Harlow

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“Knock, knock.” A light tap follows the deep voice from the hall.

I look up to see Miles standing in the doorway of the office, his toned body clad in faded jeans and an old Jack Daniels Whiskey shirt. It’s such a casual everyday outfit yet based on the rush of want that runs through me you would think he was dressed to the nine.

“Hey.” I clear my throat, sitting up straighter in my chair. “When did you get here?” I ask, having not heard him come in.

“Just now. You didn’t hear the door chime?” He cocks his head slightly and gives me a puzzled look.

“No.” I half laugh. “I must have been really focused.”

“So, how’s it going?” He enters the office, crossing around the desk to stand at my left.

“It’s going.” I tilt my face up to see him looking down at the paperwork in front of me. “I think it’ll take another couple of days to get everything in order and then I should be able to start working on a system to streamline this whole process.” I gesture to the receipts, payroll information, and invoices scattered on the desk.

“Awesome.” He nods in approval. “Anything I can help with?”

“Actually, yes. I need all the guys, and Delia, to sign some paperwork. The employee files are a mess, and you’re missing certain documents that are required to be on file. I printed everything out already,” I say, reaching for the small stack of manila folders sitting on the filing cabinet and handing them to him. “I started new files for each person. I figure you’ll likely see everyone sooner than I do, but if it’s an issue I’m happy to make myself available to have them do it myself.”

“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll get these taken care of in the next couple of days. I may have to stop by Jake’s to have him do his because he’s off for the next few days, but everyone else will be in sometime through the week, and I can get it taken care of.”

“Perfect.” I smile up at him.

“Anything else?”

“Nope. I think that’s it for now, but I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.”

“Sounds good.” He tucks the files under his arm and makes his way to the other side of the office, turning back toward me right as he reaches the door. The second his hazel eyes land on mine a whoosh runs through my stomach. I grip the underneath of my chair to keep myself from physically reacting.

God, it’s been so long since a man has made me feel so upside down. I truly don’t know what to do with myself.

“I’ll be out front if you need me. I’ve got someone coming in at noon but feel free to interrupt if you need to ask a question or something.”

“Okay, will do.” I smile, biting down on my bottom lip the moment he turns around and disappears around the corner.

——

It’s nearly seven o’clock in the evening when I finally decide to call it a day. I’ve been so submerged in my work that I haven’t  eaten anything since breakfast  except for a small pack of almonds I had in my purse. To say I’m hungry is putting it mildly.

After closing everything down and killing the office lights, I snag my purse off the chair and make my way toward the front of the shop to tell Miles that I’m heading out.

I’ve just reached the doorway that opens into the main part of the shop when a familiar voice hits me like a sledgehammer, halting my forward movement.

“I don’t care who the hell you are. I demand that you let me see my wife.”

I look up to see the one person I truly never expected to see again standing daringly close to Miles, his finger pointed upward into his face.

“Alan?” His name falls from my lips, and both he and Miles turn toward me. “What... what the hell are you doing here?”

I look to Miles, with what I’m sure reads as panic and confusion written all over my face and then back to Alan.

“My wife doesn’t work here, huh?” Alan squares his shoulders.

“She doesn’t.” Miles catches him by the bicep and cuts off his path to get to me. “Because that’s not your wife.”

“Like hell, she isn’t. Now take your hands off me.” Alan’s voice splinters through the shop. “Or would you rather spend the rest of the evening sitting in a jail cell?”

“By all means you can try. But if you don’t get the fuck out of my shop, where I’m going to put you is going to be a hell of a lot worse than a cell,” Miles threatens, his tone so menacing a chill runs straight up my spine.

Looking around the room, I’m suddenly aware of the various sets of eyes locked on the altercation between the two men. The shop is  busy tonight, with all but two artists working and every single one with a client. Right now, is quite possibly the worst timing for something like this to happen.

“That’s enough.” I quickly close the distance between them and me. “Miles, thank you,” I say, resting my hand on the arm that still has Alan restrained. “But I’ll take it from here.”

