Out of Left Field

Chapter 2 - I Can't Do This Without You (Sloane)

Sloane 

"Ha!" The sudden outburst caught me by surprise, but the almost hysterical laughter that followed didn't.

Me? Chris's PR girlfriend? Yeah, right. Funny.

Cami pinned me with a look that clearly said: "This isn't a joke."

"Cami." I reasoned, shaking my head, "No. It's not– No."

She sat back in her chair, shrugging her shoulder and resting her hands on her lap. "You did say it was a good idea. Someone local, a name the higher-ups would know..."

Her sentence trailed off, ending like this was the most obvious solution to the problem. Of course, I meant what I said, but I meant someone else. Someone... realistic.

I could feel my cheeks flush when I spared a glance in Chris's direction and saw the astonished look on his face.

Great. He's fucking mortified by even the idea of being seen with me as anything other than a friend.

My fingers moved on their own, reaching up to toy with the metal of my hoop earring and I hated it. The need to be moving or doing something with my hands only came over me when I was nervous or vulnerable and neither of those emotions should be felt when I'm supposed to be on my A-game.

The two of us sat stunned and silent, amusement written all over Cami's beautiful face.

I shook my head, a firm rejection that she clearly was not accepting. "Moving on. Who else?"

For making such a bold suggestion, she was entirely too nonchalant about this.

One time... One time in college, I made a comment about wishing Chris looked at me in a different light and this stubborn bitch still wouldn't let it go. The look on her face proved it was just some elaborate plan to force the two of us together and I knew she wasn't giving up easily.

"I think this is a perfect idea," she shrugged again, "You need an excuse to get Stu off of your back and–"

"Camille Lynette Hart!"

Dammit.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit!

That certainly caught Chris's attention. He sat up straight in his chair, his normally sparkling blue eyes darkened and his jaw clenched in anger.

"What's going on with Stu?" He demanded, his eyes flickering between me and Cami.

Shit.

Chris wasn't supposed to find out about this. Especially from Cami.

I trusted the apologetic look on her face, knowing she probably hadn't intentionally let it slip. But the floodgates have been opened and there was no fucking way Chris was going to be satisfied without some kind of explanation.

But on the other hand, fuck him.

I've been calling and texting the bastard nonstop for the past few months. He was clearly avoiding me, I just didn't know why.

Frustrations aside, I composed myself, straightening my spine and squaring my shoulders, reminding myself to get it together. I'm at work. This is my job. It was not the place to discuss how Stu's been showing up at my apartment complex every night or how he basically stalks me for a living.

It's not the time to feel weak or flustered.

I'm here to figure out his next best step with Cami and Chris. He needed to earn back everyone's trust and dating –fake dating– me, wouldn't do that.