Mia Found (Starting Fires Book 3) (33 page)

“
I’m sorry you have to go alone. I wish I could join you.”

“
Me too.” He cleared his throat. “But I’m–I’m not going alone.”

“
Oh. You aren’t?”

“
No…This type of job takes a lot of work. Liza got assigned too.”

Silence. Liza?

For two whole weeks they’d be alone in New Mexico. There’d be more dinners. More social calls. It was impossible for two people to work together this much and not develop some type of relationship.

“
Are you…are you upset?” Paul asked.

It was hard to describe what I was. Disappointed. Envious. Certainly jealous. “No. But…you need to be careful,” I said.

“
What do you mean?”

I sighed. “You know what I mean.”

His huff was annoyed. “Yeah. I’ll be careful.”

“
It’s not that I think you would do anything, but…it’s just…all this time you spend with her.”

“
I get it.”

I’d offended him.

“
Mia, I don’t have a choice in who goes with me. She’s
my
boss, but someone else is hers.
They
decide who goes—who can get the job done most efficiently. Honestly, we make a good team.”

A team.
I knew he hadn’t meant it to hurt me, but it had. He was my boyfriend and I hadn’t seen him in nearly two months. And Liza was getting to go on weekend trips with him. See new cities. Work side by side. All of his everyday triumphs, frustrations, stories. She was getting them all.

I was lucky to get five minutes a night while he yawned into his pillow. “I know. It’s just…well, jealousy.”

“
Jealousy? Over what? Her?” Paul laughed. “Mia...”

“
Don’t antagonize me. I feel it. It’s real.”

“
I’m not antagonizing you. I’m just saying that’s ridiculous.”

It wasn’t ridiculous. It
so
wasn’t ridiculous. “Fine. Whatever. I have to go to work.”

Paul sighed. “All right. Call me later, then.”

“
Yeah, okay.”

“
Bye.”

“
Bye.”

He hadn’t called me Pretty. He hadn’t said he loved me. Those were two things that would instantly soften me towards him. Their absence was like a hole in my heart.
Soon,
I told myself.
This will all be over soon.

CHAPTER FORTY

WE DIDN’T SPEAK FOR two whole days. On day three, my stomach was in knots wanting him to be the one to contact me. I didn’t give in, remaining silent. Maybe I should have.

Uncle Mike hadn’t called either. Between that and Paul, I was in a sour mood—worse, when I had to help Kiki with tables. And if
that
wasn’t enough, Fiona showed up, too.

I spotted her before she did me. She was with some friends, laughing as they snagged a table. She looked different. Her hair was still dyed, but it was a more practical black. For the first time in ages, she looked happy—all the way down to her bones happy. Her eyes drifted over the bar area, and I knew she was already aware Fontenot worked here.

I didn’t want to deal with this and searched for Kiki, but she was swamped. Instead of chickening out and hoping she would save me from the awkwardness, I approached Fiona’s table with a smile on my face.

“
Fiona,” I said. “It’s good to see you.”

Her head jerked back in surprise. “Mia? Oh wow. Hey. Um. Guys, this is Mia, my old roommate.”

“
Oh yeah…” one of them said, eying me.

Fiona stared at me and I realized she didn’t know I was a cocktail waitress. “What can I get you to drink?”

“
Wait, you work here? As a waitress?”

“
I’m filling in tonight. Usually I deal with the bands.”

“
Rum and coke,” Fiona said. I took her friend’s orders and Fiona called my name as I walked away. “Nice to see you and Fontenot found each other again.”

I rolled my eyes. “He works here. I work here. That’s it.”

“
Awfully coincidental.”

“
Well…” I shrugged my shoulders as if that was the only answer she needed.

At the bar, Fontenot filled their orders and gave me a look.

“
What?” I said.

“
I don’t want to talk to her, Mia. Keep her away from me. How she found out I even work here…Just…Don’t let her anywhere near me all right.”

“
Seriously? Since when are you incapable of handling your problems? It’s just Fiona.”

“
Yeah, well Fiona’s a psycho. It…it would mean a lot to me if I didn’t have to deal with her, okay?”

I hadn’t seen him look this vulnerable in ages. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll do my best, but you know Fiona.”

Fontenot shook his head and walked away. Kiki agreed to switch tables with me, but when I accepted the trade, I didn’t realize it came with Hank.

“
You still haven’t called me, Beautiful Girl.”

My smile was forced.

“
It’s starting to hurt my feelings,” he added.

Hank was a good looking man. He was rugged and strong. His beard was well kempt and his blue eyes sparkled. I was flattered he’d taken such a liking to me, but that was it. Since he was with a few other people, I didn’t want to embarrass him, and kept the rejection behind my tongue. As the night progressed, we were even busier and his flirtations were delivered in a rush as I went from table to table. I hoped he’d get the hint.

I. Was. Not. Interested. But as the night wore on and people began leaving, Hank lingered. While I was pretending to be occupied with something else, I spotted Fiona approach the bar. She was alone. All of her friends had left. Deciding to keep my word to Fontenot, I approached her.

“
Hey,” I said.

“
Oh, hey, Mia.”

I sat beside her. “What are you doing now? Working anywhere exciting?” I already knew she was.

“
The Rec Center,” she said. “I teach art classes there. It doesn’t pay much, but it’s really rewarding. What about you? Just here?”

