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  “Is that why you’re working a double?”

  “Yes!” Olivia shouted in frustration. Yanking the coffee pot from its base before it finished brewing, she poured herself an extra-large mug, and then took a seat across from Alyson at the table. “Dick and I’m not trying to be cute here, his name really is Dick, fired three of the girls his first week on the job. Now, we’re shorthanded. I’ve been pulling doubles twice a week, and my regular shifts have been extended from eight to twelve hours. I’m worn the fuck out.” She sipped her coffee and let out a long sigh.

  Alyson studied her friend, and she could see the strain in her eyes, the dark circles that gave away just how tired she was. Olivia was a bartender at a trendy nightclub. It wasn’t her first choice in professions, considering she’d gone to school to be a nurse, but once she got into her residency, she realized that the long hours and the constant barrage of traumas she was exposed to weren’t worth the money. She’d just sort of fell into the bartending gig, and she insisted that she loved it. Apparently, the money she earned pouring drinks just about made up for abandoning the career she’d originally set out for. But it was clear that recent events were taking their toll on her.

  “Hence the need for a night out.”

  “I swear to you, if I don’t get a few drinks in me and soon, I won’t be held responsible for my actions. This has been a month from hell.”

  From the look on her face, Alyson knew that she wasn’t only referring to her job or her boss. Many things had happened this month to change her life, and one major part of that was Spencer. Reaching out, Alyson patted her hand. “It’s okay, sweetie. One more day and we’ll have you so toasted you won’t be able to see straight.”

  Olivia winked at her. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” Tipping her head back, she emptied her cup then leveled Alyson with a serious look. “I know you hate being away from Jami, but I’m really glad you’re here. You have no idea how much I’ve needed this.”

  Alyson smiled softly, the ache in her chest flaring to life at the mention of Jami. She had to remind herself that he would only be gone a few days, even though it felt like an eternity. “I’m glad I’m here, too. We’re going to have fun.” She meant the reassurance for Olivia, but it felt like a pep talk to herself, too. She needed time to get out of her own head and live a little, have some fun, and remind herself that she wasn’t dependent on Jami as much as she feared she had become. It couldn’t be healthy to be so attached to another person, could it?

  “You’re absolutely right. We are going to rock this weekend to its knees.” Olivia pushed out of her chair and dropped her cup in the sink, seemingly back to her old, peppy self. “So what do you have on tap for today?”

  Alyson finished the last bite of her breakfast and leaned back in her chair. “I’m heading into work,” she said, feeling a sliver of dread work its way into her stomach. “I have a lot of work to clear out before tomorrow.”

  “What about that boss of yours? Is she still giving you trouble?”

  Alyson had confided in Olivia about the investigation, unable to keep the information to herself. The fear over losing her job was eating her up inside. “She’s not giving me trouble,” she defended. Mallory was actually being very nice and very understanding, but she had a job to do. It wasn’t her fault that Alyson had acted unprofessionally. She just hoped that no one ever found that part out. But each day that passed felt like one step closer to doom’s day. And today… well, today she could almost swear she heard the death toll ringing just for her. “Yesterday she told me they were having a meeting. I should know what’s up by the end of the day.”

  “You mean whether or not you still have a job?” Alyson’s stomach flipped, and she nodded. “That sucks, Al,” Liv said sympathetically. Alyson’s lip trembled as a sudden wave of emotion dropped in her lap and Liv rushed to her side. “Come here, honey. It’s going to be okay. You’ll see,” she said as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

  She didn’t think so, but she appreciated her words all the same. The problem was she had a nagging feeling that everything she had worked so hard for was about to come crashing down around her, all because she helped someone in need. Jami had warned her that this could happen, but she didn’t listen. Now, her very livelihood was in jeopardy. All that schooling, all the hard work, the lost sleep, the constant worry… She would do it all over again in a heartbeat, of course, but that didn’t make it feel any less devastating. There was still so much she wanted to do, so many people she wanted to help.