I can tell by the look in his eyes that the last thing he wants to do is let Alan walk away still standing, but after several seconds he nods and releases him with a stiff shove.

Alan stumbles back a couple of feet and immediately moves to fix his disheveled shirt. Heaven forbid anything prevents him from looking pressed and pristine – even in an altercation with a man twice his size that would likely kill him in a fight.

“I come to talk to you, and this is how I’m treated?” He looks down at me with disgust and judgment.

“Perhaps you should have called before coming all this way,” I tell him, quickly turning on my heel and making a straight line to the front door.

I lead him outside and a few feet down the sidewalk before turning on him. By this point, my anger over seeing him here has reached a boiling point.

“What the hell are you doing here, Alan?” My harsh tone causes him to stop dead in his tracks.

“I needed to talk to you.”

“About what? What could you possibly need to say to me that you couldn’t have said through our attorneys?”

“I don’t want to talk to you through someone else, Harlow.”

“Well, that’s too damn bad, Alan. You can’t just show up here, at my place of employment no less, and start causing a scene. When are you going to get it through that thick head of yours? We are over.”

“I refuse to believe that. You’ll tire of this life, Harlow. You’ll tire of places like that and people like him.” He gestures back toward Inked. “And then you’ll come crawling home. So why not save us both the trouble and come home with me now?”

“Are you delusional?” My voice shakes around the words, anger pooling out of me so rapidly that I can’t control the physical reaction it’s causing. “I’m never coming back to you, Alan. You are not my home. Arizona is not my home. You made sure of that when you chased me out of the state.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I did not chase you out of the state.”

“Yes, you did!” I explode. “By doing things like this. By showing up when you’re not wanted. By trying to force yourself on me when the last thing I want is you. I don’t want to be with you ever again. I don’t love you. So leave me the hell alone!” I pull at the ends of my hair in frustration. “What more do I have to say or do to make you hear me?”

“You’re being childish and unreasonable, Harlow.”

“I’m being unreasonable?” I scream, my voice cutting through the air.

Alan straightens his posture and looks around, noticing that several people passing by have slowed to catch a glimpse of what’s going on. Unlike Alan, I don’t care who hears what I have to say.

“You are the one who showed up here uninvited. You are the one that walked into my place of employment and got into an altercation with my boss. You are the one who’s refused to sign the divorce papers even though I’ve told you  repeatedly that we are never getting back together.”

“I just thought you needed time,” he starts, his voice low.

“Time to what? To forget how you preferred the company of other women over that of your wife? To forget how  miserable you made me? How unhappy I’ve been for years? I don’t need time, Alan. In fact, I’m happier now than I’ve been in a very long time. You cheating on me is the best thing you could have done for me. Because now I’m free.”

“You forget everything I’ve done for you.” Anger teeters in his voice. “You, ungrateful bitch.”

“Leave, Alan,” I grind out, my patience long since vanished.

“I’m not leaving. I came all this way to talk and damn it, Harlow, you will talk to me. You’re my wife.”

“I am not your wife!” I scream. “The sooner you accept that, the better it’s going to be for the both of us.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Alan catches me by the forearm when I move to walk away.

“I refuse to let you do this to me, Alan. I may not be able to control you being here, but I can control whether or not I’m here,” I grind out, our faces mere inches apart, his fingers biting into my skin. “Now let go of my arm, or we’ll add assault to the long list of things my lawyer has to use against you.”

“If I knew you’d turn out to be so petty and spiteful, I never would have married you.” He tightens his grip on my arm.

“If I knew you’d turn out to be such a controlling, cheating psychopath, I never would have married you,” I counter, my voice eerily calm.

“I’m not signing those papers. I will make sure to drag it out as long as possible, and when it’s all said and done, you won’t get a dime.”

