Page 103 of Not In The Contract

Get a grip, Devon.

34. Running Ragged

Alex

Thisdaycan’tgetany worse. I sighed inwardly, my fingertips pressed to my too-sensitive temples.

A migraine had long since taken up residence in the back of my skull, the pounding a steady drumbeat over the chaos of my mind. I couldn’t remember if I’d eaten anything yet, or if I’d even closed my eyes before my alarm woke me again. If I kept going on like this, I was headed for trouble.

“I was thinking we could have a second bar over here,” Jamie was saying, pointing at a particular corner on the blueprints in front of her with a pensive pout. “That way, there won’t be such a huge rush at the main bar.”

“Good idea,” I said, somehow managing to sound halfway polite despite the shitstorm in my head. “Anything else you want to add before I finalize everything?”

The edge in those words was lost on Jamie as she dove into a tirade about balloons versus flowers, and I vaguely wondered if this was what wedding planners felt like when dealing with their so-called “bridezillas”.

Probably not, what did I know about wedding planning, anyway? What Ididknow was that my patience had worn thin some weeks ago, and Jamie was exhausting the upper limits of what I could physically deal with.

“Am I interrupting?”

Apparently this day could get worse, I thought to myself, watching as Taylor walked in and made herself at home on the edge of my desk.Much, much worse. While I was always happy to see my friend, it was obvious that Jamie did not share that sentiment.

Jamie’s cold gaze tracked Taylor’s movements as a predator would its prey, which could have startled a giggle out of me if I’d had any energy left because Taylor was probably the most vicious human I knew, and Jamie was greatly overestimating herself.

“Oh, party things,” Taylor noted, her smile less friendly and more on par with a lioness baring her teeth. “I’m sorry to disappoint, dear, but I’m too busy to attend your festivities this year. I’ll be sure to send something along in my place.”

Jamie’s spine snapped straight at the obvious insult and I swallowed the groan that hung off my tongue. “Tragic,” Jamie drawled. “Too busy globetrotting?”

Taylor’s cool expression didn’t budge as she hummed. “No, some of us have billion-dollar companies to run,” she said sweetly. “Unlike some.”

Jamie opened her mouth to snap back but I lifted a hand to silence them both.

“Shut it,” I said tiredly. “Jamie, I need to talk to Taylor about her new resort. I’ll see you at lunch.”

If she was stunned by the curt dismissal, she said nothing. She got to her feet and spun on her heel without a backward glance at either of us.

The door clicked shut and Taylor’s proverbial dam broke.

“Alex, what the actual fuck are you doing to yourself?” she demanded, and then pointedly looked around. “Where’s Devon?”

I moved slowly, trying not to jostle my aching neck too much and sat back in my chair, my head supported by the headrest so I could look up at Taylor.

“Fucking hell, Alex,” Taylor hissed. “When last did you sleep?”

“One question at a time, please,” I half begged. “Firstly, I’m working. Secondly, Devon is meeting her professor. And thirdly, I don’t know.”

“Did you look in the mirror this morning?”

“Funny enough, I don’t need a mirror to tell me how shit I feel,” I grunted.

“Sorry, it’s just… shit, I’m really worried now,” Taylor whined. “Why is Jamie ambushing you during work hours? I thought that was a boundary.”

I chewed on the side of my tongue, ash burning the back of my throat because I couldn’t say what I wanted, and I couldn’t tell Taylor what she wanted to hear either.

“I’m fine,” I sighed instead. “There’s just a lot going on with our new office parks and the orphanage. Plus, Jamie’s birthday party.”

“Which should have been planned by literally anyone else,” Taylor said, though not unkindly. “You have two assistants. And eventheyhave assistants. That should tell you all you need to know about your schedule.”

“I know that,” I forced out, closing my eyes to shield them from the harshness of the white lights overhead.