  Alyson allowed herself a brief moment of comfort. When she got the sniffles, she broke away, refusing to wallow in self-pity when the verdict wasn’t even in yet. “I should finish getting ready. I’ll see you tonight?”

  Liv gave her a tight smile, seeing right through her. “Yeah, I’ll be late though.”

  Alyson returned her smile. “I’ll wait up for you, then.” It wasn’t as if she’d be sleeping anyway.

  ***

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Blake, but we’re letting you go.”

  Alyson stared blankly at the table in front of her. She knew this was coming, had felt it in her gut, but that still hadn’t prepared her to hear the actual words. They’d fired her. Moments after arriving to work, Mallory had called her into the boardroom where three men in suits sat at the end of the oblong table. They wore stern expressions that zeroed in on her as if they had a personal vendetta against her, and she knew—knew—that it was all over.

  They proceeded to go over the facts. They had uncovered evidence that she had personally aided Miles and Tori. She had provided food, clothing, and shelter and became their friend, grossly overstepping her bounds as their caseworker. While they recognized her dedication to the job and commended her for the good work she had done over the years, their hands were tied. She’d done an exemplary job over the years, but she’d broken the rules, and now she had to pay the price.

  Worse, because of her misconduct, she would have a black mark on her record and likely, wouldn’t be able to find another job in her field. At least, not in this city. Plus, no severance package. Apparently, they didn’t hand out benefits to people like her.

  Damn Anthony Michaels. She would say this was his fault, but it wasn’t. Not entirely. She owned what she had done, and she would do it again, but he was the one responsible for killing her job—her dream. He’d gotten back at her by taking away the one thing that he could, the one thing that she poured her heart and soul into—he truly was a monster.

  How was she going to tell Jami? What would she even say to him? Would he be angry with her? Sad for her? Would he tell her he told her so? The first thing she wanted to do after collecting her things and walking out of the building was to call him. She needed a shoulder to cry on, and he was the first person to come to mind. Jami was always there for her, but this time, she couldn’t stand it if she had to hear the judgment in his voice, too. Her heart was already breaking. If she had to hear his disappointment, it would crush her.

  So, instead of waiting around for a cab, Alyson caught the bus for the first time in months and went straight back to Olivia’s. After a long shower and a good cry, she made herself a cup of hot chamomile tea and curled up on the couch, and that was where she was still sitting when her friend walked through the door eight hours later.

  “You look like how I feel,” were Olivia’s first words as she closed the door behind her. She took a moment to drop her purse and keys on a nearby table and kick off her boots before sitting down on the cushion beside her. “I would ask how your day was, but I think the fact that your eyes are so bloodshot that you could have been smoking pot all day pretty much speaks for itself.”

  Alyson had only enough energy left in her to give a small nod. She thought she was all cried out, but she felt the back of her throat beginning to burn and knew she had better keep her mouth shut or risk breaking open the dam all over again.

  “That bad?” Another nod. Olivia sighed and clamped a comforting hand on Al
yson’s knee. “We’ll get through it. You know Jami is going to shit bricks when he finds out that you’re all his now. And you know you always have a place here with me if you need it.”

  “Thanks,” Alyson croaked. She laid her head on Liv’s shoulder. Was her friend right? Would Jami be happy to hear that she had lost everything? Sadly, she was hoping that would be his reaction. She hated the idea of disappointing him. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Liv commented. “Alone, jobless, boyfriend-less, staring at a blank television screen like it holds the answers to the universe.”

  Alyson chuckled softly. “I have a boyfriend,” she muttered.

  “Sure, rub it in my face why don’t ya,” Olivia said affectionately. “I know you’re in a funk because I’ve been there for a while now, but trust me when I say that things can only look up from here.”

  “Yeah?” Alyson asked, not believing a word she said, but she still found herself hoping she was right.

  “Yeah. We’ll start tomorrow. Hair, nails, you name it, then we’re going shopping. We’re going to get shit-faced, and we’re going to dance, and we’re gonna have one hell of a hangover, and it’s going to be the best time of our lives.”

