7. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Kaitlyn
Even when I’m knee-deep in case prep, I’m still thinking about Griffin and his business card that’s been burning a hole in my bag since our very long brunch yesterday.
I’ve even taken it out a couple of times to look at it. Should I email him? Text him? Should I actually take him up on his offer of spending time with Katarina and me? I haven’t even told her about this yet because I know her immediate response would be, “Jesus Christ, bitch, of course the answer is yes. Let’s go see them right this second.”
I need to prepare myself for that level of enthusiasm.
“Is everything all right?” Mika asks when she peeks her head in my office door at the end of a very long Monday. “Are you still wanting to go get some drinks? By the look on your face, I’d say you could use them.”
I look up at her and smile. “Yes, please. The stronger, the better.”
“A cosmo for me,” Mika says when she returns from the bar, drinks in hand. “And an old fashioned for you because, apparently, you enjoy drinking something that tastes like a campfire.”
“Don’t drink shame me. That’s not nice.” I take a sip of my old fashioned on the rocks and nearly moan as the smoky liquid coats my throat. “It gets the job done.”
“Then who am I to question it?” she says. “Is Katarina still coming?”
“As far as I know. She had an audition this afternoon uptown, and said she’d be here a little after us.”
As if we said her name too many times like Beetlejuice, Katarina steps through the front door of the bar and looks around for us, spotting us immediately and waving.
Mika leans in. “Oh shit. Either she got a call back or this is way too aggressively cheery for a Monday.”
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. I made it to the next round!” Katarina squeals.
Mika starts laughing while I attack hug Kat. “See, what did I tell you? I knew it was going to be your time.”
“Don’t jinx it yet. I made it past the first voice audition. Friday will be the dance and monologues. After that, we can really celebrate. But for today, two for one Tito’s and cranberry for me.”
“I’ll go get those,” Mika says. “My treat to celebrate you getting a call back.”
“Thank you!” Katarina shrieks again before sitting next to me. “I’m acting excited, but I’m so freaking nervous.”
“I know you are, but this is it. I don’t know how I know, but I do.”
“Shh. You heard me about jinxing.”
I mime zipping my lips and tossing away the key.
“All right,” Mika says, returning just a few minutes later. “Tito’s and cran for the lady.”
“You’re a doll,” Katarina replies. “But enough about me.” She points her finger in my direction. “You took off from Elliot’s last night without telling me a single thing about Mr. Hot British Guy. Spill the deets.”
“Wait.” Mika perks up. “Who is Mr. Hot British Guy?”
“Griffin. His name is Griffin, and I just hadn’t had the chance to mention anything yet. Why are you two circling me like hawks?”
Mika raises her hand. “This is new information to me. I’m allowed to circle for a minute.”
“And I was present for the entire thing, but on the outside. I deserve some juicy details. Don’t leave anything out.”
“It’s not a big deal. He wanted to apologize for nearly punching out that customer for talking to me like shit.”
Mika nearly spits out her cosmo all over me. “So you mean to tell me, you have a hot man with an accent who, literally, was about to beat the crap out of someone for you when he barely knows you, and this is the first I’m hearing about this? Ma’am, this should have all been in my hot little hands after good morning and here’s your coffee.”
“Today was packed with other work things. I guess I’m still trying to figure it all out too,” I tell her.
“Spill the beans,” Mika says with grabby hands. “Gimme everything.”
She wants everything, she gets everything. I tell her about the brusque nature of our first interaction, the shitty customer he scolded for me, showing back up for brunch, and even how he waited most of the day for me so we could have a meal together.
“And then he gave me this.” I pull his business card from the hidden pocket on the inside of my purse. “Because he said he wants to hang out again sometime before he leaves. He even said we should bring our friends.”
“What?!” Katarina shrieks. “He invited us to hang out with him and his hot friend? Why aren’t we there right this second?”
“Down girl.” Mika laughs.
“Mika, you wouldn’t be saying that if you saw him. This man has the most perfect brown skin. His shoulder-length hair was perfectly braided in little braids and pulled back down his long neck. He has the type of delicate facial hair you can’t wait to glide across your…”
“Whoa!” I hold up my hands. “Leave the smut to the romance novels. I don’t need to hear your fantasies in details I won’t forget if we see them.”
Mika sighs. “If? What is this if bullshit? Tell me there’s a third friend in this scenario for me. You had me at accents, suits, and grand fucking gestures.”
“Doesn’t it all seem a little intense? I mean, I don’t even know him.”
“How do you think relationships begin? Everyone starts as strangers,” Mika replies.
“You’re getting way ahead of yourself there. Who said anything about a relationship?” I take a large chug from my drink.
“That, I’ll agree with,” Katarina says with a smile. “We should hang out with them for the sole purpose of hooking up. See. Easy-peasy.”
“What am I going to do with you?” I shake my head.
“Um, that’s easy. Take me to meet Hot British Guy’s hot British friend. Obviously.”
Griffin
Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday.
These have been three of the longest days of my life, and that’s saying something. Meetings from just after dawn to dusk then food, shower, and collapse into bed alone.
