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“Did you sleep with her?”
Wow, Mal. Way to cut to the chase.
It’s my turn to arch an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know I had no trouble sealing the deal, if you know what I mean.”
“You slept with her!” Luke shoots out of his chair while Mallory’s head falls to one side. She opens her mouth to speak, but a sharp knock on the door pauses the conversation.
“Mr. Ashford, your four o’clock is here,” Luke’s PA, Sarah, announces.
“Give us five minutes,” he replies. “And close the door behind you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before the door clicks shut, Mallory picks up right where she left off. “So,theCooper Sharp has finally lost his touch.”
My jaw clenches. “I haven’tlost my touch.” Not that I’ll divulge the fact Eve was a virgin and trusted me with her vulnerability. Nor the fact she used me to get what she wanted and then walked away. And especially not how, ever since the elevator doors slid shut, I can’t stop thinking about her.
“So what’s the problem, then?”
“The problem is—” Luke starts, but Mallory cuts him off.
“She’s gotten under your skin,” she says, studying me as if she can read my mind. “And you don’t know what to do about it.”
“I know exactly what to do, Mallory, only —”
“You like her?” Luke sounds incredulous. My fingers curl into a fist. It’s not the most unimaginable thing in the world, is it? I mean, sure, in some ways, Eve is exactly the type of woman I usually go for, but in other ways, she’s the complete opposite. Maybe, that’s why I’m falling so fast.
“Yes.”
“So what is the problem, then? What’s got your panties in a bunch?”
I ignore Mallory and start pacing across the length of Luke’s office, debating whether to admit the truth. But as much as Luke and Mallory like to give me a hard time, they’ve always had my back and want the best for me. “The problem is,” I say, turning to face them. “She’s ghosting me.”
“Ghosting?” Mallory’s eyebrows nearly graze her hairline. “That’s a new one for you, Coop. Isn’t that usually your move?”
“Ha-ha. Very funny. This is different. I actually like her. A lot.”
“You like her because she’s immune to your charms, you mean? Because she’s finally a woman who isn’t fawning over your every word. Maybe, it’s karma for all those times you left women hanging.” There’s a playful glint in her eyes as she crosses her legs.
As if.
“Karma or not, I’m serious. Eve is… She’s gorgeous and kind, fierce and…” And everything I never knew I needed.
Mallory’s teasing expression fades, and she shifts in her chair, putting on her game face as I knew she would. “You must really care about her.”
“I do,” I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. “I just… I want to prove it to her. I need to show her I’m not the guy she thinks I am.”
“As much as I love to watch you squirm for a change, maybe you should call Penny,” Mallory suggests. “She knows Eve, right? She might have some insight into what’s going on.”
My steps falters. “How did you know Penny and Eve are friends?”
“Luke said Penny knew her a few minutes ago. Didn’t you, Luke?” Mallory’s change in tone at the end, as if telling Luke to agree with her without telling him, doesn’t slip past me, but I don’t have time to dwell on that now. Her idea is good. If anyone can shed some light on Eve and what might be going through her pretty head, it’s Penny. And if there’s even a chance she can help me bridge the gap, I’ll take it.
“Fine,” I say, pulling out my phone. “I’ll call Penny.” After all, I’ll do anything for even the slightest chance to love Eve as fiercely and unconditionally as she deserves.
Eve
Theannoyingbuzzfromthe overhead fluorescent lights fills my ears as, one by one, I prop up my students’ self portraits against the bulletin board. Holding them steady with Shorty, I staple each corner carefully until each one is on display then step back to admire my handiwork.
