Crushed (Crystal Brook Billionaires) (47 page)

And the last man saw them erect because, let’s face it, he turns me on even when we’re fighting.

“I have a sweater in my bag,” Dana says.

“Thanks,” I mumble, crossing my arms over my chest so Chuck and Daniel don’t have to be added to the list of men to see my lady bits today.

*

He doesn’t come back after he goes to see the dailies, and he doesn’t come in on Tuesday either.

I’ve got my car back, though, thanks to Dana dropping me off at the mechanic’s after work. A steady oil leak was to blame, and the man working on the car suggests I’d do best just trading the Chevy in for parts and getting a new one.

Not without a raise,
I think.

It seems like a really, really bad time to ask my boss for one of those.

I tap my pen against the desk, replaying the events of the day before over and over in my mind.

“He must really like you,” Dana says to the computer screen. “I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. I mean, not that you did anything wrong. He’s just such a hard ass. He’s fired people for much less than coming in to work late.”

“Yeah,” I slowly say. “I guess I’m just lucky.”

“So when did you say that drag show is?”

“Oh!” I gasp, unable to believe I forgot. I grab my backpack and pull out the fliers Eryk stuffed in there the night before. He made them at home, inserting a big picture of his smiling face above the time and location of the show.

“It’s this Friday night,” I say, handing her one. I pass Chuck and Daniel each one as well, though they don’t appear too interested. “It’s Eryk’s first time doing drag.”

“Cool. I might come.”

“Really? I think that would mean a lot to him. He specifically asked me to invite people from work. He doesn’t think anyone is going to show up.”

Dana smiles. “Yeah, well, they have alcohol, I assume.”

“I imagine so. If not for the customers, then for the performers. Personally, I’d have to have at least one or two shots before getting on a stage.”

“Then I’m there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen some good drag.”

“Cool.” I lean back against the desk and rub at the sore spot above my temple.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I lie.

“Don’t let him get to you.”

I examine my nails. “He’s not.”

“You just seem really stressed out.”

I shrug. “Yeah, well my car broke down and all.”

“He can’t blame that on you. He may be ridiculous sometimes, but no one is that crazy. It was out of your control.”

I force a little smile. “Thank you. It’s more,” I continue to lie, “stuff at home.”

She looks like she wants to say more, but she goes back to her computer. “Okay.”

From work, I go straight to the apartment. Eryk is doing his first “dress rehearsal” and Crystal and I are the honorary guests. When I open the front door, Crystal is busy in the kitchen filling a big bowl with pretzels. She’s got another one of popcorn and the living room is much cleaner than it normally is.

“Wow,” I say, kicking off my shoes. “Are we having a party?”

She shrugs. “Just thought it would be fun to kick it up a notch. Especially since Brendan is coming over.”

“Wait. What?”

“He didn’t tell you?” She grabs a pretzel from the bowl and munches down on it hard. “I invited him,” she mumbles around her food.

“When?”

“Yesterday, when he dropped off your phone charger that you left in his car. You weren’t home yet. I thought you knew.”

“Ugh.”

“Sorry.” She chews her bottom lip. “Should I not have done it?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just… our relationship is complicated.”

“He helped you out yesterday.”

“Yeah, I know. He’s amazing… he’s too great, actually. That’s what makes things even
more
complicated.”

“Ah. I see. What if I text him and tell him it’s not happening?”

My hand becomes a stop sign. “No, don’t do that. He’s probably already on his way here. It will be fine.”

I lay down on the couch with my feet hanging over the end. Crystal brings the bowls of snacks over and sets them on the coffee table.

“You look tired.”

It’s like the weight of her words fall onto my chest. “My life is exhaustively dramatic. Where’s Eryk?”

“In his room getting dressed.”

Someone knocks on the door. I groan as I sit up.

“I’ll get it,” Crystal says.

She comes back with — surprise, surprise — Brendan. He gives me a little smile and wave, then settles down on the cushion next to mine.

“Any news on your car?”

“I got it back. There was just a leak. The mechanic told me to make sure I keep an eye on it. Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome.” He gives my knee a little squeeze, and I stare at the spot where he touched me for a second too long.

“Crystal!” Eryk calls from his bedroom.

