She wasn’t a bad person, though.”
Kendall had already heard practically those exact words from Ray, but having Jackson confirm it gave her a better understanding of both her friend and her new client.
Jackson went on, “But to answer your question, I love Ray. He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s the best man I know. I couldn’t care less who he sleeps with, as long as they’re good to him. He deserves nothing but the best. Hell, I’ve gone with him to the pride parade five years running.”
Kendall blinked at him, shocked. “How have I not heard about that on the news? Surely a ton of people recognized you.”
He chuckled. “Well, I was wearing a ball cap, sunglasses, and a T-shirt that said Big brother hugs. I don’t think anyone gave a crap who I was. I had a few people recognize me, but when I said I’d rather not turn an important event that doesn’t have anything to do with me into a PR opportunity, they were respectful.”
Wow. The image of Jackson Hale in a biceps-bearing T-shirt giving out free hugs did things to Kendall’s libido she wasn’t exactly proud of. “I’ll bet you got a lot of hugs.”
His grin did nothing to help her rein in her dirty mind. “You wouldn’t even believe how much glitter I had on me when I got home.”
When she didn’t immediately reply, he clapped his hands together and said, “OK. My turn. Tell me about the boyfriend—the old boss. Is he the one you were crying over when you were talking to Florence?”
Kendall fought the urge to bury her face in her hands. How embarrassing was it to be caught crying over a fucknut who’d screwed her over and tried to ruin her career in the process?
But Jackson had been honest with her, so she owed him the same courtesy, she supposed. “I was crying, but it wasn’t over him, necessarily. When I think back to when we were together, I can admit that I never really loved Kyle. I mean, I admired him because he’s so good at his job and at running the agency. I enjoyed having someone to spend time with. We got along well enough, and it was an easy relationship. Comfortable.”
The sex was crap, but Jackson didn’t need to know that. “And I’ve never really been in love before,” she went on. “That I-need-you-more-than-the-air-in-my-lungs kind of thing you see in movies and read about in romance novels, you know?”
He gave her a slow nod. “Yeah, I know.”
“I wasn’t even sure I was the type of person who would ever find that kind of love. So, I was willing to settle for Kyle and the lukewarm feelings I had for him. Truthfully, I miss my job and my townhouse way more than I miss Kyle.”
And if she was being totally honest, she would admit that even her job had been uninspiring lately. It was mostly being able to pay for groceries and hair product that she missed more than the work itself. “Logically, I know I’m better off without him. But the whole thing was still a blow to my ego.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his splayed knees. Normally it irritated her when men “manspread” like that. It encroached on her personal space. But somehow it didn’t bother her when Jackson did it. Was it because he looked like a cross between a Disney prince and a Sons of Anarchy biker, and had a voice like hot sin dipped in orgasms? Probably.
“Why did you lose your townhouse?” he asked.
“It was Kyle’s.” Even though she’d decorated every inch of it with her own money. “I knew it was probably a bad idea to move in when I wasn’t on the lease, but I did it anyway.” She shrugged. “I made a terrible decision, like I always do whenever men are involved.”
His brow furrowed. “I wish you wouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Making a few bad calls is only human. At least you were brave enough to open up and trust people. Not everyone can say the same.”
It’d been a long time since anyone other than Ray and her immediate family had defended her and told her she was being too hard on herself. Everyone else seemed ready to pin the “hot mess” moniker on her forever.
It felt way too good to have him defend her.
Before everything fell to shit in her life, she might’ve been really tempted to develop a huge crush on a guy