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21
AVA
I powerthrough the rest of the day like a boss, getting shit done and even outlining my first O column, leaving spots where I can fill in the detail—when I have the detail, that is. But even though I am laser-focused, I can’t deny that the faces of Jasper, Ethan, and Leo keep interrupting my thoughts.
I had such a magical time with them, eating hotdogs and hanging out on the High Line. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun, laughing and just generally being goofy. And to think I was in the company of three of the most gorgeous men I’d ever met.
Who I initially I didn’t even like.
Holy crap.
You’d never guess from looking at me that I had a little… problem.
Every time I stop to think about it, the cursor on my laptop blinks back at me like a laughing clown, mocking my lack of focus.
While I certainly liked kissing the guys, I can’t help but wonder whether I am misleading them by returning their friendly overtures. Am I the kind of person to do this, use someone else for my own benefit?
And yet, I have so much at stake.
The doubts swirl around me like unwelcome guests. I have my desires. And I have my principles. Do the two have to be in conflict?
The guys are cool, no doubt about it. I enjoyed their attention—any woman would. And they enjoyed the attention I paid them. It was easy to see.
Fuck all.
I rest my elbow on my desk, dropping my head into my hand, while a headache circles like plane looking for a place to land. My thoughts are not only spinning, but also colliding like bumper cars, each pushing on each other to see which might win.
Could the guys help me with my problem? Would it be wrong to have them do so when I’m not really interested?
AmI really not interested?
“Hey, Ava. Finish your column yet?”
Jesus. Pia again. She’s obsessed.
Guilt mingles with my frustration, but I smile like I don’t have a care in the world. “Working on it, Pia.”
Her eyes glint with smug satisfaction. Something is definitely going on. “You’d better hurry then. We know how Glenda feels about people who miss their deadlines.”
“Actually, I don’t, because I don’t miss deadlines.”
“Well, you better get on it. I wouldn’t want to see you miss out on yet another opportunity to prove yourself.”
Wait.What?
Did she just say what I thought she did?
What the fucking fuck?
My jaw clenches as I fight to urge to snap back at her or even better, wipe the smug off her face with my open palm. Instead, I take a deep breath and pretend I didn’t notice the insult.
“Thank you for the reminder, Pia. Don’t know what I’d do without you. But hey, I gotta get back to work. Do you mind?” I chirp.
Her eyes widen at my polite blow-off. “Oh. Yeah. See ya.”
That night at home, the apartment’s quiet for a change. For some reason, Jasper has been home a lot lately, which is unusual for him. I don’t know where he is right now—out with his buddies, I assume—so I make a cup of mint tea and sit by the huge windows in front of our apartment, watching the street below.
The more I think about it, the more I think maybe, just maybe there was a spark between the guys and me. Could we all be more than friends? Could they be more than just solutions to my problem?
