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“I’m good,” I said. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” she said.
“Well, I was just on my way out.”
“You are so handsome!” Before I knew what she was going to do, she rushed me. All I saw was big red lips coming at me. I managed to turn my head in the nick of time. Her lips landed on my face.
I gently pushed her away. “I need to go.”
I didn’t know who she was, but I wasn’t interested in being mauled. I didn’t care if she was an old friend or a one-night stand. It was just plain rude. I walked out of the building and straight to my car. I looked over my shoulder a couple times to make sure the woman wasn’t following me. I wasn’t surprised to be noticed. It was going to be like this for the next few weeks with the new publicity push. It was part of the job.
41
MACY
Ihad done some investigating into the yacht Jon had chartered for the staff. It was incredible. Everyone would have their own state room. I assumed he was going to have the nicest room that was ridiculously opulent. If the pictures were accurate, it was going to be a very luxurious few days. There were two pools on the yacht. Jet skis were also included in the package. A world-class chef would be providing the meals and there was a ballroom for dancing.
I had never been on a cruise. I’d been on some of the day cruises around the coast but nothing so elaborate. Jon was serious about taking care of his people. I wondered what it would be like to be his girlfriend. He would likely treat his woman like a queen. I could be that queen.
The more I thought about him and me and the idea of a relationship, the easier it was to accept the possibility of a relationship. Yes, it scared me, but when I thought about how good he made me feel, it canceled it out. Maybe there was a chance we could go the distance.
I dressed in the same bodysuit I had worn for my first day at work. I paired it with a dark skirt and heels. When Jon looked at me, he always had a look of want on his face. My goal was to make him want me even more. We couldn’t do anything at work, but I could tease him. I loved teasing him.
I set out and decided to get coffee at one of the little shops close to our offices. While there, I bought a chocolate donut for my chocolate fiend. I was on my way out when an image on the newspaper lying on a table caught my eye. I stopped, switched the tray of coffees to my other hand, and picked up the paper.
“Son of a bitch,” I breathed.
It was a very clear black and white photo of Jon and a woman. I knew the suit. The picture was taken yesterday. The headline read, “Jon Handcock Has a New Line and a New Love”.
They were kissing. My heart sank.
There was no way he could say it was an old picture. It was the same suit. His hair was styled the same. It was yesterday. The snake waited until after I left to meet up with the woman. I should have known. Ididknow. There had been a little voice in my head telling me not to trust him. I should have known better.
I tossed the donut in the trash along with the coffee I had bought for him. I didn’t care that it was wasteful. No way in hell was I giving him shit now. We might not have had any kind of established agreement about what our relationship was or wasn’t, but I felt like I had a right to be pissed. He had set out to make me feel like we were a thing, that he cared about me. I snatched the newspaper and stuffed it under my arm.
I drove to work with my heart pounding. I was pissed and hurt. I had to confront him. This was the final straw. It sucked that I was going to have to admit Brandon was right. I knew he wouldn’t say he told me so, but he’d be thinking it.
When I got to the office, I forced a smile to keep from alerting anyone to my mood. This was just me and him. No one else could know why I was pissed. When I made it to my desk, his door was partially open. I could hear him talking and glanced at the phone on my desk. He was on the company line. I thought I heard my name. It could have been in my head, but once I thought I heard it, I couldn’t let it go.
I quietly sat down in my chair and casually picked up the line with my side muted. Jon was laughing at something the person on the other end said. I almost put the phone back in the cradle. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I heard him talking to a woman.
“Peter, I swear, it was just a revenge plot,” Jon said, laughing. “I’m not a mastermind. It was very basic. I just wanted her to know what it felt like to be used.”
“You didn’t have to sleep with her,” the man on the other end said.
“I wasn’t going to, but it just happened,” Jon said. “Trust me, my goal was to reel her in and then cut her loose. I didn’t mean to sleep with her.”
“Does Macy know yet?” the man asked.
My heart plunged. They were talking about me. Jon was outlining his scheme to use me and hurt me.
“Hell no,” Jon said. “I’m not telling her I lured her into that hotel room with the sole purpose of ditching her like she did me.”
I heard enough. I was not a glutton for punishment. I put the phone down, grabbed my purse, and stood up on legs that were shaking. I left the newspaper on the desk and very slowly walked down the hall to HR. I managed to tell a story about being sick. They bought it. I left the office and went directly home. My heart hurt. It physically hurt. People always said they didn’t want a broken heart. I truly understood what it meant to have one now. Mine was shattered.
I changed out of my work clothes and slipped into my favorite sweats with the shot elastic and a little hole in the knee. I went to the fridge and looked for something terribly unhealthy and fattening. I made myself some hashbrowns slathered with gravy, and luckily, we had a can of biscuits. I sat at the table in the silent apartment and stuffed my face with tears rolling down my cheeks.
Sometimes, I wanted to kick myself. The Barre classes kept me flexible but not that flexible. After stuffing myself with one of my favorite comfort foods, I settled in on the couch. I turned on the TV but wasn’t paying much attention. I was trying to think of my next move.
