11. Sharing
11
Sharing
Asher
The observation floor here is less crowded than the one at Willis Tower, and I get why Daisy adores this view. It better showcases the buildings themselves, which are, after all, Chicago’s best feature.
“Normally, I can even see my street from here,” she says, narrowing her eyes as she peers through the window. “Hold on, I’ll find it.”
Watching her, I can’t help but smile. I’m truly grateful for this woman. She hasn’t said a word about my family, and frankly, I have n’t even thought about the encounter since this morning. How could I, with Daisy as my tour guide? She’s a mine of information, funny, and drop-dead gorgeous with her flawless skin and the way her flamboyant hair catches the light. She’s all the distraction I need. Plus, considering she’s been acting perfectly normal around me, I’m pretty sure the security guard never mentioned my fruitless night trip to the office.
“Um, it might be on another corner.” She frowns. “Directions have never been my thing.”
I chuckle, grabbing my phone from my pocket. “Let me help you. What’s your address?”
I open the Google Maps app and give her my phone. Our fingers brush, and a sweet electric shock jolts through my body. Yeah, I know. How can an electric shock be sweet, right? Well, I have a feeling this girl makes everything sweeter. She types in her address and hands the device back to me. I study the map for a minute, then move to the opposite corner of the tower.
“I think it’s somewhere this way.” I point, then take a few pictures of the view. “It’ll be easier to find on the screen.”
Daisy nods, leaning forward to study the screen, and her flowery perfume invigorates my senses, momentarily clearing my mind. The aroma is sweet , delicate, and powdery. And highly addictive. Lily, maybe?
“Oh!” she exclaims, making me jump. “Here’s the park at the end of my street.” Her finger slides over the screen.
“Pretty cool.” I nod. “It’s not that far, either.”
“Yeah. I love being close to the action. It’s maybe fifteen minutes to The Loop and just a short commute from work.” She smiles, looking out the window again. “I live with my housemate Lucy—the sports journalist—so that’s why we’re able to afford the sky-high rent in this area. It’s a nice neighborhood.”
And for some reason, that information soothes me. Knowing that Daisy lives in a good neighborhood in a city as dangerous as Chicago gives me peace of mind. Especially since she’s not living alone.
A notification pings her phone, and her eyes widen when she checks it. “Well, there go our plans for tomorrow. They just issued a storm warning.” She releases a long sigh. “I hate storms.”
“You do?”
She shivers. “We used to get a lot of thunderstorms in my hometown, snowstorms too, and one nearly took out our house when I was a kid. I’ve been terrified ever since.”
My eyebrows furrow. “Isn’t Chicago called the windy city?”
She winces, then drops her arms. “I know. But I fell in love with this place, and as long as I’m not alone, I’m usually fine. Lucy is fearless.”
“Ah, gotcha. So, should we go get that drink?” I ask, figuring it’s my turn to distract Daisy from her negative thoughts.
We head to the bar, order two cocktails, and find a high table facing the window. The sun is dipping low over the horizon, treating us to a breathtaking spectacle of yellow, pink, and orange.
“It’s a beautiful city,” I admit, taking a sip of my drink.
I can feel her smile next to me. “It really is. Though I’m sure New York is just as nice.”
I sigh. “I love New York. It’s home.” And that’s reason number one why I love it. Sure, it’s dazzling, with a rich history and every activity you can dream of, but I’m not as enamored with New York as Daisy is with Chicago. It’s just where I grew up. A place of stability—something I’ve been craving my entire life.
“Have you always lived there?” she asks, twirling her straw in her drink.
I nod. “Yeah. I’m not a big fan of change. What about you? Ever thought of moving out of Chicago?”
“I did, after I ended things with my ex.”
My stomach twists. “The persistent one?”
“Yeah.” She looks away, and I immediately wish I hadn’t pried. I open my mouth to change the subject, but she speaks first. “It was a long and complicated relationship. I should have left him way sooner, but he’s not someone you just leave. I finally cut ties with him at the end of last year, but he doesn’t want to accept that it’s over.”
