Page 12 of Tear Me Down
“What do you need to talk to them about?”
“I need them to distract Hugo long enough for us to check out the second floor.”
“Send Linette. She’ll have him talking for hours.” I gesture over to her. The poor thing is still talking, so deep in her own conversation that she hasn’t noticed no one is paying attention to her. Damien chuckles and shakes his head moderately.
“Don’t worry. She’s plan B.” I can’t help but giggle at his joke, and then I look over at Tyler and DJ.
“Well, go talk to them. I’m fine. I'll stay with Emmett,” I suggest, looking back at him to see the scowl that has manifested on his lips.
“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“She’s good with me, Damien.” Emmett steps up and reassures him. “Do what you need to do.” He lifts his brows, insinuating that he knows the plan. Damien then nods reluctantly and kisses my forehead.
“I'll be right over there. Stay where I can see you. I’ll be right back.” I nod my head as he walks off. My eyes linger on his form as he increases the distance between us.
“He still paranoid?” Emmett asks me with a chuckle.
“He’s always paranoid; it’s part of his personality.” I giggle back and turn to him. “How’s Charlie? Did he freak out that I was gone?”
“Oh, he’s fine. Dirty as always. He came in the day we re-opened, worried sick about you. I told him that they weren’t allowing visitors, though, and to see you when you came back.” He widens his eyes briefly and tilts his head towards his wife.
“Yeah, they didn’t want anyone else to get what I had. Hopefully I can come back in a couple of days,” I play along. Linette finally ends the conversation with herself and turns her attention back to us. “You take your time, honey. We’re fine,” Linette says, and I shoot a look at Emmett. The last time he said they were ‘fine,’ he almost lost the building.
“She’s right. A very generous donor paid for the damages, and I recently won a small lottery.” His eyes widen again, and he easily nudges his head inDamien’s direction. He gave Emmett money? When did he do that? Was it more than what he paid him for the contract?
“Well, I’m glad you guys are doing okay, then.” I look towards him, wanting to see his handsome face and make sure he’s alright. I see him talking to Tyler and DJ, when a tall and lanky blonde woman walks up to them. Damien doesn’t seem the slightest bit interested in her, but she definitely seems absorbed in him, gawking up at him and puffing her fake boobs out. I watch as she stares at him, and then puts her hand on his arm, leaning in close enough to settle her chest on his bicep.
My face instantly stews with jealousy, and I almost feel like I might get sick. Why is she touching him like that? Does he know her? She seems extremely comfortable with him. Even as he side steps out of her reach, she doesn’t stop. Only stepping back up to him again.
“Who the fuck is that?” I interrogate Emmett. He turns to look at her and releases an annoyed huff.
“Oh, that’s Cheryl,” he says, with disinterest in his voice.
“Who the hell is Cheryl?” I inquire without drawing my gaze away.
“She owns that damn massage parlor on the south side of downtown.” I snap my head to look at him, my eyes wide.
“Thatmassage parlor?”
“Yep,” he says definitively. “Does Damien know her?”
“Definitely notthatwell.” Or at least, I hope not. Linette shifts her weight onto one hip and settles her hand on it while looking at Cheryl, almost as disgusted as I am.
“That woman has slept with half the men downtown.” She reveals, and I snap my head to Linette instead.
“Linette,” Emmett warns her, attempting to keep his voice low so the other guests don’t hear.
“What? She has. I remember having some choice words with her myself when you first opened the shop.” She points her finger into his chest, obviously getting defensive.
“Are you serious?” I ask and turn my attention back to her and Damien, a sense of desperation washing over me as my heart begins to beat against my ribs.
“Don’t cause a scene, Ash. I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” Linette says, a tinge of attitude in her voice, as if she doesn’t really mean it.
“I won’t.” I keep my eyes on that bitch and watch as she grazes his arm, running her dragon-lady hands up and down the fabric of his suit. He steps away from her again and turns his back a little to continue talking to the guys, but that’s when that she leans into him and starts whispering something in his ear. His lip curls in disgust, and I know thatshouldmake me feel better, but it doesn’t, because she places her hand on the top of his shoulder and runs it downhis back as she walks away. Every inch of that intimate swipe felt like a jab to my chest, igniting a fire I wasn’t sure I had. My body feels hot, like if I don’t start moving, I might faint.
“Ashia…” Linette starts, gripping my wrist timidly to try and ground me. My line of sight focuses on Cheryl, and everything else around her bleeds to black.
“Excuse me.” I apologize and step forward, pulling from the hard grip on my arm Linette tried to tighten. Each step I take feels like another beat added to my already intense heart rate, stoking the fire that started to burn. I should be the one touching him. I’ve been on his arm all night, wearing his grandmother’s ring, and I’m the one that fucks him at night. Where does she get the audacity to touch him like I do? He doesn’t look at her the way he looks at me. Hell, he didn’t look at her at all, and she just inserted herself in a conversation that I couldn’t even be a part of?
