The last two hours of work drag on. I know it’s stupid, and we’ve said our goodbyes, but I still miss Xavier. Deep down under all those playboy ways, I know there’s a good guy. I saw him peeking through during the little bit of time I spent with him and that makes it suck even more that he’s leaving because maybe, given time, we could have fixed what is broken between us.
Quinn stacks her tray on top of mine. “I’m beat. Let’s count out our drawers and be done. I want to go home and sleep.”
Brock leans against the counter and pulls Quinn into his arms. “Sleep? I thought we had plans.”
The intimate way he yanks her hips against his causes her to giggle. “I suppose we can go out for a little while.” She reaches in her apron pocket and hands me her car keys. “You’ll be all right driving home?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I take the keys and stuff them into my pocket before removing my apron and tossing it on the counter next to them. “Watch this while I go to the bathroom, will you?”
Quinn giggles as Brock nuzzles her neck and then whispers in her ear.
“Sure,” she says as I head to take a short break before cashing out for the night.
Once I’ve used the bathroom, I move to the sink to wash my hands. I stare in the mirror at my green eyes, and even I can note the sadness that lies within them. It’s going to take me a while to get over Xavier. Even in a week, he’s left a lasting impression on me.
I readjust my dark ponytail and head back out to count my money from the shift with Andy so I can get out of here and be depressed at Aunt Dee’s.
Andy’s sitting at the bar with his logbook, ready to do final counts with the wait staff. I grab my apron off the counter and take a seat next to him.
I glance around as I toss my apron on the bar. Only Alice and I are left in the place. “Did Quinn count out already?”
Andy nods as he makes a note on the paper in front of him. “Yeah, she was first. She was anxious to get out of here tonight.”
I roll my eyes and wonder if she and Brock made it out of the parking lot before they attacked one another.
“All right.” Andy turns his attention to me and reaches for the apron. “You made three hundred seventy-two dollars and twenty-three cents. Cash total we need to have turned in is one hundred and fifty-two dollars and thirty six cents.” He reaches in the pocket and searches around with his hand. After a few seconds he furrows his brow and scratches his balding scalp. “Do you have it somewhere else? These pockets are empty.”
My heart leaps into my throat. “What?!”
I shoot off the stool and begin digging around in the pockets. “It was right here before I went to the restroom. I left it with Quinn.”
Andy’s lips twist, and he blows a rush of air through his nose. “Looks like we have a problem. One of two things happened. One: Quinn took the money when she left, which could be why she wanted out of here so quickly. Or two: you have it.”
My mouth drops open, shocked. No one has ever accused me of stealing before. “Andy, I wouldn’t steal from you.”
He rubs his chin as he takes in my expression. “I’m leaning with option one then. I don’t feel like you’re lying to me. I usually can tell when someone’s guilty.” He shakes his head. “I hate to fire Quinn. She’s been a good employee for the last year.”
My eyes widen. “Fire Quinn? You can’t. She loves this job.”
“Love it or not”—Andy shrugs—”Larry’s doesn’t tolerate theft of any kind. If we suspect it, you’re done. That’s why we have you all sign that accountability contract when you start. It’s our insurance that you all understand our zero tolerance policy.”
Oh no! I know she wouldn’t take the money. I can’t allow her to lose her job. “Andy, please don’t. Fire me instead.”
Alice leans against the bar with a smirk on her face. “I told you not to trust them, Andy. They’re not sweet like they claim to be—especially this one.”
“Alice,” he scolds. “That’s enough.”
She shrugs. “Just saying, I think she’s your thief. You should fire her now before she robs you blind.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “What’s your problem with me? I’ve never done a thing to you.”
She rolls her green eyes. “I just don’t like you.”
“It’s because of Xavier, isn’t it? You’re jealous!” My voice raises an octave as the adrenaline flows through my veins.
I can’t remember ever feeling this angry with someone.
Alice laughs and flips her hair over her shoulder. “Jealous? Honey, please, don’t flatter yourself. If I wanted your man, I’d have him.”
I clench my fists tighter. I’ve never been one for violence, but she’s got me seeing speckles of red. I want to scream at her and call her a liar—tell her that he’d never touch her—but after last night I’m not so sure. I thought things between him and Deena were over the first night we met. I didn’t even know she was still around, or worse still, competing for Xavier’s attention. So how do I know he wouldn’t be into a sex-only relationship with Alice too?
