Page 14 of Christmas With the Jerk

My curiosity gets the best of me. Why hasn’t he just bailed? We need to break ice, no pun intended. I might as well try to understand this man I slept with.

I take a deep breath, keeping my eyes on the road. “Can I ask you something?” I keep my tone light, almost casual.

Thorne turns his head slightly, just enough to acknowledge me. “Depends on what you’re asking.”

I huff a small laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m not prying into your personal life.” I glance at him before turning back to the road. “Can’t help but wonder why this pitch is so important to you. You’ve said before you don’t really need this job, so why stick around? Especially after everything that’s happened. The bomb scare, the blizzard, the horrific motel that surely wouldn't pass a health safety inspection in the civilized world... You could’vewalked away, gone home to DC, or wherever. But you didn’t. Why?”

He’s quiet for a moment, and I wonder if he’s going to ignore me altogether. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he says, finally, his voice calm but still carrying that edge. “Why are you still here?”

I shrug, trying to brush it off. “Work’s work. I have bills to pay. I take it seriously. Plus, it’s a big opportunity.”

He’s still looking at me, and I can feel his gaze lingering longer than usual. “Yeah, well, same here.”

I raise an eyebrow. “That’s it? Same here?”

He sighs, leaning back in his seat and running a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t need this job, but it’s not about that. My father’s invested in ValorTech. It’s not just about landing the campaign. It’s about showing him I can actually handle something like this and not embarrass the family in the process. It’s almost like a little test, I guess.”

I glance at him, surprised he’s letting me in on anything. “Your father invested in ValorTech?”

“Yeah,” he mutters. “It’s part of the company’s portfolio now. He’s trusting me to pull this off. If I don’t...” He trails off, and I can tell he’s weighing how much to say. “Let’s just say it wouldn’t go over well.”

“Wouldn’t go over well? I thought you said your dad didn’t care if you stuck around or not.”

Thorne smirks, but it’s not a happy smirk. “He doesn’t care about me screwing around in the day-to-day stuff. But this isdifferent. He’s got real money tied up in this company. And I know he’s banking on me to make sure it pays off.”

I nod, letting his words sink in. I hadn’t expected this from him—this level of introspection or concern about proving himself. I thought he just coasted through life without a second thought. Turns out, there’s more to him than that smug exterior.

“So, you want to prove to him that you’re worth it,” I say, keeping my tone neutral, even though I’m a little surprised by the shift in the conversation.

He’s quiet for a beat, then nods. “Something like that.”

There’s a pause, and for the first time, I don’t feel the urge to fill it with noise. The silence between us feels different. Not exactly comfortable, but less hostile.

“Well,” I say after a moment, “it’s not like we haven’t faced every obstacle possible to get to this point. You’ve stuck it out this far. I imagine your father will be proud of you for that.”

I guess his eternal optimism and confidence is more complex that it seems. He actually does have a pony in this race.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure he is reserving all praise until he sees if I can actually see it through with a win.” Thorne glances at me, and I see something shift in his expression—just for a second. “So, regardless of what you think about me, I’m in it all the way.”

I nod, feeling a small thread of understanding between us. We’re both here for our own reasons, but I can respect his determination. I know a little bit about pressure from family. Maybe I can even have a little bit of empathy for him.

“Well,” I say, offering a faint smile, “let’s hope we don’t hit any black ice between here and the hotel. Then, no one comes out on top.”

Thorne chuckles softly, surprising me. “Yeah. That's a good plan.”

SIX

Thorne

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks / Dressed in holiday style / In the air, there's a feeling / Of Christmas.

I-95 North, Providence, Rhode Island

11:58 am

The evergreen treeson the right side of the highway are almost hypnotic, but my mind is too wired to relax. We only have about an hour and a half more to go. I can do this. Then I can't wait to get a long hot shower and muscle through the home stretch of this nightmare.

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