Page 59 of Shifting Sands
“Yeah, yeah, and you’ll be back on the road. So what?”
“So what? It means a relationship between us would never work,” I reply.
Her brow furrows. “Why not?”
“I just told you.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Brew Cartwright, you’ve been doing the same job for years, which hasn’t stopped you from forming or keeping relationships with all of us. What makes you think you couldn’t maintain one with her?”
“Because romantic relationships are different. It’s no big deal if you guys don’t see or hear from me for weeks at a time, but a girlfriend wouldn’t be able to handle that.”
“How the hell would you know?” she asks.
“I’ve seen it play out before, Audrey. With members of our team, with drivers, with my own family.”
“Look, your grandfather has always been a skirt chaser—that’s just who he is. You’re your own man—a good man—withthe ability to be where you need or want to be at the drop of a hat. Clearly, she also has some flexibility in her life; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to stay at her aunt’s house for months at a time. Neither of you is young and stupid anymore, unable to be apart for five minutes without feeling jealous or moving on. You’re adults, and there are telephones, video chats, and various ways to stay connected these days.”
I scrub a hand over my face.
“I’m just saying, don’t write off something that could be more because of logistics. That’s an easy cop-out,” she says. “And for God’s sake, stop hiding your identity. You’re a beautiful, wealthy bastard. I think she’ll be okay with that.”
“You done?” I ask her as I bite back a laugh.
“Yeah, I guess,” she says as the door opens and Parker steps inside.
“Hey,” she says. “How’s Sebastian?”
“He’s gonna have a shiner,” Parker informs us.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Ah, he’ll live. I’m just glad he got a few good shots in before you broke it up. Dirk needs to lose some teeth.”
“I know. I just didn’t want anyone to end up in jail,” I say.
“Nah, Dirk’s not going to press charges, especially with all those girls out there claiming he put his hands under Avie’s dress,” he says.
I feel my anger rising. “He did what?”
“Yeah, he was grinding on her on the dance floor, but she kept trying to move away. Then he yanked her back against him, and his hands went under her dress. That’s when Eden ran to get us.”
“I should have let Seb beat the shit out of him,” I hiss.
“No. No, you shouldn’t have,” Audrey says. “It’s over now, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“We should probably get back out there,” Parker says.
“You two go ahead. I need a minute.”
After clearing my head, I went back out and spoke with Leonard before walking outside and having a conversation with Bruce, our head of security. He’d made sure that Dirk got into a taxi and left the premises, and he assured me the asshole wouldn’t enter again.
The bar crowd has thinned out after the altercation, and when I get back inside, I find all my friends seated at our table.
“I’m sorry about that, guys,” I say as I look at Sebastian. The cut above his eye has stopped bleeding, but the skin is starting to darken. “It won’t happen again.”
Sebastian lifts his chin and replies, “It wasn’t your fault, man.”
I catch Brandee’s eye; she’s wearing a confused expression.
