Page 4 of Fairy Tale Lies
Jacob ran a hand down his face, peering at Greta. Going by the hard set of her jaw and defensive posture, she probably wouldn’t talk to him anyway. He nodded to the man, moving away from the two women.
Before returning to the conference room, he stopped and faced Greta. “We aren’t finished. We have to talk.”
The prospect didn’t seem to please her but screw it, he needed answers. And to set things straight. There was no way she was going to ruin this for him. After years at a standstill, his business was moving forward.
~ * ~
Before Jacob’s large frame had retreated inside the conference room, Rae twisted around and seized Greta’s shoulders. “Spill, woman. Please tell me you’ve had sex with him.”
“Rae!” Greta whisper-shouted, checking the hallway. Thankfully, they were alone.
“What?” Rae’s tone was pure innocence. Her smile was pure wickedness. “That guy was created for sensual nights.”
Or stormy afternoons.
“Geez, Rae. You’re married.”
Rae’s smile widened, and she looped an arm through Greta’s, leading them back to their office. “Yes, and happily. But I’m not blind. Now, tell me, how do you know our newest hotter-than-hell client?”
Rae’s petite frame and dainty features hid an oversized personality, one that was opinionated and outspoken. She was the complete opposite of Greta. Despite this, or maybe because of it, they’d become fast friends. However, it didn’t mean Rae wasn’t always shocking Greta.
Like now, with her blunt assessment of Jacob.
“I’d rather not say,” she clipped. “Just know this. He’s a problem I don’t need right now.”
“Honey, life’s full of problems. At least he appears to be an interesting one. Heck, sometimes problems turn into answers you didn’t even know you were searching for.”
Greta was in no mood for whimsical notions. “Doubtful. I’m back under my father’s roof for the summer, trying to prove my worth as a web developer, while also in the final stretch of my master’s program. I have enough stress. I don’t need to add man-drama to the mix.”
“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“Not so, Shakespeare.” Greta laughed lightly, though her smile faded when they reached the IT department, reminding her she’d be stuck here with Jacob for at least a week, maybe more, depending on what he needed. “There has to be a way out. I can’t work with him.”
Once inside, Rae closed the door then pulled her chair next to Greta’s. From her friend’s tenacious expression, she wouldn’t rest until the whole story was told.
She laid a gentle hand on Greta’s arm. “Did something bad happen with him?”
Touched by Rae’s concern, some of Greta’s embarrassment slid away. “No. Nothing like you’re imagining.”
She had no desire to reveal her sexual escapades. At the same time, she didn’t want Rae to think Jacob was some deviant. He might have been careless with her emotions, that didn’t mean she’d risk the small possibility of sabotaging his career with false gossip.
Time to fess up. “I behaved shamelessly with him, and now I’ll be reminded of it daily.”
Rae frowned, perhaps in confusion.
Greta sighed. “I’ll tell you, if you promise me two things.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“One,” Greta ticked off her conditions on the tips of her fingers, “don’t judge. Two, could you talk to my father about covering the Rework account?”
“The first one’s easy. We’ve all made mistakes, and, like I’ve said before, he looks like a fun one.” Rae winked. “And I’ll do my best with the second.”
The woman was incorrigible. Greta couldn’t help smiling. “Okay.” She took in a deep breath. “Around two months back, my mother and stepfather were out of town, and their housekeeper was on vacation. My mother needed me at their place.”
“The estate?” Rae asked.
“Yes. They needed me there to accept a delivery…”
