Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42

MIRA

I had been hired by another rig owner. It was a huge win, something I'd been working toward my entire adult life. Excitement buzzed through my veins as I ducked my head low and ran out from under the helicopter's rotors.

Back on Logan's rig for a brief stint, I couldn't wait to tell Slate and Anya about my other client. I'd see them both when I got home at the end of the week, but I wished they were here so I could tell them now.

Unfortunately, I was here because Slate wasn't. He'd had to head back to the city to meet with a client and that meant I'd have to wait until I got back there before I'd see him in person. And this was the kind of news I wanted to share while I looked my brother in the eye.

The wind from the rotors flattened my hair against my head, the noise almost deafening, but I was hardly aware of it. For the first time ever, I had my own client and I was practically bursting with excitement about it.

When I get back to the city, I'm definitely treating myself to something nice to celebrate. Maybe a pair of new designer boots or a handbag.

Anya was going to freak when she found out, and a spark of gratitude toward her shot through me. She'd been so damn encouraging these last couple weeks that she was like my own, personal cheer squad. Slate was letting me do my thing, but I was sure he was going to be happy for me too.

The only wildcard was Logan. I had no idea what he was going to say when he found out I'd be splitting my time between the two rigs. While I hadn't spoken to him at all since I'd broken things off, I would have to tell him about the new job before I dove in fully.

My contract required it. I just wasn't looking forward to having the conversation because I didn't know what I'd do if he was opposed. My contract with him was ironclad and had been signed for a long time, whereas I hadn't even received the contract from my other client yet.

Logan might well have the power to prevent me from signing it at all. I wasn't sure about the legal nitty gritty, but I sure as hell hoped he wouldn't take issue. I'd fight him tooth and nail if he did, but a signed contract was a signed contract.

I sighed as I opened the door to the accommodation platform, trying my best to ignore the pain deep in my soul when I thought about him. For the last couple weeks, I'd been doing everything I could to distract myself from the Logan-shaped hole in my life.

Despite keeping myself supernaturally busy, however, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him whenever I had so much as a second to do it. It felt like he was everywhere these days, even here, on the rig I'd called home for so long before I'd even known he was associated with it.

With every corner I turned and every corridor I walked into, it was like the ghost of him was hanging around. Like I felt the absence of his presence more surely than I felt the floor under my feet. A pang of longing shot through me when I passed his closed office door.

I knew he wasn't in there, but I was still tempted to go inside. Anything to feel just a little bit closer to him. Even for just a minute.

But I kept right on walking.

I was determined to put him behind me, like I was sure he'd already put me way behind him. Tears burned at the backs of my eyes when I glanced at his door as I walked past it. God, I miss him .

Screwing my eyes shut, I swallowed the tears and pain, heading toward my bunk to drop off my stuff. I didn't stay in my cabin though, simply tossing my things on my bed before I headed out to the cafeteria. I hadn't seen this crew for a while, and I was hoping that I'd be able to distract myself with the camaraderie of the rig and the men I'd known for such a long time.

When I walked in, I immediately spotted Peach and the guys sitting at our regular table and a fond smile spread across my lips. I strode toward them, inhaling the scent of the catering company's spicy meatballs and basking in the familiarity of it and the low hum of chatter all around.

I was still smiling when I sat down in my regular spot and greeted my friends and coworkers. "What's up, guys?"

Each of them returned my smile, shrugging in turn as I looked around the table. Big Phil was the first to speak. "Welcome back, Mira. It's good to see you. We didn't know when you'd be showing your pretty face around here again. Kind of thought you'd abandoned us."

"Not likely," I said cheerfully, trying to forget that I'd sat in this very spot that first time Logan had come out to the rig.

On instinct, I glanced at the door as if my subconscious was hoping he'd walk in again, even if my conscious brain knew he was thousands of miles away. Peach drew my attention when he cleared his throat, speaking up in his gravelly, quiet voice as I turned my gaze back to them.

