Page 8 of Undeniable
How wasthissupposed to help with my mental state? So far, it had only made me more agitated. I was tempted to toss the book in the trash on my way out but thought better of it. I wouldn’t be doing myself any favors by dissing this program. I might see it as a waste of time. But for whatever reason, it was important to Violet, which meant it was important to my career.
If I could learn to hold my breath for two minutes and forty-nine seconds, to effectively drown-proof myself, I could sure as hell do this—asinine as the request was. Besides, I didn’t actually have to read the book, did I? I could just log on, chat with some book nerd, and then log off. I straightened, feeling better already.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, Lucy’s name flashing on the screen. I ignored it, vowing to call her back later. I was in no mood to talk, and my bad attitude would only invite questions I didn’t want to answer.
I was headed for the exit, albeit slowly, when the door to one of the conference rooms opened, conversation spilling out into the hall. I gnashed my teeth. I should’ve been in there, preparing for my next assignment.
“Hey, Connor.” Katie smiled at me. “It’s been a while. How are you?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Been better.”
She leaned in, lowering her voice. “Leg still bothering you?”
I didn’t respond other than to grunt.
“I could help.” Her voice was sultry. “Come over tonight, and I’ll make you feel better.”
The offer was tempting, but I’d been less and less interested lately. The idea of maneuvering around my knee for sex sounded like a pain in the ass. And it only made me feel even more powerless. More broken.
“Maybe another time,” I said.
I didn’t want to hurt Katie’s feelings, but she knew where we stood. I’d always been completely honest—this was sex, nothing more. I wasn’t interested in a relationship, but lately, I got the feeling she was.
“Sure.” She grinned, her expression hopeful. “Text me if you change your mind.”
When I returned home, I listened to Lucy’s voice mail and downed a couple pain pills, ready for the burn to subside. I skimmed my emails, noticing a new one from an email address at Igloo Books and frowned. The subject was: Greetings, reading buddy! And my scowl deepened.
Fuck water; I was going to need something stronger. I poured myself a whiskey, despite knowing it was a bad idea to mix alcohol with the pain pills. I downed the first, then another before opening the email with a deep sigh.
This should be good.
Dear Connor,
I hope it’s okay that I addressed you by your first name. My name is Olivia, and I’m thrilled to be paired as your reading buddy. First of all, I’d like to thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Here are a few fun facts about me.
I am a voracious reader. I consume about four to five books a week.
My favorite movie isBooksmart.
I have a large gray cat named Luna.
I love baking, and my friends rave about my chocolate crack cookies.
Since you mentioned enjoying adventure stories in your profile, I hope you’ll enjoyAlone in Alaskaas much as I did. I can’t wait to discuss it with you, specifically the themes of isolation and living in the wilderness. I’m sure you can relate to that to some extent, given your training.
Talk to you soon,
Olivia, she/her
I rolled my eyes.I mean, who even talked like that? Themes of isolation? A bullet-point list of facts about herself? I’d never even heard of her favorite movie.
I looked it up out of curiosity—released in 2019.Huh.Maybe she wasn’t as old as I’d first expected, given her voracious reading habits.
Even so, this girl—thisOlivia—was wound so tight it wasn’t even funny. She probably didn’t even know the meaning of the word fun.
I polished off the rest of my whiskey. My body hummed from the pain pills and alcohol coursing through my system. And I decided to have a little fun myself.
