Page 40 of Jake

Hell, they probably weren’t speculating about shit. They’d likely heard them. He pulled himself out of the bed and started fixing his bag as he laid his clothes out.

Lauren didn’t take long and came in the room with her hair brushed out of her way to get her own bag.

He couldn’t resist and went to her, planting another kiss on her lips before he slipped in the shower himself. In half an hour, they were both dressed and ready to face their friends.

She slipped her hand in his as they left the room, bags in their other hands, and they headed for the kitchen.

“About time,” Luke teased.

“Shut up, kid.” Ryker elbowed him.

“Grow up,” Catherine scolded them both, pulling a smile from Evan.

“Good morning, everyone. I am happy to report that I am off the dating market officially, so we must decide who is next.”

Ryker, Luke, and Evan looked at each other and back at him as though he shouldn’t have said anything in front of Catherine and Lauren.

“Catherine set this one up, so she knows, and clearly I know,” Lauren announced to the room before moving gracefully past everyone to the coffee pot.

“Okay, okay,” Evan conceded.

“Well, look what you did,” Ryker complained to Cade.

Jake smiled as he looked around at his friends. He had never been so content as he was right now. This morning, surrounded by friends, a woman he could picture more of a life with, this was it.

Lauren poured him a cup of coffee as well and carried it back to him. When she reached his side, he leaned down and kissed her. The room got loud with whistles and other cheers as he did.

She blushed but didn’t hide, just leaned into his side as she took a sip of her coffee. He was glad she was getting more comfortable with him and his friends.

“So does this mean that Cade has to start looking for a new assistant?” Luke asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Why would that have anything to do with things?” Lauren asked him.

“Well, surely you won’t work now that you’re with Jake?” Luke continued.

Lauren straightened her back and stood taller. “Why is that?”

Everyone watched their interaction, no one coming to Luke’s rescue. Jake locked eyes with Cade who was hiding a grin behind his coffee cup.

“You know, because Jake has enough money to support you and you can shop instead of work. Isn’t that what women do?”

She looked down at her coffee cup as if contemplating the answer before looking back at Luke. “Why would I do that? I like my job, and even if I wanted to quit, which I don’t, why would I do that after two weeks with Jake? Doesn’t seem very smart.” The room was stifling their laughs as she continued, “If the women you date are like that, you really need to reconsider what it is that you are offering them because if they just want your money, they will never see the real you.”

Lauren left it there, and Ryker patted Luke on the back who had clearly been put in his place. Jake smiled and pulled her back into his side. She was what he’d been looking for.

Chapter Thirteen

Lauren had gone back to Jake’s after they left Cade’s and they had hung out and watched some more of the show until she was ready to go home. After that, she hadn’t seen him in person again, but she would today.

They’d not seen each other outside two video chats this week. Jake was swamped with work, and she was busy herself. As it turns out, spending more than a week obsessing over a blind date left you with work to do.

Catherine had pounced on her the moment she’d gotten home Sunday and she’d stayed up way too late talking to her about everything. They chatted like high school girls as Lauren gushed over how great Jake was.

The guy, John, was banned from the office per Cade. He wasn’t allowed in the building. He’d stopped short of cutting him off as a client, so he had to either email or send someone else to do business. She couldn’t help the feeling like she belonged here with everyone’s protectiveness.

It was weird, the feeling of belonging that came out of this past weekend. Everyone had always been social with her, but she never felt like a friend, outside of Catherine, to anyone, but maybe it was because she never let herself.

Cade’s father would no doubt come in today, as he always did on Friday. Jake was picking her up for lunch, though, so maybe she’d miss him. That was her goal at least.

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