18. Casey #3
But she insisted on business first, so I don’t. I trace a line back and forth on her counter with my fingertip and avoid her gaze as I say, “So, the offer.”
When she doesn’t respond right away, I finally look up at her. She has a strange, unreadable look on her face. But she shakes her head quickly and clears it.
“Yes. Right. I talked to her earlier, and she’s planning five books. She knows how the books need to progress, too. The fact she hasn’t finished the first book apparently isn’t about how it ends, but where she wants to end it in order to have the perfect cliffhanger leading into the second book.”
“When can she have the first book finished? And can she provide a synopsis for the others?” I start tapping some notes in my phone.
“She says within a week, and yes. She’s working on that, as well.”
Distractedly, I nod. “Unofficially, my initial offer is going to come in around fifty thousand dollars.”
Trina laughs, drawing my attention to her again. She quickly purses her lips and cocks an eyebrow. “She’s got your lead title. That’s low. You’re still connected to Anastasios and JMP, and they both have money to play with. I’m going to fight you on that.”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. Unofficially.”
Her hazel eyes flash. “Good. Unofficially.” She bites her lip.
That’s all it takes for me to cave completely. I can’t resist touching her anymore. I stand, making my way to her side of the counter, and press the pad of my thumb to her lip, dragging it out from between her teeth. Her eyelids flutter, and she lets out a little sigh as she arches into me.
It would seem we’ve moved into the pleasure portion of the evening, and not a moment too soon. I want to make the possibility of competing with Ashton tomorrow’s problem, and fast.
But before I can press my lips to hers in the way I so desperately need to, my phone vibrates on the counter.
Trina whines and slumps her shoulders. “Who is calling you right now?”
“I don’t know.” Dazedly, I glance at my phone screen to see one of Robert’s caregivers names flash across the top of the screen. “Shit,” I mutter as I snatch up my phone and answer it.
“Lisa, is everything okay?” She hardly ever calls me. In fact, the last time she did, Robert had just moved in and was so homesick, she thought it’d be best that I came to see him right away, which I did.
“Hi, Casey,” she says calmly. Lisa is one of the most level-headed people I know.
She’s patient, predictable, and sets firm expectations and boundaries.
Caring for adults with disabilities is the perfect job for her.
Robert and his roommates love her, and she loves them.
She doesn’t live with them, but she is there every morning and every evening to help them cook, clean, take them grocery shopping, and do all the other tasks that need completing around the house.
And yet, her tone doesn’t settle the nerves that arose as soon as I saw her name.
“I’m sure everything is fine,” she continues. “I stopped by the house just now, and I’m a bit early. Robert isn’t here. Danny said he came home from his shift and went into his room, but none of the housemates have seen him since. Is he with you, by any chance?”
My heart stops. I look at Trina, wide-eyed. Her concern is written plainly on her features as well.
“No, but I’m not at my condo. Do you think he might have gone there looking for me?”
“Possibly. Would it be easy to get back there to see?”
“Sure. Yes. I’ll go right there and call you. Keep looking for him though, okay?”
“Of course. We’ll find him, Casey. His shift only ended about thirty minutes ago. He couldn’t have gone far,” Lisa insists. But it doesn’t reassure me. We say our goodbyes and I hang up, shoving my phone in my pocket and turning toward the door.
“I’ll drive,” Trina says from behind me, her keys jingling against one another.
I turn to face her. “You don’t even know what’s going on.
” She doesn’t know Robert…or know about him.
We decided early on not to get too personal.
The only reason I ever even mention my mom is because Trina had been at the funeral, showing her support.
Robert had stepped aside by the time I saw her there.
The emotion had been too much for him, and he needed a break.
So there has been no reason to bring him up to her, and now I’m so worried about him that the thought of trying to explain this part of my life feels too big. I don’t know where I’d start.
But she shrugs. “I know you need to get back to your condo. I’m assuming you didn’t drive?” She waits for me to shake my head. “And I know driving is faster than taking the train. Hence, I will drive you.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say even as the relief and gratitude start to soothe some of my nerves.
“I know.” It’s such a simple phrase. There’s no way she’s aware of how much my heart swells hearing it.
So much so that I’m still standing there in stunned silence as she breezes past me, the yellow fabric of her skirt brushing against my legs and the strawberry scent of her shampoo carried on the air between us.
“Come on. Let’s go.”