“
No. I’m at Faeries and Moonbeams, too.”

She chuckled, but it wasn’t mean. “Gladys,” she said with a nostalgic sigh. “She’d fall to pieces without you. Are you still setting up the displays for her?”

“
You know it. Silver faces south. Gold faces west.”

“
And stones run perpendicular.” We shared a smile and it reminded me that despite everything that had happened, once she’d been my best friend.

“
Are you and Paul…?”

“
Still together. He moved though. To Florida.”

“
Ouch. I–I thought that maybe you and Fontenot…”

“
No,” I said. “I didn’t even know he got hired to work here until opening night. We hardly even speak.”

“
Be honest with me, Mia. Did you try to sabotage our relationship?”

The accusation made my head spin. Did
I
try to sabotage
her
relationship? What about all the times she’d come on to Paul?

I huffed. “No! Fiona, you and him…I didn’t care what happened. I didn’t want him then and I don’t want him now. Geez.”

She looked down to her nails. “He dated someone not that long ago,” she said. “Someone named Kristen.”

“
I didn’t know.”

“
Yeah. Well, he won’t talk to me now. Obviously. He’s been looking at anything but me all night.”

“
Why do you still want him?”

She shrugged. “Because he doesn’t want me.”

My heart bled for her. I didn’t know if she understood the depth and wisdom of that confession. Though, I hoped she’d see it soon.

“
What about you? Why did you try to get Paul to sleep with you?” I was going to let it go, but there was a nagging voice in the back of my head that couldn’t.

She chuckled. “Because I’m a bitch. I don’t know, Mia. Back then…it was like you got everything. Gladys liked you better. You’re parents actually care about you. Your work is good. Really good. Better than mine.”

I’d never known she felt that way. Pride swelled in me. Immense pride.

“
And then Paul came along and he’s handsome and kind and dotes on you all the time. I was jealous. I mean look who I was with. Fontenot didn’t give two shits about me. I was just being…well, a bitch. Paul didn’t flinch. Just told me to leave, and I felt so stupid afterwards. He loves you. And I’m jealous of that, too.”

There was nothing I could say to that. I guess I could understand her reasoning. It didn’t mean I was okay with it, but I could forgive her and put this behind me. Despite how we’d ended, I wanted her to have happiness and the love she deserved.

“
I gotta go,” I said. “It’s late. But…it was good to see you. Really. You seem happy.”

“
I am,” she shrugged. “Good luck to you.”

We shared a smile and I considered hugging her, but didn’t. “Bye, Fiona.”

I left and was nearly to my car when someone called my name.

I turned and saw Hank walking out of the bar. Using the ruse of searching for my keys, I turned back around and closed my eyes. I wasn’t up for this.

“
Hey,” he said, jogging over. “Come out with me.”

“
Right now?”

“
Yeah. I’m going to a friend’s house.”

Hank was wearing a blue t-shirt and for the first time I noticed how muscled his arms were—huge biceps and strong forearms. Why on Earth did he want me? He was beautiful. A fine specimen of man and I hadn’t shown even the slightest interest in him.

“
Hank…” I sighed. “I’m seeing someone.”

His eyebrows went up. “Really? Who?”

I was about to tell him that he didn’t know him, when Fontenot ran out of the bar, Fiona on his heels. He marched right up to me and grabbed my arm, dragging me to my car. “Take me home,” he said. “Right now.”

“
What? Where’s your car?”

“
Over there.”

“
Then use it!”

“
Fiona will follow me.”

“
That’s not my problem.”

His eyes narrowed and he turned on his heel, walking straight up to Hank. “She’s with somebody,” Fontenot told him. “I suggest you leave her alone or you’ll have to answer to me.”

“
Fontenot!” I said. It wasn’t his place to stick up for me and that was just…well rude. Hank was harmless.

“
This is who you’re with?” Hank said then snorted. “Looks like you aren’t the girl I thought you were.”

He stormed away before I could deny the claim. Fontenot watched him leave and then walked over, taking my keys out of my hand. “I just did you a favor, now you do one for me.”

“
No,” I said.

He shrugged, walked over to my car, got behind the wheel, and pulled out of my parking place.

I stood there dumbfounded. Was he about to steal my car?

He rolled down the window and said, “You coming or what?”

With a glare, I stomped over to the passenger side and got in. “This is a stupid plan,” I said. “She’ll just follow my car to your house.”

“
That’s why we aren’t going to my house.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

FONTENOT DROVE AND I remained silent, hugging myself and leaning into the car door. Everything about this was weird. He took right turns. He made left ones. He rode through twists and bends until he parked at a boat launch and cut the engine.

“
What
are you doing?” I practically yelled. “Take me home. Or take yourself home and let
me
go home.”

He leaned his head back against the seat. “Chill out,” he said. “I just need to think.”

“
About what? Are you gonna murder me and dump my body in the river? Because if you aren’t, and please don’t, all you should be thinking about is how much of a creep you are!”

Fontenot chuckled.

“
Don’t laugh. It’s creepy.”

“
That’s me,” he smiled. “A creepy creep.”

“
Stop being so self-deprecating.” I sighed and stared out my window. What would Paul say if he knew I was in this situation? He might not even care. He might be doing the same thing with Liza. The thought made my chest tighten and I took a pained breath.