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The loud swirl of water down the drain echos as I exit the stall. I wash my hands, noticing Kimber is lazing on a chaise like the one I have in the store. She must like them since it’s similar to the way I’ve seen her sit when the mill girls shop at my boutique. It’s also close to the way Jake kicks his feet up, but feminine. Her body language is far less sloppy.
Sloan, who has been admiring her reflection, twirls. “So what does he have on you?”
I glance between them blankly.
“Oh, sweetie, we’re going to make this easy on you because we like you,” Kimber assures as she creates space on the couch.
“And because Jake doesn’t do this.” Sloan fluffs her fingertips for me to sit.
“What’s this?” I lower myself, playing dumb.
“He doesn’t do relationships, Paisley. He doesn’t do anything long-term. Jake has never once asked Trig and me on a double date. I don’t even think you can consider what he does with the woman he sees dating.”
My stomach tightens. I’m not dumb enough to believe that a strip club owner has turned down pussy.
“Oh—the intervention has already started! What did I miss?” Holly pushes into the small room. “Have we told her we like her yet?”
“Yes,” Sloan confirms.
“Have we told herhelikes her yet?”
“We were getting there,” Kimber replies, patting my knee.
“I honestly don’t know what any of you are talking about,” I say firmly.
Also in the sense that I’m his fake girlfriend, Jake is supposed to like me. Except I’m not supposed to fall for a fake boyfriend the way my rebound guy has me acting like I am for his friends’ benefit. If it takes a ruler to my knuckles to remind myself that Jake and I are not a thing when we are alone together, then so be it.
“He’s not conninganyof us,” Sloan begins.
Damn,she’s including their husbands.
“He may have started it out that way,” Kimber continues.
“But as of tonight, the only person Jake is fooling is Jake,” Holly concludes.
Kimber picks back up. “We agree it’s cute, though. Jake telling you to order what you want, but suggesting his favorites. Offering you a sip of his drink before dinner. Touching you when he thinks none of us notices.” He was hoping they’d notice. “The man has hung onto every word you’ve said. Hell, Trig nudged me whenever Jake deferred to you.”
“Why wouldn’t he? It’s polite, right? I mean, why would anyone put up with someone mistreating them?”
Each time I stand up for myself, Jake backs off… Only to come to me again from a different direction, which is bothersome. However, standing my ground, it has felt as if his respect for me has increased a smidge.
Why do I want it?My subconscious trills a warning bell.
“A litany of others have gotten off on him treating them like crap as long as they got bragging rights.Ugh,I’m sorry I even brought that up because it’s obvious Jake is special to you. Forgive me, Paisley?”
I nod, ignoring that hearing about Jake taking other women to bed makes me green. Although I can’t decide if what I’m feeling is disgust or envy.
Holly removes a tube of fire engine red lipstick from her clutch. She puckers, training her heavily lined eyes on the mill girls. “From my perspective, maybe Jake’s met his match?”
“Perhaps all he needed was a challenger who put him in his place.” Sloan titters with sadistic glee.
“I don’t understand any of this!” I blurt.
The three of them keep talking around me.
Sloan’s comments are succinct. “The thing about Jake is, he wouldn’t have let you get as far as the altar if he wanted you. That whole ‘if you love something, set it free’ ideal isn’t in his makeup. Giving up on something Jake has in his possession isn’t a common occurrence. He has to have it ripped from him. So, we know Jake has to have dirt on you for you to have left your fiancé.”
“And we know that whatever has happened since… Well, suffice it to say, Jake’s a sure thing for you, Pais.” Holly grimaces. “He’s going to test you, though. The things he’s pulled so that the other boys wouldn’t fall in love are un-freakin’-believable—especially what he did to Carver and Sloan by posting pictures of her.”
