Page 35

Delicious & Vicious

Lennon: Have you heard about the ranch?

Bowie: Heard what?

Lennon: We’re all going to Silas’s ranch for a week.

Ziggy: We are? Why?

Wilder: Team building, that’s what I heard. Not for us, but for the brothers.

Ziggy: Why would the brothers need team building? Doesn’t that seem a little odd? They’re family.

Wilder: Jupiter, I bet it’s got something to do with him.

Ziggy: He hasn’t mentioned it.

Isley: Why are we going? We all work well as a team already!

Hollis: You do, but this is about all of us working together.…

Wilder: Are you saying we don’t do that now? I take umbrage at that! I’m a team player. Didn’t I show that every damn time I didn’t hit Jupiter over the head with his little black book of kink?

Hollis: I hope you would hit no one, Wilder! As for being a team player, you all are. A team I’m proud of.

Ziggy: That’s nice to know Hollis.

Monty: That is great Hollis. But I’m with Isley, why do we need to go? I’ve so much work to do right now. I’m stressed enough without taking a week off to traipse around a ranch cleaning up horse shit. Rue creates enough I could drown in the damn stuff.

Bowie: Do you think that’s what we’ll be doing? I don’t think I like horses. Or what if they don’t like me? They’re so big.

Hollis: I’m sure it’s very safe. The information Ethan, Silas’s ranch manager, sent, which I’ll share now, says they have men to help show us the ropes.

Frey: Ropes, good one Hollis.

Bowie: Why is that a good one? Will they be using rope on us? I’m not sure if I’ll like that.

Hollis: Ignore Frey. What I’m saying is that they’ll show us what we need to do so we can keep safe. It’ll be fine, Bowie.

Ziggy: When are we going? I’ve got things planned.

Frey: Is this your planned date with Officer Mere?

Bowie: Oh, how exciting. Are you going out to dinner or is he coming to your place? I could make you a dessert, if you like, you know, for protecting us.

Ziggy: Thanks, Bowie, but I told you, you don’t have to do anything for me. And we’re going out to a restaurant for our first date.

Bowie: Maybe next time. I don’t mind when it is, and I wanna do it for you.

Ziggy stared at the screen and debated for a second on how to reply. He really wasn’t sure having Bud in his home with a homemade dessert would send out the wrong message.

It would!

Seriously, we aren’t talking about this. I’m going on a date with Bud.

Not anytime soon if you’re off to a ranch!

He was so gleeful, Ziggy didn’t hesitate to point out: you hate horses, remember? He snorted at how his snake side shuddered.

I’ll suffer for Silas.

Ziggy couldn’t help but chuckle at how put out his snake was. You wait. One horse and you’ll be more worried about getting trampled to death than anything else.

Jupiter strolled into his office. “Ziggy, I need the Baxter file. Do you have it?” he asked, glancing around with interest before his green eyes strayed to Ziggy’s hand that held the phone. “Am I interrupting?”

“No.” Ziggy resisted explaining why he was on his phone and placed it down to reach for the file Jupiter wanted. “It’s here. I was going through the details for the stage setup and lighting you requested.”

Jupiter came and took the file Ziggy offered him. “How far along are you?” he asked, his attention on what he held.

“I’m all but done. The only thing left outstanding is the carpet for the runway. We have a clash between two of the designers on color. One wants black, the other wants purple. Whereas the others have no preference. I clarified via email,” he explained before Jupiter could ask.

Jupiter’s usually smooth brow furrowed. His sea-green eyes narrowed on Ziggy and there was the sharp business executive instead of the flirt. “I bet it’s Delilah and Rense. The pair are a fucking nightmare.”

Ziggy nodded. “It is.” He’d spoken to both designers and got why Jupiter groaned.

“I’ve looked at sourcing a black carpet with purple edging or vice versa.

I’m waiting for Osbourne's to get back to me about their stock. Stu has explained if we need to order it, we’ll be cutting it close to fashion week for delivery and fitting. ”

Jupiter released a loud sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll deal with it. I’ll speak to Rense. He’s more likely to be swayed than Delilah.”

“So do you want me to contact Stu and tell him to hold off on searching through his warehouse stock for what we need?” Ziggy grabbed his pad and pen, looking at Jupiter expectantly.

“For now, let Stu see what he has. At least we’ll know what is available if we should need it.”

Ziggy nodded, eyeing Jupiter thoughtfully. “I’ll let you know when he rings me back.” Hesitating for a moment, Ziggy bit his lip, then asked what was on his mind. “The team building on the ranch, do you know when it’s gonna happen?”

A deep groove appeared between Jupiter’s brows. “Not totally sure, but I’ve a feeling sooner rather than later. Why?”

Caught unprepared, Ziggy answered without thinking. “I’ve got a date.”

Jupiter’s grin was instant. “Oh yes, I heard ‘bout that. It’s with the officer from the lake, right?”

A strangled noise came out without his permission at the knowledge that if Jupiter knew about the date, then so could Silas. This had to prove things were over between them, otherwise wouldn’t he have come to ask what Ziggy was playing at?

“Who… who told you?” he asked, instead of going with what he wanted to know.

Jupiter waved a hand in the air. “ The walls have ears here . Nothing is secret.”

Ziggy forcibly kept himself from reacting at the way Jupiter looked at him. Was he implying something else?

Shit!

Shit!

Shit and bollocks!

Had Jupiter heard him and Silas in his office? Jupiter’s office was one door down from Silas’s. Was it possible they hadn’t been as discreet as they thought?

His blood ran cold at that reality when Silas was so private about everything, and they were now over.

“Oh.” What else could he say to that?

“Your secrets are safe with me.” Jupiter winked and chuckled playfully, then dropped the file back on Ziggy’s desk and disappeared out of the office as fast as he arrived.

He eyed the open doorway with worry.

What the heck did he mean by that?