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I jerk my head up in surprise. I never told Jake about Violet. How could he possibly know? Archer, Hollie, and now Jake? I must be really horrible at keeping my feels on lockdown. It’s a wonder Bianca hasn’t figured it out yet.
“There is no me and Violet,” I say, trying to deflect.
He lets out a genuine laugh from deep down inside and shakes his head like I’m being ridiculous. “I knew the second I walked into your office and saw you two together that something was going on. I don’t think you’re as good at hiding it as you think you are.”
“Fuck.” I run my fingers through my hair, trying to bring down my anxiety. If Jake figured it out from just seeing us together once, what hope do we have of hiding it from anyone else?
“I assumed when you asked me for a restaurant recommendation a few days ago that it was for the both of you.”
“It was,” I admit. “If you knew that there was something going on with Violet and me, then why did you continue to flirt with her?”
“Because I could tell it was getting under your skin.” He crosses his arms across his chest and gives me a crooked smile.
“You’re such a dick, Jake. Don’t you have, like, five other women you could be chasing around?”
“Nah.” He drops his arms back to his side and leans his hip against the wall. “I’m getting tired of all that. The chase is getting old. The catching is getting even older. I’ve been thinking about finding someone to maybe settle down with.”
“Holy shit, words I never thought I would hear come out of your mouth.”
“What can I say? Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”
“Well, I haven’t settled down just yet. First, I have to convince Violet, then I have to deal with our families.”
“Are you shitting me? You think you need to convince Violet? That girl was looking at you like you hung the moon.”
I want to flat out tell him he’s wrong, but I can’t for two reasons. The first is that I have noticed her looking at me with something in her eyes that I haven’t quite been able to define yet. Second, I just straight up want it to be true. I want her to have feelings for me, love me.
“Well, let’s hope you’re right.”
“Believe me, boss-man.” He pushes off the wall and comes over to slap me on the back. “I know women, and I know when I see one that’s in love.”
“Okay, now you’ve gone right back to making me worried. If you’ve ever been in love, I would be shocked.”
He gives me a sad smile and starts to walk off. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.”
I can tell there’s a story there, but I don’t want to push him. Jake knows that if there’s anything he wants to talk about, I’m here to listen.
My thoughts turn back to Violet, as they often do, and I try to think about what I can do to convince her to stay with me. I know that not all women, and Violet in particular, can be swayed by flowers and expensive gifts. But it’s not a terrible place to start. I want to prove to her I know her, that I pay attention. I want to show her what every day with me would be like. Somebody who pays attention to her and takes care of her. Someone who cherishes her.
An idea for the perfect gift comes to me, but I worry it may take me a while to find. I call around to different dealers in the city and am relieved to find one that might have what I’m looking for, so I make an appointment for later this afternoon. I can head over there after I finish my consultation with some potential clients I have lined up. Excited by the prospect of getting Violet something I think she’ll truly love and getting to spend the evening with her, all thoughts of my earlier conversation with Bianca have been washed away. I love my daughter, but right now I have to concentrate on getting the love of my life to fall for me.
TWENTY-TWO
Violet
Well, these were certainly going to be... different. Dante’s house had become a place where I felt I could safely experiment with my baking. The man either truly liked everything that I made or else he was a human garbage disposal. It could quite possibly be both.
I’ve always loved baking, but now I realize I love watching someone else enjoy what I’ve made even more.
Tonight’s experiment was brownies. I added some beer to them because I know how much Dante loves it. Then I found an old package of Red Hots in the cabinet. I tasted one first to make sure there was nothing wrong with the hot cinnamon lumps of sugar. After all, they could’ve been in there six months or six years, but they seemed to be fine, so I tossed them in as well. I’m hoping the results will be something he’ll like.
I have the brownies cooling in the tray, and I’m just finishing up the salad to go with the lasagna I made for dinner. I check the clock again out of the corner of my eye. Dante is late. I don’t bother texting him because I know he had a meeting with a potential client after he was done with the walk-through of the Kamber property. I’m hoping that it going long is a good sign, and that they’re going to give Moreno Construction the job.
I’ve just finished setting the table when I hear the front door. “Hey baby, you made dinner?” He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my middle, placing a kiss to that spot on my neck that drives me crazy. I turn in his arms and pull him down for a proper kiss.
“I sure did. Missed you.” I still feel oddly vulnerable making even that much of an admission of my feelings to Dante, but every time I put myself out there he never lets me down.
“I’m pretty sure I missed you more.”
