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I turned to him, all humor aside. “Understood. How do you think we’ve survived this long, brother? It’s not because of your business skills. It’s not because of what you do. It’s because of who I am, what I do, and my work. You create, and I keep it all going out there.”
“I’m the creative genius, and you're the mastermind of business. Let’s not forget that, but let's also not let a woman come between us, shall we? We’ve never had issues with that before, and while I can see why you're interested in her, on a personal and business level, remember where your loyalty lies.”
I was shocked by his sudden change in attitude. Morgan never acted that way. There had never been a very close relationship between him and me, but we’d always gotten along well enough.
“And you do the same.”
It wasn’t long after that that Gwen and I left. She refused to drink the second drink. Thankfully, Amanda was all too happy to down it and continue to let Morgan run his hand under her shirt like she was a hooker. Leaving was the best thing we could do, but I still had a delicate subject to deal with, and I was uncertain how Gwen was going to handle it.
As we exited, there were a few photographers standing outside. I made a quick turn to avoid them, not wanting to draw attention to Gwen and me yet. When I heard the flash of a camera to my left, I let go of her hand, turned, and swung my fist, knocking the guy with the camera off balance.
“James!”
Chapter Fourteen
Gwen
“Getinthecar.”James pushed me into the car roughly.
I was shocked when he sped off into the heavy New York traffic, almost causing an accident with another car. He was out of control, and I was feeling just about done with James Renegade and New York City.
“What was that all about?” I could only hope he picked up on how mad I was at that moment and felt it in his bones.
Not only did he push a man over for no reason at all, but he shoved me into the car, which wasnotokay.
“He was a reporter, or as you might know them, paparazzi. I hate them. I don’t want any press about you and me. Not right now. Once I introduce you to everyone at the office and my silent partner, Terry, then it will be acceptable if photos show up of us together, but not yet.”
I asked way too many questions and knew it could affect his driving, but I wasn’t going to let him get away with that without doing what was right, which was to explain his actions to me. “What is the big deal? You're not married, are you?”
“No, I—”
“You are married, aren’t you!” Something in the way he paused and hesitated had all kinds of red flags going off in my head.
“I’m not married.”
Suddenly, I was done. I’d had enough of this nonsense and whatever games he was playing. I sighed, feeling a tiredness I’d not felt in a long time — emotional fatigue. “Listen, James, I'm thinking this isn't such a good idea. Maybe you should just find someone else to hire and let me stay here in New York so I can find another job and get back to Connecticut. We are at each other’s throats all the time. While the sex is great, it’s not going to lead anywhere good, and eventually, one or both of us will be hurt. As for work, we might work well together, but you work well with Martie too, and she will be better soon, I’m sure. I’m just too tired for all this now. I can’t take much more drama.”
He sighed too, clearly as frustrated as I was at the moment. “I know you're right, but I still really want you on my team. Let’s just call it a night and start fresh tomorrow. I didn't really mean to punch that guy in the face, but they are always trying to get photos of me, Morgan, and Terry, not to mention countless others, it's highly annoying. You wouldn’t know that unless you’ve been there.”
“You're probably right. Anyway, I’ll forget it. I need sleep.” I decided to change the subject. “I have to say, your brother is quite a character and goodness, I can’t imagine he does much of anything for your business together.”
“He does all the creative work. He designs the accessories, and I help a bit, but it’s not my strength, so together with Terry we go back and forth, designing accessories, but they all start out as something he comes up with. Tonight, was not his best, he was a little drunk.”
“I understand, it's the kind of man he is. Those creative types are all about living on the edge, taking things one step further to see what will happen. It’s what brings out their creative side. My best friend Delila was that way. She made pottery, and she was fantastic at it, but she drank too much and never had a solid relationship with any man in her life, right up until she passed away at twenty-seven, after accidentally mixing alcohol with prescription pills.”
I felt compelled to share a bit about my life and the tragedies those I knew suffered, which was part of why I was who I was as a woman.
“Listen, I need to tell you something, or more importantly, let you know what I am thinking.”
I could only imagine what he was going to share with me. Everything that happened and was said since I first met him had thrown me completely off balance. I just wanted to get to the hotel and relax, let the night fade away, and start fresh tomorrow, whatever direction I had to go in.
“Do we really have to do this now? Haven’t we had enough with your brother?”
“No, this is important, and it is something I need to discuss with you.”
I felt a tiny bit tipsy from that one stupid drink his brother gave me but decided it was crucial to fight it at this point and decided to play along. “Okay, I’m listening. Nothing could be worse than your brother and his girlfriend’s drama.”
“Once we get to California, I need to take you shopping for a new wardrobe. My treat, of course, since it is my idea, but I need you dress a bit differently than you are right now.”