Rinse. Repeat.
I was not built for this. I need to have some variety. Some sort of outlet. I feel like I’m working hard for not much. This deal could be closed, well, with my eyes closed. Every loophole has been filled in. Every “t” has been crossed and “i” dotted. I’ve missed nothing and Tobias is the one coming with the charm. I’m not in the arse kissing business, certainly not this week in particular.
Every easy breath is tempered with my brain repeating my father’s words. All they want to make me do is the exact opposite, just to prove I can. Is that an infantile way of thinking? Absolutely. Do I fucking care? Absolutely fucking not.
“All right,” Tobias says as he lets himself into my hotel room. “I’ve had about enough of this brooding asshole thing you’ve got happening the last few days.”
“How in the hell do you have a key to my room?” I ask him from the chair by the window.
“Someone has to be a fail-safe in case of emergency.” He holds his arms out to display himself. “I took that title myself.” He sits on the edge of my bed. “Now, tell me what your malfunction is, because I know it’s not work. That would be too obvious.”
I open my mouth to speak, but the universe decides to play another little joke on me, and my phone lights up and vibrates across the table.
My father is calling.
“That,” I point to my phone, “should tell you all you need to know.” I snatch it from the table because I know he’ll just keep calling unless I answer. “Father. To what do I owe the pleasure? Isn’t it the middle of the night for you?”
“You hadn’t rung about the contract yet. Should I take it to mean it’s still not signed?”
“No. It’s sitting with legal, had you bothered to take it to them instead of me.”
“I thought this little journey would have assisted in your manners.”
I rub my fingers across my forehead. “Father, this is too much without alcohol. Tobias and I were just leaving for dinner. Can we resume this delightful conversation at another time?”
“Get it done and we won’t have to. Good night, Griffin.” The call disconnects on his end first. I can’t hit my off button fast enough before chucking my phone to the pillow pile at the head of my bed. “Prick,” I mutter.
“Jesus, you let him push your buttons.”
“How can I not? He’s an expert in that particular field.”
“Ignore him for the time being. What’s under your skin, besides him?”
I scrub my hand over my face and sigh in frustration. “Do you remember the waitress from the Italian place?”
“The cute blonde? How could I forget?”
“That’s where I was on Sunday afternoon. I went back to apologize for the way I acted on Saturday.”
“You went back and spent the day with her? Jesus, mate, how do you do it? You don’t even know her; you threw on the charm and she invited you into her bed?”
“What? No.” I push to stand up and begin pacing the room. “It wasn’t like that. I went to apologize. We had a meal and a conversation. It was nice.”
“Nice?” Tobias’s face contorts with repulsion to the use of that word. “Okay, we’ll get back to that word in a minute. I’m not following though. Explain to me, in any language you choose, then, how that is making you be a moody arsehole?”
“Do you want the truth?”
“For fuck’s sake. Spit it out.”
“I gave her my business card and an open invitation to connect again. She hasn’t.”
I don’t know how I expected him to react, but laughing certainly wasn’t it.
“That explains so much,” he says while holding his stomach, chuckling at my expense. “She ghosted you. The Great Griffin Shaw was ghosted by a woman.” He pulls out his phone. “I need to document this day.”
I reach over and snatch it from his hands. “Don’t be a fuck.” I hold the phone out of his reach. “This isn’t funny.”
“Mate, it’s hilarious, but you’re right.” He clears his throat and holds his hands up in surrender. “I won’t laugh at you again.”
With that, I toss his phone back into his hands. As soon as the device is back between his palms, Tobias is doubled over in laughter again. “Sod. Off,” I grumble my way over to the mini bar, raiding it for something dark, woodsy, and with all the burn I can stand. My supposed friend’s laughter is still echoing off of every wall of my suite when my phone vibrates against the wood of my headboard.
“If that’s my father, tell him he can sod off too.”
I can hear the soles of Tobias’s shoes on the floor approaching behind me. “You know, being overly emotional doesn’t suit you. The vibration is not the only noise I hear. My mate’s open laughter quiets to a snicker. I turn to find a smug look about his face.
“Now what?” I ask.
“It wasn’t dear old dad.” He chucks my phone into the middle of my chest. “Check the subject line on the email you just received.” The notification has left my view window, so I open the app to find it. Offer still good? Fuck me. It’s her.
From: Kaitlyn Logan
To: Griffin Shaw
Subject: Offer still good?
I’m sorry about the delay in getting back to you. Work has kept me a little busier than I’d have liked. Katarina and I would still like to meet you and Tobias for dinner one night before you head back across the pond. When would work for you?
Kait
I read the email more than once, trying to hide the uncharacteristic excitement bubbling in my chest.
I flip the phone around and show Tobias the email.
“Tell me about this Katarina,” Tobias says.
“Let’s just say she all but told me that if I hurt her friend, she’d throw me into the Hudson with cinder blocks tied to my feet.”
He smiles wide and claps his hands together once. “When can I meet her? I’m in love already.”