Chapter 2 #2
Sophie rewarded her declaration with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “Well that puts me in my place doesn’t it? Did you put an extra shot in your espresso this morning?”
Tara shook her head. “Don’t patronize me. I’m just trying to have a voice here.”
Outside the pool house, Sophie’s second husband, Luke Sideris, walked through the courtyard dressed for tennis in shorts and a polo shirt. He played three mornings a week, his hours flexible thanks to his consulting work for a tech company.
“And I’m hearing it,” Sophie assured her. “Why don’t you at least listen to the sample pieces I asked Wynn to put together for us before you nix my idea completely?”
“You already asked Wynn to compile sample audio?” Irritation flicked through Tara.
Sophie was nothing if not committed to having her own way.
“I told you, I got inspired last night. I started hearing how it could all come together. I really think you’re going to like it.” Sophie rose from her seat. “Let me go grab my laptop, and I’ll see if he’s sent me a demo yet so you can have a listen for yourself.”
Would a stronger person have just said, “Hell no” and been done with the discussion?
Tara hated the idea that her kindness and quieter nature could be mistaken for weakness.
But she’d been born fair-minded. A nurturer.
Even her sun sign said so: Cancer. She knew that because their book club had read something with a main character who was an astrologer, and they’d all done their zodiac charts for fun at the meeting.
No surprise that Sophie was a Leo. A lioness who needed to be the center of attention. Who expected to be worshiped. There were probably positive qualities too, but those characteristics were the ones that had stuck in Tara’s mind.
“I’ll listen, but I’m making no promises,” Tara warned her, all the while remembering Jordyn’s advice from that summer visit when she’d encouraged Tara to pursue what she really loved.
Tara’s interpretation of that had been that she really needed to step out of Sophie’s shadow.
Sophie made a show of compliance, lifting her hands in mock surrender. “Of course.”
A moment later, Sophie was out the door and walking across the courtyard to the main house.
As Tara watched her through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she couldn’t help but feel like she had already lost this battle.
But before she could ruminate too much about it, she heard the slide of the patio door opening behind her, on the opposite side of the building from where Sophie had just left.
Tara’s pulse quickened. “Hello?”
The housekeepers didn’t usually interrupt them during their workday. They knew Sophie used the space as her office unless they were actively recording a show in the soundproof studio she’d had built over the garage.
“It’s me.” The masculine voice sounded a second before Luke stepped into view.
“Oh, hey Luke,” she greeted him awkwardly, anxiety twisting through her. “You just missed Sophie—”
“I wasn’t looking for Sophie.” He kept coming toward her, his dark eyes locked on her.
She had about a half a second to recall the weird vibes between them the last time they were alone. The fear he’d misinterpreted an alcohol-infused conversation after the anniversary celebration for The Clean Break. She didn’t know what had come over her to confide in him.
“You know we should probably talk about—” she began.
His mouth was on hers in an instant, hands gripping her waist. The shock of it—the social boundary crossed, the friendship betrayed—froze her for a critical moment.
Her brain couldn’t compute what was happening because this should never, ever be happening.
It didn’t matter that they’d had an emotional conversation that one time. She’d never wanted this.
Belatedly, she shoved at him. And he didn’t move.
Twisting away from his lips, she cursed him. Shoved harder.
When he let her go, the smug bastard was smiling. Worse, he didn’t even seem to clock her fury because his gaze was trained over her shoulder.
“Here she comes. See you around, Tara.” And then he was gone, silent as a ghost, disappearing out the backdoor only a split second before Sophie tugged open the main entrance, all her attention focused on the open laptop she carried.
“Here it is.” Tara’s friend—her business partner, her neighbor, the woman whose life was inextricably tied to hers—looked up at her with a triumphant grin.
“Wait until you hear this. You’re going to love the way Wynn edited it.
” Then her smile faded as she seemed to register Tara’s expression. “Is everything okay?”
Who knew what she saw? Cheeks red with anger? Mortification? Lips puffy from being crushed by an entitled man who hadn’t sought her consent? Anger seethed inside Tara, clouding her judgement in a haze of red.
Once again, Tara only had a split second to react. To decide whether or not to speak of the colossal betrayal that had just occurred, mere steps away from her partner’s marital home. But, as had happened too many times in their friendship, Tara didn’t have the courage to take on the lioness.
Not right now when her head was spinning.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Still shaking, she waved Sophie closer. “Let me have a listen.”
Later, Tara would have it out with Luke. Make him understand that his behavior was not only inappropriate, it was one hundred percent unwanted. Until then? She knew, once again, that she would let Sophie have her way with the show.
But now more than ever, Tara recognized that she needed a plan to get out of this business and out of this relationship with Sophie.
Their friendship would suffer, but it was past time to step away from a work environment that had somehow gone from fun to toxic.
The awkward dynamics, the uneven balance of power, and the dogged suffocation of her creativity were slowly killing her.