When I don’t immediately retaliate, Alice smirks. “Fire her, Andy.”
“Alice, I can’t just get rid of her because you don’t like her,” he says and his shoulders sag.
She folds her arms. “Do it. She stole the money, and I don’t want her around anymore.”
I see the struggle in Andy’s eyes, but I know he’ll side with her eventually, so I’ll make this easy for everyone. “I quit. Blame me for the money if you like, but I didn’t take it, and Quinn wouldn’t either. If you want to blame someone”—I point to Alice—”blame her. She’s probably the one who took it just to get back at me for being jealous.”
“That’s absurd,” she argues. “Don’t listen to her, Andy.”
He drags his eyes up to my face. “I think you’d better go, Anna.”
Tears begin to burn my eyes. It’s so hard to let this job go. The two things I’ve found comfort in since I got to Detroit are both no longer apart of my life. It hurts, but I’ll do anything to keep from causing Quinn any problems.
I square my shoulders. “Not until you tell me that Quinn keeps her job, no questions asked.”
She’s done so much for me already. Ensuring her job is the least I can do.
Andy nods. “You got it.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, trying to keep it together until I get outside.
I turn my back and head toward the door when I hear Andy say, “Good luck, Anna.”
That’s when the first tear falls. I throw my hand up in a lame wave as I keep walking. I don’t want them to see me break down. I don’t want Alice to know just how weak I really am.
The moment the cool night air hits me, I dash toward Quinn’s Honda. I open the door and flop down in driver’s seat, allowing all the emotions I’ve kept bottled up to come crashing out as I sob hard.
What am I going to do?
Quinn was my ride to and from work. I can’t expect her to be my chauffer when I find a new job. I grip the steering wheel and rest my head on my hands and cry harder as the feeling of overwhelming failure engulfs me.
I don’t want to give up. Not after only one week. If I could find another job quickly, then I won’t feel so bad when I explain what happened to Quinn and Aunt Dee. It will take some of the burden off.
I crank the engine alive and glance down at the clock. It’s only nine thirty. Surely there are bars and restaurants still open so I can go and check out a couple of job prospects.
I drive around the city, looking for any restaurant I see with an open sign. After going into two, and being asked to come back tomorrow, my optimistic balloon deflates a little.
Looking for a job this late is a dumb idea.
I check the clock again and my stomach rumbles. With everything going on, I forgot to eat lunch and dinner today. I’m completely famished.
I begin keeping my eyes peeled for a drive-through when a familiar diner comes into view and I pull into the parking lot.
It feels strange coming here without Xavier, but I’m comfortable enough here to go in and eat alone. I know Nettie will keep me company.
Bells on the door chime the moment I step inside and Nettie glances up at me from behind the counter. “Lord, child. Come on in here and sit down.”
She pats the counter in front of her. “You and I need to talk woman to woman.”
“Oh…okay.” Feeling completely uneasy, I take the seat in front of her, and she hands me a menu.
I study the menu and try to pretend Nettie isn’t watching me like a hawk. My face is probably still a puffy mess where I’ve just been bawling in the car. It was a mistake coming here looking like this. Hopefully Nettie won’t pry since Xavier isn’t with me.
“I’ll have the pancakes again and a water.”
“You got it.” She takes the menu from me and stares for a long second. “He fool around on you?”
I raise my eyebrows.
As much as I want to talk with someone who understands Xavier, I refuse to tell someone who’s almost like his mother what happened yesterday. I’m sure my appearance screams that I’m hurting. I don’t need to make it worse.
“No. I mean, we aren’t together. We’re just friends. He can be with whomever he wants.”
Nettie leans against the counter and her mouth quirks. “The two of you still pretending you are just friends?”
“We are just friends,” I say adamantly.
“Sure you are.” She winks at me. “Like Carl and me. The sooner you learn to set your foot down with that boy, the better off you’ll be.”
“Xavier doesn’t want a relationship with me.”
She cocks her head and gives me the are-you-kidding-me-face. “Honey, you’re the first girl I’ve ever seen him stick with for longer than a night. He cares for you, and I know that may be hard to believe, but I know my boy. Xavier was the most carefree I’ve ever seen him the nights he brought you in here. Give him a chance, he might surprise you.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know Nettie. He was…seeing someone else the entire week. How can I trust him after that?”