“What?!” she yells over her shoulder.

“Come here!”

Crystal groans and goes to see what he wants.

“Do you want a drink?” I ask Brendan as I stand up.

“Sure.”

I grab two beers from the fridge, open them, and settle back down on the couch. Brendan clinks his bottle against mine before taking the first swig.

“Was your boss mad?” he asks.

I wipe away the bit of froth that’s clinging to my lip. “No. Not really. Not any more than he usually is on any given day.”

“He looked pretty pissed.”

I halt, the beer bottle halfway to my mouth. “You saw him?”

“Yeah, he was standing by the front door.”

“That’s right,” I agree. “I didn’t realize you saw him there.”

“He was staring at you like he wanted to eat you alive.”

If you only knew.

“He just acts tough,” I say, hoping my comment is enough to encourage Brendan to forget about it.

“Hm.” He doesn’t look like he’s about to let the topic go. On the contrary, something is weighing heavily on his mind. After years of knowing him, it’s easy enough to tell.

“It’s just… the way he looked at you…”

I swallow hard, wanting to change the subject but also desperately wanting to know. “What way are you talking about?”

Brendan twists his mouth, thinking. “It was so… possessive.”

I take a drink of beer to make it seem like this conversation is totally normal. “He’s like that with all his assistants.”

“Wow.” Brendan raises his eyebrows. “Remind me to never work there.”

I force a laugh. “I know, right?” I shake my head and decide to admit a little bit, if only just to let some of the weight off my heart. “It takes nerves of steel to be there every day. I don’t know how his main assistant, this girl named Dana, does it. Half of what he does is made possible thanks to her, and he doesn’t show any sort of gratitude whatsoever.”

“Quit.” He takes a drink of beer, assuming everything is just that easy.

I take in a slow breath. “I need the job. I scored big with it. Half the people I graduated with are working in restaurants because they couldn’t find production jobs.”

He nods like he understands, but I don’t think he really does. Maybe he’s even thinking,
What’s so wrong with working in a restaurant?

Brendan was always more relaxed when it came to careers than I was. For years, I’ve known what I want to do with my life. Pursuing it has become a top priority. For Brendan, work is work. A job is a job, and a career is something you may or may not fall into. Community and family is what’s number one for him.

Someone clears their throat loudly. Crystal steps around the corner, Eryk’s laptop in her hands. “Lady and gentleman,” she begins in a solemn voice. “I would like to present the one and only, Miss Lilac Sky.”

I giggle over Eryk’s stage name and press a hand to my mouth, barely able to contain my excitement. This will be the first time I’ve seen Eryk in a costume consisting of more than the heels he’s been teetering around on.

Crystal hits a button on the computer and Ariana Grande’s
Focus
begins playing. Brendan and I glance at each other. He’s got a smile on his face and is bobbing his head to the beat.

Crystal scurries out of the way and sets the computer on the coffee table. From around the corner, a cherry red stiletto pops out, followed by a long, stocking clad leg. Eryk comes into view, but he’s nothing more than a faint semblance of my roommate. A blue and purple wig adorns his head, the curls brushing against long dangling earrings. He wears a tight, black miniskirt and the corset we picked up last month at the costume shop a few streets away.

His face is done up in full makeup, with smoky eyes and a Marilyn Monroe beauty mark. I recognize Crystal’s handiwork in the sparkling eye shadow and lined lips. He bats his eyes suggestively at us, then brings his hand up to his mouth. Clutched in it is a hairbrush. The first verse of the song begins, and Eryk opens his mouth, lip synching along to the words.

He does a little shuffle step forward, then another one. His free hand trails suggestively down his thigh and he locks eyes with me as he sings his way into the bridge.

I laugh and clap my hands. He looks amazing; even better than I had expected.

Crystal dances along next to the couch, twisting her head and shaking her hips like she should be wearing a poodle skirt and Mary Janes. I sneak a peek at Brendan. The smile from earlier has been dampened. It’s still there, but it’s a flicker of what it was.

Eryk sets a stiletto on the coffee table and leans forward, singing to the three of us. Crystal pretends to swoon, falling down onto the couch next to me.

I glance at Brendan again. He licks his lips and bobs his head along, but the motion is jerky and his face is now grim.

