Page 50 of Whiskey's Redemption

Carli

The day that I’ve come to call Vibrogate, has been synonymous with jokes around the office cooler, as it were.

Me.

Getting off.

On my own.

And being seen bymyemployees half naked in ecstasy? Yeah, that went over really well with Kato.

He was bringing in my two-thirty appointment, a Mr. Muzuki, or who I like to call Mr. Miyagi. Wax on, wax off, dude. Learn the golden rule. Live by the hot wax, it’ll do wonders. He has to be the hairiest Japanese man I’ve met yet.

Ever heard of the movie the40-Year-Old Virgin?Well, consider him the 60-year-old virgin, and you have the picture.

After redressing myself, and cleaning up myapparel,I was told how they thought that someone was attacking me. Nope,Iwas attacking me. And it was lovely, until the Gorilla virgin showed up.

It’s been two more weeks of drastically boring meetings, awful conversations about who’s running what trade, and what shipment was hacked, before I feel like throwing up every twenty minutes.

No, really. I feel like throwing up every twenty minutes. I’d had a horrible night’s sleep, and my sisters were thankfully carted off to some mountain retreat for the weekend so they weren’t around to harass me. Mainly, it was because everyone thought I had a flu bug. Best part of that? I’ve been left alone.

Pulling out my phone, I dial Circe who picks up on the third ring.

“What the fuck took you so long!”

“Well hello to you too, Circe.”

“Dammit, woman. I’ve been out of my mind worried about you. You didn’t call or write after you landed. I haven’t had a single drunk text, and not one dick pic. What the F!” And there’s my consummate good girl who can’t say the word fuck.

“Circe, I’m fine. Well, other than this flu bug that I seem to have caught that no one else did. How’s the racer?”

“He’s fine. Yes, I’m talking about you.” With scuttling on the other end, I know she’s wrestling the phone from Wyatt. “No. You can’t talk to her, she’smyfriend. Eat your Jell-O.”

“Are you going to talk to me now that I’ve called from halfway around the world or what?”

“Sorry, Carli. Or should I say, Kaori?”

Fuck. “Damn, Crown can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“You’re right, but wrong, Crown. Wyatt told me after Jamieson and him had an extensive conversation about you and him.”

“So he spilled the beans, just not to you. Still the same thing, Circe.”

“Yeah, well, I threatened his Jell-O supply, so I guess it was my female persuasion techniques that made it happen.” Pausing, I hear them arguing about Jell-O again. Jesus Christ, enough with the fucking Jell-O! “So how’s Osaka? Things quiet or what?”

“Yeah, meetings. Loads of boring, annoying, disenchanting and dry meetings. It’s pretty here, though. You’d love that.”

“Yeah. I’d love it more if we were there together checking it out and you weren’t a kidnap victim.”

“You and me both. I miss LA.”

“Yeah.” Changing gears, her voice turns sweet and sugary. “Have you talked to him?”

She’s fishing, using my own tactics against me. I’m so proud of my little Circe. All grown up.

I’m trying to avoid it. Him. All of him. “Who?” The memory of him has caused me enough trouble in the past few weeks. Like I need to talk to him. Like I need more wet dreams that are unfulfilling and dull in comparison.

“Of course I mean Jamieson.”

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