“That boy…” She shakes her head and clicks her tongue. “I was hoping he was finally settling down. He’s a good man, Anna. Just had a rough life, is all. Poor kid was out on the streets at fifteen.”
“Fifteen?” I repeat in disbelief. “Was his family that bad? He refuses to speak about them. The only thing he ever told me was his mother died when he was eight.”
“Tragic, isn’t it? When he came in here that first time, hungry, I could see in his eyes the boy was just desperate. Carl and I took him in, gave him a job and got him off the streets.”
“So, when you say the streets—you mean homeless?”
Nettie frowns. “Yes and no. Xavier, like most runaways around here, found refuge with a local gang, but he was still very much on his own and didn’t trust a soul. It took a long time for him to really believe Carl and I wanted to help him.”
“Where was his father in all this? Didn’t he care?” I question. I’m flabbergasted as to where all the support he should’ve had was. It breaks my heart.
“No clue. I know he lived with his grandmother until he headed out on his own.”
I pull my lips into a tight line. “Was she so bad?”
The expression on Nettie’s face tells me that she wants to tell me more, but she’s reluctant.
“I’ve talked about his business enough. I best shut up. I’ll grab Carl from the back and have him cook your pancakes.” She gives me a sad smile as she heads to a wooden, swinging door and out of sight.
I rub my chin as I process everything I’ve just learned about Xavier Cold. It doesn’t change that he fooled around with Deena behind my back, but I believe Nettie when she says he cares for me. It truly felt like he did when we were together. It doesn’t matter if I could ever forgive him for that or not, the fact remains that he’s gone, and any chance we had at ever becoming more than friends is over.
The diner door chimes behind me and before I even see him, I feel him.
I slowly turn and my jaw drops. Xavier stands there in a pair of dark wash jeans and a blue t-shirt staring straight at me. He shoves his dark hair away from his face, but a single strand falls across his forehead, and his blue eyes widen.
He clearly didn’t expect to see me, just like I’m still in shock that he’s standing here before me.
He licks his bottom lip and then grazes his teeth across it. “Anna? What are you doing here?”
I swallow hard. “I, um…I was hungry.”
He takes a couple of hesitant steps toward me, and my heart flutters in my chest as that familiar pull hits me full force.
Once he’s close enough, he reaches out and cups my cheek in his hand. “You didn’t come here for me?”
I melt into his touch and close my eyes. The spicy scent of his cologne and soap lingers on his skin. I inhale deeply and then open my eyes to stare into the deep-blue pools of his irises.
There’s no denying I feel something for him, I’m just not sure what. All I know right now is that I’m addicted to his touch.
“I thought you were already gone, so I didn’t expect to see you here, but I’m glad you are.”
“My flight was cancelled, and I realized I hadn’t said goodbye to Nettie and Carl, so I came to see them before I leave in the morning.”
He studies my face intently as we remain alone in the diner. “Why have you been crying? Remember what I said? I don’t like seeing this beautiful face frown.”
I blink slowly. “I was fired tonight.”
“Why?” he immediately asks.
I sigh and Xavier takes a seat next to me and listens intently as I explain what happened at Larry’s.
“So you stopped here while you were job hunting?” he asks as he puts all the pieces together. “Don’t you find that an odd coincidence?”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “You need a job, and I still need that personal assistant.”
The mention of Deena’s old job causes what happened to flash through my mind and it brings back the hurt I feel.
“You sure you don’t want your old assistant back? The two of you seemed pretty cozy the last time I saw you together. I’m sure she’d be happy to have her job back.”
He flinches and licks the corner of his mouth. “I deserve that. I hurt you, and for that I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. She came over, stripped in front of me and I gave into a moment of weakness. You have to understand, Anna, I’m not used to all this.” He motions between the two of us. “I’m going to fuck up from time to time. Being friends with me won’t be easy, but I want you to give me another shot. Come work for me. Give me time to make it up to you.”
The word friends slice through me. Our connection feels like so much more than just a friendship, but I know at this point neither of us are ready to move our relationship beyond that. Being his employee will create that boundary we need. Not to mention that I still desperately need a job.
