Perfect Storm

34- Ian

"Ian!?"

"Skye?!"

This can't be happening.

This can't be fucking happening!

Skye's eyes were as wide as saucers, and I'm sure my eyes are too. She's most likely wondering what the fuck is going on, as am I. And right now, I could kill fucking Arnie.

I guess now I know for sure that asshole Skye once mentioned to me a few weeks back about her new job and how she was told the boss was an asshole and hated his employees showing up late. Is me.

I'm that asshole.

And that's exactly how I feel right now.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, shocked and with her eyes still wide. "Are you my partner tonight? Where's Tawny?"

My hands rested on my hips as I lowered my head, embarrassed. What the fuck... "Skye, remember when you told me that you couldn't be late, that your boss hates it?"

"Yes."

My eyes closed. "Well, that would be me."

"What?" she squealed. "You?"

I couldn't look at her and kept my head lowered, feeling ashamed of who I was right now. "Yes, me."

"Does Tawny know? Does she know you do this shit?"

I shook my head. "No. I've tried telling her and tried to admit to her earlier today that I own this place, but she took off before I could even say a word." I looked up. "Last night I asked her to marry me. She said no. So, when I told her we needed to talk this morning, she left. And I think she left thinking I wanted to talk about her answer. Which wasn't the case."

"You asked her to marry you?"

I nodded.

Her face turned to confusion. "Why the fuck would she say no? She's been telling me for months that if you ever asked her, she'd be excited to say yes! So what the fuck is wrong with her?"

"The better question is, what the fuck is wrong with me?" Now I'm confused. "Wait, she said she wanted to marry me?"

"Yeah! Numerous times! So I don't understand it either. Maybe she was caught off guard or something?"

"To be honest, I caught myself off guard. I had plans of asking her, just not when I did."

Skye's dark eyebrows formed to one as she asked, "When were you planning on asking her?"

A heavy sigh escaped my lungs. "After the ring I had designed for her, came in. Which isn't for another couple of months."

After hearing our stage names called, Skye's head turned around, then turned back to me. "We've got to get out there. But first, I want to know why you're doing this to Tawny? Why are you here, and why are you working with me tonight?"

Again, I feel like killing Arnie. But Skye needs to know what's happening because I don't want to lose the one woman I love dearly, Tawny. "Your partner and one other performer called in. So my brother called and said I had to perform, and if I didn't, this area would have been shut down for the night." My hands raised, palms facing her. "But I need you to know; this is not something I do. I haven't done any performances since before Tawny. So please don't think or assume I do shit like this behind Tawny's back."

"Yet, you are tonight," she hissed. "She doesn't know you're doing this, does she?"

"No," I sadly said, Tawny's face flashing before my eyes. "This is not something I want to do, and it's absolutely killing me that I'm about to do something that would hurt my relationship with Tawny if she were ever to find out."