Page 29 of The Hot Mess

I sat up so fast I nearly spilled my drink. “Has he asked about me?”

She hesitated to answer. “No,” she replied finally. “But if he did…What should I say?”

My heart was pounding. I started sipping my drink faster, forgetting how dangerous it was. What kind of mind games was Isabella playing with me? How much had he told her, if anything? Maybe this was all just some trick for her to get me to confess something about us.

“If he asks,” I said after a while. “Tell him he should talk to me himself.”

“Noted,” she chirped. “I was just curious.”

She was keeping something from me, and it made me uneasy. Maybe physically I felt less intimidated around her, thanks to the confidence boost from Jack and my new look. But mentally I still got the impression that her ability to manipulate and play people against each other extended far past anything I was capable of. I was too clumsy and ignorant when it came to predicting people’s actions or hiding my own feelings. This conversation with her was just further proof of that. She was obviously playing some kind of game, and I was just struggling to keep up.

“Do you think your brother will ever change his ways?” I asked her. “I mean, if he took the job here. Do you see a sister-in-law in your future?”

It was too obvious, but I had to know. I might as well have asked if she wantedmeto be her new sister-in-law.

“It’s doubtful,” she said, so full of confidence. “He craves freedom and hates being tied down. That’s why I don’t think he’ll take the job. But just the same, if he mentions it…Will you encourage him?”

“If I get the chance,” I told her. But deep down, I was starting to think it might not be so good for me if he did stick around.

15

Jack

Iwas flying back in from another consulting gig in California. I loved the fresh air, and how you could get a little bit of everything in that state. There were beaches, mountains, forests, the big city. There was something in every corner, depending on what you were in the mood for.

It would be so easy, I thought, to keep flying around to all of these new and interesting places, exploring everything they had to offer. I had spent my whole adult life doing that and hadn’t gotten bored yet.

So…why was it all losing its appeal so suddenly?

My stomach was uneasy from all the lying and stress. I half-hoped Lucas would withdraw his offer, then the decision would be made for me. Both decisions would be made for me. I would leave, and I would eventually get over Jada. That was the right thing to do, maybe. It was definitely the safe thing to do.

I had never been one to turn down a challenge, but matters of the heart were different. One wrong move and you could be changed forever. The wrong woman could break you down to the point where you’d never get put back together the same way again.

I sank back in my seat on the plane, dragging my hands down my face. I couldn’t think straight anymore, and I was no closer to knowing what I wanted or what I should do.

I always thought I was an honorable man, but all this lying to Jada and my friends was destroying that notion. The sick feeling inside grew as the plane landed. I had always put my career first, and that wasn’t about to change. I had to put this thing with Jada aside before her brothers grew any more angry or suspicious. Maybe then I could finally think straight enough to make up my mind about the job.

As soon as the plane landed, I hopped into the car waiting for me and told the driver to take me to Jada’s side of town. Once I called to confirm she was home, I gave him her address. Better to get this over with quickly while I had the nerve to go through with it.

“This is a surprise,” she said when she answered the door.

Just one look at her in her satin leisurewear, which she wore when she was just hanging around her apartment, nearly blew away my resolve. I could see every curve of her body and the sharp points of her nipples through her top. I wanted to push her against the wall and devour her. But after weeks of doing just that, I was only turning into a bigger wreck. I couldn’t waste any more time.

“Come in,” she waved, eyeing my rolling luggage as I walked past her.

She hovered over it too long, catching a glimpse of the tag from the airport. “California, huh? Did you have a nice trip?”

“It was…it was for work,” I confessed. “I’ve…I’ve been taking other consulting jobs. Please don’t tell Lucas. He’d be pissed if he knew I was considering other offers right now, after what he proposed.”

“President, isn’t it? What he’s offering you?”

I nodded.

“You going to take it?”

All I could do was shrug.

“Why would I tell Lucas anything anyway?” she huffed, crossing her arms. “For all I know, you could be lying to me. Maybe you’re just flying all over the place to see other women. You have a reputation, you know. And it’s not like I’d have a right to say anything about it. We’re not a couple, after all.”

---