Page 48 of She's Like the Wind
But being around Jonah was pissing me off.
Was he still seeing Naomi? Were they serious?
During a break at the meeting, he settled into a chair next to me, casually flipping through the performance schedule. “It was nice seeing you and Sloane at Saffron.”
Was it?
I made a noncommittal sound to that.
“I’m real excited to see Naomi at the festival. I’m going to take her to see the Stones. Do you know she’s never heard them live?” He prattled on like I gave a shit.
I didn’t respond and pulled out my phone to pretend I had better things to do.
Jonah, like a dog with a fucking bone, set the schedule down and grinned at me. “She’s an interesting woman. She told me you were…ah…acquaintances.”
My jaw clenched.
Yeah, asshole, I’m acquainted with her body and soul.
“Remarkable woman,” he continued.
I knew what he was doing. The trap was rightthere, and I walked into it. I couldn’t help myself, which seemed to be the case whenever it was about Naomi.
“You two serious now?” I asked, voice low and flat.
He smiled. “You’ve got to be with a woman like that.”
I glared at him and blurted out without thinking about it, “She’s not yours.”
He leaned back in his chair, adjusting the cuff of his crisp white shirt. “From what I hear, she’s not yours either.”
I didn’t answer because I didn’t have the right to argue; and the motherfucker knew it.
I’d fucked it up when I went to Aire Noire. But I couldn’t regret it. It was heaven touching her, but also hell because now I had to admit that I missedher. I didn’t want another woman because my body was still into Naomi LeBlanc.
Your heart, too, you moron.
Still, I wished I had not lost control because I hurt her…again.
But God help me, if Jonah laid a finger on her?—
“Let’s not play this like we’re twenty,” Jonah’s words dripped with amusement.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I wanted to punch the prick’s lights out.
“Just that, I know she’s your ex. And I get it.”
“What is it you get, Jonah?”
When the fuck was this break going to end? Come on, people, that’s enough coffee and scones, let’s get to work!
“That you still have feelings for her. I don’t blame you. I mean?—”
“I don’t have feelings for her,” I bit out. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to take a piss.”
I walked out of the meeting room, mostly because I didn’t trust myself not to break his jaw.
After the meeting, I should’ve gone home, or to the gym, or the river, or anywhere else, but I ended up in the Mahogany Jazz Hall on Chartres in the Quarter.