"It's always good to have you around, Boss Lady."

"I'm hardly the boss." I smirked and waggled my brows at him. "Do I look like a city-slicker, billionaire rig owner to you?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "You look like a sight for sore eyes, ma'am. That's all. Like Big Phil said, we weren't sure if we were going to see you again."

Something about the look in his eyes made my eyebrows snap together. Peach wasn't a man of many words and he was always pretty serious, but something seemed a bit off here. "Why not? What's wrong? Y'all are acting like I've never left the rig before. You know I always come back, so what gives? "

Peach glanced at Phil, who cleared his throat as amusement sparked in his eyes. "Have you seen the article that's been doing the rounds online?"

My frown deepened as I shook my head. "What article? You're going to have to be a little more specific than that."

He grimaced. "Maybe it's best if you don't see the one I'm talking about because you would've known what I was referring to if you'd seen it."

No phones were permitted outside of the workers' bunks during working hours, so nobody could show me the article in question. As I result, I didn't ask to see it, but he definitely had my attention. "What article, guys? What are you talking about?"

Peach let out a heavy sigh, his head shaking back and forth. "I told you guys it was all bullshit."

"What's bullshit?" I asked insistently, my curiosity fast turning into dread and suspicion. "Someone better tell me what's going on here or I'll put you all on the graveyard shift for a year."

Phil laughed. "You wouldn't do that to us. You love us too much, and besides, we don't believe anything written in that article. It really is bullshit, and if you haven't seen it, we'd rather not talk about it at all."

"Why not?" Knots of tension formed in my stomach as I slowly cast a gaze at every man seated around the table. Some looked as amused as Phil, others as serious and worried as Peach. Whatever it was they were talking about, it clearly wasn't good. "I do love you too much, but I'm serious. Tell me what's going on or I might just have to make good on my threat."

He chuckled. "It's nothing, Mira. Just some journalist looking to make a name for themselves, I'm sure."

Anxiety vibrated through me. "In what way? What did they write?"

Peach was the one who finally clued me in. "Apparently, someone saw you making out with Logan Jones during the storm last month. The journalist has coined you two as an ‘HR nightmare' for the rig and oil industry. "

My mouth fell open, my heart suddenly racing and trying to pound its way right out of my chest. "What?!"

Phil laughed, waving a hand dismissively as he shook his head. "Like I said, it's all bullshit. None of us believe a word of it. If anyone on this damn thing was going to get into your pants, it wouldn't be that guy. It would be a real man. Like me."

My cheeks were bright red, but I did my best to remain calm as I tried to process what he'd just told me. "You're happily married with four kids, Phil. You wouldn't get into my pants because you wouldn't try."

"True, but that still doesn't change that you wouldn't have hooked up with him. Especially not during a violent storm while you thought a life was on the line."

Technically, the make-out session had happened before we'd known that there was a life on the line, but I sure as hell wasn't going to tell them that. My mind raced, my heartbeat still out of control and my muscles aching from being held so tight.

Peach's gaze landed on mine, his eyes as serious as ever as they suddenly narrowed. He frowned as he looked me over. "Hold on, is there any truth to this, Mira?"

Fuck.

I swallowed hard. I loved these guys, but no matter what, I could not tell them the truth about this. Can I?

I still didn't know what else had been written in that article but I needed to find out. And then I needed to do damage control, but for right now, I had to start by putting out the fire that was right in front of me.

I just didn't know how to look into the eyes of all these friends of mine and tell them a bald-faced lie. Shit. Fuck. Someone must've seen us that day, but who? And why did they tell the press about it?

More importantly, how the hell was I supposed to go out on my own if I was the current cannon fodder for the small contingent of press that followed life on the rigs. I'd be a laughingstock if people found out it was true .

Logan might've featured in the tabloids often, but I didn't, and being there now? Shit. It was the worst possible time, and if I couldn't fix it, I could kiss my new client goodbye. And my reputation right along with them.