Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
LANDON
“What’s up your ass tonight?” Adrian snaps at me as I slam the drawer in the desk just a little harder than I should.
“Don’t ask.” I slump into my chair, glaring at the screens that are currently showing the feeds from the security cameras in the bar.
“Ah, that’s not how it works, young Landon.
You see, firstly, I’ve already asked the question.
And secondly, I’m your supposed best friend, well, I was before Poppy showed up.
So, you’re expected to share your problems with me so you don’t break my furniture.
” Taking one of the chairs and turning it backwards, he straddles it, resting his forearms on the top of the chair, patiently waiting for me to take the bait.
“This desk is mine,” I growl.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You paid for it, but I get to use it.” He waves his hand in the air at me.
Adrian might feel differently if he knew what I’ve done on this desk.
I make a mental note to buy another desk for the bar, and this one can be delivered to my home office, where I’d be more than happy to recreate that scene all over again.
The door opens and Charlene pops her head into the room. “I hate to break up the party, boys, but it’s time for my break, so I need one of you behind the bar.”
I don’t want to talk about what happened today with Adrian, so the timing is perfect.
“I’ll do it,” I reply as she nods her head and is gone. Pushing up from my chair straight away, I stride toward the door, and I don’t stop when Adrian calls to me.
“This conversation isn’t over,” I hear him yell from behind me when I’m partway down the hallway.
“That’s what you think,” I mumble to myself, walking away, with my mind still on Poppy and the DNA test I took her to get done today.
Sully called Poppy last night after speaking with Tessa.
He told us Tessa’s very eager to have the tests done straight away so she can prove she’s Poppy’s mother.
I told Poppy she didn’t need to rush and she could do it in her own time.
But my stubborn girl wasn’t waiting. Poppy also wants the answer as soon as she can. At least she listened when I suggested she call her therapist and see if she could get an emergency appointment today.
Luckily her therapist made time to squeeze Poppy in for a session after we were scheduled to be at the DNA clinic.
So, after the nurse at the clinic took the DNA sample, we went straight to Meara’s office.
I sat in the waiting room, afraid to leave just in case Poppy needed me.
Watching her come out of the appointment, with red puffy eyes and looking exhausted, I knew she had a tough session.
I can only imagine what she’s going through right now.
A loud outburst of laughter from one of the tables at the side of the room reminds me I’m behind the bar to do a job, not to just stand here lost in my worry for Poppy.
“What can I get you?” I ask the brunette sitting on her own at the bar.
“Whatever you’re serving up tonight,” she replies, fluttering her eyelashes at me. Sitting up taller, she pushes her chest forward as she slides her almost empty martini glass across the bar toward me. I’m not in the mood for this tonight.
“Another martini, coming right up.” Turning my back on her to make her drink, I can see her in the mirror behind the bar as her eyes run over my body, checking out my ass.
“There you go. Enjoy.” I try to sound polite, but I know I’m not even close to pulling it off as I wipe the bar down in front of me.
“Grumpy. Just my type. They’re usually the hot ones in the bedroom,” she says as she takes the first olive on the cocktail pick between her lips, trying to seductively pull it into her mouth. She’s failing.
“Asshole, actually. The kind who’s not interested in your type or ever being in your bedroom.” I watch her eyes widen as I speak.
“Okay, perhaps tonight you should head home early.” Adrian’s voice comes from behind me, his hand clamping down on my shoulder. He starts pushing me in the direction of the office. “I think I’ve got things under control here.”
“Yes, his customer service is disgusting. You, on the other hand, obviously the owner, sound much more pleasant.” Her overly smooth drawl has the hair on the back of my neck standing up. The muscles in my shoulders tense, and I can feel my teeth grinding.
“Don’t speak. Go. Home,” Adrian whispers harshly in my ear. “And expect me on your doorstop in the morning. We need to talk. Obviously.” He pushes me hard enough away from the bar that I stumble a little but quickly regain my footing.
I don’t look back but hear him now using his smooth charm on that woman.
