Page 14 of S.O.S. Billboard

Interrogation…

Just thinking that word had Billboard seizing up.

He tried to tell himself that anything to do with him and interrogation was all in the past, and attempted to get his feet moving, but panic gripped him hard, and his lungs began having trouble sucking in air.

Dr. Ed’s calm voice came into his head.Let your hands fall loose. Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of ten. Now breathe out through your mouth, making it a small “O”.

He could do this.

After his third, shaky exhalation, the spots in front of his eyes disappeared, and his legs no longer felt like lead.

He looked up to see that Mizzay had poked her head back out of the conference room. “You okay, doll?” she asked, her face a study in concern.

“Uh, yeah. Just a little brain-freeze,” he lied.

And wasn’t that the excuse he’d been giving to everyone each time he flashed back? His team knew about his past; just not how its grip on him was still in play. Lying to them or avoiding full disclosure, they were both basically the same thing, and he knew it had to stop. Dr. Ed hadtoldhim he needed to start opening up more to his coworkers and his mother. But…

Not right now.

BB told himself there was no need to talk about his fucked-up past with Mizzay at the moment, because she knew a lot of it. Especially when there was a discussion still in play which wouldn’t be all that much easier.Yup.He’d come clean on hissignificantissues another day. Of course, that’s what he’d been telling himself for the better part of a year, and he hadn’t yet grown the set of balls with which he needed to do it. So…

Nope.Still not going there.

Billboard hit the proper button on the phone that would send any incoming calls to the meeting room, then skirted the desk and followed Mizzay back inside the large, windowed space they used for planning and sussing out job strategies.

She closed the door behind them and addressed him sharply.

“I’m assumin’ you don’t wanna talk about whatever that was. But Mr. Seingold, wewillbe revisiting it. I’m through treatin’ you with kid gloves.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied resignedly. He heard in her resolute tone that she was finished cutting him some slack.

“But right now,” she changed course, “let’s talk about what had you in la-la land when I walked in.” She hadn’t taken a seat, but stood with her ass perched on the long, mahogany table in the room, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Uh, O’Shea is here?” Billboard ventured.

“She is,” Mizzay confirmed. “That’s not news to me. And in case Brigid didn’t tell you, we’re all goin’ out to dinna tonight. You included.” Her finger pointing at his chest told him he shouldn’t dare think of missing it. “Youze have a problem with Mizz O’Shea?” she continued pointedly.

“I don’t. I…” Billboard sank his ass into a chair. “I…like her.”

Now Mizzay’s eyes narrowed. “But you have a girlfriend. Peggy.”

Damn, didn’tthatmake him seem like an asshole.

“Actually, I don’t. Not anymore. She broke up with me.”

A slow smile spread across Mizzay’s face. “I knew it,” she said smugly. “I wuz sure you and her weren’t a real thing. I wuz surprised it lasted as long as it did.”

Billboard blinked up at her, catching a glimpse of his astonished face in the reflection of her large glasses. “You didn’t? You were?”

She laughed. “That’s fuh shuah. The two of youz had sexual chemistry in spades, but cerebrally?” She tapped the side of her head. “Not so much in common.”

“Wow. Why didn’t you…? Nope. I guess that’s a stupid question.”

“It is. Because as long as youz two were heatin’ up the sheets, my opinion wouldn’t have done either of you any good.”

“Probably not,” BB admitted, and didn’t that make him feel like a shallow asshole.

“So tell me about you and O’Shea,” she added, drawing him out of that short-lived funk.

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