I had my chin resting in my and, elbow braced on the desk, with my other hand tapping out a restless rhythm. I was staring blankly at my computer, knowing I had work to do, but I didn’t have the concentration for it.My mind, at that moment, was full of thoughts of Willow.Like I’d promised her, she no longer needed to follow me around constantly. It wasn’t as if she was my assistant or anything, she’d just been following me to learn the ropes on her own. I hadn't liked her following me around, but it was more for personal reasons and not because I didn’t have faith that she could manage on her own.Now that she was working on her cases, not only did I not see her as often, but I couldn’t just keep interrupting her work to have her come to my office for insignificant things. I was technically her boss, and I should be encouraging her to work, not the other way around.At least she was no longer ignoring me outside of work, though. That time it happened, I’d been worried about blowing
Ivy and I moved between the kitchen and the dining room, setting the table up. She’d left the kids at home with Chad and had insisted on joining me at home for dinner when she heard I was inviting Sebastian to my place for the first time.My mom didn’t know about this, but I was pretty sure Ivy planned on taking that position, and it left me exasperated, but I wasn’t going to push her away, either.“Why hasn’t he arrived yet?” she asked critically, narrowing her eyes at the front door. “You let him know dinner starts at seven, yes?”I sighed at my friend’s antics. “I did let him know. He’s probably busy making arrangements for Andy before he even comes here. Cut him some slack, would you? Besides, it’s only five minutes past seven. He should be here soon.”“Men need to know how to be punctual,” she said defensively. “If he can't even keep the time, how can he keep you happy?”I stopped whatever I was doing to give her a look. She wasn't difficult on purpose, I knew she was truly worri
After the dinner I spent at Willow’s place, I invited her to my home after I confessed that I lied to her friend. It was funny watching her ask about why I was divorced, and what happened, sure I have a fucked up sense of humor at times, but the look on Ivy’s face was priceless.I didn’t include the protective best friend that would attack her with a bunch of private questions. I teased her a lot for it since it happened, and she blushed and grumbled every time, but I was glad she had a friend that was so fiercely protective of her, even if it was aimed at me.We went our separate ways at the end of work, and Willow arrived at my place early. I hadn't even started cooking yet, but I didn’t mind it. I went to open the door for her and pecked her lips as I let her in through the door.“Hey,” she said, looking around. “Where’s Andy today?”I hummed, leading the way to the kitchen. “I wanted it just to be the two of us today, so he’ll be staying at his mom’s for tonight.”In the kitchen,
“Thank you so much, ma’am,” the woman sitting across from me at my desk said as she rose. “I didn’t know how I was going to get through this on my own.”“You’re not on your own,” I said soothingly, getting up and holding my hand out to her.We shook hands, then she made her way out of my office, and I sat back down in my chair with a sigh. I gave a quick look at the documents I still had open on my desk, then I put them together and found a folder to put them in.I leaned back in my seat and relaxed, letting out a sigh. With my last client for the day gone, it was about time for me to close up work.My phone buzzed where I had it on the desk, and I picked it up to read my message. Seeing it was from Sebastian, I smiled as I opened it. The message was short, let me know he was on his way to pick me up and about five minutes away. I texted back quickly, letting him know he could pick me up outside. Then, I got up and started packing.I hadn't forgotten what day it was, and I’d made sure
“Who’s at the fucking door?” I shout out as I leave my bedroom. They’d better have a good excuse for continually ringing the doorbell like that. “I’m not deaf!” I shout as I start to walk down the stairs. I’ve a killer hangover from the rodeo last night. I don’t even feel like getting up today, especially with the sweet pussy that I had after the rodeo. These cowgirls get a kick out of riding not only the horses but guys too. “Again!” I’m getting even more agitated at the idea that they keep ringing the bell. They’re not saying anything—just ringing the damn thing. I walk glumly toward the door as the person gets the hint and stops ringing the bell. Obviously, it’s no one from the ranch. They typically just walk in the house and shout my name. It can’t be Harper who comes to clean the house every other day. No, it must be someone I don’t know. Maybe I should have pretended not to be in just so that they’ll go away and stop ringing the damn bell as if their life depends on it.As I
I’m in the car with my driver, wondering what the studio wants at this time of the morning. It's seven thirty. I should still be in bed—especially on a Friday morning. There's an emergency meeting and the car came to pick me up. Even Mom’s nervous about it as she keeps holding my hand and stroking it. “I’m sure that everything’s going to be all right.”I wish I shared her enthusiasm. Apart from the fact that I haven't written a new song in three months and my contract’s due for renewal in the fall, there’s a lot to worry about. “I mean, they could just want to talk about the contract renewal.”“Right, Mom. So, that’s why they sent a car to the apartment at seven thirty in the morning.”“Kylie, why do you have to be so negative all the time?”Because staying with her for the last couple of weeks had led me to be more irritable than when I was back home. I should just go home because I'm far from relaxed these days. She insisted that staying with her would help bring my mojo back, but
“What’s that?”“Seriously, Dan, don’t ask me stupid questions!”He came over five minutes ago, and since then he’s been taking photos and laughing at me, and so have Chad and Martin. It’s as if he got the whole Storm Rocks posse with him. “No, I meant on your shirt. What’s that?” Since they came, I can’t even put Richard down. Every time I attempt to do it, he screams at the top of his lungs. Even Aria came back for a while and said that she would help Richard. Not me. She wouldn’t want him having a salad for breakfast. She thinks that I’m stupid. Richard’s a baby, so of course, he drinks nothing but milk. Anyway, I was glad to get out of there, when lo and behold, as soon as I handed Richard to her, he started crying again. I think that he must be my baby. He seems to know exactly how to wind me up, and now, I’ve got spit-up on me to prove it. “Ugh!” I put him down. I don’t care if he cries again—which he starts to do the moment I put him down. “Daddy, I could do with some milk
As soon as we get home, Mom doesn't stop talking. She sounds like a mosquito buzzing in my ear. Just like when we went to Egypt and the damn things would be buzzing in my ears. No matter how many times I swiped them out of the way, they would just get closer to my eardrum. “The thing is, you’re going to need to stay at the ranch. This thing is going to make you regret the rest of your life.”I’m twenty-four. I have so many years ahead of me. Being dropped by my agent, label, and even my makeup artist is not the end of the world.“Could you believe Tracey? I mean, to complain? She's not even that good, and she wants to get rid of me,” I say in my defense. She holds on to both of my shoulders as if she’s trying to wake me up from a nightmare. “You did hear what they were saying, didn’t you, dear?”I wish that she would stop calling me that. It must be the most condescending name ever, one that she never used until I came to stay at her house two weeks ago.“Yes, Mother.”“I wish you