Page 34 of Room One Hundred and Twenty

They glare at each other and I sigh under my breath. Looking at Rhett, he soon sends that cool gaze in my direction.

“We have work tomorrow. Early, mind you.” Reminding us of the fact, he scoffs at Jake. “You two are far more engrossed in this woman than I am. I just want her gone.”

I’ve known Rhett for a long time. Long enough to know when he’s putting up a front.

“That’s a shame. She’ll be disappointed if she learns that much.” Sitting back, I don’t know why I feel the need to pull him back. I should be happy to have less competition. So, why in the hell am I encouraging him?

Jake nods as he mimics my posture. “Such a shame. To think I found a woman who’d be willing to put up with your foul mood.”

He looks between us, his brows lowering. Rather than making a brisk exit, he lingers. “You speak like she’s interested.”

She is. While she might not have said the words herself, I’m confident. All those times I caught Rhett lingering in the lobby, there have been plenty of times when I’ve watched their staring competitions take place.

“Won’t matter if you give up now,” Jake offers up with a shrug. His nose wrinkles as he doesn’t bother holding back the roll of his eyes. “Have a wonderful night.”

Does he want the same thing as I do? I can’t ever tell what he’s thinking. If he wanted to win Eloise for himself, he shouldn’t be acting so friendly.

Is he seeking entertainment before he swoops in and tries to steal her away?

Jake might come off as a goofish guy, but he’s smarter than he plays himself off to be. Hell, take his relationship with Rhett for example. To an outsider, their friendship doesn’t make sense. Not with the way they always fight.

The truth is, Jake knows how to play Rhett like a damn fiddle. Knows how to push his buttons to get exactly what he wants.

So, when Rhett returns to his seat, I’m hardly surprised.

Jake’s smile returns instantly as he turns to face me. “Now that that’s settled, where were we?”

His smile is contagious. Even though a sigh leaves my lips, I’m chuckling right after.

“We were talking about my incredible night,” I remind as I glance toward Rhett.

He’s pulled out his phone. Probably addressing work emails if I have to guess. An attempt to come off as uninterested. No wonder Jake didn’t have a clue. He’s one hell of a good actor.

Once Rhett accepts that heisinterested, he’s going to be one hell of a force to be reckoned with.

I know it, Jake knows it.

Will I regret making this fair? The answer is impossible to deny.

I want my friends to make Eloise happy. Competition aside, she will always come first.

Until she picks one of us, I want all three of us to give her what she needs.

Call me crazy, but deep down, I’m not disturbed by the notion of sharing her.

That’s an idea to digest on a different day. Not right now. Especially with Jake wanting every detail he can squeeze out of me.

Eloise

“You look lively.” Charity lifts her brows as I stroll in from a much-needed break. “More than usual. Want to tell me what’s up?”

All day, I’ve been on my toes. Hardly acting like myself, being noticed by my assistant was bound to happen. I’m just surprised she’s only now asking. Her sarcasm does get a snort out of me.

“More boy trouble,” I groan as I put my apron on. Sighing under my breath as I scrub my hands, I throw a glance over my shoulder. “No one came and asked for me, did they?”

Shaking her head, my shoulders sink.

Rhett still hasn’t come to pull me aside. Despite spotting him in the lobby for multiple visits, he’s yet to approach the front counter. Knowing he shouldn’t interrupt while the bakery is open, he could’ve made an appearance before I started accepting customers.

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