Page 91 of Maximum
I sighed. “I fucked up. I know.”
“Another thing is that the only person you need to have a pact with is Fleur. You can’t go around setting up rules for every man who wants to talk to her, and it’s not necessary. If you and Fleur agree to what loyalty looks like to you, then you need to let her handle potential rejections. I had a guy ask for my number tonight and I told him I was married and not interested. Fleur can handle male attention just as well as you can tell a woman that you’re not on the market. She’s allowed to talk to men just as much as you’re allowed to talk to women. Anything else would be stifling.”
“I get that but seeing her with other men makes me crazy.”
“Stop making excuses. If you show up like some jealous guy policing her interactions, you’re only exposing how insecure you are. Confidence is sexy, Max.”
“But what if the men don’t respect a no?”
“If you see Fleur struggling to get away from a conversation, then you can go rescue her of course, but do it smoothly. When I was seven months pregnant Atlas and I went to this gala event and there was a woman who was important to the company but just wouldn’t take a hint. Despite his telling her that he needed to check up on his pregnant wife, she kept hitting on him. Atlas asked me to save him if she approached him again and so when she caught him by the bar, I walked over and leaned against him, complimenting her dress and making it less awkward for him to slip away. That’s what partners do, Max. We help each other, but we don’t police each other.”
“God, you make it sound so easy.”
“Good. Then I’m explaining it right, because jealousy isn’t that complicated, really. The antidote is trust, not just in your partner but in yourself. You’re going to be fine no matter what. If Fleur cheats, then you’ll know that she’s not who you thought she was.”
“We talked about it and she knows it would break my heart.”
“Right, so you have to trust that she’ll stick to the pact of loyalty that you made with her. If you trust that she was serious about that pact, then you can relax and look on in pride as other men approach her.”
“The thing is…” I moved in my seat as we drove up to the farm. “She told me from the beginning that she thinks I’m too young for her. Seeing her talk to guys in their thirties just ignited my insecurities.”
“She’s not with you because of your age. Nor is she going to leave you because of your age. She let you move in with her so obviously she likes the package. If I were to guess then she probably finds you handsome, sexy, kind, funny, intelligent, and supportive, but you’ll have to ask her. Whatever Fleur sees in you, it’s not just one thing, it’s a whole package. Comparing yourself to another man she talks to is pointless. He might have the right age, height, eye color, or be a better dancer, but no one is ever looking for one thing. We’re all looking for a package and Fleur likes yours.”
After parking the car, I killed the engine and turned to Jolene. “I feel like I should pay you for this session. You’ve helped me put things into perspective.”
She smiled. “A hug will do it.”
Leaning toward each other we hugged. “Atlas is a lucky man that he found you, Jolene.”
“Thank you.” She pulled back. “He’s the love of my life and I make sure that he knows.”
Fleur’s car pulled in next to us and it made me turn my head. “I’d better apologize to her.”
The overhead light in my car turned on as Jolene exited with a last comment. “You’ve got this, my friend.”
