I opened the small fridge and pulled out one of the Straw-ber-itas I bought on a whim. They were actually very good, and after the dinner I endured, I deserved it. I deserved twenty. I sipped my drink and mulled over the encounter. It was kind of strange he was there.
“Oh no, he did not!” I gasped, an idea dawning.
Parker knew I was going out with Oliver. Whatever Parker knew, Jake knew. It was that whole relationship thing. A solid couple shared a single brain. I used to be like that with Chase. A long, long time ago. Jake probably told Chase and Chase did what he does—he came running down to the restaurant to cause a scene.
That made a lot more sense. I rolled my eyes, certain I figured it out. That explained the coincidental run-in. I was flattered that he cared enough to make a scene.
And pissed. That could have ended very badly. I guessed it was good I left Oliver sitting at the table with his cold salmon. I probably saved Vail from the scandal of the year.
Chapter 64
Chase
The moment I opened my eyes, I felt motivated. She shut me down. She rejected me and insisted we weren’t right for each other. I knew she was wrong. Call it heavy-handed. Call it being arrogant, but I knew we were right for each other. She was the woman I was supposed to be with. I knew she felt it, but she was still pissed at me for the article and my other sins. I could make up for it all.
When she walked away, I felt her reluctance. Her reluctance was good news for me. It was the tiny little glimmer of hope I needed. I wasn’t giving up. I knew where she worked. I didn’t know where she was staying just yet, but I would find out. For now, I needed to stay front and center in her life. I wasn’t going to let her forget me. I was going to be charming and remind her of how much she loved me, and I was certain she loved me, even if she forgot on occasion.
Our relationship would never be easy. I knew that for certain. But I wasn’t interested in easy. I liked the challenge and I was sure she did as well. We were naturally stubborn people who liked to work hard to get something we wanted. I wanted her, and I was willing to work very hard to make it happen. A little hard work made the reward all the sweeter.
The jewelry I gave her helped a little, but it wasn’t enough to show her how serious I was about making our relationship a real thing. Flowers and chocolate weren’t enough. I needed yet another big gesture. But before I got caught up in all of that, I needed to come clean. I needed to tell her the whole story about the article and go from there. I had to tell her how I felt. Once that was out there, we could start moving forward.
I showered and headed downstairs. I checked in with reception, pleased to see the hotel was running at ninety percent even after the holiday. That was a good thing. After the first of the year was when the numbers would really start to matter.
I popped into the kitchen and checked in with the chef. I felt a little guilty for slacking in my duties the past couple of days. I was letting them know I was back and things were good. Once I made sure to show my face and remind everyone I was still the captain of the ship, I headed over to my office. Jake was sitting at the desk he set up for himself.
“I was wondering if you were going to show up,” he commented.
“Do you have anything for me?” I asked, ignoring his comment.
He slowly shook his head. “Not right at the moment. The event team wants a meeting with you, but I’ve pushed it until next week.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Nope. Just the usual stuff.”
I gave a brief nod. “Great, then I’m headed out.”
“You haven’t even headed in,” he said dryly.
“I need to do a little shopping,” I told him. “I won’t be gone long.”
He stopped typing on the keyboard. “You’re going to do what?”
“Shopping.”
“You don’t shop.”
“Yes, I do. Sometimes.”
He gave me a look. “I did not tell you,” he said, shaking his head. “This was not me. Did you bug my phone?”