Page 78 of Bite Me
“Okay.”
I searched his features for any sign of excitement or anticipation. I wanted to hear him laugh again, but he looked resigned and drained.
“Eddie, I…”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry you had to witness that. But I’m fine now.”
He wasn’t. I hugged him to me, breathing him in. All too soon, he disentangled himself and moved to the door.
“See you tomorrow.”
Would it be unfair to tell him I’d miss him?
* * *
During the Monday team meeting, Eddie sat as far from me as possible. I didn’t think he even looked at me once. I was tempted to call after him and make him talk to me, but that was exactly what he had asked me not to do—not to bring up anything at work that had to do with our relationship outside of these walls.
Every day, I worked late and walked home after dark. My apartment felt even emptier after Eddie had stayed there. In the mornings, I was the first one at the office, leaving my door open so I’d know when he arrived.
I held my mouth shut and acted as detached as I could muster, day after day, even when we were alone in my office with the door closed and blinds down. I hoped Eddie appreciated my effort because I was screaming on the inside.
Despite my inner struggle, everything would have worked out just fine, had it not been for Pierce Black.
On Thursday, we had a late meeting with Helen, Pierce, and the proud father-to-be, Charles Carlsson, in preparation for their first joint public appearance after they’d disclosed their relationship.
“Eddie, how lovely to see you. But what’s this? You look tired.” Pierce shook Eddie’s hand with way too much enthusiasm for a mere business meeting and even patted his shoulder with his other hand. He glanced at me as if Eddie’s tiredness was my fault. Which was partially true, but Pierce couldn’t know that. “You should take better care of our wonder boy. We need him now more than ever.”
Eddie blushed and gestured to the sofas. “Please, take a seat.”
Helen sat in the middle while Charlie and Pierce flanked her. Charlie put a hand on her knee, and Pierce cast an arm on the backrest behind her. The presence of his wifeandhis lover didn’t stop Pierce from tracking Eddie’s every move as he took a seat opposite. I planted my butt on a chair between Eddie and Pierce. I told myself it had nothing to do with my possessive urges toward Eddie, but that was of course a lie.
Pierce was clearly attracted to Eddie, if not romantically, then at least as a predator to a prey, and my hackles were up. It was unprofessional as hell, and I did my best not to let anything show. It was already dark outside, and we’d be stuck in here until midnight as it was. I needed to behave and get it over with.
“How do you feel before tomorrow’s show?” Eddie asked.
Helen was the only one who admitted nervousness. Charlie looked his usual cocky self, and Pierce turned serious, oozing apprehension.
Eddie went through their main talking points, and I was supposed to observe their body language and their reactions toward each other. I would then give them feedback.
During the fake interview, Pierce’s simpering and flattery toward Eddie only got worse. Didn’t Helen and Charlie see it? Didn’t they care?
When it was my time to speak, I looked at my notes. I might as well have been doodling Eddie’s name on my notebook. The few broken sentences I jotted down were useless.
Fuck this.I would tell them what I thought. After all, it was highly relevant.
“The goal of your presence on the talk show is to reassure the public about the stability of your relationship. Pierce, you can’t flirt with the interviewer in front of your partners.”
I knew the word choice was poor as soon as I said it. Plus, the blatant annoyance in my tone must have been hard to miss.
Pierce lifted his eyebrow challengingly. “I’m paying attention to the person interviewing us. How’s that a problem?”
“You should want to see Charlie’s reaction to the questions aimed at him, and your attention should be only on him when he answers. Yet through the sequence about Charlie’s role as the biological father, you barely looked at him.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s not true,” Charlie said, his eyebrows knitted together. “He was looking straight into my eyes when I spoke about my filming schedule after the baby is born.”
Eddie stepped in. “Everybody has the tendency to gravitate toward the interviewer, but you should be there for each other, first and foremost. When Helen and I were speaking, you both angled your bodies toward her. Even if you glanced at me here and there, your body language showed you were focused on her. That was perfect. It’s more difficult for you, Pierce, to show the same toward Charlie when Helen is in your line of sight.”
Eddie directed them on how to sit and change positions during the show while I pretended to go through the questions again.
