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I shook my head. “No. He wouldn’t take it too well, and I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily. Tobias can be a hot-head. And he’s been wanting to fight my battles ever since I was a kid. He needs to realize that I’m capable of taking care of myself. It’s bad enough that I have to temporarily stay with him, and needed him to offer me a job. If there ever comes a time when he needs to know more about Zander though, I’ll tell him. But he knows enough for now though.”
“Okay,” Libby said. “As long as you’re willing to act when you have to, that’s all that counts. That’s all I can ask for. Trust your instincts.” The two of us ate in silence for a moment before Libby spoke again. “How have things been going for you at the office? Do you like working there, or do you miss your old job?”
I considered her question and sighed. “I can’t lie—I do miss my old job a bit. But at the same time, I do sort of like working with you guys.”
“Just ‘sort of,’ huh?” Libby said with a laugh, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
I laughed too. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said. “I like working with you guys. It’s just been an adjustment, that’s all. Actually, I think the bigger adjustment has simply been getting used to Chicago again, after living in Miami for so long.”
A faraway gaze crossed Libby’s face. “Miami,” she said in a longing tone. “What I wouldn’t give to live
there and not deal with Chicago winters!”
“Yeah, getting away from the wind and snow was nice,” I said. “But getting away from Zander became more important. I’ll take wind, snow, hail, and sleet over his fists and temper tantrums any day.”
“Well, that’s a given,” Libby said, snapping out of her reverie. “Enough about Zander for now though. Are you going to get yourself back out there?”
“Back out where?” I asked.
“Back out in the dating game,” Libby said, as if her question had been obvious. “You’re too young and pretty not to, Joanna.”
Warmth crept into my cheeks and I took another bite of my sandwich, deliberately chewing slowly to keep myself from having to answer right away. “Yeah, I guess… Eventually. If someone catches my eye. I’m not exactly looking or rushing to jump into anything right now though. I need some time to myself for a little while.”
“That’s perfectly understandable. But just don’t let Zander hold you back forever, all right? You’ve got to get back out there sooner or later,” said Libby. “I mean, have you been getting out? It’s going to be hard to meet people if all you’ve been doing is going back and forth from the office to your brother’s place. Even though we do have some pretty nice eye-candy in the office. And don’t worry, I don’t mean your brother. That’d be weird.”
I accidentally spilled some of my lemonade as I tried to take a sip.
Libby chuckled. “Oh, so you’ve noticed, have you?”
“Noticed what?”
“How drop dead gorgeous Anderson Lawrence is. Come on, you must think he’s attractive. You’d have to be blind not to!”
I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ve known him for a long time. Ever since I was a kid. He and my brother are best friends. They grew up together.”
“Bummer,” Libby said. “So he’s like a brother to you, huh? Maybe you don’t realize how hot he is then.”
I pressed my lips together, knowing that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fortunately, Libby was looking down at her salad, and I had time to recompose myself before she placed a forkful in her mouth and looked up at me again. “He’s seeing someone though, right?” she asked.
I felt a swoop go through my stomach, and was pretty sure some of the blood had drained from my face.
Anderson, seeing someone?
“What makes you say that?” I asked with bated breath. I gripped my glass although I didn’t want another sip.
Libby’s mouth twisted into a contemplative pout. “Seems like I remember hearing that he was seeing someone at some point. Or several someones, more accurately. That man has quite a reputation, from what I’ve heard. But that’s to be expected, right? He’s too good-looking for his own good. I’m sure he’s got women fawning at his feet everywhere he goes, worshipping the ground he walks on. And he’s a natural flirt. Was he always that way?”
I cleared my throat. “Um…Yeah, he was like that in high school.”
“That figures,” Libby said. “It’s just not fair. Some of us have to go through an awkward phase as teenagers, but Anderson, he was probably born beautiful.”
I took another bite of my sandwich although my mouth had gone quite dry and I’d lost my appetite. “So, you think he’s with someone right now?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level and ignoring the knots forming in my stomach. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no real claim to Anderson. There was nothing official between us. We were merely sleeping together occasionally. He hadn’t made any serious commitment to me, and I hadn’t made one to him. I had no right to feel jealous about what was possibly going on between him and other women…
But I still hated it.
Sitting across from Libby and working myself into a silent fury, I was forced to acknowledge that I wished I had a claim to Anderson.
I wanted him, badly. All to myself…
