Page 60 of Waiting for Acceptance
“The passion, the charm…it’sclearlyall fake.”
“Ohreally?”
“Obviously. You’re completely charmless and I’ve only ever seen you be passionate about pizza, so…” I shrug with a bored expression.
He slaps his thighs with a groan. “Okay. I think it’s time to feed you.” He stands up, offering me his hand.
I take it and follow behind him. “Why?”
He looks back at me with that wicked smile. “You’re meaner when you’re hungry.”
“I’m not mean,” I mumble, rolling my eyes as his arm wraps around my shoulder.
“Yeah, and I’m a natural blond,” he whispers into my hair before planting a kiss on the top of my head.
CHAPTER 33
FITZ
I managed to grab the only table with two chairs for Lauren and me to eat our lunch at, hoping it would keep anyone from interrupting us. I’ll take any chance I can get to try and show her I’m not the villain she’s thought me to be for the last few months.
“So are we going to this mixer tonight?” she asks, taking a bite from her chicken wrap. I notice the bit of ranch on her cheek and quickly grab a napkin to dab it away.
“I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I didn’t show up, so yes. We will go, but we don’t have to stay long.”
She shrugs. “I don’t mind.” I watch as she rolls her ankle around beneath the table and wonder how the hell she works every single day in heels that tall. “The last one the firm threw was pretty fun—what I remember of it at least.” My eyes bounce up to hers and she smirks at me.
“I’m not sure I trust your judgment of fun, given just how little of it you remember.” I raise a brow at her, fully expecting an eye roll or glare, but she looks back at me with a twinge of guilt in her eyes.
“I hate that, you know?” She looks around the room and takes a sip of her Diet Coke, setting it back on the table beforeher eyes meet mine again. “Not remembering. Any time I think about it I catch myself wishing I could pull a clear memory from that night.” My stomach knots in anticipation. I never would have guessed that she willingly thinks of that night at all. Outside of all the times I’ve blatantly reminded her of it.
“I—”
“Fitz!” The styrofoam noise of a voice rings out to my left and I look up to see Jessica Vanderbilt walking up to our table.
That’s it. After today I’m taking Lauren home, locking the door behind us, and silencing our phones so people will stop fucking interrupting us.
I shoot a regretful look Lauren’s way and her brow raises. “Jessica, how are you?” I look up at her but don’t stand, trying to set a boundary that she clearly cannot see. She bends down, breasts practically spilling out of her top as she kisses my cheek, resting her hand on my shoulder.
“I’d be better if I hadn’t spent most of my morning looking foryou.” I look at Lauren who is watching in amusement as this whole interaction unfolds. “Who’s this?” Jessica turns to Lauren but Lauren’s eyes are still on me, waiting for me to answer.
“This is Lauren. My girlfriend.”
Jessica’s face immediately turns sour. “Girlfriend?”
Lauren reaches her hand out to Jessica with a soft smile on her lips. “Pleasure to meet you.” Jessica returns the gesture with a snarky smile and turns to face me.
“Well, how awkward for her.” Jessica winks at me, then disappears before I can ask what the hell she means by that.
“Friend of yours?” Lauren asks, grabbing her drink from the table.
“Hardly.” I look around the room, expecting to see my dad in the corner somewhere lurking to see how I would handle having Jessica approach us.
“I don’t know, she seemed awfully friendly.” She still has that amused look on her face and it hits me, she wasn’t even a little bit bothered by what just happened. I would have thrown a guy out the window if he’d come up to Lauren acting that way.
“You think this is funny?”
She shrugs and cracks a smile. “I mean…come on. She might as well have sat in your lap and flipped me off. It was a little comical.”