“Xavier…”
“Sixty thousand dollars.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“I don’t want you to say no. I will pay you sixty thousand dollars.”
That’s a lot of money to a fresh-from-college girl like me, but taking this job isn’t about the compensation it will bring. It’s about spending time with Xavier.
I shake my head. “You don’t have to pay me more to make me take the job.”
Xavier reaches over and takes my hand. “I want you to know how badly I want you.”
The way he says it makes me believe he means as more than just as an employee. Maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part, but the thought of him wanting me—in any way—makes my toes curl.
If I want to see what could possibly happen between Xavier and me, taking this job is the only way to get time with him.
“I’ll do it,” I say firmly.
He raises his eyebrows. “Really? You’re not going to fight me on this?”
I shrug, attempting to play it off coolly. “I need a job.”
“Is that the only reason?” His gaze remains glued to me, gauging my reaction.
I might as well be honest…to a degree. “No. It’s not the only reason, but it’s the best one I can give you for now.”
He rubs the stubble along his jawline as he considers what I’ve said before a hint of a smile plays along his lips. “That’s good enough for me.”
Xavier pivots his butt on the barstool and places his feet at the counter, resting his elbows on the counter before calling out, “The service around here sucks!” loud enough for Nettie to hear clear in the back.
He glances over at me and winks before a cocky grin spreads across his face. I laugh and just like that, we fall back into our easy relationship. I forgot how easy it was to just “be” with him, like it was before all the crazy drama came between us.
Friendship with Xavier won’t be easy, but I’ll miss him too much not to try.
I throw the last of my things back into my suitcase and zip it up, glad that I packed light when I moved here.
Quinn stands beside me and sighs as she wraps her arm around my shoulders. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? I don’t want to see you get hurt again, Anna.”
I smile at her, touched that she cares about me so much. “I’ll be fine, Quinn. Xavier and I are friends. We settled everything the other night.”
She nods. “Yeah, yeah. I know that’s what you said, but you forget that I saw how upset you were when he broke your heart.”
“He didn’t break my heart. We’d have to be dating for him to do that.”
Quinn raises a perfect eyebrow. “That’s what you keep saying, but he wants you and you want him. Both of you are playing with fire, and I don’t want you to be the one to get burned.”
I know she’s right, but it’s worth the risk. Xavier is like a drug I can’t get enough of. The thought of never seeing him again sends panic through me and I refuse to pass up the opportunity to spend more time with him.
I pull the bag off the bed and set it on the floor.
Quinn pulls me into her and hugs me tight. “Call me every day, okay?”
A faint knock on Quinn’s bedroom door catches my attention. Aunt Dee stands there, taking in our goodbye with her glistening eyes. Her dark hair is pulled into a loose bun, and she’s wearing some ridiculous orange shirt with neon green yoga pants. I’ll never get used to her odd taste in clothing.
“Are you all packed?” she asks as she steps into the room. “A black town car just pulled up out front, and I’m thinking it’s for you?”
I pop the handle up on the large roller bag. “Yep. I’ve got everything.”
I hold my breath as she embraces me to try and keep from crying. “You can come back here any time, you know that, right?”
I nod and close my eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume. Sadness washes through me because it’s one thing to leave my parents’ home to move in with family, but it’s entirely different leaving everyone you know to run off with a man you’ve only known for a week.
For the first time in my life, I’ll be one hundred percent on my own.
I pray I’m ready.
Aunt Dee pulls back and pushes my hair behind my shoulders. “Take care of yourself, yeah?”
“I will,” I manage to squeak out just as there’s a knock at the front door.
She pulls her lips into a tight line. “I’m sure that’s for you.”
Quinn steps over and wraps her arm around her mom as I head toward the front door. I take a deep breath and my heart skips a beat when it opens and my eyes land on Xavier there dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. How can one man make such simple dress attire appear so damn good? Sex appeal for him is effortless. It’s not really fair to the rest of the men in the world.
His blue eyes brighten the moment he sees me. “Hey, beautiful. You ready?”
There’s no mistaking his excitement, but I can’t tell if it’s because I’m coming along, or because he’s excited to get back to the wrestling world he loves so much. Either way, it warms me to see him happy and not all dark and moody.
“Yeah, I pack pretty light. Everything I own is in these two bags.” I roll the large suitcase out the door and readjust the backpack on my back.