“Don’t sign those papers and I will make sure every indiscretion of yours is made public. Everyone will know what a lying, cheating bastard you are. I don’t want your money. In fact, I’m not asking for a dime from you.” I try to pull my arm from his hold, but his grip is too tight for me to shake him. “Or didn’t your attorney tell you that? All I want is to be free of you.”

“You’ll never be free of me.” He presses his forehead into the side of my face, his breath hot on my cheek.

This seems to be my undoing, and every ounce of control I was struggling to keep in place falls away. I forcefully jerk backward, catching Alan off guard enough that I’m able to get my arm free. I turn, prepared to run when I hit a wall of hard chest and nearly go tumbling backward.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Miles says seconds after his arm snakes around me to keep me in place.

“I think you need to mind your own fucking business,” Alan seethes. “This is between my wife and me.”

“I’m not sure how much clearer she can be, so let me try. Harlow isn’t your wife. She isn’t anything to you anymore. Walk away before walking is no longer an option for you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a threat and a promise. You come back here again, and I will personally make sure you live to regret it for the rest of your life. Are we fucking clear?” The power in Miles’ voice is enough to make me tremble against him.

“If I leave, I’m not coming back. Do you hear me, Harlow?” He raises his voice when I don’t turn to face him. “Fine, if that’s how you want to play it. In the end, you’re the one that’s losing. You’re not fucking worth it anymore anyway.” I hear his feet scuff the pavement as he turns and walks away.

I keep my face buried in Miles’ chest, even after I’m fairly certain Alan is gone. I’m not sure if it’s because it feels good to be here or that I’m too embarrassed by what happened to face Miles right now. Maybe it’s a little of both.

“Hey.” His soft voice filters around me seconds before his hands slide up my back to rest on my shoulders, gently guiding me back. “Are you okay?” He tips my chin up so that I’m forced to look at him.

The instant his hazel eyes find mine, tears begin to well. Anger, humiliation, and defeat all blend together and it takes only seconds before the tears spill down my cheeks.

“I’m so sorry,” I croak, not sure what else to say. How does one apologize for their ex showing up and causing a scene in your place of employment? “I completely understand if you need to fire me.”

“Harlow. Hey.” Miles cups my cheeks, holding my face in his hands as he dips down to meet my gaze. “I’m not going to fire you. Are you kidding me? You have nothing to be sorry about . Do you hear me? Nothing. This isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it is,” I sob, my embarrassment growing with each second that passes.

“Stop,” he says firmly, releasing my face to pull me into his arms. “You can’t control what other people do. This isn’t on you. Okay?”

I nod even though I don’t feel like that’s the case. It’s only my first week on the job, and already I’m causing problems. 

“But your clients...” I pull back enough to look up at him.

“Have seen a hell of a lot worse than that.” He chuckles, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “What do you say we get out of here? Maybe grab a bite to eat. You must be starving. You didn’t get lunch earlier.”

“How do you know?” I ask, taking a full step back, missing the power of Miles’ touch the instant it’s gone.

“Because I pay attention.” He gives me a small grin and a wink. “Come on. My treat.” He drops his arm over my shoulder and tucks me into his side.

“Thank you for cutting in when you did, by the way,” I say after several moments of silence, realizing I hadn’t thanked him.

“You don’t ever have to thank me for having your back. Just know I always will.” His statement causes a wave of emotion to run over me and my tears start to well again.

I can’t remember a time when someone has said that to me. And for him to say it – just when I needed to hear it – means more to me than he will ever know.

“Winston’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

“Then I guess you’re lucky too.” He bumps his hip playfully into mine. I’m sure trying to lighten the mood.

“Is that what we are now? Friends?”

“Aren’t we?” He grins.

“Yeah, I guess we are,” I agree, fighting a smile.

“Who would have guessed it? Miles and Harlow, friends.” He chuckles.

“What is this world coming to?” I smart.

“My thoughts exactly.” He smiles down at me and my stomach flips.

If this is what it means to be friends with Miles Hollins, then I might be in trouble...