Sugar Lips

Chapter Eleven

Jaxon

What a day. Things hadn't gone according to plan. I couldn't find Everleigh. Nor would Peter allow me to say what I had to say to the media.

"I canceled it because I have your best interest at heart. You can't go on camera and say one thing only for the housekeeper to say another. I need to find her and reverse the damage. While trying to keep your CEO reputation intact." Peter explained as he entered my apartment alongside me. I was based in Chicago most of the time, but had my apartment in Manhattan for when work beckoned me.

I flicked on the lights and made a beeline for the fridge.

"Her name is Everleigh." I chastised. I opened my fridge and spectated the contents. Protein shakes and beer.

Peter peered over my shoulder. "You could always hire the housekeeper to do your shopping." He teased, having seen the bare fridge for himself.

I grabbed the two bottles of beer and passed him one, giving him a look.

He held a hand up. "Sorry. Everleigh. From now on, I'll refer to her as Everleigh."

"This is all my fault. I blackmailed her, and now she's being stalked by the media." I loosened my tie and leaned my back against the counter.

"You really like her, don't you?" the fact that he referred to her as something other than housekeeper told me he was genuinely asking me a question between friends.

I paused from drinking my bottle. "She's different from the others." The moment she crash-landed in front of me and looked at me with those innocent blue eyes of hers, she had me.

"They're all the same when they're on their back." He scoffed. Might've been the case for him. But I respected women, regardless of what Gloria spewed.

I watched him glance at his watch. "Speaking of girls. I have a very sexy brunette waiting for me."

"Escort, by any chance?" I asked. Even though I knew the answer.

He flashed me a grin. "Of course. Pay. Deposit. Leave. Easy life and no nagging from the wife."

I truly felt sorry for his wife, Nicole. Lovely woman. Heavily pregnant. Didn't deserve to be second best to another woman. But it wasn't my business. Peter loved his wife — I had no doubt about that. He just wasn't willing to give up the fun on the side.

"Whatever you do, do not go to her apartment. The paps are likely waiting there." He warned on leaving.

I wanted nothing more than to go to her, to tell her how deeply sorry I was, but putting her at more risk just wasn't an option for me. I'd do anything to keep her name out of the media.

After Peter left, I showered, then paced most of the night trying to call Everleigh. Only it went straight to voicemail. All that I had caused weighed heavy on me. And I couldn't get in contact with her to say sorry.

Everleigh

"What the hell? She actually said that to you? Why didn't you tell me that when it happened?"

"Didn't want you to panic." I'd explained the whole strange encounter with the sad-looking blonde girl to Callie over a bottle of wine, after I had a little whine over not hearing from Jaxon. Didn't help that I lost my phone amongst the chaos. I planned to keep the truth from her, but the alcohol took over.

"She literally grabbed me. Looked right at me and said it."

"I suppose you get crazies everywhere." Callie reached over and grabbed the bottle of wine. "Top up?"

I knew I shouldn't have, but the wine was taking the edge off the stress. "All the way to the top." I held my wine glass up eagerly.

"I don't know if I'm more upset at the fact he didn't try to reach out to me or show up here."

"Hey." Her voice soft and treading lightly on the subject, "You lost your phone. For all you know, he could be trying to get through to you right now."

At this point, I'd given up. He knew my home address, after all. "Maybe it was a sign that he wasn't there today. Maybe I was to go back to my boring single life, and maybe I'll never see him again."

She nodded, somewhat agreeing with me. "Or maybe, tomorrow when you are sober, you could call round to his penthouse and say what you have to say and take it from there?"

"I would, only I don't know where he stays."

"I do." She said wickedly, all too pleased with herself.

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised? Do I even wanna know where you got his address from?"

She shook her head. "Best not to ask questions."

I couldn't help myself. "Did you trace his details through his credit card transaction the day he booked in? You know you can get sacked for that?" That didn't sound like something she would do.

"What do you take me for?" She reached into her pocket and presented a piece of paper. "You owe Lilly a Starbucks. She got the details and she was pretty pissed that she had to flirt harder than usual to get that information."

"Lilly? As in, Lilly, Lilly?" Even I was shocked that she went out of her way to help me. "Legit thought she hated me."

"She hates everyone." Callie noted. "But us housekeepers look out for each other. Do you know why?"

I indulged her. "Why?"

She put the wine bottle down and raised her own glass. "Because at the end of the day, we're family. Others might not appreciate us, but as a family, we do." That alone had me smiling and clicking my glass against hers.

"Family." I smiled back. People might look their noses down at us, cleaning rooms and fetching towels. But if it wasn't for housekeepers taking pride in their job. Everyone, technically, would be sleeping in cum stained bed sheets.