Page 115 of Playing My Rivals

I nod. “Grab it before someone else does.”

She sprints off and dives into the seat. I can’t stop the laugh from barreling out of my mouth. Half the restaurant turns and stares.

“Good job, Dori. That’s a unique way of grabbing attention. I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m trying to get a man to notice me.” She pushes up and moves to the center of the booth.

“I don’t need to add any men to my life. I already have enough problems.” I slide in across from her.

“Which brings us back to the conversation we were having when we walked in. You’ve got to get back into therapy and figure out which guy you truly want to be with.

“It’s been three weeks since you went. I get you think Hunter is trying, so you owe it to him, but you can’t ignore your feelings for Jamison.” She snatches a menu from behind the napkin holder.

I do the same. “Considering this is the first time Jami has spoken to me outside of work in two weeks. I’m not sure there’s anything to decide.”

“Once we order, you’ll need to tell me what happened when you talked to him.”

She skims the menu, running her fingernail over each item description. I find the meal I want at first glance. The server comes over within a few minutes and takes our order. When he leaves, Mel leans across the table, eyeing me unimpressed.

“Mel, why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s Friday night and we’re out for the first time in over a month. You just ordered a ginger ale. If you think we’re not partying tonight, you’re wrong. Pick a big girl drink and I’ll get the server.” She grabs the drink menu and slaps it in front of me.

“Mel, I don’t want to. My stress level is off the charts. I’ve had a queasy stomach and haven’t been sleeping. It’s a recipe for disaster.”

“One drink isn’t a recipe for disaster. Being super stressed and uptight on a Friday night is.” She points at the menu.

I bite down on my lip as I consider Jami’s question from earlier. It has me beyond nervous. With everything going on, I hadn’t thought about it. Now, it’s all I can think about. And it’s only been an hour since he left to go speak with Hunter.

My mind travels back to when Sadie, the previous marketing director, was pregnant. She told me her doctor allowed her to have two glasses of red wine per week. I’m not sure if it’s okay, but she was closely monitored and I could use a drink.

“All right. You convinced me.” My gaze travels to my stomach, and my heart skips a beat with unexplained hope.

Melanie waves her hand above her head, trying to get the server's attention. Once she’s satisfied that I have a drink on the way, she rattles her fingertips against the top of the table.

“Okay. Catch me up to speed. Last I heard, you told Hunter you felt manipulated by him when he told you to cut ties with Jamison. How did that go?”

“Rather well. He agreed he was out of line that night and made some rash decisions. I told him I want to be able to be around Jami. If Hunter and I are going to work this out, he can’t tell me what to do. I hate it when people do that. Eventually, I’ll rebel and something bad will happen.”

“Jamison won’t forgive this. Not from what he’s told me.”

I figured that much, but it piques my curiosity. “What did he tell you?”

“He can’t believe you went back to Hunter after he went mad with jealousy. Another reason is that Jami thinks Hunter manipulated you.”

“I’ve addressed all that with Hunter. That’s why they’re meeting tonight. Hunter’s trying to smooth it over with Jami.”

“I’m surprised Jami went. But they need to get to a point where they don’t want to kill each other. He’s so hurt by you and wants nothing to do with Hunter. I can’t imagine it going well.” Her phone chimes, so she peeks at it.

She’s not wrong, but my brain scrambles because she knows so much about how Jami feels.

“Wait a minute. When did he say this to you?”

“The other night. He pretends it doesn’t matter, but when you come up, he gets uncomfortable and tries to avoid the topic. But you know me. I won’t stop until I get all the insider information.”

My eyebrows come together as my stomach tightens. “You were out with Jami the other night?”

“Yeah. We went out and had dinner and a couple of drinks. He’s a great guy, and it’s fun to be seen with him. People watch us like we’re some hot, famous couple. It’s an ego boost.” There’s a sparkle in her eyes I don’t like.

Even though I have no right, jealousy fills my lungs and oxygenates my blood. “How did going out with him happen?”

---