  Some of what she said didn’t sound like fun to Alyson, namely the hangover part, but she set her skepticism aside. They both needed to let loose a little bit, forget their problems, and just… breathe.

  “Can’t wait,” Alyson told her, and then let loose a wide yawn.

  Olivia rested her cheek on the top of Alyson’s head. “It’s going to be epic.”

  “Love you.”

  “Damn straight.” Alyson laughed softly as her eyes grew heavy and slid closed. “Love you too, sis,” Liv said, just before they both fell asleep.

  SEVEN

  Alyson’s phone vibrated across the table, waking her from a fitful sleep. She reached for it, blindly moving her finger over the screen, and held it to her ear. “Hello?” She heard a muffled reply, and realizing she was holding it upside down, turned the phone around and repeated the question.

  “I said I made it. I just checked into the hotel.” Jami’s deep voice woke her right up, and Alyson couldn’t seem to decide if she was excited or nervous to hear from him. “Are you still there?”

  “Oh, um, yeah. I’m here,” she said, forcing herself to sit up. Taking a quick look, she felt a sharp twinge in her neck. Olivia was right. Her couch was old and lumpy. Realizing she was alone, she curled her knees into her chest and settled in.

  “Did I wake you?”

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping well anyway.” She glanced at the clock. It was just after six in the morning. It was her usual time to wake up… when she had some place to go. Like work. “How was your flight?”

  “Good,” Jami said slowly. “Why aren’t you sleeping well? Miss me already?”

  She could hear his smile through the phone, and it warmed her a little just thinking about it. “Is that even a question? Of course, I miss you.”

  The tone of his voice told her he was pleased with her answer. “Miss you too, babe. Now what’s this about not sleeping? Something happen? Do I need to kick some ass when I get home?”

  She smiled and shook her head, even though he couldn’t see it. The words hovered on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to tell him everything, but she’d put a lot of thought into it, and she just couldn’t yet. She had lost everything she’d worked for, and there was no way in hell she was going to dump her problems on Jami, not when he was halfway across the country living his own dream, because she knew the kind of guy Jami was. If he knew what happened, he would be on the first flight home. He couldn’t fix what had happened, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. So, she wasn’t going to tell him anything until he got home. That made a grand total of two lies she had told him in less than a week. Yes, she was definitely going for the gold medal in the shitty girlfriend category.

  “No, nothing happened,” she lied, chewing her lip guiltily.

  “Bad dreams again?”

  She’d confided in him about her nightmares a couple of months ago after waking up crying in his arms. He’d been so disturbed by it that he questioned her mercilessly until she told him everything. “No, no dreams. I think it’s this couch. Liv is in desperate need of a living room makeover.”

  There was a brief moment of silence, but when Jami finally spoke, he sounded more relaxed. “I’m sorry, baby. But all the more reason you should be sleeping in my bed.” She heard the smile in his voice again and felt her worry ease away.

  “As soon as you get home, I’ll be there.” Then she grinned, feeling a little mischievous. “With bells on.”

  His voice turned hopeful. “Only bells?”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “Are you alone?” Jami growled. Alyson felt her core tighten when she realized where he was headed. He always tried to engage her in phone sex, and she always resisted. It didn’t make much sense, since they were almost always together, but now that he was away…

  She was preparing to answer him when the door to Liv’s room whipped open. Alyson glanced over her shoulder and smiled as her bleary-eyed friend stumbled into the room. She gave her a small wave and continued on to the kitchen. Alyson sighed. “No,” she said regretfully.

  “That’s a damn shame, because I spent half the flight thinking of the kind of stuff I wanted to say to you. Dirty, nasty things that would make you blush that pretty pink you always do.” Hell, Alyson was blushing already.

  “Too bad I’m not alone, then,” she rasped. “Maybe you can save it for later and tell me when no one is around?”

  “Later, then,” Jami promised. He switched gears. “Are you two having a good time?”

