He was silent for a moment, digesting my simple demands. Then he put his hands on the desk and some of the rage left his eyes. “That’s it? No business given to Daire and you destroy all this?”
I nodded. “That’s right. Pretty simple. I’m not here to extort money. I’m asking for very little, in fact. I hope you’ll take the generous offer.”
“How do I know you won’t just release this information later anyway?”
“Because if I do, you’ll start handing off future projects to Daire in retaliation. We both have to keep our ends of the bargain to get what we want. See? We achieve together.”
The mayor’s thumb tapped the table in a tell he probably didn’t even realize he had. Then he stood abruptly, the chair rolling back. I stood too, every cell in my body waiting on the edge of its seat to hear if my little game of chicken had actually worked.
“Deal,” the mayor stated, putting his hand out to shake on it.
I cringed. “Deal. But I prefer not to shake. I know where that hand’s been.”
The mayor blanched and looked down at his own hand hanging there in the space between us. With that parting shot I grabbed the folder and its contents and left the office with my head held high.
By the time I reached Hell Hotel, my heels weren’t even touching pavement. I was floating on a cloud of accomplishment I’d never felt before. I’d threatened the most powerful man in town and come back unscathed. Not only that, I’d shut down Daire.
And that? Shit, that was cause for celebration.
I’d take the day off and have a little party in my room. Maybe text Titus and see if he wanted to come over and party horizontally with me.
Rage?
Bitch, please. Rage was so last season. Blackmail was the new black.
“I’d like a jelly filled and a mocha with extra whip and drizzle.”
Lukas took my order at Coffee the next morning. I tipped him double for being willing to step up against Daire the other day. He was almost ten years younger than me, but the guy had certainly stepped up when he was handed his man card. He’d stood up to Jayden when he treated Lenora badly a while back. And he’d stepped up to help me with Daire. Lukas was good people in my book. If things didn’t work out with Titus, maybe I’d have to consider the cougar angle. Kidding, just low blood sugar making a bad joke.
I sat down and scrolled through my texts while I waited for my celebratory breakfast. As high as I’d been off my victory at the mayor’s office yesterday, there was a bubble of foreboding in my belly too. Titus had taken over an hour to text me back yesterday, telling me he wasn’t available to come over. And that was it. No sorry or how about a rain check. Just “not available.”
What kind of guy says no when sex is a pretty damn sure thing?
A pissed-off guy. That’s who.
That truce of ours didn’t seem to be weathering the storm well. Which meant we’d have to have a conversation about things. And soon. I didn’t resolve all the Daire drama to just lose my best friend slash boyfriend as a result.
“Here you go.” Lukas set down my plate and coffee, spinning quickly to clean off a recently vacated table in the busy shop.
I took a huge bite of donut and danced in my seat as the powdered sugar hit me. Fuck, sugar was awesome.
“Trouble in paradise, honey?”
I opened my eyes and swallowed quickly. Damn, I’d gotten lost in my donut experience. Again.
“I’m sorry?” I asked Yedda, who stood next to my table, her stooped shoulders making her appear much older than her sharp wit.
“Any woman who gets that O-face over a donut is not getting the Big D on the regular.” She cackled and Polly joined in, having a seat at the table next to me.
I shook my head, impressed with her street vernacular, while being a little irritated I was so transparent. Must have used up all my poker face on the mayor yesterday.
“I don’t know, Yedda. Seems to me Titus is a smart boy. I don’t see him leaving Amelia wanting.”
Yedda pointed right at my face. I swiped at my mouth thinking maybe I had some powdered sugar left over. I didn’t particularly care for my sex life being dissected by Old and Older here at the coffee shop for everyone to overhear.
“The O-face doesn’t lie. Mark my words. My sixth sense is a honed machine, sniffing out discord from twenty paces.”
Polly rolled her eyes, but she smiled kindly. “You’re a regular Jessica Fletcher.”
I gasped. “I love that show!”
Yedda had a seat finally, leaning over to pat my hand. “You and me, girl. We’re practically the same person.”
I rolled my lips in to keep from laughing. Then she patted her tight white curls and took a sip of her coffee, liver-spotted hand shaking at the effort. Good Lord, I needed to think about a better skin care regimen if Yedda thought we were similar. I actually looked forward to growing old and not having to put a filter on this mouth of mine, but all in good time. I still wanted to live it up a bit before my tits took the southbound train to Sad-Sack-ville.
“Ohh, don’t look now, dear, but your ex just darkened our door,” Polly whispered from behind her coffee cup.
I spun in my seat, my gaze laser focused on Daire the Douchebag walking up to the line like he had all the right in the world to still be here in Auburn Hill.
Polly sighed dramatically from behind me. “I said don’t look, dummy. Although I don’t blame you. He may be a jerk face, but he’s a pretty jerk face.”
“I’m calling Poppy!” Yedda exclaimed, titillated to activate the gossip phone tree.
I stood abruptly and the wail of the wood chair
