Page 76 of Left In The Dark
“Guess who got that promotion he should always have had?”
I shift in my seat, spinning my beer bottle between my fingers. “Wait . . . no fucking way, man.”
He lifts his arms up, spinning from side to side. “That’s right. You’re fucking looking at him.”
“That’s awesome.” I beam. “I’m happy for you, and it’s definitely well deserved.”
“Damn right it is.” He lightly taps his closed fist to the table.
“But what happened to Hayden getting it? Did he decide to go in a different direction?”
“Nah. The asshole kept showing up late to work and expecting everyone else to pick up his slack.”
“Sure, that might get anyone else fired, but I’m surprised that was enough for his uncle to kick his ass to the curb, knowing how it finally works.” I drain the rest of my drink in one go.
“Well . . . there may have been more to that too,” he says, almost too quietly, his gaze circling the restaurant.
“Such as?” I move my empty bottle out of my way, folding my hands on my menu.
“He kept passing out in his truck during consultations and got pulled up for a DWI while still on the clock.”
My mouth falls open. “No fucking way. Only he would be getting drunk during working hours. What a loser.”
“Yeah, well . . . he may not have known he was drinking something other than coffee.”
My eyes bulge and I lower my face. “You mean . . .” I gesture my head to him and he gives me a shit-eating grin.
I’m the one slamming down on the table this time, laughing so hard my stomach shakes. “Holy fuck,” I silently mouth.
“Yeah, well, things were probably going to happen this way eventually. Sometimes they just need help getting there sooner.”
“Fuck yeah.” I fist pump the air and he lifts his cup up.
He talks me into ordering another beer and I do, drinking it more slowly than the last one. We order our food and eat way too many appetizers before it arrives. As I’m chowing down on a bread stick, I stop with only two bites left and set my food on the plate.
“Wait. You said there were two things to celebrate.”
His face lights up and he rests a hand on the back of his neck as he dips his head. “Yeah. So there’s a rumor going around that Blake left town again.”
“What?” I pretend to act surprised, hoping I’m convincing enough.
“Yeah. His sister kept asking around for him and found a flyer about some modeling job in New York, so she’s guessing that’s where he is. He hasn’t been answering his phone, but she said he does that a lot.”
“He’ll probably be back,” I mutter, reaching for my beer.
“Probably, but who knows. If he’s too busy getting jobs over there, then maybe he won’t.”
“One can only hope.” It’s so crazy to think how true I wanted those words to be only weeks ago, but like Jimmy said, Blake and I were probably always going to end up how we are now. We just needed a little push to make it happen quicker.
Were my actions ideal or smart? No, but neither were Jimmy’s, and he’s not letting it bother him so why should I?
Twenty-Five
Blake
It takes him four days before he stays long enough to give me a bath. Not in the house but in the barn with a bucket and loofah. He doesn’t talk as he cleans me. It’s quick and clinical. I kick the bucket when he dries me off, not understanding why he’s ignoring how hard I am today, or that my nipples need to be cleaned more.
I oink and oink, tossing the wet wash cloth around, and he grabs my wrists, shaking me. “That’s enough, Blake. You’re making a mess and you’re going to make me late.”
