Chapter 21
I sit next to Atlas in the kitchen. His eagerness is apparent, his eyes gleaming with hope, but mine are clouded with uncertainty. Why am I doing this? I ask myself for the umpteenth time. Yet the answer’s unknown, buried beneath layers of conflicting emotions.
”Are you sure about this?” Atlas asks.
I nod slowly, unable to muster the words to express my doubts. Atlas accepts my subtle nod and silence as a yes, a smile spreading across his face.
”Thank you, Dad.” He grins from ear to ear.
I’m happy that he’s excited, but, on the other hand, I’m a mess of troubling thoughts—guilt maybe.
”We”ll find her,” Atlas declares with unwavering determination. ”And when we do, we’ll make things right.”
I wonder if he truly understands what he”s getting himself into. Sloane is not just a woman; she”s a whirlwind of chaos and confusion, leaving destruction in her wake. And yet, despite all the warning signs, Atlas is drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
She made her choice. She could have chosen to stay last weekend, and she didn”t. She got her money and bailed.
The sex was good. I”ll give her that. But the feelings that she invokes in me are not. Her being around is a weakness, and I’m afraid it will be the demise of my relationship with my son.
He thinks we can share her.
He”s so desperate, he”s willing to put his lips where his dad’s were?
Was last weekend not a big deal to him? Did he really not care that I was with her?
Either way, it doesn”t matter. Because he is my son, my flesh and blood, and I would move heaven and earth to see him smile.
If that means tracking Sloane down so he can spill his soul and beg her to take him back, then so be it. He is my everything and I”ll do whatever he asks, within reason.
Perhaps it’s me and I’m the issue.
I care about Sloane; I do. I have feelings for her, but are they more than dirty sex with my ex-stepdaughter feelings? I don’t know.
I don’t know if I can love again… or more so, if I want to.
Both times I fell in love, they ended up leaving. Although, I’m pretty sure what I had with Ali wasn’t love. She painted me a pretty picture, sold me a pipedream, and I bought it like a sap.
Atlas hasn’t been burned by that emotion yet. He’s felt it mixed with hope, and this one woman has the power to ruin it for him. Yet he’s still chasing it like a hamster on a wheel.
“Did you get her number or anything?” I ask, hoping that he can simply call her and beg for an in-person meeting.
“No. She was worried about post auction communication being against the rules and I stormed out pissed off.”
“Is it against the rules? I didn’t see anything about that on the website, did you? That Edward guy didn’t mention it either in any of his speeches.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see or hear anything about it.” Atlas shrugs.
“Okay. So I’ll call Club Lust and see if I can get in touch with Edward and ask. Maybe tell him we knew Sloane before; that might get him to tell us more information. Perhaps he knows where she works or lives.”
My phone ringsand I don’t recognize the number. That means it’s a new client, my car warranty is expired, or Edward is calling me back.
I called the club a few times over the past couple of days with no luck in being able to talk to Edward, but I did get to speak with Natalie again. She was just as bubbly on the phone as she was the night of the auction. I was assured I would get a call back within a few days and I’m growing impatient.
“Duttin Construction, this is Ripley.”
“Ripley, this is Edward. You are a persistent man, aren’t you?”
“Only when it comes to my son and money. I do appreciate your call, though.”
“What can I do for you, Ripley?” he asks.
“Well, as you know, me and my son attended your event.” I don’t want to say too much since I signed an NDA and we could be overheard. “Loved our merchandise. In fact, we knew it beforehand. Seeing it at your event was a surprise. However, my son really liked the merchandise, so I was hoping there weren”t any rules about post event viewing.”
I feel like an idiot talking in code and riddles, but I’m taking no chances in breaking that NDA or getting on Edward’s bad side. The Sartoris were there, so he obviously knows them and that’s not a can of worms I want to open.
