Page 39 of Unrealistic Expectations

The sinking feeling in her belly was back. “She wants to include Galvin in the article? As one of the bad guys?”

Jessica didn’t know how to explain to Abby that Galvin had really never been one of the bad guys. He had always had a good heart, but he’d done a lot of shitty things to people to protect it. Despite the fact that she’d written the book for men who were having problems dating women and didn’t know why, she didn’t see Galvin in those pages anymore. He had complex reasons for trying to keep things casual for most of his life, and she suspected that he was trying to change. Even if they didn’t make a go of it. Which they wouldn’t. She had to stop thinking that.

“I need to think about this. I’m not sure Galvin will be okay with it.”

“You’re making decisions together now?” Abby asked, sounding surprised that Jessica would consider Galvin at all in her press strategy. Jessica knew that Abby wouldn’t approve of her having a real-life relationship with Galvin—she really didn’t like the guy—but wouldn’t it be better to just be honest and deal with the consequences?

“I don’t want to put him in that position, Abby. I care about him as a person.”

“Oh, fuck no.” Abby was so emphatic that Jessica might have agreed with her if she didn’t have her wits about her. That kind of power was a great thing to have in a publicist until they used it against you.

“It’s not really any of your business—”

“None of my business?! It was my whole idea!” Abby exclaimed. Jessica hoped Abby was someplace private. “I can’t believe you would fall for that guy.”

“I haven’t fallen for him. We’re just seeing where things go.”

“Fucking Luke.”

Jessica could feel Abby getting more and more worked up through the phone. “Luke doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Doesn’t he? If he hadn’t walked out on you like a little bitch, then you wouldn’t have run into Galvin, and this wouldn’t be happening. I swear to God that I will kill you myself if you fall in love with that guy.”

“That’s a little harsh, and that’s not where this is going. I can guarantee you.” Jessica could not guarantee that, not even a little bit, but she was focused on calming Abby down at the moment.

“Okay. Use him for sex, then. I hope it’s not as bad as Kennedy said it was.”

“It’s not.” She wasn’t going to tell Abby how good it was. She would have a hard time doing that without sounding like a Disney Princess, and that wouldn’t help her case for being able to avoid falling for him.

And she really had to get control of her own thoughts about the thing. It would be stupid to fall in love with Galvin—just not for the reasons that Abby stated.

Galvin does not want a commitment.

Galvin has never wanted a girlfriend.

Galvin does not do anything long-term.

And one thing she absolutely knew for sure in her bones—purchased in hard lessons about hoping her mother would change and watching clients saunter down paths to self-destruction despite her best efforts—was that she could not change what people wanted. Hell, she’d learned a refinement on that lesson recently—she couldn’t even assume that her long-term boyfriend loved her and wanted to be with her when he’d said nothing about wanting to leave.

None of her good reasons for not getting further involved with Galvin were going to change what she was going to do. She’d thought she was better than this, but all she could do was hope that her pride wouldn’t set her up for a giant fall.

“Just be careful, Jess. I don’t want to see this guy humiliate you,” Abby said. She seemed to have calmed down, but Jessica thought that she’d probably just taken on that distress as her own.

“I’m being careful.”

“I’ll try to steer the feature writer so she doesn’t prod too deeply into the real aspect of your relationship. Do you think you can kind of gloss over it if you’re actually feeling schmoopy and in love with him?”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“I trust you.”

Too bad Jessica didn’t trust herself.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Galvin felt bad enough about subjecting Jessica to his parents at this Architecture Society dinner, and it didn’t help that she’d barely spoken three words and hadn’t met his eyes since he’d picked her up at her condo.

“You look really pretty tonight.” He’d already said that, but she’d just made a faint humming sound. This time, she just nodded. “Are you upset with me?”

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