Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Drea
Mackenzie picked the worst time for this sex ban! Dealing with Blair and not being able to relieve some tension was not ideal.
She was insufferable, she was a pain in my ass, she was a fucking bombshell of a woman and I didn’t know how to handle myself around her.
I was still on the hunt for a class to take my mind off not being able to have sex. I enjoyed boxing, but the bruises didn’t look good on me, so I went back to playing pickleball with Cara for now.
I was actually getting pretty good, and the workout was great. It kept my mind off of things it had no business being on, like the way someone's outfit hugged every curve of their body.
Cara called me shortly after the meeting and tore me a new one.
I honestly thought my phone had cracked from how loud she was.
I apologized for being rude, but I couldn’t help it.
Blair just rubbed me the wrong way. I promised I would try harder the next time I saw her, which, sadly, was tomorrow.
Cara had another meeting, so it was going to be just Blair and me. Fucking perfect.
When I stepped out of my office and into the bookstore, my heart warmed.
“Babe!” Fallon rushed over from the counter and gave me a warm hug. It felt like ages since I’d last seen my best friend. She had been busy with her fiancée, and I guess I was simply a peasant to her now. Kaia was busy with a customer, but she looked up and smiled at us.
“Love! Oh, how I’ve missed you, my queen. I’m so glad you deemed us worthy of an appearance on this glorious day,” I joked.
“Oh, fuck off!” She swatted my arm. “Catch me up. What’s been going on?”
“If you bothered to make a phone call, you would know what’s going on, love. But you have more important people in your life now, I suppose.” I shrugged.
“Drea Elise, lose the attitude, please. You know I have a lot going on, as do you I’m told. I guess I don’t have to ask how your sex ban is going. You seem a little on edge these days.” Her grin was irritating.
I resigned my irritation with an exhale.
“Sorry, love. You’re right, I’m a little testy these days thanks to your fiancée’s great plan.
Not to mention, I’m only in the beginning stages of the ‘Blair Bitch Project’ and I want to scream!
We had our first meeting a few days ago, and spoiler alert, it ended in a fight.
If it were anyone else besides Cara, I would have vetoed this great business arrangement immediately. ”
Fallon seemed to find my crappy life hilarious.
“I’m sorry, Dre. Yeah, Kaia told me you’re working with Blair again, and I have to admit I was surprised.
But if it’s for the good of the store, I know you’ll figure it out.
You’re still coming to the cake tasting next week, right?
Kenzie said she talked to you about it?”
I sent Kaia a glare, who blushed from embarrassment and only shrugged. “After the two of you ganged up on me and decided my sex life needed to cease? Yes, she did, and yes, I will be there, love.”
She smiled softly and gave me another hug, which nine times out of ten, calmed my anger. “Good. I can’t get married without my sister.”
Damn allergies! I wiped my eyes and cleared my throat. “Enough sentimentality. I have work to do. Are you going to be around?”
“Of course, babe. Go do your big boss shit. We got this.” She laughed, bringing Kaia in for a side hug.
I rolled my eyes but grinned as I headed back to the solitude of my office.
The next day, after a round of pickleball, which I lost, by the way, Cara and I were sitting in the club’s café having lunch.
“Okay, so Blair is stopping by the store around three today. Does that work?” Cara asked.
I blinked at her with a closed smile, trying to be as calm as I could be.
I was not looking forward to seeing her again, especially if Cara wasn’t there as a referee, but I didn’t have a choice.
“That’s perfect.” It was far from perfect.
No good could come from Blair and me being in the same space together unsupervised.
“Good, and you’re going to be nice this time? I cannot have you two fighting every second. This is business, so can you act like mature adults?”
“Yes, Cara. I told you I was sorry. She just gets under my skin. But I will try, for you and for the store.”
“Excellent. So, when she gets there, maybe don’t go to your office? Stay in a public place. I know if you have customers you won’t raise your voice in front of them.” She grinned.
Clearly she didn’t know about the time I yelled at Mackenzie in the middle of my store. The circumstances were different back then. The store was my life, but Fallon was my family.
“You got it, boss. Anything else?”
She sighed. “No, that’s all. I’ll talk to her and make sure we’re all on the same page.
I will also talk to Kaia, and she will let me know if even a hair is out of place between you two.
I expect her to come back in one piece with a final drafted copy of the signing schedule.
Usually we would handle that, but Blair and I have more of a relaxed professional relationship than I do with my other clients, so I give her more say in how things are done. ”
I snorted. “Relaxed? I didn’t know she knew the word.”
She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I’ve got to go, but good luck, and please be nice. She’s been through a lot.”
“Haven’t we all?” I asked dryly. When she glared at me, I added, “Fine, go. You’ll get her back in one piece, I promise.”
She left and I sat there, unable to finish my salad. I put my fork down in annoyance as I had lost my appetite at the thought of seeing Blair again.
There was no way this meeting wouldn’t end with someone getting hurt, especially with how the last one ended, and that was with witnesses.
I made a promise, and I always kept my promises. I would go into this meeting with a positive frame of mind, but if I had any say in the matter, she would get her back a lot sooner than originally planned.