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I shook my head, as though it didn’t matter to me. But the truth was, I was curious about him.
“When I left the Navy, I bought myself a place in Honolulu on the beachfront. I sold it a few years ago. But for the first year, I worked my ass off. Ten-hour shifts, twelve-hour shifts.”
“That’s impressive,” I said but tried to make it sound like I wasn’t that impressed. I was annoyed at him: at his tone, at the way he spoke to me like I was just a pest.
“Why did you run off this morning?” he said.
“I didn’t run off,” I said.
“I know for a fact you did. I followed you out of the jungle. And you called a cab and left without me. Seems like running off to me, is all I’m saying.”
“It’s not that simple,” I said.
“So tell me. I’m a big boy, I can handle it.”
“I just …” I said and sighed.
“What?” said Alex, scornfully.
“I just didn’t know what to do,” I said. “This isn’t right. None of it is.”
“What specifically isn’t right?”
“Alex, I work for you. For your business. If people found out …”
“No one has to find out,” said Alex.
“If we start being seen together, people are going to ask questions. People are going to think I slept my way into this job. How’s that going to look?”
My words seemed to sting Alex somehow, and he looked away and shrugged. Then, he strode over to me. I watched him roll his powerful shoulders, as he sat on the arm of the enormous, satin couch.
“I guess I never thought of it that way,” he said. “I apologize.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.”
“But maybe one day, when all this is over.”
“Maybe,” I said. But the truth was, I knew that it was never going to work. Not just because Alex and I were emotionally incompatible.
But also because of his brother, Jared.
I wasn’t an idiot. If news had already traveled around Alex’s company that I was working with him, it would only be a matter of time.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said, as we sat in silence.
“Yeah?” said Alex. “So, tell me.”
“I know someone,” I said. “Someone you know.”
“What? Like an ex-boyfriend?” laughed Alex.
But I looked up into his eyes, feeling regret, feeling shame.
“I see,” he said. “So, who is this guy?”
“He …” I said. But how could I explain? How could I tell him the truth when it would make him hate me forever?
I was tearing up, almost, and Alex saw that I was. He shifted himself down onto the couch and sat next to me. Effortlessly, he produced a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to me.
