Chapter 14
IPA a lot when I drink beer.
Ineed to step up my efforts to cheer Grayson up since it looks like my plan to fix Grayson is not going to work out anytime soon. UGH! I was sure Liz would be understanding and jump on the bandwagon to fix Grayson. She was understanding, but she wasn’t jumping on any bandwagons.
Darts and beer tonight at McGraw’s?
No answer. I try again.
Come on. I’ll let you win.
Still no answer. I throw my phone in the drawer and slam it shut.
“What’s wrong? Trouble in paradise?” Hailey asks as she steps out of her office.
I feign innocence. “What? My drawer is sticking is all.”
“Here. Let me try.” She leans forward and I slap her hand away.
“You know you’re not allowed to dig in my drawers.” The woman is a menace. She never puts things back where they belong. After I spent a week looking for my favorite stapler – and yes, I have a favorite stapler, don’t judge – I banned her from going near my workspace.
Phoebe skids to a stop in front of us. “What’s going on? Did I hear someone say drawers?” She looks me up and down. “Did you finally let Grayson into your drawers?”
I roll my eyes. “What are we? In Shakespearean England? No one says drawers when they mean panties.”
“Actually, Shakespeare didn’t—”
I hold up my hand to cut Hailey off. No one wants to hear a lecture about proper Shakespearean dialogue. The woman is a drama geek at heart. Even when Aiden did this elaborate Shakespeare-themed proposal, she kept stopping him to correct him. It was hilarious.
“No one is getting in anyone’s drawers or panties.”
“Maybe not your panties.” Hailey wiggles her eyebrows.
I groan. “Isn’t it bad enough I’ve had to hear you and Aiden going at it in your office?”
Phoebe takes Hailey’s side. “It wouldn’t bother you as much if you had a man in your panties. Say, Grayson.”
“I told you once, I told you twice, I told you a million times. Grayson and are friends. Just friends.”
“But you want more, don’t you?” Phoebe pushes.
My nose flares. Sure, I want more. But I will never get more. Never ever. Men are not to be trusted. I’ve had my heart destroyed once. It’s not an experience I’m eager to repeat. I don’t tell her any of my thoughts, though. She’d jump right in and tell me to give Grayson a chance. No way, Jose.
I open my mouth to lie. Not to brag or anything, but my lying techniques are masterful. To my relief, the phone rings. I knock down my coffee cup in my rush to answer the phone. “We Cheat, You Eat!”
Phoebe frowns, but she walks back to her office. Hailey doesn’t move except to cross her arms over her chest and study me while I talk to a saleswoman on the phone. A saleswoman I’m pretending is a potential client. I’m not sure if Hailey is buying my act, but she leaves – eventually. I’ll call it a win.
I’m relieved when Phoebe and Hailey leave an hour later. They don’t come back to the office and instead send me a message to meet them at McGraw’s tonight. By the time I lock up, Grayson still hasn’t responded to any of my messages. Does he want another unexpected visit? My nose wrinkles. I need to gather together a bunch of cleaning supplies before I drop by his place again.
I walk into the bar and shout, “Honey, I’m home!”
The uncles grunt but don’t respond. Hailey and Phoebe are standing over their table while they play cards, poker by the looks of it.
“What’s up?” I ask after I walk over.
“They’re holding a poker tournament to decide who will walk me down the aisle,” Phoebe explains. She does not look happy.
“A poker tournament?”