Page 14 of Midnight Oil

Tate walked into the tiny kitchen leaving little room between us. A look of contrition crossed his face. "Well, you didn't answer my calls or texts so I assumed one of your coworkers was going to give you a ride home."

I reached for my favorite coffee cup, the one with the panda bear. "Yes, as a matter of fact a coworker gave me a ride home—" I left a dramatic pause to make certain he heard the rest of my statement. "To his place."

His expression turned into stone. "What the hell do you meanhisplace?"

The coffee maker beeped. I took my time pouring myself a cup while he breathed loud and hot like a dragon shooting fire through his nostrils.

I took a sip of coffee, sighed and secretly marveled at how calmly I was handling this whole shitty thing. It was most likely because I had already resolved myself to this relationship being dead and over long before I reached the front door.

"Hmm good stuff," I said about the coffee. "I figured since you were entertaining another woman here at the house, I coulddowhat I like. And I like my coworker."

The cold, hard expression sagged into stunned guilt. "What the hell are you talking about? I wasn't entertaining anyone, and who the fuck is this coworker? It's that fucking big shot with the Porsche. The asshole never takes his eyes off you. I caught him staring at you at the picnic, and I think it's time the two of us go toe to toe."

I was startled to learn not so much that Quinn was always looking at me, I'd caught him occasionally gazing across a room at me or smiling over heads at me, but what I found hard to believe was that Tate had actually taken notice, that he had actually felt a surge of jealousy about it.

I pulled myself back into the conversation and looked directly and confidently at him. It was amazing how unattractive he'd become to me. "I don't have to tell you anything about my private life because we are through. You and I are no longer connected in any way. Since I've been paying the rent on this place, you need to pack your shit and get out. Preferably by the time I get home from work tonight. That gives you over twelve hours. I think that's being generous with time."

A short, dry laugh spurted from his mouth. "I'm not going anywhere." He turned and walked out of the kitchen. I'd been prepared for that exact reaction.

"Then I'll pack my stuff right now." I carried my coffee cup out of the kitchen.

"Fine with me." He plopped on the couch and held up the remote to change channels. "The house is in your name, so they'll be coming after you when the rent isn't paid," he said smugly.

I stopped at the couch and seriously considered pouring hot coffee over his head, but I held back that urge. "Yes, it's in my name, and on the way home just now, I called the landlord and gave our thirty day notice. The house is paid until then, so I guess, once again I'm being overly generous because you don't deserve anything but a kick in the ass. Seems you'll have no choice except to find a job. Or maybe you could move back with your lovely mother, the tarantula queen." I leaned over the couch. "By the way, if you went toe to toe with him, you'd be wearing your couch sitting ass on your head."

"Fuck you, whore," he barked as I walked down the hallway to the bedroom, feeling at least a smidge of satisfaction. Now, if I could just figure out where the hell I was going to stay while I sorted out my life.

Thirteen

Quinn

Archer's big muzzle tickled my palm as he plucked the carrot from my hand. The Friesian was on stall rest for a week after his stumble in the theater arena. Since I had been the rider on his back, I felt somewhat responsible for his injury so I'd brought a five pound bag of carrots to work. The horse didn't seem to mind being on stall rest, especially when it meant fresh carrots.

It had been an endless night of choreographed jousting, and I was glad it was over. I planned to head home, get mildly drunk and watch movies until my inebriation pulled me into a deep sleep. Suzy and I managed to successfully avoid each other, which helped stave off any awkwardness between us. I really hated the idea of awkwardness when it came to Suzy. It meant our friendship would be strained. Even if I couldn't have her in my life, the way I wanted, I hoped we could remain friends.

The horses were housed in nicely built stalls that jutted off the back of the massive restaurant theater. I circled around the building to the parking lot. Most everyone had gone home for the night. The parking lot was empty except for the horse trainer's truck, my Porsche and Suzy's little, beat up sedan. I looked back toward the exit. There were a few lights on near the rear of the building.

I could just get in my car and drive off. She had a car this time so she had a ride home. But what if fuckface had refused to move out? Some friend I was. I'd been avoiding her all night, when I should have sought her out to make sure she was all right. When she left my house this morning, taking a little sliver of my heart with her, she was heading home to confront her awful boyfriend. I'd seen the bruise on her hip. She claimed he was responsible but that he hadn't hit her. He was, without question, an asshole.

It wasn't like her to be staying late alone. I headed back around to enter through the barn area where the trainer was checking on the animals before going home. It was the easiest way back through to the main area of the building where the employee locker rooms were located.

The jousting and dinner arena looked giant when it was empty. I crossed the arena and headed through the door that would take me to the locker room. Light glowed through the small window on the women's locker room door. I peered through the glass. Suzy was sitting on the bench with a sweater pulled on over a light blue sundress. She rested her feet on a large duffle bag as she texted someone on her phone.

I didn't want to startle her by barging into the room so I tapped lightly on the window. Her face popped up. It took her a second to recognize the big face peering through the glass. Her smile was my invitation to open the door.

I popped my head inside. "Is the coast clear?"

"Just me sitting here," she said. "The other girls have all gone home. Anyone in particular you were looking for?"

Her question deflated my shoulders. "You, Suzy, I was looking for you. I know that's impossible for you to imagine, but I came here to find you. I saw your car and I wanted to make sure you were all right." None of the expected awkwardness materialized, but there was still more tension between us than before, back when I was just the guy who dated way too many of her coworkers and she was the girl who I admired from afar, waiting and hoping that someday she would come to her senses and leave her boyfriend. In that scenario, she dropped fuckface and came running to my open arms. Only I'd blown it by being just as much of a fuckface as Tate. Although I wasn't as big a jerk. Or at least I sure as hell hoped not.

She lifted her phone. "Just waiting to hear back from a friend. I'm hoping I can camp out on her couch a few days until I get my life straightened out." There was a good dose of sadness in her pale blue eyes. I hated to see it. "You were avoiding me tonight," she said quietly.

"No, not really," I countered lamely.

"You always make a point of carving out a few minutes to see me whenever we work the same shift. No matter how busy and hectic things are, you always stop by to say hello or give me a wilted daisy you plucked from someone's garden or a chocolate donut you saved from breakfast."

I smiled and shook my head. "My gosh, no wonder I haven't wooed you. What a fucking dork I am bringing you daisies and donuts." I pointed at her. "Although, that one donut I brought you last week had sprinkles, so there's that."

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