Page 50 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
I wanted to dive in and enjoy it.
Patricia charged into my office, dousing all the happy vibes with her stern expression. “Did you and Nadine land that account yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Then where’s the contract? I don’t have it yet.”
I was pretty sure Nadine had it, but not 100 percent sure, so this was one of those lose-lose moments, where no matter what I said, it made me look like I didn’t know what was going on. “I’ll get right on it.”
She stared at me for long enough that it became uncomfortable, then sighed in that I-work-with-idiots way. I had a feeling that this was going to be a long day.
…
I shifted my bag of groceries to the other hand and dug through my purse to get my ringing phone. I glanced at the display.Jake.
“You just wanted to tell me what?” Jake said when I answered.
“Huh?” I asked.
“Your message. It cut out.”
I readjusted my groceries and my cell phone slipped from my shoulder and clattered to the floor. Instead of dropping everything, I set my groceries in front of my door and picked my phone back up, relieved to see my case and screen were still intact. “Jake?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry, I dropped my phone. Anyway, I guess I owe you a story. What are you doing tonight?” Work was extra crappy today, and I wanted nothing more than to kick back with Jake and forget about everything else for a while.
“Things are crazy here at Blue, so I’ll be working even later than usual.”
I wasn’t sure if he was brushing me off. “Okay. Well, good luck with that.”
A loud banging noise came across the line, accompanied by yelling. Someone next to Jake wasn’t happy with whatever was going on. “Another problem just came up. I’ve gotta go.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later, then.” I hung up and frowned at my groceries. It seemed like I’d made a big deal about a relationship that wasn’t even happening. My heart sank. Had I read him wrong? He did sound busy, and maybe that was all it was. I was just taking it harder because of the stress at work—that had to be it.
Stupid hope. I knew it’d bite me in the butt if I let it slip in.
I unlocked my door and picked up my bag. I wouldn’t let myself start analyzing or stare at the phone, waiting for him to call. I’d invited him to hang out, and he’d declined.
Ball’s in his court now.
…
First thing Wednesday morning, Nadine and I headed to Barbara Covington’s house to start our new project. Nadine pulled her car up in front of the wrought-iron gate and glanced at the house. “Whoa.”
“Whoa is right,” I said. “So that’s what fifteen thousand square feet looks like. I think living all by yourself in a house that big would just accentuate the lonely.”
“No kidding.” Nadine rolled down her window and announced that we were here to see Ms. Covington. A moment later, the gate swung open and Nadine drove through. “I’ve been chatting with a nice guy online, and I think we might meet up this weekend. I’m telling you, the Help From Cupid site is really good. You’d be surprised by how many good-looking eligible men you find.”
She’d wanted me to join this online dating site with her a few months ago. The last guy she had met had been close to a perfect match, but after a couple of months things fizzled, so she was trying again. Which always led to her wanting me to try again, too. “Come on,” she said, pulling her car up to the house. “When’s the last time you went on a date that wasn’t awful?”
“Sunday, actually.”
Nadine whipped her head toward me. “You’re dating someone? Dish.”
“I’m not really dating him. It’s Jake.”
“I knew it! I knew there was something going on between you two.”
