Chapter 25 #2
ONCE WE PROMISED HAYLEY AND NATHAN THAT we would do better dispersing our time, they let us off the hook. I tried Brody’s conch fritters and actually liked them, and he rewarded me with an intense kiss that had Nathan making gagging sounds.
The more I settled with the idea of being in love, the more comfortable I got with the prospect.
I’d never thought I would fall in love. Love was a word I associated with my mother, and not in a positive way.
She never said she loved me. She threw the word around constantly when talking about her conquests, however.
No wonder I didn’t have good feelings about the word.
Brody, however, somehow made that word magical. It wasn’t scary with him. It was the best thing ever.
So, yeah, I loved him. I still didn’t know what that meant for the long haul. For the first time, however, I was looking forward to figuring that out together. We were going to be okay because we had each other.
After dinner, already two cocktails deep, I was having a good time gossiping with Hayley between chats with readers when I caught a hint of movement out of the corner of my eye.
When I looked up, I found Joey watching me from the far wall.
He leaned against it, his arms over his chest, and the way he looked at me made my skin crawl.
“What is with that guy?” Hayley asked when she recognized what had garnered my attention.
“I have no idea,” I replied on a sigh. “At first, I just thought he was a fan, but he keeps coming, and his only goal seems to be to make me uncomfortable.”
“Tell Annette,” Hayley ordered. “She’ll have him removed from the premises and banned from future events.”
“But he technically hasn’t done anything. I mean, he’s just standing there.”
That was the most frustrating part. He wasn’t being aggressive. I found everything he did creepy, but he had me second-guessing myself. Did I think he was creepy because I was predisposed to believe that, or was he really creepy?
“If you’re uncomfortable, that’s enough.” Hayley was militant. “You don’t have to be uncomfortable while doing your job. He’s been warned. He’s still doing it. He needs to go.”
I jerked my eyes to her. “What do you mean he’s been warned?” I certainly hadn’t said anything to him.
“He’s been warned,” Hayley repeated. “A few weeks ago, Brody and Nathan told him to stop making you feel uncomfortable. They caught him outside one of the venues. They weren’t rude but made it known they were aware of what he was doing.
The fact that he’s still doing it proves he’s being creepy on purpose. ”
I had no idea what to make of that and moistened my lips as I glanced over at Brody.
He was on the other side of the room, looking as if he wished a UFO would drop down and abduct him.
Of course, that likely had something to do with Blair sitting across from him.
She had her notebook of death out and appeared to be droning on and on.
“He warned Joey?” I asked in a low voice. “Why didn’t he say something?”
Hayley shrugged. “I can’t answer that. I just know he was worried and wanted you to feel safe.” She leaned closer. “For the record, I think he’s a keeper. I’ve never seen you happier.”
“I’ve never been happier.” I hadn’t planned to say it out loud. The words just escaped me. I didn’t regret them.
“I know. Now we just need to get rid of your mother.”
“Yeah.” I sat there a moment, absorbing things, then I stood.
“What are you doing?” Hayley asked.
“Getting rid of Joey.”
She smiled. “Good. Nobody has the right to make you uncomfortable, and he’s definitely doing it on purpose.”
I had zero doubts about that. “Do you know where Annette is?”
“Out by the bar,” Hayley replied. “I saw her there five minutes ago at least.”
I started in that direction. Joey didn’t move to intercept me, but I could feel his eyes on me. On my way out the door, I stopped by Blair and Brody.
“You need to stop doing this,” I said to her, tapping on her notebook. Apparently, I was going to handle more than one problem that night. “You hurt his feelings when you do this.”
Blair looked bewildered. “I’m just talking to him about important things. You’d think he would want to know when he makes a mistake.”
Recognizing how she operated was easier than dealing with Joey. Blair had a lot in common with my mother.
“I’m trying to help him,” Blair insisted.
“No, you’re not.” I was calm. “You’re doing it to make yourself feel superior. You want somebody to look at you and say ‘You’re right,’ but you don’t actually have Brody’s best interests at heart.”
“I’m trying to help him,” Blair snapped. “You aren’t even part of this conversation.”
“Just stop.” I was exasperated. “Don’t make this about you. If you love his books, great. Nothing you say to him suggests you actually like his books, though. All you do is complain. Then you wonder why he isn’t excited to see you at these events.”
Blair’s eyes whipped to Brody. “You’re not excited to see me?”
Brody looked caught. “Of course I am,” he said automatically.
I gave him a dour look, and he relented.
“I would be more excited if you didn’t always bring the notebook,” he conceded. “Can’t we just talk about the world without you telling me everything you found wrong in my manuscript?”
Blair shifted on her chair. She clearly didn’t like what she’d heard. She swallowed and nodded. “Of course. Whatever makes you more comfortable.”
I squeezed Brody’s shoulder and then continued toward the door. It was time to be an adult. I didn’t have to be uncomfortable just because I didn’t want to rock the boat. Some things were worth fighting for. Brody was one of them.
This fight had to be finished before I could tackle the next one. I loved Brody and had to figure out how to tell him. Joey needed to be removed from our lives first. I was ready to move forward with all of it. Finally.