Chapter Thirty-Five
Dax
When Payton returned to the penthouse, I was in my office drafting a letter that Finn and I had decided to send to potential clients once the new offices were up and running. I’d left the door open, but Payton walked past it without saying a word. I waited to see if she’d reemerge, and when she didn’t, I got up and went to check on her.
“Payton?” I called as I tapped on her door and then cracked it open.
“Go away,” she said in a flat voice.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Leave me alone,” she said without elaborating. So, I did as she asked.
It wasn’t until Wednesday that I saw her, and by then she looked like her usual self. I walked into her office to let her know I was going to begin the process of interviewing potential GMs. She was sitting at her desk talking on the phone when I entered, and I marveled at how at home she looked. Her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail and she was wearing a silk blouse the color of the bright-blue summer sky over Lake Michigan. She smiled at me and held up her hand as she finished the conversation.
“Hey, how are you doing?” she asked after she ended the call. “I’m sorry I haven’t seen you all week.”
“I’m good,” I said as she got up and walked around the desk. “I was worried.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” she said looking down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at me. “Sunday was rough, but I’m okay now.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” she said with a faint smile. “But thanks for the ear.”
“Anytime,” I nodded. I moved ahead saying, “I’ve got two things I want to talk about. First, news coverage has been dropping over the past couple of weeks, so we need to schedule this week’s dinner plans for somewhere accessible; any suggestions?”
“I would love to go to Black Jack,” she said smiling up at me as she stepped forward and took my hand. “It’s been a while and I’ve got a taste for a good burger. Plus, Jack will appreciate the publicity, I’m sure.”
“You’re on,” I grinned as I squeezed her hand, remembering our first meeting and wondering if she had plans to try and recreate the bathroom adventure that had been interrupted. It had been more than a week since she’d exercised her contractual options, and I had been wavering between feeling relieved not to have to deal with the complications it created and antsy because I couldn’t shake the fact that I wanted her more than ever.
“What’s the second thing?” she asked in a husky voice as she pressed up against me.
“I’m going to start interviewing for the GM position next week,” I said, deciding that it would be better to give her the news straight up rather than beat around the bush.
“I see,” she said dropping my hand and backing up.
“Don’t be mad; you know I have to do this,” I said.
“I’m not mad,” she replied, failing to hide the fact that she was.
“Payton, you knew I was going to have to conduct interviews,” I reminded her.
“I know you do!” she shouted. “I know you have to interview people and make it look like you’re carefully considering your decision. I know! I know! I know!”
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked suddenly aware of the fact that her anger was out of proportion with what I was saying. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, dammit!” she shouted. “I wish you’d stop asking me that inane question! I’m fine.”
“Well, you don’t seem fine to me,” I said defensively.
“How would you feel if you did all the work I’m doing only to be told that you’re probably going to be replaced?” she grumbled.
“You knew the deal when you started this,” I protested. “You can’t get mad at me now!”
“I know,” she sighed looking away. When she looked back at me, I could see her eyes welling up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, reaching out to stroke her arm.
“I can’t talk about it,” she said, brushing my hand aside and moving away. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me,” I suggested.
“I’m stuck and there’s no good way out,” she said, taking a deep breath and pulling herself up. “It’s my own doing, and I’ll figure it out myself.”
“Okay, well, I’m here if you need to talk,” I said. “See you at home?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” she nodded then turned back toward her desk without saying another word.
I left the room wondering what it was she was grappling with as Finn’s warning gnawed at my thoughts. I quickly pushed it aside and headed back to my office to prep for the coming interviews.
#
Payton’s mood had considerably improved by the time we left for dinner on Friday night. I wasn’t sure why and I didn’t want to spoil the night by asking, so I didn’t bring up our earlier discussion, and neither did she.
I held the door open as Payton smiled and walked into the familiar bar. ,She had dressed casually in a mini-skirt and t-shirt that hugged every one of her curves showing off her tan arms and legs. She looked young and carefree as she perched on a barstool and grinned at Jack.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the girl and her boyfriend,” Jack bellowed. “Welcome back, Sweetness! I’ve missed you.”
“Missed you, too, you grumpy, old man,” Payton grinned back as she leaned across the bar and planted a quick kiss on his grizzled cheek. “Give me a beer and a shot, and one for my friend, too.”
“Whatcha been up to, kiddo?” Jack asked, pointedly ignoring me. At first it raised my hackles, but when Payton reached down under the bar and squeezed my thigh, I knew that Jack’s protectiveness wasn’t something I needed to get upset about. Still, I listened closely to the conversation, wondering if I was missing something.
“Just the usual,” she said, clinking her shot glass against mine and then tipping it back and downing the whiskey in a quick gulp. Her eyes watered and she laughed as she slammed the glass on the bar and hollered, “Another!”
“Whoa, easy does it, Sweetness,” Jack warned as he glanced at me and slid a couple of menus toward us. “Aren’t you going to order some dinner?”
“Oh my God, not two against one,” Payton sighed rolling her eyes dramatically. “I just wanted to come here and relax, not get lectured.”
“No one is lecturing you, kiddo,” Jack said gruffly. “I tell everyone who comes in here to eat. It’s how I make my money.”
“Oh bullshit,” Payton countered. “You make your money off of a 200% markup on house booze!”
Jack started at her for a moment and then let loose a deep throated laugh as he flipped her shot glass and poured her another.
“Damn right I do,” he laughed as he offered the bottle to me. I shook my head and then studied the menu.
“I’ll take a burger, medium, with fries,” I said. I knew I was being a killjoy at Payton’s party, but there was something about her mood that told me I should be the one to stay at least moderately sober tonight. “What do you want, lady?”
“Same,” she said, knocking back the second shot before slipping her hand into my lap a little more aggressively.
“Payton,” I said removing her hand and leaning in close before I said, “What are you doing?”
“I’m having fun,” she replied a little too loudly. “I thought you’d like that.”
“Not like this,” I said shaking my head. I leaned back and watched as she drank her beer and avoided making eye contact with me.
We stayed until Jack hollered last call, and then I helped a very drunk, but vocal Payton to the car. I could tell that she was wrestling with something big, but if she wasn’t going to tell me what it was, I wasn’t going to dig.