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Lyra taps a long, triangle-shaped nail on the table. “Hello? Are you listening to me?”
I blink slowly and my sister comes back into focus.
Lyra flings herself against the booth. She’s slim and athletic. Her skin is pure brown and most of it is on display, including her chest which is jiggling generously. “Are you going to get me the job or not?”
“I can help you get a job at another company. Not Vision Tech.”
“Why not?” Lyra whines.
I grab my purse and rise steadily. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Lyra, but I’ve helped you as much as I can. Don’t call me again unless it’s an emergency.”
“Sell-out,” she spits under her breath.
Prickles of anger skate up my skin, but I step around the table and catch a cab home.
On the ride, I unbutton my blouse and press my face against the cool glass of the window.
The pulling at my throat keeps getting worse.
The noose is tightening. Tightening. Tightening.
And seeing Jax leaning against my door when I get home twenty minutes later only makes the pressure worse.
“Did we have a date tonight?” I ask him, noticing the flowers and the bottle of wine in his grip.
It’s a rhetorical question. I wouldn’t have forgotten a date. It would have gone into my calendar and I would have had several reminders on my phone.
Plus, I wouldn’t have scheduled a date with Jax on the day of the convention.
“No.” Jax saunters toward me, his smile bright against his dark-chocolate face. He’s wearing a pressed navy suit, bright red tie and shiny loafers, “But I wanted to surprise you.”
Color me surprised.
“Can I come in?” Jax motions to my door.
I think about shooing him away, but I realize I shouldn’t be stand-offish. I promised myself that I would be more open to love this time.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Jax and I’ve looked. Trust me. If there’s anything I can do, it’s sniff out the flaws in men. But Jax is a genuinely good guy with a good job and family values. Plus he’s tall and handsome. Basically everything I could want in a man.
And it’s not like I’m getting any younger.
I let him into my apartment and kick off my heels. He glances around, looking impressed by the open floor plan, the sleek, minimalist furniture, and the sprawling kitchen that I hardly use.
“I’m going to change and be right back,” I tell him.
He nods.
I slip into my bedroom and close the door, leaning against it to catch my breath.
Be present in the moment, Nova.
As I take off each of my clothes, I shed thoughts of Lyra, the company and everything else from my mind. One by one, I lay them in the hamper and pull on a fresh T-shirt.
I’m feeling a lot more peaceful when I return to Jax.
He’s sitting in the living room, his tie loose and his eyes dewy and brown. I know exactly what he has in mind before he even opens his mouth.
“Wine?” he asks, gesturing to the coffee table. I notice he went ahead and took my wine glasses.
