He frowned. “Why?”
I couldn’t tell him the truth, but one thing I learned in foster care and then modeling, is how to lie. “Because there will be hours of footage of you flirting and me pushing you away. If this becomes a thing, which it pretty much has, it won’t matter that you’re innocent.”
It scared him just as I knew it would. Kip jumped up and smiled. “Thanks for being so cool, Teddy. I, uhm, hope this ends up okay for you.”
“Thanks, Kip. See you and Gillian soon.” He waved and left a trail of dust as he couldn’t leave my office fast enough. One problem solved, too bad it wasn’t the biggest problem on my plate.
The tone sounded above the door as a delivery man walked in, face hidden by the large bouquet that didn’t make me as happy as he thought it would. “Delivery,” he said with a bright smile I normally enjoyed.
“Thanks,” I told him, though my words were half-hearted as he set the vase down on a nearby table. Black dahlias and black tulips with baby’s breath, because we had to keep it classy, apparently. As soon as he was gone, I took the flowers to the dumpster out back and left them there.
This fucking day could not end soon enough.
***
“Oh my God, Jana, these ribs are so good. I hope you have leftovers.” I licked my lips as I ate more ribs than a woman should, especially considering Max and Tate were looking at me like I was a science experiment. I didn’t care though, not after Kip and the flowers, the useless cops and the sexual tension. Cannot forget the sexual fucking tension. Especially with Tate sitting beside me, his body emanating enough heat to melt the ice in my glass.
“Thanks, and yeah there are leftovers.”
“No, there aren’t,” Max insisted with a frown, a bone sticking halfway out of his mouth. He flashed a smile at me. “Let’s see where we are when the evening is over.”
I laughed at Max, shaking my head at his foolishness. “I’ve been promised leftovers, Max. Deal with it. You get to eat this way every day.”
He grunted and I couldn’t tell if it was acceptance or refusal, but I knew Jana would hook me up. “There’s already some set aside for you, Teddy.”
“Damn, mama, I love you so hard right now.”
She beamed a smile at me, probably feeling overwhelmed with emotions again, judging by the watery look in her eyes. “You’re welcome.” Her expression changed and I felt the hairs on the back of neck rise. “So, a meat cleaver, huh?”
I sucked in a breath and glared at Tate. “Seriously? You told her?”
He looked unapologetic as he crossed his arms and nodded, chin daring me to challenge him. “It was a damn meat cleaver, Teddy!”
“Yeah, I know. I recognized the face it cut right through,” I told him, circling my face sarcastically. “Look, Jana, it’s fine. I’m fine. At least I will be, if the cops do their job.”
Tate turned to me. “What about that reality TV guy?”
I sighed. “They talked to him but he’s been cleared, and he only sent the flowers.”
“You can’t go back there,” Jana insisted.
“It’s my home and I won’t let some freaky-ass weirdo scare me away. I’ll be fine, or I won’t. Either way, you have more important things to worry about,” I told her with a quick glance at her belly.
“Dammit, Teddy! I’m going to teach you some damn self-defense.” Tate stood and grabbed my arm, “We can do it here or back at Max’s place.”
I looked up at him, hating that even at my height, the man towered over me. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“My place it is,” he said with a grin and tugged me out the door.
“Wait. I need my ribs, dammit!”
Max and Jana laughed, but my best friend didn’t let me down, she brought me a plastic container filled with her delicious ribs and another with some potato salad. “There you go. Let Tate help you, please.”
“Ugh, fine. Come on, Golden Boy, teach me to kill a man with my pinky.” We stopped at my place so I could change, and thankfully, there were no gifts waiting for me. The drive to Max and Tate’s house was mostly silent, except a few instances of me bitching about his high-handed ways. “Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean you can boss me around.”
“I’m trying to make sure you can defend yourself,” he said angrily and then scoffed. “Like that makes me such an asshole.”
“Glad we’re in agreement,” I told him as we stepped from my car. He tried to get me to leave it at Jana’s place, but I was too paranoid someone was following my car — or worse — tracking it.