Page 4 of Love By a Landslide

Lucy

Around one thirty a.m., Lucy secured the deadbolt on the front door of the swanky one-bedroom apartment she and Brodan shared in Belltown. She placed her pumps in the entryway shoe rack, grateful for the usual chill of the hardwood floors beneath her aching feet, and beelined to the kitchen for a glass of water. The wash of cool liquid soothed the burn and aftertaste of alcohol that lingered in her ravaged throat. She’d lost count of the random shots and drinks she’d accepted at The Tackle Boxx and every other club leading up to it. With her next swig, she swallowed an ibuprofen to stave off the inevitable hangover she would undoubtably suffer in the morning.

Lucy padded across the living room, pausing at the large, curtainless window opposite the kitchen and took in the partial view of the brightly lit Seattle skyline. The concrete jungle ahead of her was impressive but didn’t speak to her heart the way being surrounded by trees and mountains did. The city was too loud, too bright, too crowded. Having lived there for more than a decade, she’d become accustomed to metropolitan life while never managing to feel at home.

Leavenworth would be a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle.

She’d been buzzing with anticipation since Brodanbegrudginglyagreed to the getaway. Maybe if she could get him outside, into the woods, somewhere beautiful and awe-inspiring,her city boy would turn into an outdoorsy mountain man. Snorting into her glass, she wiped away the dribble of water that ran down her chin. Maybe “mountain man” was a bit far-fetched. But it didn’t seem out of the question that he might learn to tolerate a hike from time to time.

And that would be enough.

Lucy made her way to the bedroom. She dressed in the new pajamas she’d purchased for her birthday and snuggled under the fluffy comforter beside her boyfriend.

Brodan rolled over and yawned. “How was tonight?” he asked lazily, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“It was . . . fun. But I wish you could have been there.”

“I know. I needed to get some sleep. My brain’s fried after putting together the Tech City proposal. Plus, I’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

“I get it. Just would have been nice.”

“How’s Todd?”

“Great. He says hi. His transformation into Dirty O’Feelya is amazing. We should go support him again soon.”

“Sure.” Brodan nuzzled his face into her hair and kissed the back of her neck. “Mmm. You smell good,” he groaned, his hand shifting to her hip then roaming up beneath her silky camisole.

“Hey, babe?” Lucy murmured.

“Mmm?” His hand firmly cupped her breast, playing with her sensitive skin.

“Thanks again for being such a good sport about our trip. I know you don’t exactly worship on the altar of nature like I do, but it really means a lot to me that you’re willing to give it a try.”

Brodan’s body tensed and his hand stilled. “Uh, about that.”

A weighty disappointment sank through Lucy’s gut, heavy like a jagged rock heaved into a river. “What aboutthat?” she demanded, words coming out sharper than intended, and flippedon the side table lamp.

He squinted at the warm splash of light, adjusting to it as it filled the room. “This is a really bad time. I think we should postpone it for a while.”

“What?” Lucy’s voice came out in a low rumble. Frustration warmed her cheeks, but she wasn’t exactly surprised by his words. She threw back the blankets and flopped her legs over the edge of the bed.

“It’s just that Roberta wants me to join her at the yearly convention in Atlanta, and it overlaps some of our trip.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She glared over her shoulder. He lounged back against the pillows, hands behind his head, elbows splayed . . . Completely unbothered. “We made these plans months ago, and now that it’s less than a month away, we won’t be able to get a refund.” She lifted her fingers and massaged her temples.Perfect. A tension headache.

“Roberta wants to promote me to regional sales manager. And that would come with a dope raise, babe.” He finally shifted, kneeling just behind her. Teasing his lips along her neck, he hooked a finger under her camisole strap and slid it down slowly. The attempt at seduction did nothing but stoke her anger.

“Pretty sure your boss wants to give youmorethan a promotion,” Lucy mumbled as she snatched the thin strip of fabric back in place.

Brodan pulled back, contempt overtaking his expression. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“YouknowRoberta’s been lusting after you since you started there. And she hasn’t exactly been subtle about it either.”

Brodan had worked for Seattle’s largest security system company, Locked Down, for the past eighteen months, and his boss, Roberta, had made her intentions crystal clear. With flaming red hair and nails to match, wearing nothing but tight, low-cutsweaters, breasts lifted high enough to choke herself, Roberta was the definition of a cougar. Honestly, Lucy wouldn’t give a rat’s ass how the woman dressed—flaunt it if you’ve got it—except that Roberta had had her sights set on Brodan from the get-go. The couple attended a work dinner last Christmas, and Roberta’s hands didn’t know how to keep to themselves. They lingered on his shoulder and grazed over his chest. One even landed on his leg and stayed there through the majority of dessert.

Not one to make a scene, Lucy brought it up with Brodan later that night. He’d explained it away, saying that his boss was a flirty person and treated her entire team that way, but what Lucy witnessed that evening hardly supported his claim. Neither did the following social gatherings that played out the same way.

“It’s about you not respecting me enough to tell your leopard-clad boss that you aren’t interested.”

---