Page 12 of Is It Casual Now?

“I was alerted to it right after it was posted.” Siena sighed again. She needed something stronger than water for this one. Reaching into the bottom drawer of her desk, she pulled out a rarely used bottle of whiskey and filled a couple of small cups. Handing one over to Bunny, Siena took a sip before she eyed one of her oldest friends. “I’m going to have to change a few things around and head out with you and Piper on the next tour.”

“What? You can’t. You already explained you wouldn’t be with us this time.”

“I know.” Siena ran her hands through her hair once more. She had gone through the options over and over, and every single time she came to one conclusion. “But if we ignore this thenJK”—she spat the name. It must be in those initials. She’d never met anyone with them who wasn’t a snake in the grass—“will turn this molehill into a fucking mountain.”

Bunny stared wide-eyed at her, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.”

“Fuck that.” Bunny shook her head. “I’m not your client right now, Siena. We’ll find another way.”

“There isn’t another way.” Siena smiled softly at her friend. She appreciated how Bunny could work with her and still maintain the friendship they had developed over the years. Siena prided herself on her professionalism. She was good at her job. Damn good. Hell, she was the goddamned best. Butsometimes, moments like this, she wondered if all this professionalism was really worth it.

She shook off the idea as soon as it entered her thoughts.

Of course it was. But sometimes the cost wasn’t.

“Have you told Tori and Harley yet?” Bunny asked, the hint of a wince in her voice, as though she expected to be yelled at for asking.

“No.” Siena’s shoulders dropped forward, and for a moment, she let the last of her professional demeanor sag. “No, I haven’t told either of them that I’m going to miss Harley’s open house. I’ve been avoiding it, hoping some miracle will appear and I don’t have to.”

“Then don’t miss it,” Bunny said again, earnest and sincere. Not many people got the privilege of seeing this side of Bunny. She was either the rock star or the consummate professional where work always came first. Well, maybe not always professional, but always focused on work. It was one of the many things the two had in common that had moved them from a manager-client relationship into true friendship.

“You know as well as I do that I have to stop this ball rolling any further.”

“I know.” Bunny leaned back in her chair and nodded. “I just wish I really did arrive with the miracle you needed.”

Siena and Bunny shared a soft sad smile, mirroring each other. She often understood where Bunny’s thoughts were, even if she didn’t always agree with her reasoning or justification. She did always understand it.

The silence settled over them for a few minutes.

“I’ll tell you what, though,” Bunny broke the silence with a little more of her well-known force, “if I ever find out what that snake looks like, she’ll be getting more than just a little piece of my mind.”

She got loads more than a piece of my mind.

Siena opened and closed her mouth, heat rising to her cheeks.

“Sorry.” Bunny rolled her eyes at herself. “I just hate that you’re going to have to disappoint Tori and Harley because of her bullshit.”

“I know. And you aren’t the only one who’s going to hate me just a little right now.”

“She won’t hate you.”

“Maybe neither of them will, but that kind of makes it worse.” Siena forced her shoulders back, putting her professionalism back into place like a suit of armor.

“You’ll make it up to her. Harley will forgive you. You’re a great mom, Siena.”

“Thanks.” Siena rarely felt like a great mom, but she also knew she tried her best and really would do anything for her daughter. Including making sure she didn’t fuck up her job to the point of not being able to support her and Tori. Not that Tori needed the financial support as much as she used to.

“Good luck.” Bunny stood and gave Siena a consolatory smile.

“Thanks. I’m going to need it.” Siena picked up the phone as soon as Bunny closed her office door behind her. She had to rip the Band-Aid off immediately or she’d end up fucking it up worse by not telling them and just missing the open house without explanation.

That would have been a thousand times worse, and absolutely not the parent Siena ever had been or would be. The disappointment in Tori and Harley’s voices would be hard enough without extra anger mixed in.

“All right, what the hell has got the great Siena Frazee in a barat three in the afternoon drinking?” Ingrid’s voice sailed over to Siena where she sat at a table at their bar.

They had been coming here since they met at management school and whenever shit got to be too much, they would call on each other to meet and bring the other back to the real world.

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