Daddies’ Sweetheart: Their Babydoll, Episode 5 by Calista Jayne

Author:Calista Jayne [Jayne, Calista]
Language: eng
Format: epub

7

Olivia

My auburn wig is in place and my make-up is heavy. I’m going to go insane if I have to spend another day working inside the penthouse. I love the place, truly, but I am craving something full of carbs and the kind of sugary coffee that’ll feel like it’s immediately rotting my teeth.

Although the media interest in the fire at my mom’s has died down, journalists are still whispering about what my role was in the event. I set my phone to only ring when people in my contacts list call me, so at least I’m not having to deal with interruptions.

I just need out of the house.

Cora and Hunter are my guards today. Both of them are fairly reserved, so our drive to my favorite café is quiet. Which means when my phone blares with my mom’s ringtone, “Barracuda,” programmed in there by Samantha, I jump at the sudden loudness and rush to answer.

“Hey,” I say.

“Darling,” she says.

Oh, shit. She never leads with darling unless she wants something.

“What’s up?” I ask. “Have you found a contractor for the guest house?”

“Yes, of course,” she says briskly. “It’ll be good as new in no time.”

“That’s great.”

An awkward pause stretches between us, and I count the number of dogs we pass as Cora drives us down the block. San Esteban’s dog owners are out in force today, probably because it’s so beautiful outside.

“Listen,” Mom says, “I know that we haven’t really talked since the fire. I haven’t called as often as I should.”

To be fair, I haven’t made myself available, either. I’m afraid she’s going to bring up my relationship with Jaxon and Ryder, and I don’t want to have that conversation, while at the same time knowing it would be better to just get it out of the way.

“I hate that the media was saying those things about you,” she continues. “And I got to thinking, it might be really good for your image—and mine—if you were to come to an event on Sunday afternoon.”

I feel a bubbling of anger in my heart. This isn’t about my image at all—it’s about her. It always is, always has been. “An event?”

“A town hall sort of meeting, up north. Some of my constituents up there are upset about the black-eared fox protections I’m trying to implement.”

If I never hear about the black-eared fox again, it will be too soon. “I’m busy,” I say. “Sorry, I can’t make it.”

She takes a breath, probably to argue, but I speak first. “I know it’s important to your optics, but I have a life outside of your politics, Mom.”

“I know,” she says with a little sigh. “It’s terrible, but sometimes I miss when I could just put you into a pretty dress and you’d smile at everyone. The media loved your pretty—”

“Gray eyes, yeah, I know,” I say. I’ve heard this a thousand times. “They certainly don’t like my pretty gray eyes now. Last I heard, someone from KSC News said my gray eyes look vacant and crazy.

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