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***
The next morning, I stared at the empty coffee pot. Don had refused to talk last night after dinner, and he kissed me on the cheek and folded me into the taxi and sent me home. I still needed to talk to him before I spoke with Brendan, so I was headed back to the university earlier than I had planned.
“I see that your bed’s not made, and your special toy is still sitting on the nightstand, so I’m going to go ahead and assume that someone got you all riled up last night,” Danielle teased as she entered the kitchen.
I would have been embarrassed, but I was too tired. “Brew faster,” I commanded the machine. The red light meant that it was brewing, right?
“It usually helps if you push the button.” Danielle smiled cheekily and pushed the button for me. The coffeemaker gurgled to life, and I groaned. I needed more sleep. Actually, I needed to hole myself up in my room and never come back out again. “So what happened last night?”
“Brendan walked in on me and Don. Don basically told me that I should be happy being a trophy girlfriend because I was never going to amount to anything. I ate chicken off a fork on the patio like a lunatic.”
Leaning against the counter, Danielle nodded. “Okay, some of that sort of made sense. Since you and Don don’t do anything exciting, I’m going to assume that Brendan walked in on you two having a boring conversation. Second, Don’s an asshole. One of the biggest names in Hollywood relies on your expertise and advice, so you’ve got a bigger future than Don ever will. And I’m guessing the chicken was amazing, so good for you.”
I groaned and rested my head in my hands. “I kissed Brendan. Well, actually, he kissed me. I might have kissed him back. I’m still trying to figure that out.”
“Ah, that explains the toy on your nightstand. I’m surprise it still works. You got that so long ago, it’s practically an antique.” She smiled kindly at me and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I know that you’re confused right now, Jillian, but there is one thing I know for sure. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and you’ve got a bright future ahead of you, and you aren’t going to let Don or Brendan stand in your way.” She kissed me on the forehead and grabbed the pot of coffee.
“Oh, leave me some. Please,” I pleaded.
“I have back-to-back meetings all day. Brew your own,” she said as she drained it all in her giant travel mug. “Besides, aren’t you meeting a certain someone in a coffee shop today?”
I stared at her mug, wondering if I should attack her. “I have to talk to Don first.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Then you’re going to want that sleepy haze to help dull the dullness of Dull Don.”
“You’re not helping. Go away,” I grumbled as I grabbed my purse. I didn’t have time to make a second pot of coffee, but I might not need it after all. The anticipation of seeing Brendan again was all the adrenaline I needed.
After hailing a cab and trying not to be annoyed by the fact that Don couldn’t even drive me back to my apartment, I headed up to Don’s office and knocked on his door. His face still displayed that annoying look of disapproval. “Jill. I am working this morning. Perhaps you could schedule some time with me later.”
“Actually, that won’t work because I already have a meeting later. In an hour, actually.” I took a deep breath and blurted, “With my husband, so I need to talk to you now.”
“This last minute need to talk to me smacks of desperation…” He looked up from his computer, staring at me with narrowed eyes. “Wait, did you say husband? Your husband?”
I waited for his anger, but he just looked even more disapproving. Gripping the strap to my purse, I sat in the chair in front of his desk. “I tried to talk to you last night… never mind, that’s not really important. Yes. I discovered a few days ago that I’m still married. I got married when I was eighteen, and I thought I got divorced less than a year later, but apparently, I didn’t.”
“Making rash decisions as a child? Jillian, the more I learn about you…” He sighed and rubbed his temples. “I suppose that I can forgive the transgressions of your past. I cannot, however, be associated with a married woman, so make sure you keep this quiet while you get a real divorce.”
“That’s sort of the other issue.” Afraid of even more judgment being heaped on me, I twisted my fingers around themselves. “Brendan is willing to give me a quiet divorce, but first he wants to spend some time with me.” I wasn’t about to mention that Brendan was using me to buy some land.
