Page 67 of Without Apology

“Hell, yes. Sometimes twice on Sundays. Especially since I’ve been pregnant. Does some crazy shit to your hormones.”

Huh. “Probably need to enjoy it while you can with the baby coming.”

“My thoughts exactly. Any word on the CFO position?”

I shook my head. “No, not yet.”

I’d been tempted to ask Simon, but I figured if he knew something and could share, he would’ve.

“I put my résumé together. Have a head hunter.” She took a sip of her ginger ale.

“Good. I need to do the same. Never hurts to be prepared.” Yet my heart wasn’t in it. I could only hope we’d both weather this change and come out on the other side.

“Yes, you do. By the way, did you know they call the hot Brit the Ice Man?”

“What? How did you hear that?”

She shrugged. “George told me this morning. Said the guy in charge was cool as ice and professional, and they called him that.”

I wasn’t surprised, considering I’d been on the receiving end of his icy words. However, he’d also been sizzling hot with me over the weekend. The two extremes were hard to reconcile. Hell, the entire thing with him bouncing between hot and cold was making me crazy.

“I call him Brexy. For British and sexy.” I blurted this out before I had a chance to think about it. The empty glass of whiskey and half-consumed beer wasn’t helping my filter. I needed to be more careful about what I shared.

“Oh, my God. I love it. Brexy and the asshole. And his fucking bombshell assistant. Holy crap, if I was a man, I’d totally hit that. You think Brexy is?”

Her question shouldn’t have surprised me. After all, hadn’t I initially wondered the same? It helped to know Simon wasn’t Emma’s type and that he thought of her as a sister. Otherwise, I’d be jealous. “I wouldn’t think he’d be one to mix business and pleasure.”

“True. By the way, speaking of pleasure, what happened with that guy? The one you went on one date with?”

I’d almost forgotten I’d told her about my date. I hated to lie, so I bent the truth. “He was only passing through town. No long-term chance for something.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Yes, it was.” Although I knew this thing with Simon was short term, it didn’t mean it wouldn’t suck when he left.

I downed two more whiskeys over the course of the next hour, which had me thinking I’d need to Uber home instead of drive. I took out my phone to check the time and was shocked to see two text messages from Simon.

“Are you at home?”

“I’m waiting outside in the car.”

Megan yawned on cue. “I should get going.”

I tried not to appear anxious to get home myself. “Did you drive today? I’ll walk you back to the garage.” I could get my Uber from there.

“Nope, hubbie and I carpooled in. He’s awaiting my text and will pick me up in front. I like to pretend I’m working the street corner, and he pulls up and starts negotiating sexual favors. It all ends with me blowing him in the car on the ride home. Although the belly might make it harder, I always like a challenge.”

I burst out laughing, not shocked by a thing that came out of my friend’s mouth. Perhaps Megan and my sister had been separated at birth.

We waited ten minutes in front before her husband pulled up curbside. “Try not to get arrested, Megan.”

She gave me a wink while walking towards the truck. “That has a whole other appeal. See you tomorrow.”

It took twenty-five minutes to get home in the Uber. Although I’d texted Simon I was on my way from happy hour, I hadn’t heard back from him. Perhaps he didn’t intend to wait? That would be disappointing as I was the perfect amount of drunk to want nothing other than having my wild way with my man.

Holy shit. Where had that thought come from? He wasn’t my man. This was temporary. Hopefully my heart was getting the message.

Once home, I got out of the car and looked around, soon spotting his Mercedes in front of my house. Deciding to take a page from Megan—which in hindsight I should’ve figured was a bad idea—I went around to the driver’s side window and knocked. Since it was already dark outside, I had a tough time seeing him. I didn’t wait once the window came down to deliver my line in what I hoped was a seductive Southern accent.

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