Page 27 of Last Chance Seduction
“I guess we have a lot to catch up on.Will you be at the retreat?I mean, girlfriends are totally allowed.They may be traditional in some sense, but you’re totally allowed to live together or share a hotel room when you’re not married.”Gia laughed, rolling her eyes.“I think it’s more they want to ensure that you’re steady and a true family business.Anyway, it’s so good to hear about this.We’re going to have to get drinks sometime so you can tell me exactly how this came about.You know what’s funny?Back when Lex and I were dating, I was totally jealous of you.”
Lex’s hand around my waist squeezed so tightly I was afraid he was going to leave a bruise.
“Oh really?I’m sorry about that.I was with Justin then.And well, Lex and I didn’t see each other that way.We were just friends.”
He cleared his throat and I knew he had to be wondering what the hell I was up to.But with the way Gia was finally backing off…maybe it would be okay.Or maybe we were both losing our damn minds.“Yeah.Just friends.And well, sorry, this being out as a couple thing is new, and hearing the word girlfriend sort of surprised me.”
“I totally get that feeling.Anyway, we’ll have to do drinks so you can tell me all about it.Or, how about we all get together at the retreat?I know you’ll be working at the JW for bids and everything, but we will have to take some time to just get things caught up.This makes me so happy to hear.I mean, to be honest, Lex, I was worried that Carly’s news would be hard on you during the holidays, so I wanted to make sure that you were okay.But this just makes me so happy.I will see both of you at the retreat.”She leaned forward, kissed my cheek, then Lex’s, before she ran off to her car, as if she hadn’t contradicted herself eight times, and made me feel as if I had lost my damn mind.
“Oh,” I said, my arm still around his waist as Gia drove off.“I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m pretty sure my tea was drugged.”
“You had tea?There was tea?”Lex pulled away from me and then began to pace.When he nearly fell into the hole he had just dug, I reached out for him and caught his arm.
“Don’t fall.I’m sorry.”
“Well maybe me falling and cracking my skull open would make more sense than what just happened.”He whirled on me, his eyes wide.“Why the hell did you just tell Gia you’re my girlfriend?You can’t even stand me.Not that that matters.What the hell?”
“I don’t know.She just bothers me.She’s always bothered me.”I put my hands over my face and tried not to growl.
“I’m going to need you to explain that very slowly because I have a headache now.And I think that headache is named Mercy,” he snapped.
My lips twitched, but I did my best not to laugh.
Because he was panicking way more than me and to be honest that was probably the correct thing to do.Yet, I was going to have to deal with what the hell I had just done.
“The thing is, I was boiling eggs and then they got burnt and so I had the window open.”
“You are saying words, and I understand that they are full sentences, or at least mostly full sentences, but not anywhere near the explanation I need from you.”
“I had the windows open, and I was drinking my tea to soothe my throat.”
“Again, not helping.”
“I’m getting there.First, I heard Brooklyn come over and give you trouble or at least razz you like a cousin does.And I know you guys were worried about the bid and the whole estate thing, and I didn’t mean to listen, but I was just there.And Mr.Darcy was there.”
“You mean the cat and not the fictional character fromPride and Prejudice?”
“You aren’t helping here.”
“How am I supposed to be helping right now?Keep going.”He froze for a moment, the blush on his cheeks deepening.“You heard everything she said?”
“Yes.Like teasing the fact that we kissed.”I paused.“Underneath the mistletoe.But I’m continuing on.Then Gia came, and frankly, she sounded like she wanted you to be upset that Carly was pregnant.Or upset at the fact that both of them are married.I’m not quite sure, but I didn’t like it.And then I didn’t like the fact that it felt as if she were dangling the job that you really want for your family in front of you.And one thing led to another, and I kind of wanted to just kick her.”
“So you kicked her with an imaginary wedding?”he asked, his voice going high-pitched.
I looked around, afraid somebody would hear what had just happened.
“Come on in with me.I don’t want to be overheard.”
“Who the hell is overhearing this?Unless another neighbor has their window open!”He was practically shouting at this point, so I pulled him by his arm, past the hole in the ground, and into my house.
His nose scrunched up as soon as we walked in, but he knelt down, petting Mr.Darcy’s stomach as if the cat hadn’t just bit my hand earlier for daring to do the same thing.
Traitor.
“From the look on your face you do smell the eggs.”
“What the hell did you do?”
