Jilted Jock - Rebecca Jenshak Page 0,11
I went straight for the break room to get the coffee going before people arrived. I was the first one in and often the last to leave, but I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to put everything in order. Lights, coffee, water the plants, feed Harry’s fish, and then check messages.
All that before seven-thirty a.m. When DJ’s assistant arrived a few minutes later, she dropped a coffee at reception.
“Good morning,” Bobbi said cheerily. “Is he in yet?”
“No, you’re the first one.”
She shrugged off her coat, dropped her purse on the counter, and dug through it for her lipstick.
“How was your weekend?” I asked, knowing she’d have something eventful to tell me. She was always going somewhere, trying new restaurants, and meeting new people.
Her eyes lit up. “Saturday night we went to a new club opening in LA. You’ll never guess who we ran into.”
“Who?”
“Charlie Hunnam’s girlfriend. At least, I think. It was dark and really crowded.”
“And Charlie?”
“Not with her.”
I laughed and she shrugged.
“What about you; how was your weekend?” She touched up her lipstick and fixed her blonde hair into a braid.
I hesitated to tell her about Finn, but some part of me wanted to confide in someone I knew I could trust. Having a brother that was a famous soccer star, even if it was only for a short while, meant those around me didn’t typically get worked up over fame and status. Bobbi would be excited, but I knew she’d never tell a soul.
“Actually, I met a celebrity this weekend, too.”
“How and where?” I tried not to be offended by her shocked expression. She wasn’t wrong to be surprised. The few places I frequented weren’t conducive to celebrity sightings.
When I finished telling Bobbi the story of how I met Finn, her face beamed with excitement. “So, he didn’t get married?”
“Really? That’s the first thing you have to say after hearing that heartbreaking story?” I tossed a pad of Post-Its in her direction. “You could sound at least a little sad about it.”
“One more smoking hot eligible bachelor in LA – no, I’m definitely not sad about that. What’s he like?”
My mind wandered back to the first time I laid eyes on him. “Sad. Angry. He bought her a kitten as a wedding present. This adorable white Bengal that is totally attached to him. You should see them together.”
Her smile widened and she looked at me with a smug knowing look. “You like him.”
“Please. He’s arrogant and a total mess.”
I’d stopped being attracted to my brother’s friends and teammates about the time I realized the only way to get their attention was to be willing to accept you’d only have it for a short while. Even the worst version of me had wanted more than one-night stands.
“Fair enough. I know you prefer your men stuffy and boring.” She hung her head and snored.
“Someone already sleeping on the job,” Harry’s voice startled us, and Bobbi straightened and grabbed her purse and coat off the counter.
“Good morning. Happy Monday.”
“’Morning Bobbi.” He looked to her and then me. “Adele.”
I took a seat behind reception. “Good morning, Harry.”
Harry, my ex-boyfriend and a partner at the firm, smiled a little too big and a little too long before passing by toward his office.
Bobbi held in a laugh and smiled at me as she followed behind him. Working with my ex-boyfriend was awkward at times, but every time I thought about leaving it just felt wrong. Harry had taken a chance on me with no experience and it wasn’t much of an exaggeration to say he’d been a part of why my recovery had been successful.
I’d needed someone to believe in me, a distraction – a new goal and a new life. He’d given me all those things. Our relationship hadn’t lasted, but we managed to work together with only a hint of underlying tension.
My days at the office were mostly centered around helping others do their jobs successfully. I answered phones, filed, printed, managed schedules, and basically kept the office running so everyone else could focus on clients. Occasionally I got to help out with bookkeeping and assist the staff with clerical work. Those days made all the others worth it.
At six o’clock I emptied and cleaned the coffee pots, restocked paper in all the printers, and then knocked on Harry’s door.
“Come in.” He glanced up and smiled as he removed his reading glasses.
“Do you need anything before I head out?”
“That time already?” He rubbed his nose where the glasses had been