Page 24 of Love & Other Disasters

Eleven

“I bet you haven’t even unpacked yet,” his mom teased. Through the earbuds her voice rang in his ears as J.P. paced his office.

“I have unpacked the essentials,” he replied, meaning very few things made their way out of the boxes.

“Do you have clean underwear? Make sure you’re doing your wash.”

“Mom, I’m thirty, of course I’m doing laundry.” Back in Atlanta he had a laundry service to do it.

“Right, of course,” she replied like maybe she’d not remembered, but didn’t want to admit it.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I am.”

Her assurance didn’t convince him. “Is Ethan coming by regularly?”

“He came by for supper last night. He and Celeste are expecting. Isn’t that magnificent? I will be a grandmother again.”

Wow, they were having another one and couldn’t afford the three they already had. His brother hadn’t mentioned that. “That’s great, Mom. Are Cody, Conner, and Casey excited?”

“Casey is, but the others have been through this before, and I don’t think they’re all that ecstatic.”

J.P. laughed. “I don’t blame them, either.”

“No,” she said. “Are you coming home soon?”

“When I take a job, it takes a lot of time and work to turn a company around.”

“I know,” she whispered. “You work too much. You need a nice woman to ease the load of this life.” The words killed him a little.

“I’m fine,” he replied. He worked far too many hours to make any woman happy. And he didn’t need the added stress. The only thing he needed to know was why one pretty little Violet Murphy lied to him. And speaking of Violet, she should be there any minute, and he had a bone to pick.

“You say that,” his mom interrupted his thoughts, “but every man needs someone to share his life with.”

J.P. sighed and stared out the window down into the parking lot. This time of morning it was bustling with employees coming to work. “It’s not all that simple to find that person.” He was great as is; didn’t need anyone.

“Oh, I bet there’s someone right under your nose. You’re just too busy to notice.”

Violet climbed out of a gray sedan. Wearing a knee length black skirt with her hair in a bun, and glasses, she gave off a prim and proper school teacher vibe. But after their night together, his imagination went to the porno version minus the gigantic tits. Violet’s were perfect, and an image of one in his mouth flashed. Christ, he pushed the memory away and realized his mom was still talking, and he hadn’t caught a word. Out in the parking lot Violet carried her purse and lunch bag toward the building.

“Sorry, Mom, I have to go. Love you.” After several promises to come and visit, he disconnected.

Another Monday morning was a reminder that the company they all counted on to keep money in their bank accounts was floundering, and they hadn’t known. The breakroom was an eerie quiet as she waited for her turn at the coffee machine. Even a recent episode of a show that they loved to discuss, aired last night, and no one said a word.

Violet closed her eyes and inhaled the aroma of the coffee tickling her nose as other’s brewed and left. In a Pavlovian reaction, she relaxed at the smell. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that she’d fall asleep standing in line. Violet hadn’t slept well, and she was too tired to care about the situation with Frat Guy.

A presence came up close behind her as she made her coffee choice and popped it into the maker. People crowding her at the coffee maker was a pet peeve. Unable to make the machine work any quicker, it annoyed her, and this one was getting closer by the second. What the—?

“Hello, Katia,” a low growl came from behind her.

Oh no. He knew. Violet sighed, her only option. The coffee finished brewing, and she grabbed the sugar and dumped in an undetermined amount. She needed a stronger beverage than coffee to deal with him.

“Not here,” she whispered, moving past him to the fridge for the creamer she shared with Monique. It was her turn to buy the next bottle, if she still had a job after today.

J.P. moved to the coffee maker and began his own mug.

Unable to face him, she slunk to the door, hoping he’d let her go back to her desk. “My office, Ms. Murphy,” he said before she got out of the room. Her heart hit the floor, she was toast.

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