The song enters the bridge, and Eryk dances his way to the middle of the room. He does a full out choreographed routine as the beat drops, which is damn impressive considering the shoes he has on.

“Yeah, Eryk!” Crystal shouts.

We both clap, whooping and hollering. Brendan joins in, though his enthusiasm is still no match for mine and Crystal’s.

The song ends and Eryk breathlessly takes a bow. His wig slides forward and he catches it just in time.

“Whoops!” he laughs. “Gotta remember to fix that.”

“That was awesome!” Crystal shouts. “We’ll just have to make sure to put more pins in the wig the night of the show.”

I nod. “Yeah, that was great. How the heck can you even walk in those shoes, much less dance?”

Eryk lifts a shoulder, putting on an act and pretending to be shy. “I’ll never tell. What did you think, Brendan?” The smile drops off his face as he stares at my ex-boyfriend.

The room is quiet, everyone waiting for his response.

“Uh, gr-great,” Brendan stammers and scratches his chin.

“Hm. You seemed like you didn’t enjoy it.”

Brendan blinks and stares back at Eryk. “No, I did.”

“It didn’t offend you?”

Brendan pales. “What?”

“Eryk,” I interrupt, hissing his name through my teeth. “He just said he liked it, so cool it.”

Eryk swings the hairbrush around. “All right, all right. I was just curious.”

“It’s just different,” Brendan says. He looks at me as if I have the answer he’s seeking.

“It’s okay to be different,” Crystal says. There’s a hint of defensiveness in her voice, which is out of character for her.

“I know, I know,” Brendan says, holding up his hands. “We just don’t have stuff like that back in Manteo.”

“Sydney is from Manteo,” Eryk points out. “And she liked it.”

This conversation is going into dangerous territory, and there’s so much tension growing in the room that in about twenty seconds, it will be impossible to move around. I stand up and loudly clap my hands. “Let’s drink some alcohol.”

Eryk shimmies off to the kitchen. “Don’t mind if I do.”

As soon as Brendan leaves thirty minutes later, I unleash myself on Eryk.

“Why are you still being a jerk to him?” I demand.

Eryk kicks his heels off and sits down at the other end of the couch. “He was judging me.”

“No, he wasn’t. He was just being honest. He’s never seen drag before. It’s different.”

“Now you sound like him.”

Crystal speaks up from in the kitchen. “It kind of seems like he
was
judging the whole thing.”

“What does it matter anyway?” Eryk asks. “You’re not hooking up with him.”

“God,” I seethe. “Why is everything about hooking up? Why is everything about sex? Why can’t we just have normal, deep relationships with people and forget about the sex?!”

Crystal’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Calm down, little lady,” Eryk says. “Before we have to go and get some smelling salts.”

“I don’t want to calm down,” I mutter. “I’m mad. Everything sucks.”

“Your ex-boyfriend sucks.”

I bare my teeth at him. “Just shut up for once, please.”

“Why are you being such a bitch?”

My hands curl into fists. “Wow, Eryk. You’re really one to talk. You should be disgusted with the way you talk to Brendan.”

“Guys, just stop,” Crystal groans. “You’ve been fighting non-stop lately.”

We both quiet down, falling into a surly silence. I haven’t told anyone about what happened yesterday in the office. I don’t know what to make of it myself, and I’m still waiting to see what Mr. Mulroney meant by saying he would try to treat me like a person.

I’m afraid my worst fears have been confirmed and he’s going to steer clear of me for good. That possibility is putting me in an awful mood.

I want to regret every action that’s led me up to this point, but I can’t. I told him what I wanted, and I need to stick to my guns.

No matter what sort of shoot outs that brings.

H
e’s gone all week. Sometimes I catch myself staring at his closed office door like he’s suddenly going to open it up and walk out. Dana tells us he went to New York to check on the new production there, but I almost don’t believe it.

Simon Mulroney has a way of ducking out when things don’t go his way. That much about him isn’t a mystery.

The week stretches on. Friday night is Eryk’s show. That morning, I’m sitting in the office browsing Tumblr on my phone — because I’ve decided if you can’t beat ‘em you should join ‘em — when I get a text from a strange number.