Knowing Adrian, he’ll probably take one for the team and fuck her after he’s finished for the night.
He’ll give me some bullshit tomorrow, like he was just making sure she didn’t leave a bad review.
One day there’ll be a woman who stops him dead in his tracks, and he won’t know what hit him.
And I can’t fucking wait to set up my deck chair and popcorn to watch it happen.
Pulling my keys out of the drawer, I stop for a second. Running my hand along my desk, it’s like I can visualize Poppy here. Happy, not a care in the world, letting me take all her worries away. Screaming my name like I’m her savior.
“Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m calling the movers tomorrow. This desk is not staying here a day longer,” I mutter. Grabbing my wallet from the drawer too, I slam it shut and lock it.
“John, I’m leaving for the night. Watch Adrian, and if he needs any extra help, call Charlene back from her break. Tell her I’m sorry,” I say into my comms gear. Letting head of security know that I’m leaving the building is important.
“Got it, boss. She’ll be fine, though you know she’ll bitch to you about it later. All bark and no bite, that one,” John replies to me.
“Ha. Don’t let her fool you. I’m off now.
” John’s known Charlene long enough, and like the rest of us, would never cross her.
Charlene’s the most loyal employee we have here, besides John, so I’m happy to put up with her tough exterior.
Because underneath that, she has a heart of gold.
She and John are both more than just employees.
I count them as friends and have for a long time.
But it doesn’t stop us from talking shit about each other.
Especially straight to each other’s faces. That’s the fun part.
After leaving the office, as I’m walking down the hallway, I wish there was a way out of here that didn’t involve moving through the main floor of the bar so I don’t have to speak to anyone.
But there’s not, and I glance at Adrian who’s staring at me from across the room as I head for the back door.
Not because he’s pissed at me. I know it’s a look of concern.
I need to talk to Poppy and ask her permission to explain to him what’s going on.
He’s right, I do need someone to talk to right now.
The woman I’ve fallen in love with is hurting on so many fronts, and I don’t know how to fix any of it.
I don’t cope well with not being in control of my life and that of the people I care about.
It’s why I crashed so low after Lucinda, because I felt so hopeless.
And right now, I can feel myself heading down a similar path.
Poppy needs me to be strong for her, and to do that, I need to compose myself and collect my thoughts.
Adrian has always been my sounding board in life.
I could really use him right now just to clear my head so I don’t end up being the prick I was in the bar tonight.
Because one minute it’s a nameless customer, the next it will be the staff I’m taking it out on.
And I never want to be that guy or get to the point where I’m taking it out on my kids or Poppy.
It’s still early, and I haven’t even eaten dinner.
The boys were having pizza with Poppy and Mrs. B tonight.
Felix had an exam late this afternoon but said he would rush straight to my place when he was finished.
But Mrs. B told him to take his time, and she would save him some dinner.
Hopefully there might be enough for me too.
The timing turned out perfectly because I knew the boys would be a great distraction for Poppy tonight.
At least for a few hours. I just didn’t realize that I’d need my boys’ craziness tonight to take my mind off it too.
“Call Felix,” I tell my phone as I pull out of the parking lot behind the bar.
“Hey, Landon. I just finished. Everything okay? I can rush straight there if needed.” Hearing his footsteps, I know he’s probably walking across campus toward his car.
“No, everything’s fine. Sorry, didn’t mean to panic you. Just the bar was quiet, so I’m heading home early. Thought I would surprise the boys, Mrs. B, and Poppy and turn up for their pizza party.” I can’t help but smile at the thought of the boys’ excitement when I walk in unexpectedly.
“Oh, sweet. You sure you don’t still need me to come and sit with them, and maybe you could take Poppy out for dinner? You know, as a friend or whatever bullshit you keep trying to tell yourself.” He starts laughing at his own sarcastic joke.
“Fuck off, asshole. I don’t need you on my case too. Adrian’s been giving me shit for weeks. I get it. We all know what’s going on here. I’m just waiting for Poppy to catch up, okay? So, until she does, I play the game she needs me to play,” I joke with Felix.