Page 69 of Most Likely to Score
Trevor pumps a fist. “Great work, man.”
We make our way out of the office. In the elevator, it’s the four of us as Ford rides down. Jillian is quiet again, a faraway look in her eyes. I wish I could take her hand, haul her next to me, and ask her what’s bothering her.
I wish I could talk to her the way I want.
Like she’s mine.
I wish I could stop being so damn dishonest in front of these guys who I like and respect. In front of my brother, in front of my agent. I want to tell them the truth—that the woman standing across from me makes me want to say goodbye to the former ladies’ man forever.
More than that, as she heads to her car, before she speeds off to the office, I want to drop a kiss on her cheek and tell her to drive safely. But I can’t.
I head home with my dog, and after a long run, I crash on the sofa. He jumps on my lap and curls into a ball.
“What is wrong with me? It was just sex, right?”
Cletus lifts his snout, as if to say, “Keep going.”
“You know what I mean. I’ve seen you hump the stuffed monkey from T.J. Maxx. Don’t deny it.”
Cletus waits for me to say more.
“You guys are definitely having a no-strings-attached deal.”
He doesn’t say anything, but we both know he’s a horndog. Except, as he rubs his little head against my arm, I don’t think I’ve fooled him. I definitely haven’t fooled myself. I know it wasn’t just sex with Jillian. I miss her, and texting her last night wasn’t enough. Texting her only made me want to see her again.
I pick up my phone to call my brother, to finally ask him how I can sort this out. But there’s a message from Jillian glaring at me. It’s not a text. It’s from her work email.
I have a reporter wanting to talk to you about your new deals. It would be a good idea if we could prep. Would you have any time to meet with me today? My office?
Hell, yeah, I’d like to go to her office.
We take care of the phone interview quickly, handling it with ease, chatting with a prominent business reporter at a national magazine about my new partnership.
When we hang up, Jillian flips a pen around from her thumb to her forefinger, over and over. Her usual vibrancy is still missing. Raising my chin, I say what I wanted to say earlier this morning. “You don’t seem like yourself today. You seemed distracted at Ford’s office, and here, too. Is everything okay?”
Surprise flickers across her eyes. “I didn’t think I was that easy to read.”
I offer a small shrug. “Maybe you’re not. But maybe I’ve learned how to read you.” Her lips curve in a small smile. “I’ve seen you when you’re much more animated. Kind of funny, because I know how guarded you can be, too. But you didn’t seem guarded this morning. You seemed distracted, like something was bugging you. I hate the thought that something has thrown you.”
“It’s stupid,” she answers quickly, as if she’s trying to dismiss what’s on her mind.
“Stupid or not, do you want to talk about it?”
She drops her pen on her desk. “My ex never noticed if I was distracted. He never asked if I wanted to talk about bad days. Why do you have to be so sweet?”
“Would you prefer me sour?”
“I would prefer we weren’t so clearly ice cream and hot pepper that tastes surprisingly good.”
I laugh. “I’d like to try that combo.”
“Me, too,” she says with a heavy sigh. Once she blows out all the air in the world, she squares her shoulders and speaks in a rush. “Kevin’s going to Sierra’s wedding this Thursday, and he emailed me asking me to come say hi to him and Shelly, the woman he cheated on me with. I guess his note made me feel foolish. But it also made me think about this other guy, too. This guy I really like . . .”
My ears prick. “The ice cream and pepper guy?”
“Yes. But I can’t be with him, so that’s a bit of a bummer. I suppose that’s what bothers me more, to be honest.”
My heart hurts a little. I want to reach across the desk and squeeze her hand in mine. “Would it make you feel any better if you knew he was bummed, too?”
