Dark Escort (14 page)

He released the air he was holding in his lungs. “Don’t ever joke with me like that again.”

“I actually prefer
The Bachelorette
.”

“Don’t even joke about that.”

I laughed. “What? It’s a good show.”

“Watch whatever you want to watch, but not when a man is in the house.”

“A man?” I asked. “Don’t talk about yourself like you’re super macho.”

“I’m the most macho guy on the planet.”

“You know what?” I snatched the remote then turned the show on. “We’re watching it.”

“No!” He covered his face like he was in agony. “I’m going to combust into a ball of fire if you make me watch this.”

“No, you won’t. Give it a chance.”

“Milkshake, you’re lucky you’re hot.”

I chuckled. “Shut up and be a man.”

“Then I’d better leave and go cut down a tree or something.”

“Shh!” I cupped his cheeks and gave him a kiss. “There. Now be quiet.”

He gave a wide smile. “I can do that.”

We sat back and watched the show. Cato seemed bored because he kept adjusting his position on the couch. But for the last few minutes of the show, he was leaning forward slightly, like he was on the edge of his seat. Then it ended before the bachelorette could make a decision on whom she wanted to date. “What?” he demanded. “It just ends?”

“Until the next episode.”

“She better not pick that blonde guy. He’s a douche.”

I chuckled. “Sounds like you were interested.”

“No,” he said immediately. “I just thought a pretty and smart girl like her shouldn’t end up with the loser.”

“And why do you care?” I pressed.

“I don’t,” I said immediately.

“Someone’s a big chick flick loving girl.”

“Am not.”

I leaned toward him and gave him my best smile. “I think so.”

He watched me then began to cave. “Okay, it’s not that bad…”

“I told you.”

“I suppose…”

“Now what would you like to watch?” I handed him the remote.

“Really?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah. We can trade off.”

He held up the remote and examined it. “I have so much power…”

I leaned my head on his shoulder then hooked my arm through his. “Pick something.”

He put on
South Park
. “Is this okay?”

“I like this show.”

“You do?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah.”

“Wow, you’re the coolest chick ever.”

“Even though I watch
The Bachelorette
?” I questioned.

“Well, that show isn’t that bad,” I said. “And yes, you’re the coolest chick ever.”

***

I was signing documents when Cato came into my mind. He wasn’t my boyfriend but he was a guy I was sorta…dating…and that didn’t bother me like I thought it would. Guilt didn’t well up inside me, and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong.

But dating a nice guy was nothing like loving one. I feared that would never happen for me. After you loved and lost, it was really difficult to feel that again. Cato didn’t seem like he expected anything from me, but I wondered if he would settle for my companionship and my general appreciation for him. Or would that be wrong to let him have just a part of me rather the entire thing?

I wasn’t sure.

My secretary’s voice came over the intercom. “Joey is here to see you.”

I held the button down. “Send him in.”

“Will do.”

Joey walked in a second later, but he didn’t look like himself. He seemed irritable and down, like he just lost a big hand in poker to an enemy. He placed a folder on my desk then put his hands in his pockets. “Those are the contracts. Let me know if you need anything else.” He nodded then made his way toward the door.

“Joey?”

He turned back around. “Hmm?”

“Everything alright?” He was a shadow of his former self.

“I’m fine.” He turned back to the door. “See you later.”

I knew he was full of it. “Joey, sit down.”

He released a very loud sigh before he turned back to me. “I’m just having a bad day. It’s nothing worth talking about.”

“Sit.” I sat in the chair beside him.

His eyes still held his irritation. He sank into the chair next to me.

“What’s going on?” We usually told each other everything. I wouldn’t say we were best friends, but we were close. We both knew so much about each other that it was hard to keep things hidden.

“Amy dumped me.” He stared straight ahead and rested his fingers on his lips, his usual stance.

“Did she say why?” I was bummed to hear this news. I’d hoped that Joey found a nice girl to settle down with.
Apparently, not.

“No, she didn’t.” He shrugged. “I’ve dated so many girls in this city and there’s either something I don’t like about them or something they don’t like about me. There’s never any middle ground. I give up. I actually give up.”

“Don’t say that,” I said. “Just because it didn’t work out before doesn’t mean it won’t work out someday.”

“Well, I’m tired of putting my heart through this to find out.” There was sadness and bitterness in his voice. “Finding the right woman is impossible and I don’t want to deal with it anymore. Now I need to find someone to settle down with so my parents will get off my back, someone I can call a friend and have decent sex with. Then I can stop worrying about it.”

I cocked an eyebrow at his words and wondered where this was going. But I didn’t ask.

He shrugged. “Well, thanks for listening.”

“You’re discouraged right now but it will get better.”

“You want to know the interesting thing?” he asked, slightly smiling. “I have absolutely no problem getting laid by the hottest girls. But I can’t find a single girlfriend that I want to stick around.” He rested his chin on his knuckles and shook his head slightly. “Love is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard and I don’t believe in it.”

“Well, you’re wrong.” I said it without thinking. Ethan and I had a volatile and explosive relationship that caused us to be irrational and presumptuous but that didn’t mean we didn’t love each other. Because we did. “When you find it, you’ll understand.”

He released a faint chuckle. “I’m done looking. Sorry, Kat.”

I kept my hands to myself and didn’t comfort him.