  “Yeah. We’re spending the day together,” she told him, thinking of the laundry list of things Olivia wanted them to do today.

  “Doing what?” he asked, his voice low. He sounded exhausted. Alyson heard a rustle of fabric and assumed he was lying down and getting comfortable.

  “She wants to get our nails and hair done, maybe do some shopping later, too.”

  For a moment, all she could hear was the steady sound of Jami breathing as he absorbed her words. Or falling asleep, she wasn’t sure. Then he said, “Is that all?”

  Alyson bit the inside of her cheek. “She might have mentioned dancing,” she said slowly, waiting for his reaction.

  Jami surprised her when he said, “Sounds like fun. I wish I could be there with you. Alyson?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do me a favor?”

  Anything. “Okay.”

  “Don’t let any guys touch you. Not a finger. And don’t accept any drinks from any of them either. Just…don’t even look at them, okay? Guys only have one thing on their mind, and it’s not being your friend.”

  Alyson laughed. “Okay, Dad.”

  “I’m serious,” Jami said sternly.

  Alyson sobered, looking down at the brown carpeted floor. “I know you are,” she whispered. “I won’t talk to anyone. Just a few drinks and some dancing, and then Liv and I will come home.”

  “You’re not driving, are you? Shit. Don’t take the fucking bus either,” he barked. “Let me make a few calls. I’ll have one of the guys at the gym drive you home.”

  Alyson shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to accept a ride from a man she hardly knew. It would be almost the same as hitching a ride with a random stranger. The idea of it made her beyond uncomfortable. “Jami, it’s okay. That won’t be necessary. We’ll call a cab.”

  She could tell by his silence that he didn’t like that answer, but after a few seconds, he finally relented. “Fine, just be careful.”

  “You know I will.”

  Jami sighed. “I gotta go, babe. I just wanted to call and let you know that I made it. Don has me in the gym in an hour, and he plans to ‘kick my ass.’ I told him to get in line.”

  Alyson laughed sadly. She missed Jami beyond words. Hearing his voice and not being able to see his face so
mehow made the ache worse. “I guess I’ll talk to you later then?”

  “Count on it. Love you, babe.”

  “Love you more.”

  “How many times do I have to say it? That’s not even possible,” Jami laughed. “Be safe and I’ll call you later. Make sure you keep your phone on.”

  “Okay, and I will.” As soon as they hung up, Alyson felt all the life drain out of her. She’d heard of people making long distance relationships work, but Jami had only been gone a day, and she knew without a doubt that she’d never be one of those people. How did they do it?

  “Was that Jamison?” Olivia asked, stretching out his name and shooting her a teasing smile. Carrying two mugs of coffee, she handed one off to Alyson. By choice, Alyson didn’t usually drink coffee, but she didn’t turn it away either. After a night of no sleep and a day that promised to be ‘epic,’ she was going to need all the help she could get if she wanted to avoid being dead on her feet later. She choked down a few sips and grimaced into her cup. Nasty stuff.

  “Yeah, he said hi,” she told her, even though he didn’t, just so her friend wouldn’t feel unloved, “and to have fun tonight.”

  “You mean the big old alpha hero didn’t command you to stay inside and batten down the hatches?” Olivia said with wide, mocking eyes.

  Alyson rolled her eyes. “He’s not that bad.”

  “No, but you have to admit, he does have a little caveman in him.” Alyson nodded. There was that. “When is he coming home?”

  “Next week,” Alyson said longingly.

  A wicked smile spread over Olivia’s face. “Think of all the trouble we could find with all that unsupervised time.”

  Pointing a finger at her, Alyson warned, “One night, that’s all I’m giving you, then it’s boring movies and lots of cleaning for you, missy.” She looked around the room. There must have been ten glasses in the living room alone. “Seriously, what’s with all the water? I feel like I’m in a M. Night Shyamalan movie.”

  Olivia glared at her. “Shut up and drink your damn coffee. I have a lot of stuff planned for us today, and I want to get moving early.”