Page 11 of Hooked on Lane

The man clenched his jaw, making a visible effort not to say a thing. He cast one last look of longing at Jennifer before delivering his critique. “So you have moved on already?”

Jennifer snuggled into my side. “He's more of a man than you will ever be. Go handle your commitment issues and leave us alone.”

As I watched him lumber out of the bar, the bitter taste of jealousy filled my mouth. My hand fell from Jennifer’s shoulder and she slowly looked up at me.

“Why did you do that?”

Offering an explanation seemed futile, but I tried anyway. “I thought he was bothering you. Figured I could help.”

Laura chimed in. “That was her ex that just broke up with her… and now he is totally seething with jealousy.” The corners of her mouth twitched upward.

This was dangerous. I was jealous. No, it couldn’t be—I was not pining over my assistant. The alcohol made the world feel hazy and malleable.

“What is it about men and having what they can't have? As soon as Lane here sat down, now men are flocking to you. Come sit by me,” Laura said.

“If your ex was dumb enough to let a woman like you go, then let him suffer. They should worship you.”

Jennifer shook her head slowly as she stirred her bright-red mojito. “There are thousands of single girls in New York City. Men just move on to the next. It's all a game to them.”

I leaned back. “What? You don’t think you're a catch? Please tell me some man hasn't ruined your confidence because you are gorgeous.”

A slight smirk crept up the corner of Laura's lips. Her best friend was enjoying this. She popped a maraschino cherry into her mouth. “That is the nicest thing she has heard this week.”

I stayed right where I was, next to Jennifer, soaking up her lavender perfume. Laura ranted about Jennifer's ex-boyfriend Peyton, and the girl next to me was holding back tears that threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. Laura declared he wasn't worth the time of day. I sipped my drink in silence and watched the game on the big-screen TV, not wanting to intrude.

"You deserve better.”

Jennifer's gaze locked with mine, and suddenly we were both blushing. "Thanks.”

The conversation moved on to other topics, but I couldn't help but still think about what I had said earlier. It had felt different from just a platonic comment between colleagues; it had been more personal than that. And it seemed like Jennifer had felt it too from how she had looked at me afterward.

The announcer came on and called Jennifer’s name. She walked up to the stage and took the microphone in her hand. And then she did something that totally took me by surprise. She began to sing in French. It was beautiful.

What other talents did my assistant have?

Chapter Ten

Jennifer

As I finished my last karaoke song, Lane walked toward me, making my heart sink. He held out his hand, and I took it. We started dancing together, and I felt as if we were the only two people in the room, moving to the music. When we made our way back to the table, Lane undid his tie, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt… he was getting comfortable, which meant he wasn't going anywhere.

Laura was eyeing me, and I knew exactly what was running through her mind… she better not.

“Can you believe the jerk had the audacity to break up with her on their six-month anniversary and say that he wasn't ready for a commitment? I mean, look at her. He’s an idiot.” Laura's hands waved in the air.

I thought we were done talking about Peyton. Wasn’t tonight supposed to be about fun?

He nodded. “Some men don't know what they have until it's gone. Looks like that's the case with… what was his name again?”

I laughed. “Peyton.” Surely it was wrong to be sitting here next to my boss, looking this good while he was in such anintoxicated state. His eyes had been drinking me in since he had sat down, and my whole body was on fire.

“You look stunning tonight.”

“So, Lane, where are you from anyway?” Laura asked.

I swatted at her under the table. Right now wasn’t the time to be asking personal questions.

“I’m from a small town in Montana called Amesbury.”

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