It’s the biggest confession of my life. Putting someone else in front of my personal and professional success is way out of my comfort zone. I wish I could explain to him how significant it is.
“I know.” He pauses, his stare boring into mine, and for a second I’m scared he doesn’t want what I do and pouring my heart out to him is a misstep.
“Unless I’m mistaken and you don’t feel the—”
“I do.” He sounds unsure and my heart cracks a bit. His stare grows wild with emotion with the declaration, “I wish I wasn’t in the way of your job.”
“Well, it’s done.” I shrug. “And we don’t have to rush into anything. We have all the time in the world to step back, slow down. Maybe have dinner and hang out and get acquainted. Actually date.” It’s my turn to grin.
“That’s gonna be tough because I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything.” He lowers his face to mine. The kiss isn’t impatient or passionate. It’s slow, his tongue gently brushing against my lips and his hands cupping my still-warm face.
I don’t know if it’s because we’re here, and I have an elevator thing, but it’s the hottest kiss of my life. Slow and sexy.
My fingers are in his hair and I’m ready to climb his body when he whispers against my lips, “Can we start the dating thing tomorrow?”
My body screams yes but I whisper back, “No.” It takes every ounce of strength to say it, “I can’t. I have twenty-four hours to be out of my apartment.” I kiss him again and step back, pressing the “L” on the elevator so the doors open.
“How will you handle that alone? Let me help you.” He follows me out into the lobby where people start to notice him again.
“That’s okay.” I kiss him once more. “I like taking care of myself. I just wanted to find you and tell you that I like you. Even if you are a dumb puck.”
“Does this make you a puck bunny then?” He smirks.
“Say that again and me and my paintball gun will find you.” I point at him as I walk backwards, ignoring the rest of the world.
“Yeah, I hope you do.” He laughs. “I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
I smile wide and turn, walking away, scared of everything about this moment, but certain this is the freest feeling I’ve had in my life.
4
The bitch slap heard ‘round the world
Friday, July 14
Lori
“Are we going to talk about how hard we all got watching Lori bitch-slap Liam Farringdon? Or does no one want to bring it up?” Carson asks as we walk through the park to my place where we’re meeting everyone for dinner.
“I got hard. The openhanded slap is one you don’t see used often enough. It legit is like calling someone a little bitch without speaking.” Brady slaps me on the ass. “No one talks about Jenny like that.”
“Nope, if I ever see that guy, I’m kicking his ass too,” Bev agrees.
“Was Jenny’s boss angry?” Nat asks, of course the one who thinks about that part of it.
“Not angry. Furious,” I groan. “Against your judgment, I went to see Stan to take all the blame. But she wouldn’t let it slide. She quit, and he kicked her out of her apartment, gave her twenty-four hours to be out.”
“She must really like you.” Bev nudges me.
“So is she just moving in with you?” Nat keeps the realistic questions going.
“No. I offered like ten times but she’s got that independent thing going strong. And we’re trying to slow down and date.”
“Slow down? You’re still keeping it light?” Brady scowls. “If you’re not careful, someone else is gonna scoop that up. Girls like Jenny don’t stay on the market long.”
“She’s not a condo on Billionaires’ Row, Brady.” Nat laughs.
“No, but she’s a lifer, like you Banks. Girls like you and Jenny and Bev don’t come along often. You gotta make a move so no one else does.”
“Thank you for the compliment, but you sound like one of the mothers in a Jane Austen novel.” Bev scoffs.
“Look, it’s not me deciding. Jenny’s making the rules. So we’re dating, officially, and beyond that, I don’t know.” The thing with Jenny is making me crazy.
She refuses to let me pay for anything.
Refused to let me help her move.
And has been too busy to call me back for longer than five minutes since her move. We Facetimed yesterday while she unpacked her old apartment she