Tonight, she went out of her way to make sure the fight at the club hadn’t ended up in disaster. It was likely still going to though. I sighed and rubbed my thumb over the bridge of my nose thinking about damage control. Toby was going to be mad as hell, but I would have to deal with it tomorrow. Tonight, I had assaulted a potential client and almost definitely lost a half-billion-dollar contract but the only thing on my mind was Artemis James. She was putting a wall between us. I knew that it was artificial, we were definitely making strides in our relationship, but she was trying to sabotage it. Why?
Apparently, she wasn’t ready for romance, but she had been in the past. What was different this time? I had seen her with men online and I was going to guess there were more that she had never been photographed with. I knew that judging her from what I had seen online was not fair, but it was all I had to go off of. She said that she wasn’t ready for romance, but I felt like she was afraid of making another choice that ended up in failure.
As cliché as it sounded, I felt like her tune would change if she met the right man. Who the hell was the right man though? A woman like her dated guys at the absolute top of the food chain. Famous men, rich men, powerful men, where did she go from there? What more did she want?
When I thought about the kind of woman I wanted to be with, I never pictured her. Physically, she checked everything off the list but who she was as a person was miles away from who I imagined myself with. I didn’t have much of an imagination when it came to my future partner anyway, but she fulfilled what I didn’t even know I was looking for. She was what I needed. I couldn’t just give up. If I thought that she was being truthful about what she felt then I would, but I thought it was a convenient lie so she wouldn’t have to deal with things she didn’t want to.
How did I even start telling her all of the stuff? A lot of people wanted significant others because they were lonely. They didn’t have family or real friends around, so they needed someone there for them. Missy had those things. She had a job that she seemed to love and a group of friends that she definitely loved and who loved her. She didn’t need me, which was a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. I needed her.
Having sex with her was nice, in fact, it was great. I didn’t want to stop, but it wasn’t going to be enough for much longer. It already wasn’t enough. Today she sent me home after sex and I didn’t know how to feel. I wanted what she was keeping from me. Her need for romance. Her heart.
22
Artemis
I looked through my tinted glasses over the restaurant patio. It wasn’t that bright if we were being honest, I was just more hungover than I thought I would be after last night. I identified the table where Maggie, Brenna, and Eddy were and walked over. Brunch after ladies' night had become a part of the tradition. It was soothing to meet up and nurse our hangovers together. Well, Eddy, Maggie, and I would be nursing our hangovers. Brenna, since she was still breast-feeding wasn’t drinking. That meant she looked as fresh as a daisy when I came up to the table, while the rest of us looked like we had survived the nuclear winter and were barely hanging on.
“Finally, she graces us with her presence,” Brenna said. They had already ordered a round of drinks. As recently as this morning, we had discussed whether Maggie would be invited to our post ladies' night brunches. The answer was a unanimous yes. Just hours ago, we had added her to the group chat.
“What are you so happy about?” I playfully sniped at her as I took a seat.
“Well you disappeared without a word last night, it’s only natural that we’re curious what happened to you,” Eddy said. I knew just what she was referring to, but I didn’t bite. Last night had been amazing, except for the whole fight part. That had been humiliating. Easton had made up for it though. Besides the hangover, I was in a splendid mood.
“What happened after I left?” I asked.
“Do you mean with the guy who was trying to impregnate you on the dance floor last night? Well, it looks like another fight was going to start between him and that other guy who said he was Easton’s friend. They managed to de-escalate the situation by applying more alcohol and the guy ended up getting thrown out of the club anyway since he got too handsy with another girl, so… great night,” Brenna said.
“He was a mess. Throwing up all over the place. Making an ass of himself. Awful.”
“What about Toby?” I turned to Maggie since I felt like she was the only one who was familiar with him.
“I didn’t talk to him or anything, but he was very upset when you and Easton left. With the way the night turned out though, I don’t think he and the guy who was messing with you are going to talk again. I believe we witnessed the end of a friendship last night.”
“Guys, that wasn’t a friendship, that man was a client that Easton and his business partner were entertaining. When he started getting too comfortable with me, he told Easton to let it slide or he would pull their contract.” Everyone was surprised at the news. It was a lot more drama than any of them had anticipated. From the outside, it just seemed like two jealous men fighting over one woman.
“That changes things. Obviously, they’re not working together anymore. I mean how could they after that? What about you and Easton?” Eddy asked.
“Oh please, do you even have to ask her?” Brenna asked, grinning in my direction.
“What are you talking about? They left the club, Easton made sure she got home safely, and then he took himself home. They both got to bed at a reasonable time,” Maggie said, joining in the teasing.
“If you know what happened, then why are you asking?” I said, taking a sip of my sangria. Everyone squealed. I laughed at the reaction.
“I know it’s inappropriate to ask, I’m going to ask anyway. Is he as hot with his clothes off as he is with his clothes on?” Maggie asked.
“No, he looks even better,” I said. The girls cheered and applauded. I didn't feel the impulse to try and hide the truth from them. I lost nothing by telling them what had actually happened last night. I was strangely at peace with it. We came dangerously close to having an awkward moment together when everything was said and done, and it seemed like he wanted me to invite him to stay the night, but I turned it around at the last minute. It had taken a little while, but I had finally made up my mind.
I was not going to pretend that what I was doing was a good idea. It was highly unprofessional, and I would be ashamed to admit it to prospective clients in the future. But Easton had a hold on me and that was undeniable. I had figured out a way to have my cake and eat it too.
Not the cleanest way, not a way that I was particularly proud of, but for right now, it worked.
My first priority was protecting my heart without depriving myself too much. I wanted to give myself time to recognize what I actually wanted in a partner. I had been wrong so often…I mean, how did I know I was not wrong now?
“The two of you are ridiculous. Both of your husbands are hot.”
“So what. Just because Niall is attractive doesn't mean I went blind when I married him. It's okay to look. I'm not going to touch. He's taken anyway,” Eddy said, laughing. I laughed and had some more sangria. I wasn't so sure that Easton was taken. If he was taken, it was not by me.
“Are things getting serious between the two of you?” Brenna asked.