Page 36 of Waiting for Acceptance
“No, but she thinks I tried stealing her printer.”
“Why?” Max asks, clearly confused.
“Because I borrowed it one day when she was out of the office.” I shrug.
“Well, maybe don’t touch shit that isn’t yours.”
“I was going to put it back. If it makes you feel better, she yelled at me for it.” I offer as some sort of peace offering, seeing as how my very existence seems to bother this guy almost as much as I think it bothers Lauren sometimes.
“I’ll let you guys get back to your workout. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” I start exiting the ring, mumbling, “Sorry in advance for that, I guess.” As I pass the guy whose name Istilldon’t know. When I make it to my gym bag, I pull my phone out and see a text from my father.
Dad
June 10th, sales conference. Be back on the 8th, ask Jessica to go with you. People like the look of you two.
Would it be an overreaction to throw my phone into oncoming traffic and claim I never got the text? I’d rather peel my own skin off with a vegetable peeler than take Jessica Vanderbilt to another social event.
CHAPTER 20
TANK
“Yo, what the hell was that about?” I watch as Fitz grabs his gym bag and leaves Hall’s, turning back to face Tucker.
“What do you mean?” I start taking my gloves off as he gives me a bored look.
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You never go that hard in the ring anymore, clearly, you have something against that guy.” I grind my teeth, remembering the day I went to pick Lauren up from work.
I sit on the bench and sigh as they all stand in front of me waiting for an explanation. “Look, all I know is when I went to pick Lauren up from work she came out of his office fuckingcryingand I have no idea why.”
“You didn’t ask her?” Max asks.
“You know how Lauren is. She’s fucking tough as nails, shit doesn’t make her cry, and when it does, she brushes it off like it’s nothing. She put on her brave face when she got in the truck and I could tell from the way she was keeping the conversation on anything but work that she didn’t want me to ask about it. So I didn’t.”
Sawyer rubs his hand over his jaw. “So you don’t know what happened while they were in his office?”
I finish taking a drink of water and slam the lid shut. “Nope. Which pisses me off. Any time I see that guy I wanna grab him by the throat and ask him what he did but…it’s not my place.”
“Okay, well maybe next time you fill us in on the fact that some asshole at her work made her cry. That way we’re not blindly polite to the guy.” Tucker holds his hand out in the direction of the door and I laugh, standing to move to the weight rack.
“That’s on you for being so fucking nice all the time.”
Max follows me, grabbing the 45s as we begin curling. “I met him at the bar the other day, he didn’t necessarily strike me as the threatening type.”
I blow out a breath as I try to keep count of my reps. “Maybe he isn’t. But she wasn’t coming out of that office crying for no reason. So until she can set the record straight, I’m not letting my guard down with him.” I watch in the mirror as Sawyer and Tucker give agreeing looks.
“Fair enough. We’ve got her back,” Tucker says, placing weights on the squat rack.
Lauren is Ruby’s best friend and has been like a sister to me for almost as long as I’ve known her. I see how she puts on a brave face, I hear her tell Ruby about the shit she’s gone through with her parents, and the last thing she needs is some asshole giving her shit at work. I’m always going to have her back because I know no one else does. Well, the girls do, sure. But when it comes to someone needing their ass beat, that’s more my speed than theirs. Though I wouldn’t put it past my wife to give him a run for his money in the ring too.
CHAPTER 21
LAUREN
Tay
Okay so for the wedding, all the girls will be walking with their guys, are you good to walk on the other side of Sawyer with Leah?
My heart sinks a little at the subtle reminder that I’m the only one without a date to Taylor and Tucker’s wedding. Then my phone rings at the same time I go to unlock it and I accidentally answer before I see the name on the screen.
