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Complicated for me, now that I knew she wasn’t the gangly kid with braces I’d half expected to show up today, but rather one of the more intriguingly beautiful women I’d seen in a while.
“Listen,” I scrubbed my hands together like I could dust off the realization, “I wish I had time to go for coffee or show you around, but I’m actually on my way to a meeting with Maureen.”
“The brand development meeting for Blake Morten?” Layla’s eyes sparked with interest. “Maureen said I might be working on that account.”
“That’s the one.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about Layla working on that account. Blake Morten’s following was largely women, and it wasn’t hard to see why. He was the only vet I’d ever seen that looked like a damn Viking prince. I told myself it was paternal interest that made me wary. Layla was Jack’s daughter and therefore, in a way, her welfare was my responsibility. “Do you follow him?”
“I didn’t before, but I will now.” Layla laughed and a dimple appeared in her cheek. “Part of the job, right?”
My smile felt thin between my lips. “If you’re on that account.”
I walked Layla to the elevator and pondered whether I could convince Maureen to put her on something else. Surely there was a more experienced person she could pull from another team and then shore up the vacancy with Layla. I think we had some nice small businesses that could use Layla’s talents. Maybe the shampoo company startup or the bakery.
“When do you start?” I asked, wondering how much time I had to figure this out.
“Monday,” Layla laughed at the look of surprise on my face. “It’s not like I have to give another employer notice. What Idohave is rent.”
“You’re not living with your parents?”
Again, that almost translucent honesty. Her nose wrinkled and her mouth pulled down at the corners. “Definitely not.” Then, as if she was worried she’d offended me, she added, “I mean my dad is great and all, but I’m twenty-five.”
“Sure, makes sense.” I looked away and tried not to notice that she was twenty-five. I was relieved when the elevatordinged, announcing its arrival. I didn’t know how much longer I could pretend not to notice what was so obvious.
Layla got on the elevator. I raised my hand in a half wave and started to turn away, but before I could, our eyes locked.
Just for the few moments it took for the doors to slide shut, I felt like we were really looking at each other–like we were seeing each other for the first time. Not as Jack’s daughter and his best friend, but just as a man and a woman.
My heart ratcheted up. My mouth went dry.
And then thankfully, the moment was over.
I turned away, thunderstruck. What the hell had just happened?
And how was I going to keep it from happening again?
CHAPTER5
LAYLA
My new apartment was only a fifteen-minute drive from Cross Media. I took the long route though, and made it take thirty. I shouldn’t have wasted the gas, but I couldn’t face going straight home. My best friend worked from home, so she’d be there waiting for a full report. Then my brother was supposed to come over after his afternoon class, and the three of us were going out tonight to celebrate.
I was looking forward to it, but right now, I just needed some time alone. I needed to process what had just happened. I needed to convince myself that it hadn’t.
I hadn’t just felt the same lurch of helpless lust at the sight of Aiden Cross.
We hadn’t stared at each other longingly as the elevator doors slid closed.
I hadn’t just taken a job where I was going to be in close proximity with him five days a week.
I played the radio loud, trying to drown out the truth, but I heard it in every song. Unrequited love. Hopeless love. Bad choices. I should have switched it off the country station and played some Top Pop 20, but it felt masochistically good to wallow in my teenage crush and heartbreak. Although it was a distinctly less pleasant feeling to realize it wasn’t confined to my teen years anymore. Aiden Cross looked just as good today as he had then–better, even. His early forties had put some silver at his temples and weathered his handsome face in a way that made my heart beat even faster than it had at eighteen. He still wore black, although today his leather jacket had been nowhere to be seen and his shirt had been gray. His eyes were still piercing blue, sharply keen, like he was seeing your secrets even when his voice was friendly and affable.
I was still crazy about him. There was no way around it. And I’m sure he was still married to the beautiful blonde whose name I’d blocked from my memory. I couldn’t block out the sight of that huge, sparkling diamond on her ring finger though. The one that had made my heart drop into the pit of my stomach and drink too much on graduation night.
Realizing that I could drive all the way up and down the east coast and still be in the same absurd position, I turned to go toward my new home. It was a newly renovated apartment building near Boston College, steps from the Green line. It wasn’t as sleek and modern as my place in LA had been, but I liked the hardwood floors, crown molding, and the bricked-up fireplace in the living room. It made it feel cozy. Best of all, I got to live with Liv, my best friend since middle school. She was an accountant for a company based on the west coast, so her hours started and ended early. The other benefit was that my brother was nearby. He was in his senior year at Boston College, and he was already planning to use our apartment as his crash pad between classes so he didn’t have to drive all the way home and then back.
Doing my best to push Aiden Cross out of my mind, I headed up to our fourth-floor apartment. There was an elevator, but I always took the stairs because I didn’t trust it. Besides, the exercise would explain my rapid heartbeat and flushed cheeks if Liv happened to ask.
When I got to our hall, I could tell Liv had been working hard because there was a pile of empty moving boxes stacked up outside our door. I walked in to see her organizing our spice rack, an AirPod in her ear.
