up, and my attitude matches.
“What my boss is trying to say is that she is off for the afternoon, but she’ll be back tomorrow,” Jerome steps in and replies.
“I understand. A big job like this would make me a bit cranky, too. Anyway, the owner has a card here for her as a token of gratitude for the order.”
I sign for the delivery and hand him the clipboard back. “You can leave it on the bar or give it to Jerome here. He’ll make sure Ms. Brown gets it. I’m heading out for the day. Don’t try to call me.”
I storm out amidst sounds of shock and low-voiced grumbles. Due to my slightly inebriated state, I send for a taxi service. I don’t even wait for the hotel to call me to tell me she left. If we run into each other, maybe she can explain why she freaked out and stopped our relationship before we even got off the ground.
I open the door to my room hoping to see her lying in the bed naked, or sitting in a chair ready to explain, but the room is empty. All of my things are still intact, but hers are gone. The tag from her freshly washed clothes that we planned on taking back to her house is on the desk. The room looks recently cleaned. Fresh towels and sheets, none of the glasses we used are visible, and there is a mint on the pillow. Even the fucking mint taunts me. She used the candy to aid in her blow-job skills. The combination of her soft, warm, and wet mouth combined with a hard piece of candy had me shooting off like a shaken-up soda.
We did have a great time this weekend, and if nothing else, I realize that I was in love with her and that apparently scared her away. I fall onto the bed and I can still smell her perfume. How the fuck am I going to make it through the next three weeks with her around? I ask myself as I stare at the ceiling. Even if I stay in one of the crew trailers, I still have to see her when I check on the progress of the design. I have to talk to her and give feedback when the only thing that I want to know is what did I do to her to make her leave? The random thoughts keep circulating in my mind, serving as the perfect tranquilizer for my mood, and I fall asleep.
