I forced a smile. “Excuse me for being—what do they call it? Oh, yeah—based in reality.”
Liesl ran a hand through her purple tresses and laughed. “Reality is so overrated.”
“Isn’t it?”
We got lost in the hustle and bustle of the night after that. David had trained with Gwen the night before, but it was the first shift that I really got to see her in action. She’d worked enough now that she knew what she was doing. I watched her as she managed the upper floor, keeping on top of change orders and unruly customers, not once missing a beat. She was good, and I’d never felt better about my decision to hire her. Especially now that my whole future at The Sky Launch felt in limbo.
With a shudder, I swallowed the sob forming in my throat. I couldn’t think about that. Not here. Not now. In perhaps the same delusional manner I’d used in my days of Paul Kresh or David Lindt, I focused on convincing myself that Hudson and I were fine. This was just a blip. We’d recover and life would go on together.
Somehow it had been easier in the past. I hoped that said more about the current state of my mental health and less about my future with Hudson.
It was still early in the night, only a little past eleven, when I saw Celia.
I’d just come down from the upstairs to check in with the bartenders on the main floor. They were busy but not slammed. I slid behind the bar where Liesl was working and scanned the club, not looking for anything in particular—just getting a general sense of the scene.
The center of the club was surrounded by bunches of seating areas. They usually filled early in the evening. They were the best tables to get since they were right off the dance floor. She was the only one at her table, which was odd for a Saturday night, and that drew my attention. No one sat alone at The Sky Launch.
But there Celia was—alone, wearing tight jeans and a tight tank, her hair down around her shoulders. It was so uncharacteristic of her usual prim and proper look that I wasn’t sure it was her. Then she caught my stare, and the wicked grin she gave me confirmed it.
I grabbed Liesl’s forearm. “Oh my god.”
“What? What is it? Did I f**k up the last order?” Her eyes were wide and alarmed.
“No. She’s here. Celia!” I nodded toward the woman who still had her eyes locked on mine.
Liesl followed my gaze. “The stalker chick? Should I kick her ass?”
“No.” Though the thought of the tall Amazon at my side kicking the ass of my now arch-nemesis was pretty entertaining.
Liesl squinted as she continued to study Celia. “No offense, but she’s a knockout. Not like you’re not a knockout, but I’d do her.” She bumped me affectionately with her shoulder. “I’d do you harder, though. Of course.”
“Wow. I can’t believe she actually came here.” Maybe I should call Reynold to come back. I instantly dismissed the idea. With everyone around, what could she do to me? Even her constant watch was nothing more than annoying.
Rows of goose bumps lined my arms despite my attempts to remain nonplussed. Well, I’d made it over three hours at work before having an emotional breakdown. That was something, right?
“What’s going on?” David asked.
I turned to find Gwen and David had joined us. Which meant it was time to get back to the job. “Nothing.” I certainly wasn’t sharing my Celia story with my ex-boyfriend and an employee I barely knew.
Apparently, Liesl felt differently. “That girl over there is Laynie’s crazy stalker.”
“Liesl!” I smacked her shoulder with the back of my hand.
“I’m not going to stand by as the only one who knows about this. You need some backup. What if she does something to you? You know, roofies your drink or something.”
“Right. ‘Cause I’m drinking openly tonight.” She was my closest friend, but sometimes she lacked in the intelligence department.
Gwen raised an eyebrow. “You have a stalker? You’re cooler than I thought.”
I rolled my eyes. “She’s not…it’s not…I don’t even know why she’s…” I let out an exasperated breath. “It’s complicated. I’m going in the back room if you all need me.”
Without looking back, I headed to the employee lounge behind the bar. Seeing Celia had thrown me, and in the shape I was in, that was enough to send me over the edge. I paced the room, trying to get a hold of the composure I’d had earlier in the evening.
Gwen and David followed.
I considered telling them I wanted to be alone. But I wasn’t sure I did.
“Are you okay, Laynie?” David’s voice was tentative and tender.
“No. Yes. I’m fine. I’m just…”I shook my head, unable to finish the thought. My chest was tight and my head felt like it was going to explode.
“Well, tell us something about her. Your stalker.” Gwen genuinely seemed like she wanted to be helpful. “A name. How you know her. Anything.”
“Her name’s Celia Werner.” I was surprised at my willingness to share, yet even more, I needed to talk.
“As in Werner Media?” David kept abreast of the who’s who in the business world. Of course he’d recognize her name.
“That’s the one,” I confirmed.
David stepped closer to me, concern on his face.
“It’s nothing to worry about, David. She’s just not happy about me being with Hudson.”
“Is she the ex?” Gwen asked.
“Yeah.” When I’d said that in therapy, it was because it was easier. Now after the video, it was what I truly believed. “She is.” For the millionth time, my mind went to thoughts of her kissing Hudson. What else had they done? How close had they been? Had he slept with her?
I swallowed the bile that threatened to come up. “So now she’s trying to scare me by showing up where I am. Sending me messages. Stuff like that.”
“Do you want us to kick her out? I can call Sorenson up from the door.” Unlike Hudson, David’s protective mode was subtle, but I recognized it in his face all the same.
“She’s not going to hurt me.”
“Are you sure?” David put a hand on my shoulder.
“No.” I stepped casually out of his grasp. Despite its innocence, his touch felt like a betrayal to Hudson. “But I don’t want her to win.”
“Fair enough.” His body language told me that my brush-off had stung. Another reason it was good he was leaving.