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“Hi.” Kandace sounded… concerned? “Are you feeling all right this morning? How was the time off?”
Was she fucking kidding me? “I’ve been better. What can I do for you?”
“I was hoping to see you online this morning, so I’m just calling to make sure you’re okay.” She sounded serious.
And like she was having a different conversation that I was. “Besides the fact that Bernie let me go last week, I’m great.”
“Hewhat?” Kandace’s volume spiked.
Apparently he also hadn’t told everyone. “He said I was irresponsible for taking the rest of the week off when you told me to, because I’d been working for him.”
“No. Nuh-uh,” Kandace said. “How the fuck have you not served us with papers yet?”
“It’s been a long weekend.”
Kandace sighed. “You don’t have to respect this request, but I’m asking you to please hold off on legal action. Iwillresolve this, and you’ll be back with us soon. If you still want to be.”
“I won’t make any decisions for a day or so, but I am filing for benefits and putting out feelers.”
“That’s fair. I’ll be in touch soon. I promise,” Kandace said. “And I am so sorry.”
Sorrydidn’t make the situation better, but I thanked her like the professional I was, and hung up.
A text came through from Carly less than five minutes later.Kandace just called me. Begged me not to quit. Is that your doing?
Sort of. I guess, I sent back. Maybe Kandace was serious. Would I really go back to The Raphael Group if they gave me the chance? Not if I had to work for Bernie anymore. Not if I had to put in ridiculous hours and take last minute business trips and surrender a flexible schedule. It might be hard for me to make those demands anywhere, but I’d find someplace that would let me.
A few minutes after that, my phone rang again. My heart flipped and fell flat when I saw Colin’s name on the screen. Now was as good a time as any to start in on the phonywe’re just friendsagain act, until I believed it. “Grand Central Station.”
“No, Mommy. This is the Lane Residence.” Harmony didn’t look up from her TV show.
Colin laughed. “I’m sorry, I was looking for Daria Lane. I must have the wrong number.” Despite his teasing tone, something heavy lay underneath.
I knew what that was like. “Hey. What’s up?” As I spoke, I wandered toward the kitchen, and hopefully away from quite so much eavesdropping.
“I have a lawyer’s name for you. It took a little longer than I thought for Brooke to track something down,” he said.
“Thank you. I’m hoping I won’t need it, but send it over.”
“Dropping it in an email now.”
This was the point where I should thank him again, and hang up. But I liked the sound of his voice. I missed it already. I didn’t want to go. “How are you?”
“I’m okay.” His voice said he was anything but.
“Obvious lie is obvious.” I called him on it before I could think about if I wanted to go down that road. “How are you really?”
“You actually want to know?”
“I actually do.” It was true. I cared and I couldn’t shut that off.
Colin’s sigh echoed in my ear. “Well, I’m incapable of casual sex without an emotional attachment, I’ve been lying to myself for years about my relationship with my best friend, and I don’t know what to do next. Sorry you asked?”
My heart was cracking. Again. But, “No. I’m not. So you and Tanner…”
“There’s nome and Tanner.” Colin’s laugh was bitter.
“I’m sorry.” I needed those words to encompass so much more than they were capable of.
