Kiss My Sass [Books 1 & 2]

[book 2] chapter fourteen: i make a fool of myself

I WAS WELL into my workday when I realized my phone had been dead since last night. I rummaged through my new desk's drawers and found a charger, presumably left behind from the councillor I was filling in for. I plugged in my phone and after a few minutes, the screen lit up. My eyebrows shot up in surprise from the many notifications on my phone, but I decided to start with Amber, who had left three voicemail messages. I called her back and she answered instantly.

"Thank God you finally called back. I thought you were dead!" she screamed into the phone.

I held my phone a couple of inches away from my ear to avoid permanent deafness from her yelling. "What's the matter? This better be important."

"Have you not been on social media?" she asked.

"My phone was dead. Did something happen?"

"Dani!" she screeched. "Holden posted a video of you!"

What was she talking about? I skimmed through my notifications and clicked the one that had me tagged in a video. To my surprise, Holden posted the video he filmed last night of me trying to toss pizza dough. A smile crept onto my face as I watched the video. When I heard Amber yelling I put my cell phone back to my ear.

"What were you guys doing last night?"

"I was helping him and his dad and we just got carried..." I stopped talking when I received a notification of an incoming call. "Amber, James is calling. Why don't you come by to town hall in two hours and we can have lunch?" I didn't wait for her to reply and I hung up, answering James' call.

"Hey," he said. "Did you sleep early last night?"

There was a slight edge in his voice, and instantly I knew he saw the video. I ran a hand through my hair, messing up the braid I did. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't see your text."

"Were you alone with Holden?" he asked.

"You're concerned about me being alone with Holden when you're alone in Penbrooke with your ex?" I found myself saying back to him.

I heard him sigh. "It's not the same, Dani."

"So me being around my childhood friend isn't okay, but you can be alone with your former girlfriend?" I snapped. "I'm done talking about this with you." I hung up my phone and was tempted to throw it across my office, but I already accidentally broke two phones this year and I really didn't want to add a third to the list. James' hypocrisy was totally unfair. Why did he get a pass yet he couldn't extend the same courtesy to me?

I was so frustrated and angry that I threw myself into my work. I hadn't even realized how much time had passed until my mom showed up at my door. "I must say, I'm impressed with your progress," she said. "But it won't be a good look for me if you pass out from hunger on the job, so go take your lunch break."

I did as Madam Mayor said and I went outside to the parking lot to meet Amber. I spotted her and waved, and she drove up to me. Unfortunately, another car had the same plan and I was standing with a car on either side of me, nearly sandwiched to death.