no Leonardo. My date looked more like Jonah Hill in real life.”
I cringe.
“Ugh, sorry girlfriend. But do you mean current Jonah Hill or the old Jonah Hill? Because he’s been working out a lot the last couple of years.”
Jem shakes her head woefully.
“No, I mean Jonah Hill from Superbad. Complete with brown frizzy hair and a disturbed expression on his face.”
I have to laugh at that.
“Yikes. So what happened?”
Jem sighs.
“I stayed long enough for dinner because I didn’t want to be totally rude. But Jonah tried to get an invite into my apartment. Obviously, I turned him down and said goodnight. Then I called my friends with benefits for a hook-up instead.”
I laugh.
“At least you got a free meal out of it.”
But Jem is put out.
“But that’s not what I want! I don’t want free meals! I want a guy who actually looks like his pictures! Honestly, why do I bother trying to meet people online? They’re never as good as they seem on the app, and really, I should stick to meeting guys at bars like I used to.”
I grin.
“Didn’t you meet your friends with benefits online though?”
Jem sticks her tongue out at me.
“No, for your information, I actually met him in a bar. And he does not look like Jonah Hill. No FWB should because why would they be FWB if they did?”
Of course, I’ve never had a friends with benefits relationship, but Jem has a point.
“You’re right. Good thinking. And hey, the date may have sucked, but at least you got laid.”
Jem grins evilly.
“True. And Doug is really good in the sack.”
I sit up.
“But why don’t you date him then? He sounds like he has potential.”
Jemima rolls her eyes. “Doug definitely isn’t dating material because we just didn’t start off that way. Plus, he wears pants with palm trees on them, and I can’t be seen in public with someone dressed like that, even if underneath, he’s totally hung. Besides, I’m not exactly a one-man kind of girl either. I like playing the field. You’re only twenty-five once! Carpe diem!”
I shake my head.
“Carpe diem indeed. Just stay safe, girlfriend. You know there are a lot of crazies out there.”
She grins.
“I know, but so long as they don’t look like Jonah Hill, then I’m good with dating them. But what have you been up to? How’s your love life?”
I find myself blushing. It’s been torture not talking about Marcus with anyone, but that’s the way it is. Of course, my roommate knows, but that’s because I couldn’t keep it from Megan. She knows when I don’t come home to sleep, and lately, it’s been a lot. I’ve practically been living with Marcus, and it’s been heaven.
But at work, I’m very discreet.
“Oh, you know, the same,” I say vaguely.
Jemima eyes me curiously.
“What aren’t you telling me, Ads?”
“What do you mean?” my voice is about an octave too high because I’m terrible at lying. God, why did Jemima have to start asking me questions? It was much easier to talk about her.
“You’ve got something up your sleeve. Do you have a secret boyfriend?” she asks, rubbing her palms together.
“No, of course not!” I exclaim a little too vehemently.
“I don’t believe you. But if you want to keep it a secret, so be it. Make sure you tell me about it soon though because it’s about time you had some gossip about you. Carpe diem,” she says meaningfully again.
I giggle and wish I could tell Jemima everything. She might not judge me considering her own history with men, but she would be worried about me because it’s not generally a good idea to sleep with the boss.
That’s part of why Marcus and I are keeping our relationship a secret. We’ve been together for a few months now, but only a select few people know about us, like my mom. Of course, Pam loves Marcus. She swooned the first time she met my handsome boyfriend, and hasn’t stopped talking about him since.
I only wish we could be that open with everyone else because it’s not like me to keep secrets, but you have to do what you have to do. At that moment, Jem speaks, interrupting my thoughts.
“How are things going with the spring line, by the way?” she asks curiously. “Did you send the specs to the manufacturers? What did they say?”
I nod.
“Not yet, but soon. I’m nervous to hit send, but I think I need to just accept that I know what I’m doing. I wouldn’t have this job if