Page 25 of One Reckless Night

“They broke up a while ago. Not sure why, but from the rumors, it sounds like it might have been her fault. She did something. Jared broke things off with her.”

I nodded, trying to seem indifferent, but I couldn’t help feeling a flicker of curiosity—and something else I didn’t want to name.

“They seem to be close still,” I said.

“I don’t know. I think she wants him. I mean, she’s got a pulse, so that’s not exactly a rarity. Which makes me think she did something to piss him off. And he doesn’t have to stick with anyone he doesn’t want to. He can have anyone.”

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Jared and Gemma found a table, their heads bent together as they talked. Jared looked bored, his expression distant, while Gemma rattled on, her hands gesturing animatedly. Her desire for him was apparent. I didn’t miss her casually touching his hand and then his arm.

I finished my drink and stood, needing to get out of there. “I think I’m going to head home,” I said, forcing a smile. “Early start tomorrow.”

“What, no? We only had one drink.”

“I want to dig into that file,” I said.

“Split some nachos with me,” she insisted.

I didn’t want to be a stick in the mud. Plus, nachos. “You found my weakness.”

Clair grinned. “Do they serve a lot of nachos in England?”

“Not nearly enough.”

“And let’s get you another margarita.”

I laughed softly. “I made it through high school and university and never caved to peer pressure. You’re a bad influence, Clair Morgan.”

“Really? I’ve always wanted to be a bad influence. I’ve always been the book nerd.”

“Congratulations, you’re officially doling out some major peer pressure.”

Clair grinned triumphantly, flagging down the waiter for another round of drinks and nachos. I settled back into my seat, though my eyes kept drifting toward Jared and Gemma despite my best efforts to focus on Clair. They were still deep in conversation, Gemma’s laughter ringing out across the room. It was easy to see why she and Jared had once been a couple—both of them exuded a kind of magnetic energy that drew attention wherever they went. They were the IT couple.

Clair followed my gaze again and sighed. “She’s trouble, that one. Always has been. But don’t let it get to you. Jared’s not exactly an easy man to figure out.”

“I’m not trying to figure him out,” I said quickly, perhaps a little too defensively. “He’s my boss. That’s it.”

Clair gave me a knowing look but didn’t push it. Instead, she changed the subject, launching into a story about one of her early days at the lab and how she accidentally locked herself in the supply closet for hours. Her antics managed to pull me out of my head, and by the time our nachos arrived, I was laughing so hard my sides hurt.

The nachos were delicious. I didn’t even care how messy they were to eat. Jared could have the polished surgeon with fuck-me heels. I was cuddling up with chips and cheese and guacamole. Talk about a match made in heaven.

I was glad Clair had convinced me to stay. The booze and junk food had done wonders for my mood. Tension released from my shoulders and I felt like I could breathe more easily. So this was what relaxing felt like?

After finishing the nachos and the second margarita, I was ready to crash. The long hours and stress had caught up with me.

“Now, I really do have to go to bed,” I said.

Clair nodded. “Thank you for hanging out. And letting me peer pressure you.”

“You’re welcome. And thank you for being a bad influence.”

She grinned. “Just wait. Next time we’re going to TP Jared’s mansion.”

I paused. “I don’t know what that is. TP?”

“Toilet paper?”

“Oh, bog roll.”

“Yeah, sure,” Clair said. “That sounds straight out of Harry Potter, but great, we can BR his mansion. Whatever.”

“It’s going to take a lot more margaritas to get me to do that,” I told her.

We said our goodbyes and I walked away. As I passed Jared’s table, his eyes lifted and met mine. For a moment, I felt frozen, caught in his gaze. He gave me a soft smile that made my stomach bungee jump off a bridge. I found myself smiling back, my cheeks flushing, before I quickly looked away and hurried out of the cantina.

The walk back to my condo was quiet. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was familiar now, but I didn’t think I would ever get tired of hearing it. Like the heartbeat of the universe.

I had learned a little more about my boss tonight. It made me even more curious. Did he dump Gemma because he got bored? That seemed like something a man like him would do. Love ‘em and leave ‘em. Or had she broken his heart, and that was why he avoided romantic entanglements?

It was an interesting question, but it wasn’t the one I needed to be worried about. The important question was, why did I care so much?