I grabbed her and pulled her up. “We need to talk. Now!”
“Ah, okay. Ladies’ room?”
Shaking my head, I searched for Tucker. When I found him talking to some blonde, I dragged Terri behind me and made my way over to him.
“Be right back, Jim!” Terri called out over her shoulder.
Tucker ignored me when I stopped in front of him. “Excuse me, Tucker?” I asked politely.
The girl looked my way, but he didn’t. “Tucker. I need to ask you something.”
He turned his body slightly away from me and kept talking to the girl.
“Oh, look at you acting like a ten-year-old. Who’s in grade school now?” I spit out.
He whipped back around and pointed to me. “You drive me nuts! I swear if I could sew your fucking mouth shut, I would.”
I gasped and turned to the girl. “Did you hear what he just said to me?”
She shook her head. “I certainly did. Asshole.”
I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as we watched the pretty young thing stomp away.
“What in the hell is your problem, Charlie? Jealous that someone other than you was getting my attention?”
With a roll of my eyes, I responded. “Hardly. I need to use your office. It’s an emergency.”
He stared at me like I was nuts.
I sucked my lower lip in for a brief moment, then said, “It’s about my parents.”
Ugh. I didn’t want to use the my parents just died card, but I knew he was pissed at me and wouldn’t let me in his office if I didn’t. Plus, it was kind of true.
His eyes softened immediately and for a moment I saw something pass over his face. It was too quick for me to catch it before he went back to giving me a blank stare. The same one he had mastered so many years ago.
“Sure, no problem. It’s down the hall to the back, the passcode is the year we graduated college.”
I gave him a sweet grin and then dragged Terri down the hall with me. As I typed in the passcode, I shook my head. “He really needs to change this. Anyone can figure it out. He uses this as his passcode into his office and he thinks he can run a bar.”
I knew damn well Tucker would be great at running this place. My pride made me act like a bitch, but deep down I was so proud of him for following his dreams, not caving into his father’s demands, but doing what he wanted to do. I actually envied him, but I’d never let him know that.
“Will you please tell me what is going on?” Terri pleaded.
The door opened, and I pushed her in, causing her to stumble.
“Oh my God, Charlie! What has gotten into you?”
My eyes scanned the room. I swore I heard angels sing when I saw it.
Rushing around his desk, I grabbed the degree off the wall. “There it is!”
Flipping it over, I showed it to Terri, who pinched her thumb and finger between her eyes and asked, “What are you doing?”
Ignoring her question, I placed the frame on the desk and started to take off the back.
“Oh my God! What are you doing? You can’t take that, Charlie! What is wrong with you?”
I stopped what I was doing. Shit. She’s right. I can’t just show the board a degree. I have to show them a relationship. A real relationship.