“Oh, a little post event puppy love.” He chuckles. “There are no rules on post event viewing. But the merchandise was entrusted to me, so if I find out it has been broken, I will come looking for answers. It might seem like I’m a cold-hearted bastard for this event, but it helps people out who have no other option. The merchandise means more than dollar signs to me.”
I’m glad to hear that this isn’t some get rich quick scheme for him and the people who volunteer to sell themselves are looked after, post auction.
“Not the intention at all. I was also hoping that you could drop us a number or a place of employment.”
I can feel the tension on the other end, and can picture him now, stick-straight posture while staring at his phone in disgust.
“If you knew it before, how do you not have this?”
How do I word this? He’s asking questions, which I understand, but we’re still talking in riddles.
“Ummm. Edward, did you know I was once married? She had a daughter named Birdie and when we divorced, she took Birdie and we never saw them again. Nasty drug and alcohol habit. I hear Birdie is grown, and well, my son would like to reconnect.”
“What an interesting turn of events.”
“However, on Sunday, the bird had to return to its cage. My son wanted to keep it. The bird went back anyway, and there was a falling out, and now he wants to make amends.”
“Your son must not hurt for money,” Edward muses.
“What do you mean?”
“There would have been no money if the bird didn’t return. They aren’t paid until Sunday night.”
“Shit,” I hiss.
“So you see, the bird had to come back or it wouldn’t have been able to get its half a million in treats.”
Well, that makes sense. I would have returned as well, but why didn’t she say that? Why not explain that, instead of saying she wasn’t sure about post auction communication.
“He’s gonna need a bigger apology.” I sigh, raking a hand down my face.
“He is. I’ll text you the details. But remember what I said. Any harm befalls the pretty birdie, and I’ll have your head on a platter. I’m sure you saw who was beside you at the bar. They are large funders of the event. One call and they’ll handle the issue. Are we clear?”
I swallow hard. “Crystal.”
Edward hangs up, and I blow out a breath. That was intense and exhausting. How did he know we were next to the Sartoris at the bar? He must have cameras and eyes everywhere to make sure everything stays running smoothly.
Well, I guess I”ll wait for his text and then tell Atlas that Sloane had more of a reason to leave. If she didn’t return, she wouldn’t have gotten paid. I still wish I knew why she needed money. But for now, I’ll wait for Edward to send the info.
The next day,I finally get the text I’ve been waiting for.
Unknown- I will not give out the home address. But she works at the Iced Rose. Address is 3838 Pleasant St here in Detroit.
Me- Thank you
I get no response,and honestly, I didn’t expect one. I’m sure Edward has better things to do than deal with my issues. Now, we have her work address, but we don’t know her schedule. So we need to make a plan.
I make my way through the house, looking for Atlas. It doesn”t take long for me to find him in his room, playing Fortnite. He”s completely immersed in the game, his fingers dancing over the controller as he sticks his tongue out in concentration. I swear he”s still like a child sometimes. I personally never got the appeal of video games, but he”s always enjoyed them.
Although, I haven”t seen him play in a while, as he spends most of his time in the garage with his Chevy. But since our blowout, he hasn’t been out there.
Working in the quiet solitude of the garage gives him too much time to think about Sloane.
Even during work this week, he had the radio on, playing his favorite playlist. When the batteries died, he ran like the hounds of hell were on his ass to switch them out. I think I have memorized the new Beyonce song, along with that old school Lil Kim How Many Licks.
I knock on the wall beside his open door and step inside. ”Hey, son. I heard from Edward.”
He looks up from his game, his eyes brightening at the mention of the name. “What did he say?”
“He gave me her work address,” I tell him and he smiles before pursing his lips.
“That’s great, but we don’t know when she works. What are we supposed to do? Just pop in multiple times every day to see if she’s there. We have to work, too. Fuck!” he curses, throwing the controller onto the pillow beside him.
“I have an idea to get her schedule, but it’s creepy, and I don’t know if it will work. If her boss and coworkers are good people, it won’t, but it’s the only plan I’ve got right now,” I tell him, wondering how I got here.