He immediately takes the handle of the large bag and hooks his fingers under the strap of my backpack, slipping it off my shoulder. “That’s good. We’ll be traveling a lot. The less shit you carry around, the easier it is.”
Xavier heads toward the car and the awaiting driver, who is standing by the open trunk. I trail behind him and the thought occurs to me that I never asked much about what kind of work schedule I’ll be expected to keep.
“Will we be on the road a while? Do we not come back here often?”
He shakes his head as he hands my bags to the driver. “I don’t ever come here if I can help it. The only reason I was here this week is because the company forced me to take time off.”
“Why’s that?”
He opens the door for me to get into the car. “Remember the guy from television? Assassin?”
The memory of the wrestler calling Xavier out on national TV hits me. How could I forget?
“Yes.”
He curls his fingers around the top of the door. “Things between he and I were getting out of hand. Our matches in the ring were beginning to turn real, so they made me take a break. Told me to go home and reflect on everything I’ll lose if I didn’t settle my ass down and control my temper. Told me to take my mind off how much I dislike Assassin or else it could ruin my title shot.”
I lean against the car and stare up at him. “Did coming here help clear your head?”
“You definitely occupy a lot of space in my brain right now. Not much else has been on my mind this week.” He winks as me, and I immediately blush.
This is what confuses me so much—when he says things like that. People don’t talk to their friends like that.
Do they?
Xavier chuckles, knowing he’s flustered me, and motions for me to get in.
The tinted windows in the car, coupled with the black leather interior, make it dark in here. The moment I’m in the middle of the seat, Xavier slides in next to me and for a brief second our bodies touch. The close proximity of his skin next to mine causes a shiver to rush down my spine. Even though I wish it wouldn’t, my body reacts to any little contact with him. Hopefully the more I’m around him, the more my body will realize we are better off as friends and stop urging me to attack him every opportunity I can.
My eyes drift up front and I notice Jimmy, Xavier’s manager, sitting in the passenger seat.
Xavier catches my line of sight and says, “Anna, you remember Jimmy, right?”
Jimmy turns around to acknowledge me, wearing a pair of white sunglasses that are straight from the eighties and compliment his perfectly styled mullet.
I smile at him. “Of course. How are you?”
He pulls his sunglasses off, revealing his warm brown eyes. “Welcome to the team. When we get to the hotel, we’ll go over the schedule for the next couple of months.”
“Sounds good. Are we going to be on the road a lot?”
Jimmy nods. “A lot of the talent go home for the weekend after Thursday’s show, but X just goes straight to the next city.”
“Do you always stay wherever he is?”
Jimmy shakes his head and holds up his left hand and points to his ring finger. “My wife would kill me if I did that.”
I tilt my head. “But you stayed here with him this week?”
Jimmy smirks. “Had to make sure my boy here stayed out of trouble. The company has very strict policies, so they sent me along with him. I’ve got to make sure he doesn’t do something that’ll cost us both our jobs.”
I giggle at the thought of the small man in front of me having to keep an eye on the very intimidating Xavier. “So you’re a like a babysitter.”
Xavier grunts next to me, and Jimmy laughs. “I wouldn’t call it that exactly. He’s a grown man and can do whatever he wants. I’m strictly here for guidance and support, well, for the most part I’m just here to make sure he’s being taken care of and not getting stiffed in the fine print of contracts.”
I nod. “Understood. So what exactly is my job?”
Jimmy’s lips pull into a tight line. “That’s between you and X. I typically stay out of the relationships he has with other employees.”
When Jimmy adds the “s” on the word employee it makes me wonder just how many personal assistants have come before me. I know what kind of relationship he had with Deena so it’s very possible that he’s had that same type of relationship with all of them.
Xavier says I’m different—that he doesn’t want that type of arrangement with me—and in a small part of me, that hurts my feelings. It makes me jealous that these other women have had him, and I haven’t. He believes I’m a good girl—too delicate to hurt.
That’s the story of my life.
He’s a player, and I know I’ll be hurt by him again eventually, but it doesn’t stop me from being attracted to him or wanting to experience unharnessed passion.
This relationship between us makes me question every moral I’ve ever been taught, and I can’t help but think that one of these days I’m going to chuck them all out the window and just enjoy the “Phenomenal” ride.