Page 13 of A Smooth Operator

"Yeah." I pointed to my desk.

Echo rummaged as I watched, unable to string words together to help her. I just sat there like an idiot, feeling like an arrow had pierced through my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.

"You keep the good stuff in here." Echo took two paper cups she found somewhere on my desk and poured the Ardbeg Uigeadail, limited edition, expensive shit, into them.

She handed me one and sat down next to me on the couch. She held her cup out, and I bumped mine against hers.

"To seeing things, you cannot unsee ever," she deadpanned.

Her humor managed to get through my haze of distress. "True. I can't fucking unsee my girl getting nailed by my friend, now can I?"

"Yep," she agreed.

We drank in companionable silence.

"He did say she had a tight ass, didn't he?"

Echo toasted me with her cup but didn't say anything.

"She does, you know," I told her.

"Please, just because Marina is cheating on you doesn't make it okay for you to kiss n' tell."

Marina was always a bitch to Echo, and yet, she was defending her. I didn't think it was Marina in particular, but she was standing up for sisterhood. I respected that.

"You're right," I conceded.

"Did you have an inkling?"

I closed my eyes, unable to unsee Alex with his eyes closed, his hands on my girl's breasts as his hips slammed into her. "I didn't even suspect," I confessed.

"How long were y'all dating?"

"Eight months. Not long."

There was a loud bang on the office door, and someone tried to open the knob.

"Remi?" We heard Marina screech. "Remi, are you in there?"

I looked at Echo in panic.

"I locked it from the inside," she whispered.

I grinned. "Thanks."

I pulled out my phone and typed something out to my bar manager, who was gay, so I knew he wouldn't be fucking Marina cause I didn't know who else on my staff was banging her.

Me: Marina is looking for me. Alex too. Tell them I left for the evening and you don't know where. Thanks.

My phone started to ring then. Thankfully, it was on mute. I powered it off and set it down.

"I've known Alex for a long time," I breathed.

"He the guy that was with her?"

I nodded. I drank some whiskey. "This is damn fine scotch."

"Yeah. Ardbeg is one of my favorites."

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