In a blink, Frank was swept away by security and I was escorted to one of the lounges, where Levi was entertaining some of the sponsors and potential donors.
Over-caffeinated and confused, I breezed through the crowd on autopilot, willing myself to concentrate on the present and not the past, but all my mind could think about was Frank. The thought of seeing him again churned my stomach.
Gut up, girlfriend, my inner voice said. You’re the shit. You’re the shit! Screw this rich asshole trying to ruin your night.
Shaking off my unease, I smiled as the people in front of me shook hands. Contrary to Frank’s belief, the world didn’t revolve around him and I wasn’t going to let him steal all the limelight.
“Don’t you own an iron?” I mouthed at Levi as we crossed paths while bouncing between the guests.
“I was in a hurry.” He gritted his teeth and moved on to the next person.
A beat later, we met at the bar. “There’s probably a steamer somewhere upstairs,” I said, shaking my head. “You can’t do Q&A looking like the guy who lives under the bridge on Ninth and 110.”
He lifted his left foot to show off his prized Doc Martens. “Make it Beverly and 101.” Amusement came into his eyes.
“Okay, so you want to be a hipster bum.” I snorted out a quiet laugh. Never a dull moment with my partner in crime.
Levi waggled his thick brows and nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“Says a Jewish dude from Santa Monica.”
“That’s how I roll, baby.” He spread his arms and clicked his tongue.
“Let’s go fix this horror show.” I pointed at his chest. “I know you’re going for a Kurt Cobain feel, but my OCD can’t take this.”
All the staff had migrated downstairs and no one except for two guards were on the deck when we went up. My phone squawked as I entered the office.
“I can’t find parking!” my mother shouted on the line.
“Where are you?”
“I’m next to a big blue truck.”
“At the rear of the building?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, hang on.” I killed the call and dialed Ashton’s number. “Mom just got here. Can you please go out and meet her? Grab a parking pass from Linda.”
“Okay,” he said in a singsong voice.
“And hurry!”
I slid the phone back into my pocket and absently stared at the items sitting on the shelf in the corner. There, among pencils, notebooks, and old tapes lay a small portable steamer.
I spun around and shot my question at Levi. “Did you know Frank was coming?”
He’d already taken off his hoodie and was working his way down the buttons on the front placket of his wrinkled shirt. “Yes. I knew.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I plugged the steamer into the nearest outlet and flipped the switch.
“I’m not at liberty to say.” He shrugged.
“Are you serious?” Fury filled my chest. “We work our asses off for eight months and he comes and steals all the thunder?”
The fact that Frank had ambushed me outweighed the fact that he was possibly behind Margerie’s sudden change of heart. I was upset, to say the least.
Without a word, Levi pulled off his shirt. We stared at each other intensely, but he didn’t grant me an explanation.
“Fine,” I grumbled under my breath and motioned at his shirt. “Hold it up.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise.” Frank’s voice came from the doorway.
My heart dropped to my stomach. I tore my gaze from the steamer and glanced at him over Levi’s naked shoulder.
The deep quiet that fell over the three of us pushed against my chest. My hands continued to work on Levi’s shirt, but my brain stalled. I didn’t know what to say or where to begin exactly.
“Do you mind?” Frank took a tentative step forward, entering the office and swallowing up all the air inside.
When Levi shifted, I ordered, “Don’t move!” Then I returned my attention to the shirt. He froze at my command like a kid who’d done something wrong. “Let me finish it.” I needed a human shield. Another body to protect me from Frank while I gathered all my defenses together.
The thick clouds of steam dancing in front of my face obscured the lines of his silhouette. Hands in his pockets, he stood in the center of the room and patiently waited for me to finish tidying up Levi’s shirt. Minutes passed. None of us spoke. Long, awkward silence stretched, testing everyone’s limits.
The fabric was as straight as a framed piece of paper. Another second, and it was going to combust.
“I think it’s good, Cass,” Levi finally said. “Thanks.”
Mute, he moved to the side to put on his clothes. I shut off the steamer and set it on the desk. My gaze avoided Frank’s. Talking to him was inevitable, but my denial waged a war with my common sense. They fought ruthlessly inside my head as I watched Levi exit the office. In a rush, he left the door slightly ajar and the distant hum of the crowd downstairs reminded me that I couldn’t be gone long. This wasn’t the time or the place to discuss our romantic relationship.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Frank spoke, voice deep and steady.
“Why are you here?” Summoning all my courage, I looked into his eyes. They were just the way I remembered them—bright, gunmetal blue, and hauntingly beautiful. My pulse spiked. My tongue stuck to the top of my mouth.
Again, he didn’t give me any warning. Closing the distance between us with two wide strides, he palmed my cheeks and said, “Baby, listen to me.” His thumbs brushed my temples. “I need to tell you this before you see the final cut, okay?”
Panic raced through my blood. I’d seen the final cut. Two weeks ago at Levi’s place. All ninety minutes. Everything we’d recorded and collected over the past eight months.
“I can’t do this right now,” I squealed, my face hot from his touch. My fingers curled around his wrists with every intent to free myself from his grip,