He stood up then straightened his shirt. “I need to get going. I’ll see you around.”

For a moment, I thought he was going to propose the idea of marriage again. I assumed that was where his speech was going. But he didn’t bring it up. He seemed to accept my relationship with Cato, and it seemed like he was really over me. I was grateful for that but I wish he had someone to love. I wished reality wasn’t spitting him out so aggressively. It was hard for me to believe that a woman would ever dump Joey. Not only was he good-looking and charming, but he was sweet and thoughtful. And for the superficial girls, he came from wealth. There was no better guy in my book. “I’ll see you.”

“Hey.” He turned back to me. “Want to grab dinner tonight?”

Since he was going through a hard time I couldn’t say no. “Sure.”

***

Cato called me the second I walked through the door. “Milkshake?”

“That name is stuck like glue, isn’t it?”

“It’s a good name,” he said. “I really like it.” The smile was in his voice. “So, how about you and me grab some grub?”

“I wish I could but I’m having dinner with Joey.”

There was a long pause over the phone. “Why?”

“Amy dumped him. I want to be his personal cheerleader. He seemed really down about it.”

“Yeah…I’m sure he was.”

Cato had a dark tone and I wasn’t sure where it came from. “Do you not like Joey?”

“He wants to marry you. Why would I like him?”

“But he’s over me.”

He laughed but it was clear he wasn’t being humorous. “Yeah right. Don’t fall for his bullshit, Katarina.”

I didn’t like his attitude. “Last time I checked, you weren’t my boyfriend. So you should knock off this jealousy.”

“I’m not jealous,” he argued. “But this guy is desperate to play any card he has. Don’t trust him.”

“He’s been my friend since I can remember. Of course I trust him.”

“And I
am
your boyfriend,” he snapped. “You don’t see anyone but me.”

“Are my parents okay?” I said sarcastically.

“I’m not telling you not to see him.” He kept his voice low but it was full of irritation. “Do whatever you want. I’m just telling you his intentions toward you are anything but friendly. He’ll try to manipulate you in whatever way he can.”

“He thinks I’m with you, Cato.”

“And he made it pretty clear in your office that he thinks we’re just a fling, like all the others you’ve had. I’m telling you, Joey thinks he has a chance with you, and I promise you he’s trying to figure out how to get it.”

“Well, you have nothing to worry about.”

“I know I don’t,” he said defensively. “Why would you go for a nutbag when you have a real man to please you?”

“You haven’t done any pleasing.”

“You have the worst memory in the world, woman.”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly. “Where are you guys going?”

“There’s this diner he and I frequent. It’s like our place.”

“That fifties place on sixth?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“They have good fries there.”

“Why do you think it’s our place?” I asked with a smile.

“Can I come over and watch
The Bachelorette
with you when you finish?”

I didn’t see the harm in that. “Sure.”

“Awesome. I’ll be waiting.” He hung up.

He never said goodbye before he ended the call and it irritated me. I never knew when the conversation was over until it was already gone.

***

Joey seemed to be in a better mood. He was smiling and making jokes. And he ate all his food, so I assumed he had an appetite. He discussed his most recent golf match against his father. “I creamed him. I mean, it wasn’t even a match, really.”

“Be nice to your father. He’s a sweetheart.”

“Oh, I’m nice to him. I just beat him.” He ate a few more fries while he laughed. “So, how’s it going with you and Cato?” His tone of voice was the same, like he wasn’t angry or jealous.

“Good,” I said. “We’re having a great time together.”

“Cato told me something interesting the other day…”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“He said he was going to marry you.”

I was surprised Cato told him that before I made the plans to actually announce it. But I guess he wanted a jumpstart so the proposal wasn’t completely out of the blue. “Yeah?”

“And you didn’t know?” he asked.

“We love each other…I guess I assumed that was where it was headed.”

“But you didn’t tell him about Ethan?” His brow was raised like he was suspicious.

I shrugged. “No man wants to hear about an old lover.”

He ate a few more fries and kept his gaze downturned. Then he returned his look to me. “Well, considering the fact Ethan is the reason you swore you would never love again, I’m shocked he didn’t come up.” He studied my face, watching my reaction.

“I told him about it last week. He was very sympathetic.”

“I told him in the office that day,” he said. “I assumed he already knew. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I was going to tell him anyway.”

“I’m sorry, but I just find this odd…”

“What so odd about me falling in love and moving on?” I asked.

“Because I know you,” he said quickly. “This is such a change of heart I have whiplash. What is it about this guy that’s given you new hope?”

I shrugged. “I can’t really explain it. There was nothing specific about Ethan that I loved. I just did. It’s the same way with Cato.”

He nodded and kept eating. “It’s just…nevermind.”

“What?” I asked. He seemed so incredulous.

“I just assumed that if you did move on, it would be with me.”

Were we seriously going to have this conversation again?

“Not for the reason you’re thinking,” he said immediately, catching my unease. “I assumed Ethan would want you to be with me. He and I were close and he knew I really cared about you. I just figured…forget I said anything.”

Ethan and Joey did get along, and Ethan did have a lot of nice things to say about him. Every time he would deploy, he would ask Joey to look after me. “But I can’t choose who I love.”

“So you love Cato?” he pressed.

“Of course I do.” I hated being interrogated like this.