of the rooms. “Talia? Are you up
here?” The sound of faint movement came from Talia’s
room, sending Camey in that direction. She found Talia wrapping a
plush robe around her, stumbling from the bed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m
fine.” Her voice was gruff. She sounded like she hadn’t
slept a wink.
“You
don’t look fine.” Camey stepped closer to her, but halted
when Talia shot her a menacing glare. “Look, we were just
worried about you. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“It’s
fine. Just get to work. I’ll be down when I’m ready.”
Camey
stood staring, realizing the grumpy, unapproachable Talia was back.
“I’ll be downstairs,” she mumbled as she walked
away. When she reached the ground floor, Sara looked up from her
work.
“Is
she not up there?”
“She’s
up there. And she’s back to her old pissy self.” Camey
plopped down onto a stool going over the last few days, trying to
figure out what brought on these sudden changes.
“What
do you mean?” Sara’s brow wrinkled.
“She
wasn’t even dressed yet and when I asked if she was okay she
said she was fine and told me to get to work.” Camey dropped
her head in her hands. “Why does she keep shutting us out? What
is going on?”
“Are
you sure she didn’t just wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“Honestly?
I’m not sure she slept at all. She looks terrible.” Camey
quieted and jumped from her stool when she heard the door to Talia’s
apartment open.
“Hey,
sleepyhead,” Sara called out when she saw Talia descending in a
pair of turquoise jeans, a cream tunic, and matching crochet chunky
beret.
“What
are you doing?” Talia snapped the moment she looked in Sara’s
direction.
“I’m
getting that bridal bouquet ready for this afternoon.”
“Did
you not read the order? It specifically said green hydrangeas, not blue. I swear, Sara. If you weren’t my sister,
I’d have fired you by now.”
Sara
stared agape at Talia, then began removing the blue hydrangeas and
sticking them back in their storage container to return it to the
cooler.
“Camey,
I thought I told you to get to work. I’m not paying you to
eavesdrop on conversations and hold up walls,” Talia spat and
dashed to the cooler.
“This
is just great,” Camey muttered to Sara as she passed. She had
actually gotten used to the return of old Talia and now she was back
to her irritable, intolerable ways. This day was sure to be a long
one.
Coffee
was brewing in the kitchen and Ethan and Brent were trudging around
the apartment. It was just another weekday for the guys, but Landon
was searching for something, anything, to do to fill his time. He
hadn’t told the guys about his last job. He’d never
walked out on a date before. It gave the company a bad name. And
Landon was certain Quincy would have called by now.
Landon’s
worry grew with each passing day that he was receiving the silent
treatment; not that the silent treatment really affected him, because
it kept him out of having to turn down another job, he just hated
disappointing Quincy. He didn’t know what he was going to do,
but he knew as long as Talia was all he could think about, he
couldn’t continue to be an escort.
Landon
meandered through the kitchen in search of a clean mug. He was
usually the one responsible for the dishes, but with this new
development, he was spending every waking moment in the gym or out on
a run just to avoid the guys. He was dressed in his running shorts
and an old TCU t-shirt, ready to leave as soon as he downed his
morning dose of wake-up juice.
“You
going for another run?” Ethan had been treading softly around
Landon for days.
Landon
raised his mug in answer and nodded before he poured himself a cup.
He didn’t have the words that Brent and Ethan needed to hear.
There was no way they would understand that he just needed some time
to himself to clear his head, time he wasn’t getting being in
this apartment. The apartment was a
here?” The sound of faint movement came from Talia’s
room, sending Camey in that direction. She found Talia wrapping a
plush robe around her, stumbling from the bed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m
fine.” Her voice was gruff. She sounded like she hadn’t
slept a wink.
“You
don’t look fine.” Camey stepped closer to her, but halted
when Talia shot her a menacing glare. “Look, we were just
worried about you. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“It’s
fine. Just get to work. I’ll be down when I’m ready.”
Camey
stood staring, realizing the grumpy, unapproachable Talia was back.
“I’ll be downstairs,” she mumbled as she walked
away. When she reached the ground floor, Sara looked up from her
work.
“Is
she not up there?”
“She’s
up there. And she’s back to her old pissy self.” Camey
plopped down onto a stool going over the last few days, trying to
figure out what brought on these sudden changes.
“What
do you mean?” Sara’s brow wrinkled.
“She
wasn’t even dressed yet and when I asked if she was okay she
said she was fine and told me to get to work.” Camey dropped
her head in her hands. “Why does she keep shutting us out? What
is going on?”
“Are
you sure she didn’t just wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“Honestly?
I’m not sure she slept at all. She looks terrible.” Camey
quieted and jumped from her stool when she heard the door to Talia’s
apartment open.
“Hey,
sleepyhead,” Sara called out when she saw Talia descending in a
pair of turquoise jeans, a cream tunic, and matching crochet chunky
beret.
“What
are you doing?” Talia snapped the moment she looked in Sara’s
direction.
“I’m
getting that bridal bouquet ready for this afternoon.”
“Did
you not read the order? It specifically said green hydrangeas, not blue. I swear, Sara. If you weren’t my sister,
I’d have fired you by now.”
Sara
stared agape at Talia, then began removing the blue hydrangeas and
sticking them back in their storage container to return it to the
cooler.
“Camey,
I thought I told you to get to work. I’m not paying you to
eavesdrop on conversations and hold up walls,” Talia spat and
dashed to the cooler.
“This
is just great,” Camey muttered to Sara as she passed. She had
actually gotten used to the return of old Talia and now she was back
to her irritable, intolerable ways. This day was sure to be a long
one.
Coffee
was brewing in the kitchen and Ethan and Brent were trudging around
the apartment. It was just another weekday for the guys, but Landon
was searching for something, anything, to do to fill his time. He
hadn’t told the guys about his last job. He’d never
walked out on a date before. It gave the company a bad name. And
Landon was certain Quincy would have called by now.
Landon’s
worry grew with each passing day that he was receiving the silent
treatment; not that the silent treatment really affected him, because
it kept him out of having to turn down another job, he just hated
disappointing Quincy. He didn’t know what he was going to do,
but he knew as long as Talia was all he could think about, he
couldn’t continue to be an escort.
Landon
meandered through the kitchen in search of a clean mug. He was
usually the one responsible for the dishes, but with this new
development, he was spending every waking moment in the gym or out on
a run just to avoid the guys. He was dressed in his running shorts
and an old TCU t-shirt, ready to leave as soon as he downed his
morning dose of wake-up juice.
“You
going for another run?” Ethan had been treading softly around
Landon for days.
Landon
raised his mug in answer and nodded before he poured himself a cup.
He didn’t have the words that Brent and Ethan needed to hear.
There was no way they would understand that he just needed some time
to himself to clear his head, time he wasn’t getting being in
this apartment. The apartment was a
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