Page 33 of How to Marry the Boss

“He brought you dinner? Sounds promising.” Kami sounds giddy for me as I tell her about my “date” with Jake.

I never expected him to order pizza, much less invite me to eat with him. I enjoyed every second of it. The longer we talked, the closer to the surface my burning need bubbled. It’s something I’ve never felt. And the more I thought about luring him to my bed, the harder it became to ignore that feeling. Something has changed between us. Everything feels different.

Is this my younger self refusing to let go of the past? Maybe. And I probably just need to move on.

But I feel stuck on Jake Hall.

I invited Kami to lunch, hoping to vent what I’m thinking and feeling. What I’m getting from her instead is a disagreement, which is about to turn into a full-blown argument.

“It was a friendly gesture, not a romantic, five-course meal.”

“Still…he bought dinner for two. Last night was absolutely a date.”

No. Why would he order food for two on purpose? “Maybe he accidentally ordered extra. Or maybe wanted enough for leftovers, but when I walked in, he was too polite to tell me to find my own food.”

Kami sighs, a sound rife with frustration. I’m not surprised. We’ve been going in circles the past twenty minutes. “Mia, my love, open your eyes. He ordered enough for you, too. So you would spend time with him. Hell, all he’s done—the moving in and all that—has been for you. Last night was a date. He’s into you. Hell, he’s mad for you.”

I shake my head. Yeah. Right. “He’s not. I know for a fact he’s not.”

“Yeah? How do you know that?”

“Jake made it very clear we’re friends. He’s going to make dinner for me tonight—as friends. What I’m feeling is ridiculous and one-sided.”

This feeling will pass…eventually.

She shrugs. “I think he’s lying about tonight. Because I highly doubt what you’re feeling is one-sided.”

“Listen, I overheard him say to his friends that he’s not interested in me romantically.”

“How long ago was that?”

“I’d just turned eighteen. His exact words were, ‘She’s Jonathan’s kid sister. Nothing more. I don’t think of her like that.’” What a curse to remember that moment so clearly, as though it were ingrained in my brain. Of all the things I remember, that terrible night is so vivid.

“You were a teenager. Of course he said that. Besides, you may not have had his attention then, but you certainly have it now. And I think you’ve had it from the moment you startedworking at KH Industries. He wouldn’t have moved in with you otherwise.”

“He didn’t move in because he wanted to. He did it because Jonathan told him to.”

She rolls her eyes. “C’mon, you really believe that?”

“Yes. My brother always has something up his sleeve.”

“But that doesn’t mean Jake would just go along with Jonathan. He’s not your brother’s lap dog.” Kami sets down her sandwich. “That’s it. I’m calling for a one-on-one, woman-to-woman intervention. If Jonathan wanted someone to look after you, the last person he’d ask would be his best friend. Why not Nathan?”

“Because Nathan probably said no. He’s all about taking care of me, but not to the extent Jonathan is.”

“If Jonathan asked Jake to babysit you, don’t you think Nathan would give you a heads-up?”

“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know.” She has a point. If Jonathan had asked Nathan to be my keeper, Nathan would have told me. “But maybe that’s why Jonathan went to Jake, because he knew Nathan would tell me.”

“If Jonathan demanded Jake move in with you, why did Jake wait until the last minute to tell you?”

“Because Jonathan knew I’d fight it.”

“If Jonathan told Jake to look after you, then why did he kiss you on New Year’s?”

“We went over that. He was drunk.”

Kami sends me a skeptical glare. “Ian told me Jake nursed one beer all night. He wasn’t drunk.”

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