conversation. She’d had a glass of wine with dinner
the night they went to the Broadway show, but only one.
She wrote it off as a collective lack of sleep and made her
way to the office, where she intended to literally crawl under Leo’s desk and
take a nap. Unfortunately, when she opened the door she found Leo occupying
said desk.
“I thought you had a meeting with Oz and Jamie this
morning.”
There was a quiet woof and a second later Leo’s dog
Norma Jean came around the side of the desk, doggie smiling and wagging her
tail.
“Well hello, beautiful.” Eva crouched to give her a good
rubdown while she kissed the top of her head. Leo’s humane society rescue mutt
wasn’t actually beautiful, and her wiry white and brown coat wasn’t especially
soft, but she was by far the coolest, smartest, most loving dog Eva knew.
“We had it,” Leo said, meaning the meeting.
“Are Oz and Jamie here?” she asked. She’d been so focused on
getting to the office for some sleep she hadn’t thought to look around for
either of them.
He tucked the strands of his pale-blond hair that had
escaped his longish ponytail behind his ears and crossed his arms. “Ah…no,
they’re not.”
Eva looked up. There was something about the way he was
looking at her that matched the strange tone of his voice.
“What’s that face?” she asked, standing to face him, his
desk between them.
His expression was serious, but his bright ocean-blue eyes
were sparkling.
“Can I say I told you so now, or would you like me to save
it for later?”
He knew about her and Oscar.
“You can shove it up your ass and save it for a fucking
rainy day.”
Leo threw his head back and laughed.
Damn him. It took everything she had in her not to laugh
too.
“All right, that’s enough.” She could feel her face getting
hot as she closed the door and followed Norma Jean around the big desk that
dominated most of the small space. She couldn’t deny she felt jealous when the
dog curled up in the space she’d wanted, laid her head on her paws and blinked
sleepily.
“You called it,” she grumbled, chagrined. She sat sideways
on his lap when he pushed his chair back, turned and held his arms open for
her. “I hope you’re happy.”
He was still chuckling as she rested her head on his
shoulder.
“Are you happy?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her.
Butterflies went nuts in her stomach. For as much as Oscar
had antagonized her all those years, and even though he still pushed her
buttons from time to time, she couldn’t remember a time since childhood when
she’d been so happy.
She sighed. “I miss you.”
They still talked and texted all the time, but since his
band had gotten busy at the same time he moved in with Joy, she’d hardly had
any face time with him.
“I’m right here,” he assured her, resting his cheek on her
head. “And we’ll get to see a lot more of each other since you’re moving to Chicago
to work in the new shop.”
Her head went up. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
He blinked at her once. “Oz just suggested you and Munson be
the two artists who go with him to the new shop. This is news to you?”
A riot of emotions got tangled up inside her. She didn’t
know whether to be outraged that Oscar suggested dragging her two hundred and
fifty miles away from her family without mentioning it to her or elated that he
wanted her with him.
She swung her legs off Leo’s lap and stood, paced to the
other side of the room.
“He wants me to work at the Chicago shop?”
“That’s kind of what I just said.”
Did she love the idea or hate it? She couldn’t tell.
A chill rushed down her spine and she turned slowly to face
Leo. “Jamie knows.”
Leo nodded slowly. “Yes he does.”
“Is he pissed he didn’t hear it from me?”
His broad shoulders scrunched up near his ears. “No idea.”
“Is he here?” she asked, panic starting to rise.
The room spun, stars burst in her peripheral vision
the night they went to the Broadway show, but only one.
She wrote it off as a collective lack of sleep and made her
way to the office, where she intended to literally crawl under Leo’s desk and
take a nap. Unfortunately, when she opened the door she found Leo occupying
said desk.
“I thought you had a meeting with Oz and Jamie this
morning.”
There was a quiet woof and a second later Leo’s dog
Norma Jean came around the side of the desk, doggie smiling and wagging her
tail.
“Well hello, beautiful.” Eva crouched to give her a good
rubdown while she kissed the top of her head. Leo’s humane society rescue mutt
wasn’t actually beautiful, and her wiry white and brown coat wasn’t especially
soft, but she was by far the coolest, smartest, most loving dog Eva knew.
“We had it,” Leo said, meaning the meeting.
“Are Oz and Jamie here?” she asked. She’d been so focused on
getting to the office for some sleep she hadn’t thought to look around for
either of them.
He tucked the strands of his pale-blond hair that had
escaped his longish ponytail behind his ears and crossed his arms. “Ah…no,
they’re not.”
Eva looked up. There was something about the way he was
looking at her that matched the strange tone of his voice.
“What’s that face?” she asked, standing to face him, his
desk between them.
His expression was serious, but his bright ocean-blue eyes
were sparkling.
“Can I say I told you so now, or would you like me to save
it for later?”
He knew about her and Oscar.
“You can shove it up your ass and save it for a fucking
rainy day.”
Leo threw his head back and laughed.
Damn him. It took everything she had in her not to laugh
too.
“All right, that’s enough.” She could feel her face getting
hot as she closed the door and followed Norma Jean around the big desk that
dominated most of the small space. She couldn’t deny she felt jealous when the
dog curled up in the space she’d wanted, laid her head on her paws and blinked
sleepily.
“You called it,” she grumbled, chagrined. She sat sideways
on his lap when he pushed his chair back, turned and held his arms open for
her. “I hope you’re happy.”
He was still chuckling as she rested her head on his
shoulder.
“Are you happy?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her.
Butterflies went nuts in her stomach. For as much as Oscar
had antagonized her all those years, and even though he still pushed her
buttons from time to time, she couldn’t remember a time since childhood when
she’d been so happy.
She sighed. “I miss you.”
They still talked and texted all the time, but since his
band had gotten busy at the same time he moved in with Joy, she’d hardly had
any face time with him.
“I’m right here,” he assured her, resting his cheek on her
head. “And we’ll get to see a lot more of each other since you’re moving to Chicago
to work in the new shop.”
Her head went up. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
He blinked at her once. “Oz just suggested you and Munson be
the two artists who go with him to the new shop. This is news to you?”
A riot of emotions got tangled up inside her. She didn’t
know whether to be outraged that Oscar suggested dragging her two hundred and
fifty miles away from her family without mentioning it to her or elated that he
wanted her with him.
She swung her legs off Leo’s lap and stood, paced to the
other side of the room.
“He wants me to work at the Chicago shop?”
“That’s kind of what I just said.”
Did she love the idea or hate it? She couldn’t tell.
A chill rushed down her spine and she turned slowly to face
Leo. “Jamie knows.”
Leo nodded slowly. “Yes he does.”
“Is he pissed he didn’t hear it from me?”
His broad shoulders scrunched up near his ears. “No idea.”
“Is he here?” she asked, panic starting to rise.
The room spun, stars burst in her peripheral vision
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