Page 68 of Is It Casual Now?

“So that’s why you divorced her.” Bunny lifted her eyebrows unexpectedly. “I never really understood that one.”

“But what if I’m doing that again?”

“Siena…” Piper glanced to Bunny before getting an affirming nod to continue. “Is there someone else? You haven’t mentioned anyone…”

Because there wasn’t anyone. Was there? Siena hadn’t worked that one out yet, and no matter how many times she told herself that she and Jamie weren’t in a relationship, it did oddly feel like that. Siena was attracted to her physically for sure, but she was also attracted to who Jamie was—the confident blonde who was brilliant at her job and amazing with words.

“Siena?” Piper asked, her head tilting and catching Siena’s eye where it still stared at her screen.

“I’m sorry. This time of year is always a struggle, you know that. Especially since Tori wants to start new Christmas traditions with Miranda, so I won’t be invited to everything with Harley this year. The wonders of co-parenting, huh?”

“What’s really wrong?” Bunny sat forward, ready to take on the world if she needed to. Siena had seen that look in her eyes so many times before, and she loved it every time. Bunny was fiercely protective of those she loved, and Siena was proud to call herself among them.

“It’s thirty minutes past the hour.” Siena stared at her phone and the door that was still closed. She knew for sure at this point that Jamie wasn’t coming. She just didn’t know why. Had she chickened out? Or was it because she couldn’t stand being in the room with Siena? Or was it worse? Had there been some sort of accident that had kept her from getting there? Was she in the hospital?

“Do you have another appointment?” Piper asked, not immediately catching the meaning behind Siena’s mention of the time.

“She didn't show up,” Bunny said, mouth dropping open as she put two and two together. “What the fuck is she playing at?”

That anger had been what Siena wanted to feel, but she didn’t. She was so caught up in the what-ifs and the worries that she couldn’t bring herself to actually focus on how ticked off she should be that she’d spent so much of her precious time setting up this interview and convincing Bunny and Piper that it would be to their advantage only to have Jamie not fucking show up.

Siena swallowed and called back the emotions that wanted to pour out instead of tears. “I don’t think she’s playing. Not really. It’s not her fault.”

It was Siena’s fault. She’d dragged it out too long. She’d played the game and she had pushed Jamie too far. Siena had just wanted their relationship—sexual at least—to be casual and they’d never managed to pull that one off, had they?

“Are you kidding?” Bunny twisted around to look at the door. “Look, we don’t do interviews like this for extra credit. She should have shown up and done what she said she was going to do.”

“Bunny, shut up,” Piper interrupted.

Bunny angled her body toward Piper, and Siena knew a tirade was about to start but she looked up and met Bunny’s eyes. In front of her, the emotions of bent-out-of-shape Bunny morphed back into the ultimate protector Siena had ever known. God how she loved her friend. If this entire situation hadn’t involved Jamie Kettlehouse, someone Bunny already hated, Siena might have been far more inclined to actually talk to Bunny and Piper about what was going on.

“Siena, what’s wrong?”

Siena swallowed the lump and the tears that wanted to spill. Fuck, she needed to get her shit together. Standing up, she swiftly walked out of her office and into the main office area. Sure enough, Jamie was nowhere to be found.

“Did she call?” Siena asked Paula, already knowing the answer.

Paula shook her head. “No, she hasn’t.”

“Right.” Siena sucked in a breath and calmed herself down. She needed to do something with herself to burn off this energy. And what she really needed was to spend some time thinking of the farthest thing possible to what this could be. Snagging her phone, she called Tori. “Hey, mind if I grab Harley from school today? I wanted to surprise her with Zena’s Donuts.”

“Oh, that’d be great, actually. I’m running a bit late with this client.”

“Perfect. I’ll drop her off in the morning at school and we can go back to our regular schedule.”

“Sounds good. Love you, Siena.”

“Love you, too, Tori.” That love had never been a lie, and Siena had never made the mistake of trying to play it off as casual either.

Siena checked her watch. She could do this. It would be perfect timing. But she had to make sure that Jamie wasn’t going to randomly show up in the next twenty minutes either. She took her cell and dialed Jamie’s number, waiting patiently as it rang and rang and rang.

There was no answer.

Not that Siena had expected there to be one. This was so unlike Jamie—at least the Jamie that she knew. When it tipped over to Jamie’s voicemail, Siena closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Time’s up, Jamie. You didn’t show, and I can’t keep them here. Hope you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere.” She almost added acall meto the end, but she didn’t. She didn’t even say goodbye as she ended the message and held her phone down to her side.

Walking back into her office, she caught Bunny and Piper’s attention. “Want to spend some time with Harley and me at Zena’s? I thought she’d enjoy the treat and I need to pick her up from school.”

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