“That’s not right,” I say, my throat constricting. “Maybe you should get a restraining order against him. Give him no choice but to stop bothering you. Does he live here? Come to your house?”
She swallows hard. “Not anymore. We stopped answering the door, and he got tired of trying. I thought it was over, and he finally moved on, but he’s started calling me again so . . .” She shakes her head. “And a restraining order would do no good. He works at the mayor’s office and has every connection in the city. Plus, I know him. He’d only take that as a challenge. He’s convinced I’m still in love with him and we’re just taking a break. But this time, it’s over. I’m out, and I’m never going back.”
I ball my napkin in my fist. “Did he—?”
She shakes her head vehemently, preventing me from saying the words that were burning my throat. “No, he wasn’t physically abusing me, but verbally and emotionally. He would make me feel like the most precious, amazing girl on earth one day. And the next day, I was this worthless mountain girl who couldn’t do anyt hing right. It was the little things. Hard to pinpoint at first, until it was so obvious I couldn’t lie to myself anymore.”
I clench my jaw tight, staring down at the table. That’s a special kind of worthless prick, right there. Daisy is so kindhearted, trusting, and he took advantage of that. As the thought crosses my mind, my chest tightens, and I look away as a voice inside my head highlights the irony of the situation.
No, it’s not the same. Daisy and I are not together, and I’m not taking advantage of her, per se. It’s just business.
She runs a finger along the rim of her glass. “So, yeah, I almost left Chicago. I temporarily went back to live with my brother Zane in Winter Heights, but I love this city, and I love my job. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Although, I’ll admit, my ex almost drove me out of Chicago.”
“I get it. It’s kind of the same for me,” I blurt out.
Her eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?”
I freeze, inwardly scolding myself. The admission just came out before I could edit it. Sharing isn’t exactly my thing, and it won’t help with my mission. I should be spurring her to talk about her job instead of blabbering about my personal life.
“Sorry.” She shakes her head. “You don’t have to answer that.”
I rake a hand through my hair, si ghing. “No, it’s fine.” She shared something personal with me, so I guess I can do the same. It doesn’t change anything. “A few months ago, I caught my girlfriend cheating on me with my best friend. That’s why I’m considering moving to another city.” It’s not a lie. I did consider it, actually. But I love New York and my job, so I ultimately decided otherwise. Although I’m starting to realize Chicago wouldn’t be a bad spot to live.
Her gray eyes widen. “Oh, wow. I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
I offer a weak smile, touched by her sympathy. “It’s getting better. Being here helps get my mind off it.”
“Well, cheers to that,” she says, raising her glass. “That’s what I’m here for.”
And as we clink glasses, our gazes cross, and a shiver courses through me. There’s something in the way I feel when I look in her eyes that I haven’t felt in a long time. That I never even felt with Jessica in our two years together. Or maybe I did, but it quickly faded. With all the emotions I’ve been bombarded with since yesterday, I’m probably just more vulnerable than usual.
Once we finish our drinks and take the elevator down, we grab a quick dinner near the tower, and it’s already time to call it a day. As we exit the res taurant, Daisy looks at her phone and winces.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my blood already boiling. If it’s that Todd guy again, I’m going to lose it.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. “Lucy just mentioned she’s stuck in San Francisco for her job.” She glances up at the cloud-covered night sky. “We should go. The wind is really starting to pick up, and I’d rather be off the street when it does.” She chuckles nervously, swaying on her feet.
“Do you want me to walk you home?” I ask.
She looks at me for a second, then swallows. “No, I’ll be fine. But would you mind parting ways here? I’m closer to my place.”
I stuff my hands in my coat pockets. “No problem.”
“Thank you. Do you need help figuring out directions?”
I arch an eyebrow, and she laughs.
“Touché. Well, I’ll text you tomorrow, and we’ll see what we can do, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
Her eyes sparkle. “Bye, Asher.”
“Bye, Red.” I wave like an idiot, even though she’s just steps away from me. At least it prevents me from doing something dumb, like giving her a hug. Just because she was my comfort today doesn’t mean we’re friends. I have to straighten myself out. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to get the promotion I deserve. And I need to focus and shift into second gear, or it’s never going to happen.