Page 35 of Crossing the Line
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The introductions have been made.Lake is also a vision in a white cotton sundress with red embroidered flowers around the hem and a square neckline. She offsets the daintiness of her dress by wearing scuffed black combat boots. Treasure’s eyes have rolled approvingly up and down Lake’s form. Treasure’s into people who are different and edgy. Lake is certainly both.
Ru had gone to the ladies’ room which was how Lake so easily waltzed into my office. She said she peeped inside first and then heard us talking about Hercules. That was how she knew I wasn’t in a business meeting.
I’ve been forced to explain how Hercules and I had sex years ago on New Year’s Eve.
“Gosh, and you were a virgin?” Lake asks.
“Yes, she was.” Treasure looks off, shaking her head. “There’s something about those two,” she muses as if I’m not sitting in front of her.
“If I’d have known they had that kind of a history, I probably would’ve warned her about the engagement party,” Lake says.
“Oh, no warning necessary. She knows to stay away from him. He’s a Lord. Her parents would kill her.”
Lake gasps like she’s just seen a car crash. “Really? Like, literally kill her?”
Treasure shakes her head as a hard look sticks in her eyes. “No, not literally. But she’d wish she were dead.”
One would have to know about her fling with Orion Lord to understand the sorrow in her voice.
I wave my hands vigorously. “Hello? I’m in the room.”
Treasure and Lake look at me as if they’re still lost in their thoughts.
“Okay, so Hercules and I talked this afternoon.” I give them the bullet points about the arbitration hearing this morning, leaving out how I broke down at the end. “But we’re not starting a romantic relationship at all.” I won’t tell them that we’ve decided to be friends.
Treasure watches me with a sly smile. “Don’t lie to me, Pais. You can’t lie to me. I know you too well.”
My expression goes through multiple variations as I try to figure out what to change because Treasure is certainly reading my face. “He’s engaged, Treasure,” I blare, digging in and doubling down. “You know I respect the girl code. We both do.”
Pressing her lips together, Treasure gives me a conciliatory nod. “True.”
“But it’s not a real engagement.” Lake’s eyes bulge as if she’s questioning whether she should have revealed that.
“I know that already,” I say to put her at ease. “Hercules told me as much.”
Treasure grunts. “It doesn’t change a thing. He always does what his mommy tells him to do. You see, it’s not Achilles who’s running the team—it’s her. The father, Christopher, is long gone.”
“That’s right,” Lake says, pointing at no one in particular. “He’s somewhere tropical.”
“Bermuda, Antigua, Barbados, Hawaii…” Treasure says.
I snort bitterly, shaking my head. I hate everything Treasure is saying about the Lords. “Yeah, but Hercules isn’t…” My eyes widen. I almost went too far.
“You can say it.” Treasure turns to Lake. “I used to bang Orion.”
Lake rolls her eyes as though Treasure’s revelation is no big deal. “Who hasn’t?”
Treasure’s neck juts forward. “Have you?”
“No, no, no, no,” Lake says shaking her head adamantly. “But I used to work in the graphics department at LTI. That was where Mason and I met and fell in love.” She pauses to let a blissful smile live on her lips for a few seconds. Then she sighs, indicating a mood change. “But Orion used to screw all the hottest females in the company.”
“But you’re hot,” Treasure says.
“Thanks, but he knows he’s not my type, and I’m not his. He likes more… designer types,” Lake says. She and I examine Treasure.
Twisting under our scrutiny, Treasure blurts, “Why are you looking at me that way?”
