"You planning on being at Friday-night dinner two weeks from now?" Jude asked.
"If I'm invited."
"You're not," I said instantly.
"Yes, he is," Jude said, that joker smile turning up a notch. "That is, if you're gutsy enough."
"I'll be here." Anton did what I guessed to be a Face Time stare-down with Jude.
"No, you won't. You're not invited," I said.
"I invited him, Luce."
I moved the phone closer, until my face took up the entire screen. "And I just uninvited him."
"Sorry, Luce. But that apartment's just as much mine as it is yours. And I invited him."
I was losing my grip. My fiancé and my boss were fighting over me like I was some shiny trophy. This was the last straw.
"Fine. You want to invite Anton? Invite Anton," I seethed, as my hands began trembling. "You boys have fun, because I sure as shit won't be here." Jude's forehead lined as his eyes finally softened when they took me in. "Now, if you boys are done cockfighting, you're going to leave right now," I ordered, pointing Anton in the direction of the door. "And I'm hanging up on you," I said, narrowing my eyes at Jude.
"Luce," he began, but I was true to my word. Before Jude could get another word out, I did what I should have done three minutes ago.
I punched end.
"Lucy, I'm sorry," Anton said.
"Get out," I said, pointing toward the door. "Just get out. I've had enough for one day."
Anton looked like he wanted to say more, but for once he kept quiet. After letting out a long sigh, he headed for the door and didn't look back.
FIFTEEN
Jude's calls started coming in thirty seconds later. I didn't answer them. I wasn't ready.
India had snoozed through the whole Face Time call from hell, and Holly, Thomas, and LJ had stayed hidden in the bedroom until the coast was clear. When it was, Thomas came back into the living room, wrapped me up in his arms, and didn't let go until I'd almost fallen asleep.
He carried me to my bed and tucked me in before crawling back into the ginormous fort and falling asleep himself.
It was a little past midnight, and I was stuck in that place between sleep and awake, when I finally answered Jude's call. It wasn't an exaggeration to guess he'd called at least fifty times.
"Hey, Mr. Persistent," I said in a sleepy voice.
"Luce." He sighed. I could feel his relief in that one word.
"You were out of line tonight, Ryder," I said, reminding myself to stay calm.
"I know," he replied, his voice all low and rough, like he hadn't said a word in days. "But so were you, Luce."
"Huh?" I sat up in bed. "I wasn't the one verbally threatening to kill a man."
"No. No, you weren't. But you were the one cuddled up to him and practically sharing a pillow."
"Yeah, Anton was next to me. So was India. And Thomas. And Holly. And LJ, too. We were all camped out on the floor watching Ice Age in a kick-ass fort." With all the Face Time calls Jude and I had been doing, it felt strange just talking to him. I couldn't read the expressions on his face; I could only guess how he felt from his voice.
"That man is into you, Luce. I know you don't believe me, and I know you want to believe he's just a friend, but friendship is the farthest thing from his mind when it comes to you." His voice was so controlled, so restrained. I was proud of him . . . still irritated, but proud.
"We weren't even close enough to touch elbows, Jude."
"But that doesn't change the fact that he wanted to touch you and easily could have, since you were lying right next to him."
With everything that had happened tonight, I'd pushed aside the bomb Anton dropped after work. I'd planned on telling Jude, because that wasn't something I thought I should keep from him, but now, after Jude was already pissed to the moon and back, he'd surely charter a plane and fly across the country tonight just so he could kick Anton's ass in person. Was it a lie if I omitted it for maybe a week?
From the guilt that trickled into my veins, I guessed it was.
"Now, Luce. I'm sorry for the way I lost it tonight. That's on me," he said, interrupting my thoughts. "But I need you to keep your distance from Anton. I know you want to believe the best in everyone, but not everyone has the best intentions, Luce."
"How do you expect me to keep my distance? He's my boss. I file his paperwork and submit his expense reports and make PowerPoint presentations for him Monday through Friday." After taking a few hours to cool off, I realized I'd been a tad rash in wanting to quit. I had a job, a good, paying one, and I didn't want to pack up my cardboard box all because my boss had admitted he was attracted to me. Anton certainly wouldn't have been the first boss to hit on his secretary.