Page 43 of Playing With Secrets
Swarms of emotion take over her face. She lowers her head and strides to the door.
“Congratulations on the successful mock launch today, Jami. I know you worked hard on it and deserve the praise since Hunterforgotto acknowledge you in front of everyone.” She glances at me and pins me with resentment and anger.
It’s not the best thing in the world, but it’s better than her trying to figure things out with Jamison.
He fakes a laugh. “I don’t need your praise or pity acknowledgment. My belief in myself and knowing nobody can pull off what I did is enough for me.”
They’re clearly at odds, and their relationship doesn’t seem likely to be repaired. Maybe Jamison and I might be able to find a way back to dealing with our issues amicably.
It’s not likely, but it could happen. My therapist believes it could, so there’s a chance.
Dorothy huffs and storms off. I watch her until she’s on the elevator and returning to her office. When the coast is clear, I close the door behind me.
What I came down here to do has changed. After seeing them strained, I have an even better idea.
He rolls his eyes. “Why does everyone need to close the door today?”
“Relax, Jamison. I’m here to commend you. It seems you’ve finally taken me seriously. Cutting ties with Dorothy shows me you’re trying.” I sit before him and rest my ankle on my knee.
“Whatever, Hunter. I’m in no mood to play games with you today. Just tell me why you’re here.”
“I’m not here to play games. Since you’re finally respecting me, I thought I’d tell you how pleased everyone is with your effort. If it continues to go as planned, I have a few contacts who would be interested in having you work with them for something exclusive of their own.”
He sits straight, showing his interest is piqued. “Why would you help me after all that’s happened between us?”
“We used to be friends. If you can get past Dorothy and me being together, what would it hurt to be allies again? We might never be friends like before, but you’ve proven your value.” I nod, trying to convey sincerity.
“I don’t trust you, Hunter. You’ve spread rumors about me.”
“But things appear to be changing.”
“I don’t know if they are. You told your girlfriend I’m on a dating app, and you dug into my personal life using painful things over my head to keep me in line. You’ve proven you put getting what you want above anything else. That’s not an ally. That’s someone with whom you watch your back.”
“I can see your point, but I wasn’t the one who told Dorothy you were on a dating app. I’ll take ownership of only fueling the rumors about you and Melanie, but that’s all. The rest of your secrets are safe with me.”
He gets up and meanders to his window, considering what I’ve said. “What’s the catch?”
“Keep your distance from Dorothy on a personal level. Once she and I are married, you and I find a way to get on the same side. If you go back to wanting something with Dorothy, I’ll revert to the original plan. Excluding anything to do with your friend Chuck. I’ll admit I took that one too far.”
He turns and studies me to see if I’m lying. He sighs when he realizes I’m not. “You did take it too far.”
I dip my head in acknowledgment. “That I did. In mydefense, I was seeing red, knowing you two had sex. It’s been hard to get past that.”
“Well, you don’t need to worry about that now. I’m sure you two have been together plenty of times since then. She probably has no memory of what we shared.” His pain slips through a crack in his shield and flits across his face.
I consider extending an olive branch to show how serious I am about getting on the right page with him. With us getting along, I can find him a new gig far away.
Should I give him this piece of information?
There could be a better way to get him on my side. Nah, this is what he needs to hear. It’s the ultimate disclosure.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but to prove to you I’m being sincere with my new offer, I’ll tell you Dorothy and I haven’t had sex since before you two did.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Why?”
“She’s been dealing with a UTI that won’t go away, putting a damper on things. As you know, there’s still oral, but intercourse hasn’t happened.”
Something sparks in his eyes as he thinks about what I’ve shared. It doesn’t make me worry, though. Whatever he thought of didn’t seem to be about her and me having sex.
