"I won't say anything. I want you away from him more than anyone else, I think. He's a cruel man." She took a deep breath. "This other man is good, though?"
"Very. He wants me to leave him, encourages it even. I don't want to bring this negativity into his life, but I have money for my own place. I have been saving. I just know that James won't let me go that easily, even though he doesn't love me at all."
"I live in a gated complex and have an extra room," Lana offered as I smiled at her. "I'd be happy to have you there unless you have another place to stay."
"We're spending a lot of time together while James is gone. I mean, apart from working here." I shrugged, and Lana giggled.
"Want some time off? You've earned it, working so much." I looked at her curiously. "Maria is bored and wants to book from home while she recovers."
"Are you serious?" I asked as Lana nodded. "I didn't even plan on asking like he wants me to. He can work from anywhere."
"What's his name?" Lana asked as I blushed. "The guy from that day when we were walking in? He stalked you?"
"He calls it being persistent," I said as she laughed. "I want to keep as much about him as I can a secret for now. It might not work out at all, you know."
"Or it might be the best thing that ever happened to you!" Lana said as her phone rang. "Shit. I was hoping that Tom would forget to call me."
"Customer?" I asked as she shook her head.
"A very open-minded guy that wants to date me. I think he's fucking insane, but he's wining and dining me well. It's just weird." I sat back in my chair, trying to picture Lana in a settled life, a relationship or marriage. I could. "I suppose if I find the one, I could give it up. I've been putting money away for the future and even invested some."
"Me, too. This isn't forever." Angela nodded as I smiled.
"I'm going to call him, and I have a client in just a bit. How about you?" Lana asked Angela as she stretched.
"Half an hour," she replied as she leaned forward and looked at me with a bright smile. "I just wanted to talk to you tonight as soon as I could. I am glad that you're thinking about leaving him. You know that we're behind you, right?"
"I do," I assured her, feeling hope inside as we said our goodbyes. I had a very black and white view of the industry before working here, just as close-minded as my family was just about everything. Now, I knew that it was just a way for them to get ahead in their lives. They were kind women that all had a story to tell.
Sure, there were aspects of the job that were unpleasant. It was an ugly world, though, and we all had to make our way through it the best that we could. A lot of people thought that my life was perfect when it was so dark behind closed doors, so who was I to judge anyone else?
I just needed to stop judging myself so harshly.
I got back to work, booking everyone for the night as I chatted with Declan in between. He mentioned that his wife called him, making my heart jump into my throat until Declan mentioned that he told her that he wasn't interested in getting back together. In fact, he sounded more annoyed than anything else just by the way that he was telling me about her.
I'd seen a photo on a shelf in the living room of them. She was beautiful with auburn hair and a gorgeous smile, though I noticed that Declan wasn't smiling as brightly as she was. I knew better than anyone else that pictures meant nothing since there were several with James acting like the loving, attentive husband at various places. My parents had many displayed for their friend to see, making me shudder.
I finished my night, excited to tell Declan that I could get some time off. I was going to surprise him when I got back to his place and plan what to do together. Lana sent me a text a short while after she left, telling me that I could start vacation the following Monday, which was just three days away. I was going to be gone for two weeks. Lana encouraged me to see where this was going and I planned on it. Even if it ended up going nowhere, I felt good having friends that supported me. I was glad that I'd spoken to them about what was really going on at home.
Seeing Angela's bruise made me hate my husband even more than I already did. I knew that I had to leave him and just deal with the reactions of my parents, his parents, and other people in that world. It was going to be hot gossip for a long time, and I'd end up being the one shunned, but I was starting to care no longer.
I had a life away from that now.
CHAPTER 18
Declan
I fixed some cheeseburgers on the grill for dinner outside on the grill, timing them to be done when she got back here. I grinned as I heard the garage open, plating the thick patties to bring inside. I'd cooked some bacon to add to them, and all the fixings were inside of the house. We walked in together, and I stared at the suitcase that she rolled in behind her for a long moment.
"I got some stuff today," she murmured as I set the meat down and walked over to pull her close to me. "A lot of stuff."
"Good, Rayna. I don't want you there anymore," I told her, holding her tightly for a few minutes. We pulled apart, and I kissed her before she took the suitcase to the bedroom. "Cheeseburgers sound good?" I asked as she walked back into the kitchen barefoot.
"That sounds amazing." She watched as I pulled the sweet potato fries out of the oven, fixing her plate first at my insistence. Rayna was smiling as she walked to the table where a glass of wine was waiting for her, and I felt her eyes on me as I made my plate. "You're going to make me fat eating so late."
"I know this great workout I'll show you," I told her as she blushed. "The machine is in my bedroom, and it's a versatile exercise."
"Is it now?" She teased me as I walked over and sat across from her.
"You're not fat, Rayna. It shows that you've been going to the gym and even if you weren't doing that, you'd be beautiful the way you are." My voice was faintly stern as I spoke and she closed her eyes with a frown on her face.
"Geez. I haven't been to the gym for a while. You are turning me into mush, sir." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at me before biting into the loaded burger. "Mmmm."
"We can go together, can't we?" I asked as she chewed. Her eyes were thoughtful, and she shrugged.
"I suppose. We can just be next to each other talking, like anyone else in there. Besides, nobody is here to worry about anyway." She took another bite, and I followed suit, enjoying the perfectly grilled meat as we lost ourselves in the food. I felt at peace now that she was here and the day seemed to fade away, making me forget completely about Claire.
There was something about Rayna tonight as well. She seemed happy, and it was nice to see her smile as she ate.
After dinner, we cleaned up, and she dragged me to the couch to watch some late-night show. "I have more news." Her voice was giddy, and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer to me.
"What's that?" I asked as I kissed her nose gently.
"I talked to Lana tonight. That's the woman that I was with at work that day. I suppose she's my boss of sorts, and the one that hired me." Her face went serious for a moment, and I moved to kiss her lips softly. "She told me to take some time off. Ironically enough, the woman that you were supposed to see that night wants to work from home while she recovers from surgery."
"I am so glad that it was you that night," I told her as she nodded. "When does this start and for how long?"
"Monday and I have two full weeks off." Her smile was big, and I felt my mind race. I could always get some help, but I was also able to work from anywhere.
"That's fantastic," I replied, staring into her beautiful face. "Is there anywhere particular that you'd like to go?"
"I haven't traveled too much, but I like the ocean." Her eyes sparkled at the thought, and I shook my head.
"How have you not traveled? Your family has money." I asked in surprise. Most of my friends went all over the globe for vacations.
"They went alone and paid the nanny to watch me." Her eyes looked sad, and I kissed her softly.
"There are so many gorgeous beaches out there to see. We can go to Hawaii, the Bahamas, anywhere you want," I told her, trying to think of the most romantic place I could take her.