I feel like a teenager figuring out the schedule of the girl I like so I can pass her a note or some shit. I’m way too old for this.
“Do it,” he tells me.
“You don’t want to know what the idea is?”
“Nope.” He shakes his head. “If it gets me in front of her, I don’t care.”
“Alright. But be quiet. I don’t need them thinking this is any weirder than it is.”
He motions like he”s zipping his lips shut and hands me an invisible key. I take it from him, chuckling as I shove it into my pocket.
I slide my phone out and pull up the browser. With a quick search for ”Iced Rose Detroit”, I”m relieved to find only one result. I press the little phone icon, and when it starts to ring, I take a deep breath.
Finally, a female voice answers, ”Iced Rose. Pouring bad choices, one drink at a time. How can I help you?”
”Hi,” I begin, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. ”I was in there not long ago, and one of your bartenders served me. Light hair and blue eyes, freckles. I think her name started with an S?”
”Sloane?” the voice on the other end supplies.
”Yeah, that might be it,” I confirm.
”Average height, could stand to lose a few pounds? Was it a night shift? She”s the night girl.”
As she describes Sloane, a surge of protectiveness and anger builds within me. Sloane”s perfect the way she is. Atlas growls beside me, and I shoot him a warning glare.
”Yeah, that must be her. Can you tell me when she works next?” I ask, hoping for a helpful response.
There”s a moment of silence on the line, and I fear this half-assed plan isn’t going to work. ”Why you wanna know? She give you shitty service and you wanna yell at her?” the voice asks, excitement evident in her tone. ”Or you forgot to tip and wanna bring it in? If so, you don”t need to wait till she”s here. Bring it anytime, ask for Trina, and I”ll make sure she gets it.”
I can sense this woman”s hostility toward Sloane, and that she’s a con artist. No way will a tip ever be given to Sloane if someone gave it to this bitch. ”Yeah, she was rather rude, and I”d like to come in and speak to her about manners,” I respond.
”She doesn”t work tonight or tomorrow, but she”ll be in the next night at six. Anything else?” the woman asks tersely.
”No, that”s it. Thank you so much,” I reply, faking a smile even though she can’t see me.
”Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you teach her better customer service. Then maybe she won”t kill the mood and the rest of us’s tips,” the woman retorts before abruptly ending the call.
I exchange a bewildered glance with Atlas, wondering what kind of establishment Sloane works at.
“Did she just say us’s instead of ours? What the hell? Also, she seems like she might need a lesson in customer service.” Atlas quirks an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“Well, now we have plans in a couple of days. We’re going to the Iced Rose and I’m going to win my girl back. Hopefully, our girl.”
“Atla—” I growl.
“Ookay, okay. I’ll leave it alone. But I still want to know why she left Sunday. What was so important she couldn’t stay?”
“Fuck,” I murmur.
I forgot he still doesn’t know what I do. I was so wrapped up in waiting for the text from Edward and surviving this work week with Atlas’ mood swings, I totally blanked.
Idiot.
Telling him could have helped his mood.
Dad fail.
And yes, even as parents to adults, we can fuck up.
“What?” Atlas tilts his head to the side, looking at me.
“When Edward called me, he told me some news that could change your thoughts on Sloane leaving.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that there would have been no money if Sloane didn’t return. They aren’t paid until Sunday night. So she had to go back for her half a million or she would have forfeited it.”
Atlas hits himself in the forehead. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Why? What happened?”
“She pretty much told me that. I heard her, but wasn’t really taking it in. She told me she needed the money. I should have put two and two together—that if she didn’t return, there would be no money.”
“Well, you add that to your apology, then, I guess.” I shrug.
“I have even more to apologize for now.” He falls back in his bed, moving an arm over his eyes. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
My sentiments exactly.
“I’m gonna get ready for bed. Early day at work tomorrow, don’t forget.” I leave the room and shut his door.
I need to figure my own shit out before we see her, and I don’t think it’s something that can be unraveled in just a couple of days.