Page 37 of Winning Her

She considered me through narrowed eyes for a minute.

“Well, for one, I doubt she’s seeing anyone. She’s never had a boyfriend that I know of, though there is someone she likes.” She folded her arms across her chest and sent me an accusing look. “Jessi is sweet and one of my best friends. I hope you haven’t taken advantage of her, big brother, just because the two of you knew each other before. If you’re thinking about it, I would ask that you please leave her alone.”

Her words were polite, but her tone was hard. It was the first time she’d spoken to me while meeting my gaze, and she didn’t look like she was backing down, though neither of us looked away. She held her ground, and I was coming to another realization.

Just what did I think I knew about Emily?

It was all wrong. I didn’t know her very well because I’d thought getting information from her would have been the easiest avenue, yet she was looking at me like she would rip me a new one if I did anything to her friend she didn’t like.

Well, shit.

I couldn’t help feeling impressed at how loyal she was.

“If that was all, brother,” she said, getting up. “I’ll be going back now.”

With a flip of her hair, she flounced out of my room, and I wondered to myself with pursed lips just how much of my life wasn’t how I’d always thought it was.

14

Jessi

When I walked into the kitchen, everyone had already heard the news and I could cut the atmosphere with a knife. I felt a bit self-conscious with all the looks I got as I made my way to my station.

“Um,” I started nervously. “Hello?”

I waved at the others in the room, and they sent back half-hearted greetings as they turned back to their jobs, less lively than before.

“Sorry about that,” the woman closest to me, Mary, leaned over to me to whisper. “Everyone just took the news hard.”

I frowned. “What news?”

“That you’re leaving,” she clarified.

“Ah,” I murmured, even though that didn’t make any sense.

I’d been working with these people for a while, but besides Laura, I didn’t talk to anyone much outside of work. And it wasn’t like I was the only person who had come in and left, I’d just lasted longer. At least half the staff in the kitchen we either there when I arrived or had arrived at the same time I had. The remaining half came months after I was settled.

I didn’t think they would even be attached to me.

My transfer had been approved already, even though it had only been a week. Usually, when someone was transferring, not just quitting, it took anytime between two weeks to a month. But I hadn't been bragging to Trent when I told him just how good I was. In my meeting with the manager, he’d told me that my talents would be appreciated wherever I ended up, and he was sad to see me go. I’d known he’d meant the words genuinely, not just as a polite send-off.

Days later, I got the news that one of the hotels out on the coast needed a pastry chef, and I was preparing to move.

Today was my last day at work, and the manager must have spread the word around. I would have preferred a quiet exit, but it did warm my heart just a little bit to realize I would at least be missed by my coworkers.

But really, a little beach time might be just what I needed to get my spirits up.

In the whole week, I’d managed to avoid Trent. I’d heard someone spread a rumor that he was looking for me, and I worked even harder to stay out of his way. I hadn't been back to my place for more than a few minutes for the past several days.

“Let’s see,” I muttered to myself. “What do I need to do for today…”

I was going to bake up a storm today, so the guys who occasionally helped me wouldn’t have much to do in addition to their duties, but I could only make enough for today and tomorrow. More and I’d have to worry about some of the pastries and desserts going stale.

There was some lingering guilt for leaving on such short notice. The reason transfers had such a long timeline was so a replacement could be found in the meantime. If you were getting fired, chances were your replacement was already in waiting. And if you quit, then there was a scramble to find someone else. For such a big hotel chain, you’d think it would be easy, but with their high standards, even though plenty of people applied for jobs, actually getting one was rare.

As for me, I’d applied alongside more than fifty people, and I was the lucky girl to walk away with the job. Me and maybe three other guys.

But I was leaving them in a tough spot because I wanted to run away.