Page 10 of Volatile Obsessions

Pathetic.

“I’m sorry, L, seriously. I just thought—”

“I know what you thought, that you were like, helping and shit,” I quipped, mimicking her typical Miami girl lingo. “And maybe you did, but we won’t know until next week, possibly longer.”

“You can thank me then,” Ellie laughed again. “I know she seems like a prissy little bitch, but she’s got some serious talent.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see about that if she ever calls back.”

“I’m sure she wi… About time, asshole,” she growled, her voice further away from the receiver. “Vic’s here.” The annoyed announcement came just as the door to my office flew open.

Cutting my gaze in his direction—completely unamused, I might add—I noted he was donning that disgusting vomit green tie again.

The man had shit style sometimes.

Lack of courtesy and common sense, too, apparently.

I rolled my eyes and inched back into my seat as he approached. “So nice of you to make it in this afternoon, Mr. Kane. Is there anything I get for you?”

“Cut the Mr. Kane shit, L. I got stuck in traffic,” he retorted, dropping into one of the chairs that sat before my desk.

“For the whole morning? I mean, I know these American twats can’t drive, but you’re telling me you’ve been stuck in traffic since 8 this morning? It’s almost 1!”

Did he think I was stupid?

“No, not since this morning, Lux. I had a few errands to run before coming in and 95 had a four-car pile up blocking almost every lane.”

Sure it did.

“Still doesn’t explain or excuse your tardiness, Vic. You took the morning at your leisure without any notice at all, as you’ve been doing for several weeks now. Obviously, this job isn’t very important to you anymore, so I’m only going to ask this once.” I leaned forward, glaring him a down, a bitchy brow arching high. “Should I be setting up interviews with people who will be more reliable, respectful, and appreciative of their position? ‘Cause I can do that if it works better for you. I don’t need you if you don’t want to be here.”

Vic sighed frustratedly and scrubbed a hand down his face as he scooted to the edge of his seat.

I’d struck a nerve.

Good.

Served his ungrateful ass right.

“Lux, relax, please. It’s not like that. You know I love working here,” he all but gritted out, his green-eyed stare never wavering.

And yet, I could somehow see what I’d been sensing for weeks now. There was a difference in the way he looked at me. Not by a lot, but I knew Vic.

His ticks.

His tells.

I knew it all. At one point, he was with me more hours in the day than I was in my own solitary company. He did everything for me. Everything. From bringing me coffee to taking out the trash who abhorred my business. Hell, I’d even set aside the slimy part of him that put me off sometimes and had let the man fuck me a few times.

Yes, that means he finally agreed to my terms, by the way.

Aside from who called the shots, I had two rules; no kissing and no staying the night. The last one was more so for myself because I always went to him. Sure, Vic had been to my flat a few times, like all other friends, but I’d never allowed him anywhere near my room, much less my bed.

No man had.

I didn’t allow dogs in my private space.

Anyway, things had been off between us as of late. Aside from the office hours he actually worked, we hadn’t had much interaction. He was always busy, busy being a term I’d use loosely. Not that I cared—I could have any man I desired, but his newfound distance and sudden absence shed light on all the gray areas I’d ignored. I was starting to understand why they say not to mix business with pleasure.

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