Page 47 of Framed

How can he still affect me like that?One look, one word, one whiff of his scent, and my entire world tilted off-kilter. I hated that fact. I hated him for doing that to me.

Except, no, I really didn’t. That was the whole fucking problem.

And he was hardly the biggest issue I had to worry about tonight. Lurking at the back of my mind, behind everything else I was dealing with, was the same problem that I’d been struggling with for years. The secret I’d kept from everyone.

Those goddamn notes.

I cleared my throat gruffly. Poor Winter lasted two whole hours without bringing up the subject of the job I’d applied for tonight—I had to give her credit there, at least. Though, for the past twenty minutes, she’d been shooting me glances every time she could take her eyes off the road.

Which was most of the time, since the highway was empty at this hour.

I hated to admit it but I was still fairly shaken by my encounter with Xavier. It was difficult to formulate a coherent response, even after all this time.

“Yeah, I did,” I said. At least, I had a folded-up schedule in my pocket to show for it. But I wasn’t sure how Xavier was going to react if I showed up for another shift, given him flat-out refusing me tonight.

Too bad.He wasn’t the only one of us who could make the other uncomfortable. I wasn’t about to let him get the last word. Not again.

“I figured since you didn’t come out until after the bar closed, but then I wasn’t sure because of that look on your face.” Winter side-eyed me.

I had a look on my face? Great.

“Sorry for making you wait.” I did feel bad about her having to sit out there in the parking lot for me. I’d tried to slip outside to warn her I was running behind and tell her to come back after my impromptu shift ended, but the bar was so slammed that I couldn’t even escape for that long.

Take drink orders, clean the area, repeat. It got to a point where Ethel had to start kicking people out because they were at capacity.

“Don’t apologize. I was in good company. I was listening to the Audiobook version of that book by Colleen Hoover you told me about. The one about the lady finishing the book for the man’s comatose wife?” She was referring to Verity. I’d just finished reading it a few days ago and thought Winter would also enjoy it.

“It’s so good.” Winter grinned. “You didn’t tell me that she might not really be comatose.”

I couldn’t wait until she reached the end. Talk about a plot twist. “Yeah, it’s a good book.” I nodded, leaning my head against the passenger window. I was half listening, my mind still alternating between the bar and the note I was on my way to investigate.

Still stuck on one particular person at the bar, that was.

“If you got the job, why do you look like someone pissed in your Coke? Did you not like it?” Winter asked.

No, Ethel was great. The work was easy enough. The boss, however? Not so much. I still couldn’t believe the harshness in his tone when he said no. I also couldn’t believe the amount of contempt laced in his voice when he told Ethel that I couldn’t work there.

Did he really still hate me that much? It was a complete 180 from the man who stormed into my bedroom declaring I was his business. I feared I would get whiplash trying to keep up with his hot and cold emotions.

“No, I liked it.” I shook my head against the cool glass, staring at the dark acres of land outside the window. “I caught on quickly and Ethel, the bar manager, seemed to like me.”

“Then what’s wrong? You should be celebrating your new job, not looking like someone stole your favorite limited edition Christian Louboutins.”

While I didn’t own a pair of Louboutins, I could tell her about Xavier. She didn’t know all of the details, but by now she knew enough to realize we had a past together. I let out a long sigh before considering my response. I settled for a half-truth. “The owner didn’t seem to like me. Said some pretty harsh words.”

“I see,” Winter said, nodding. It was silent for a few seconds until she spoke again. “Do you want me to write a bunch of bad Yelp reviews? I can say that he spits in the drinks.”

That made me smile. “No, it’s fine. I doubt I’ll be around him much. Are owners usually in direct contact with employees?”

“I’ve never actually had a job, but my mom runs a big law firm in Atlanta. She has to be in constant contact with her staff to make sure everything is flowing smoothly. Billable hours, charitable hours, overseeing high-profile cases, things like that. I hardly see her outside of a few times a month and that’s usually to discuss my doctor’s appointments.”

I did know how that felt. I’d been warned early on in life about how much effort certain jobs took, and what it took to be successful.

Still, the sullen tone of her voice made me glance over at her. Winter hadn’t mentioned her family at all in the few months that I’d known her. I couldn’t recall ever seeing her call anyone, either, aside from quick phone calls from friends as she was on the way to meet them.

There was just so much I didn’t know about the redhead. Then again, she could probably say the same thing about me.

“Is your mother aware of how sick you are?” I asked. She clearly felt comfortable enough to share with me, and given how many times she’d stepped up to help me, I wanted to be there for her too.

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