Free Without Doubt by Cj Azevedo

“Yes, I’m Ava. I’m sorry,
I’m not aware of who you are.”
    “ Oh, God. Then that
conversation you just heard sounded terrible to you, I’m sure.”
Bailey uses her hands to smooth her skirt down before looking back
up at me. Clearly the woman must work for Declan in some way and
unfortunately I’m getting the feeling that they’re close in some
way also.
    “ I think I should probably
go find Dec.” I take a small step to move around her but she places
her hand on the inside of my elbow to keep me from walking away. It
has been so long since I’ve had a boyfriend that I don’t know the
correct protocol for this kind of situation. What I do know is how
I’m feeling and it’s a terrible ugly ball of fury in the pit of my
stomach. Rachel putting her hand on Declan’s neck pales in
comparison to the thought of this woman staying the night in this
house.
    “ Wait,” she says urgently.
“I’m Declan’s publicist.” Her golden eyes are round and expectant,
as though that should just clear everything up. It doesn’t. She
smiles kindly as she slowly shakes her head back and forth a few
times. “He never mentioned me?” She sighs and narrows her eyes as
she obviously considers this option for the first time.
    “ No.”
    She takes a deep breath and releases my arm
but still stands firmly in front of me. “I met him in November when
he came out to New Jersey for a fight.”
    I remember when he when
out to that fight. That’s when he sent me dinner and we exchanged
phone numbers when he returned home. He had come straight from the
airport to the bar to see me…and he had been with her just before
that. Before I realize it, I’m cutting her off with my mumbling.
“Of course you did.” I will not cry, I
will not cry.
    “ No Ava, not like that.
You see, I’m sort of what one would call obsessed, or maybe
infatuated, with his cousin, Talon.” She grimaces as she says the
words but she’s still smiling while thinking of what I assume to be
fond memories. “I met Declan while staying at his cousin’s home in
the Hamptons. Declan and the guys spent a few nights with us and we
kind of hit it off in a brotherly/sisterly manner. Anyway, when he
flew out to New York last week he asked me to help him out with the
Public Relations aspect of his fights. That’s why I’m here tonight,
so he can sign his final papers for me.”
    That explanation is most definitely not what
I was expecting and I feel bad for thinking she was just some slut
trying to scam on my boyfriend. Bailey was so sweet when she
corrected my assumption; I can see why Declan would strike up a
friendly relationship with her. I feel all the weight lift from my
shoulders and as much as I like talking to her now, I can’t get
past the fact that he needs someone to handle his Public Relations
for his fighting. What does that even mean? Plus, the woman on the
phone said she needed to Google Declan. Really? He’s
Googleable?
    “ Declan needs a
publicist?” is all I manage to get out.
    There’s that kind smile again. I feel like
she should be looking at me like the clueless chick that I am, but
she’s not.
    “ Yeah.” She laughs a
little. “He should’ve had a publicist a while ago, but he was in
denial. Anyway, it really is great to meet you, Ava. You should
probably go find your man. I’m sure he’s anxiously waiting for
you.” She gives me a friendly hug, but before she pulls back that
phone conversation pops back into my brain.
    “ Um, that conversation I
walked in on…” I don’t really know what I want to know from her, I
just feel like it should be brought up.
    “ Oh yeah. Please don’t
look too far into that. That was my coworker and very single best
friend. I just block her out when she gets in those modes. I would
have shut her up had I known you were coming in here. Sorry about
that,” Bailey explains sheepishly.
    “ Well then it’s nice
meeting you too, Bailey.” I told her I was going to go find Declan
and she told