Just One Week (Just One Song) Read Online Free Page A

taking his first drink and settles up against the bar in my kitchen, elbows resting on the counter. “Wanna tell me what happened?”
    I scan every surface in my apartment, looking everywhere except directly at Chase. My robotic feeling has left, and I’m fighting hard to keep the emotions of the day far away from me. I do not want to break down over this. I do not want to cry over losing a job.
    “I don’t really know, to be honest,” I begin and take a sip of my wine. It’s more like a gulp. Chase shoots me a funny look when he watches me guzzle the wine and then re-fill my glass. “Devan called me into her office this afternoon, gave me some song and dance about the economy not recovering, and then said something about me not being committed since I was taking time off over the next few weeks.”
    “Well that sucks. Got any idea what you’re going to do?”
    “No Chase,” I snap at him and look down at the clock on my phone. “I got fired about an hour ago. I have no idea what I’m going to do now.”
    He shakes his head, knowing he’s pissed me off but smart enough not to say anything about it.
    “Why are you really here?” I ask before he can say anything else. Chase throws me off sometimes. He can say things with a look and I know exactly what he means, but sometimes he just watches me, like he’s doing now, and there’s a whole story book inside his thoughts that he’s not voicing even though it may be on the tip of his tongue. It’s one of the reasons we stopped talking – because he kept watching.
    “Because I missed you?” He says it with a smirk and wink and I know that whatever was just going on in his mind is gone now. He’s teasing me and it makes me feel like we’re back to our friendly normal banter, even if it is just for the moment. I’ll take it tonight.
    I simply roll my eyes with a smile, perhaps the first genuine one since my lunch with Marcia. “I thought you were in L.A.”
    “I was. Have you been around Zack and Nic lately? It’s like watching porn all day long. I came back earlier this week to get away.” He takes a drink and acts annoyed, but he doesn’t really care. Hell, he probably likes watching them make out.
    “So why are you here?”
    “Thought I’d stop by and figure out why you haven’t returned my calls.”
    I set my glass down on the counter and my palms flat down on the cold laminate countertop so he doesn’t see that they’re trembling slightly. What am I supposed to say that doesn’t make me sound like a bitch or a slut? I just wanted you for sex and you started turning it into something more? I shrug my shoulders and turn my back to him, ignoring his question, and dig through my fridge to pull out some cheese and grapes.
    I pop a grape into my mouth and turn back around when I hear Chase sigh, my signal that he’s letting it go.
    “Fine. We can let it go for now, but I stopped by today because I’m taking a jet back to California tonight. Thought I’d save you having to fly commercial at the butt ass crack of dawn tomorrow.”
    I’m momentarily speechless that not only is he not pressing the issue of me avoiding him, but offering to help me. Why does he always have to be so damn nice?
    “I can’t get a refund on my ticket.” It’s a lame excuse and just so I don’t have to see him giving me a look that tells me how stupid it really is, I turn around to re-fill my glass. “And I haven’t packed yet.”
    As if that really matters.
    “Shut up, Mia. I’m asking you to come with me. I can cover the cost of your ticket.” He sounds annoyed now too.
    I spin around, eyes flashing in anger. “I’m not letting you pay for me. Just because I lost my job today doesn’t mean you need to pay for my plane ticket.”
    I’m overreacting. I know it. I can’t even put my finger on why this makes me mad.
    “That’s not why …” I watch him take a deep breath and rub a hand over his hair. With as long as it is, he must have started growing it