Page 96 of The Boyfriend Experience

“Wait! Lawton! Let me explain!”

I whirl around. “Explain?” Then I laugh. “Ya know, I believed you, Oaklee. But the things Hanna told me last night have me questioning everything. And you know what? I don’t think I even care who’s telling the truth.” I shake my head. “No, that’s not right. I don’t care. I don’t care at all. I’m getting out of this contract right now. Good luck with everything. And I hope you and Hanna can work your bullshit out. Because the two of you are toxic. To yourselves, to each other, and to everyone around you.”

“Lawton!” she calls.

But I just walk to the elevator, push the call button, and get inside without saying another word.

I’m done with this girl.

I’m done with the TV show.

And I’m done with this game.

The drive over to Jordan’s office near Capitol Hill only takes a few minutes, and that’s not nearly enough time to calm me down after the shitstorm morning I’ve just had.

I take the elevator up to his floor and stop at the receptionist. “I’m here to see Jordan Wells.”

“Do you have an appointment?” she asks.

“No,” I say curtly. “But he’s going to see me. Tell him Lawton Ayers is here and I want to talk. Right. Now.”

“Um…” She stares at me, and I don’t know if I’m scaring her because I look like a thug who just got in a fight, or if I’m kinda pissing her off because I’m being overly aggressive. “OK.” she says. “Let me just check with his assistant and see if he’s available.”

She gets up, walks through the glass doors that separate the offices from reception, and disappears off to the right.

I pace back and forth in front of the desk, gaze wandering to where the girl just disappeared. She returns, followed by another woman a little bit older than her, comes back through the glass doors, and says, “Eileen can help you, Mr. Ayers.”

“Why don’t we go back here,” she says, waving her hand at the glass doors, “and I’ll check his schedule.”

I’m about to say something snarky back, but decide to take a deep breath instead. “Fine. But I need to talk to him immediately.”

I open the door for her, let her lead the way, and follow her back to another reception area where she takes a seat at her desk and punches a button on her desk phone. “Jordan?”

“Jesus Christ, Eileen. What the fuck is it?” Which tells me either he’s either having a very bad day, or Oaklee is already bending his ear about what just happened.

Eileen shoots me a pained expression. “Lawton Ayers is here to see you.”

I know Oaklee is filling Jordan’s head with lies right this moment. So I just take off down the hall in search of Jordan’s office.

“Hey!” Eileen yells. “You can’t go back there!”

“The fuck I can’t,” I mumble under my breath. I peek into offices as I walk, looking for—

There he is! The door opens for me and a tall guy blocks my way. There’s two other men in the office with Jordan, all of whom look like they’re in the middle of a serious conversation.

“Dude,” I say, walking forward towards Jordan’s desk. “Duuuuuuude.”

“I’m sorry! He got past me!” Eileen says from the doorway.

Then one of the guys gets up and says, “And I’m out of here.” And he is, because he leaves.

“What the fuck is going on, Lawton? Oaklee Ryan just called me, seemingly distressed. And why the fuck are you dressed up like a… a…”

“A thug?” I finish for him.

But he just smiles at me. “No. Like a hot dude. Is that a… did you get a tattoo?”

“Oh, that’s funny. Real fuckin’ funny, Jordan. Do you have any idea what kind of game this chick wants me to play with her?”