“What if I quit, too? Do you have a job for me at Illumi-Links and Drinks?” I wanted to lighten the mood, but I also didn’t want to think of a time when I wouldn’t be working with him.

“I’m pretty sure I can’t afford you.” He bumped me with his elbow. “But if you come there, drinks will always be on me.” A smile lit up his face as he was fully aware that the chances of me staying in public long enough to make him regret his words were almost nonexistent.

“I don’t like it.” That was the only thing I could think of to say.

He inhaled deeply before releasing it slowly. “I’m still going to be here for you.”

I tilted my head. “It’s not the same, and you know it.”

“You’re right. But it doesn’t make it less true.” He locked his puppy-dog eyes on mine, and I had to get out of here before the floodgates opened again.

I stood from the chair, and he did the same before wrapping me in a bear hug. I breathed in his scent, a blend of sweetness and earthiness that I would forever associate with him.

“I’m not doing that pepper challenge. I promise to get some good footage today, and we will end this era with a bang.”

“Of course we will. When have we not?” His smile was faint, and I could tell he was fighting back emotions, too.

“I’ll talk to you later. I better go meet Shiloh and get her prepped.” That job wasn’t much better, but the show must go on regardless of how I felt.

Chapter 20Shiloh

Ispent the rest of the morning hiding in my office. It wasn’t like I didn’t have things to do, but there was no way I would subject myself to Yoni any more than I had to. But as it started getting closer to lunchtime, I was afraid my sanctuary would have to end.

Caz said she would message me after her meeting with Matrix, but I had no clue when that would be. For some reason, I assumed it was this morning. But since it was nearly noon and I hadn’t heard from her, my stomach didn’t care if I was trying to stay under Yoni’s radar. It wouldn’t shut up long enough for me to finish the meal plan I was working on.

I never brought my lunch because owning a business that provided pre-packaged meals was a perk. However, if Yoni kept making things uncomfortable, I would have no choice but to reassess that decision.

After saving the work on my current project, I stood up to stretch, feeling the stiffness in my muscles. I had been in this cramped space for hours now, and I needed to get some fresh air. But as soon as I opened the door, I heard the bells chime, alerting me that someone was there.

I thought about hanging back while Yoni dealt with the customer, but then I realized that was probably the best time for me to make my great escape. If she was busy with someone, surely she wouldn’t make a scene in front of them. So I crept up to the front, but of course, my luck wouldn’t allow me to get out of here unscathed—the person talking to Yoni was Caz.

I almost turned around, but Yoni spotted me. “Oh, would you look at that? It’s your friend,” Yoni seethed.

“Hey, Caz. What are you doing here?” I ignored Yoni’s energy and tried to keep things as calm as possible. Caz always seemed to pick up on things, and I didn’t want her to feel as uncomfortable as I did.

“Did I dream this morning?” She appeared confused, but she picked the wrong words.

Yoni grunted and put her hands on her hips as if she were about to scream, “I knew it!” But I preemptively cut in.

“What are you talking about?” I understood where Yoni’s accusation came in because what Caz said sounded suggestive.

“The conversation we had. Didn’t we agree to meet this afternoon?”

“You mean on the phone?” I clarified, but Yoni still seemed pissed.

“Yes?” Caz’s uncertainty didn’t help the situation, but I couldn’t blame her for not understanding.

“Right. And you had said you would message me first?”

“Shit. I’m sorry.” She sighed heavily, and I hated making her think she needed to apologize, but it was the only way to keep Yoni from attacking.

“No worries. I was making sure I didn’t miss something. But I was getting ready to take lunch. Do you want to come?”

“I didn’t think you liked eating out?” Yoni questioned, and I could tell by the expression on Caz’s face that she was about to say something inappropriate, so I cut in.

“We are working on something for Caz’s show, and it requires us to be somewhere else. I will see you when I return.” I stared at Yoni until she understood that this conversation was over. “Let’s go.” I grabbed Caz by the arm and tugged her outside.

“What was that about?” She looked over her shoulder through the glass, but I didn’t let her stop and stare.

“Yoni thinks you and I are together, and that’s why she and I aren’t.”

Caz’s body stiffened at the comment, and I wanted to make sure she didn’t think I put that idea in Yoni’s head.

“Don’t worry. I set her straight. But Yoni is the type of person who doesn’t think anyone can resist her, so when you told her no, she assumed it was because of me. Then she told me she thought if you were out of the picture, she and I could give it another go.” I chuckled, but Caz didn’t join in, which wasn’t like her. “I know that you and I are only friends. Please don’t be upset.”

She slowly removed her arm from my grasp. “Of course, I’m not upset. I’m sorry she put that on you. But once you start dating Ember, she’ll see it’s a me thing.” Her voice was strained, and I couldn't help but question if she believed me.

Instead of continuing this unsettling interaction, I walked silently to the parking lot, and she did the same. Once we arrived in front of my car, I stopped.

“So, are we going straight to the coffeehouse, or should we do the video somewhere more private?” The last thing I wanted was for Ember to see me being recorded.

“The coffeehouse is perfect.” Her words were rushed, and I could still feel the tension between us.

“Okay. Do you want to ride with me?” I jerked my thumb toward my vehicle, but she shook her head.

“No. I have a lot to do afterward, so I’ll drive, too. Thanks.” She waved and was on the move before I could reply.

As I got into the driver’s seat, my stomach was roiling. I couldn’t tell if it was nerves from anticipation of what was to come or dread about Caz’s behavior. To be honest, it was probably both. I wasn’t looking picture-perfect.

My outfit wasn’t as sharp as Caz’s. She knew how to choose clothes that suited her body and enhanced her natural beauty. That shirt made her eyes even more piercing, and I was sure the camera loved her. The one good thing about it was that no one would even notice me standing next to her, so I shouldn’t worry as much about my appearance.

As I drove, that thought brought me less comfort because that probably also meant I wouldn’t capture Ember’s attention, either. Oh well. There was no way I was backing out. Caz was counting on me, and I wanted to make things right. Her demeanor had changed, and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin our friendship. She was the first friend I had made on my own as an adult, and I didn’t want to lose her.

But then doubt crept in, and there was a chance that we weren’t as close as I thought. This could be a one-sided thing, and Caz was only hanging around for work. I replayed our prior conversation, with her practically saying those exact words. This wasn’t helping my anxiety. So far, this entire day had been a disaster, and now I was about to do something that was probably stupid, and it would be recorded.

I finally arrived at Java Jive, but I didn’t get out of my car. My energy was off, and I needed to recenter myself. I took some relaxing breaths and practiced my mantra again. It worked for me earlier, so I gave it another shot. My heart was calming a bit, but the tap on my window sent it into overdrive.

“Oh my god!” I jumped in my seat, and Caz stared at me from outside.

She backed away so I could open the door. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She adjusted the bag she was carrying over her shoulder. “I figured we could shoot some video outside here. The natural light loves you.” She smiled, but it quickly faded. “Over there, on that bench.” She pointed as she took off.

“Are you okay?” I questioned as I tried to keep up, but her long legs kept her a few paces ahead.

“Yeah. All good. Sit here, and I’ll get set up.” She was curt, and with one motion, she unzipped her pack, revealing a portable tripod ready to capture this shoot.

I did as she had asked, but I wasn’t a fan of this spot. The sun's rays were blazing down, making my gray shirt cling to me from the trickles of sweat dripping down my body. I lifted the hem to dab at my forehead, and the sound of metal clanging against the concrete caused me to jolt.

“What happened?” I dropped my shirt and saw Caz picking up the tripod from the ground.