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She finally finds her cell phone and flips it over to see who is calling. Not intending to be nosy, I glance down just as she does and see “Dominic” pop up. She quickly silences the phone and moves to put it down.
“Answer it,” I demand. She flushes bright red, either from embarrassment or anger. I don’t know which.
“No.”
“Answer the damn phone, Lana. Now,” I command. The tone of my voice leaves no room for argument. I have no idea why I am insisting that she answer. All I know is that I’m barely concealing the inexplicable rage I felt as soon as I realized it was Dominic calling.
She must realize that I’m not going to back down. Even angry, I still want to kiss that mutinous glare off her face.
But, within a split second, her entire demeanor changes. She smiles sweetly up at me as she makes a big production of tapping her phone to accept the call.
“Dominic? Hey sweetie. Is everything okay? You don’t usually call me at work.” She pauses as she listens for his response. “Pizza at my house sounds perfect. I’ve missed you, too.”
Her voice practically oozes sugar as she talks to him. The sickening sweetness of her tone almost sends me over the edge.
Unable to listen to her drooling over her boyfriend any longer, I march out of her office and slam the interconnecting door behind me. If she is so in love with him, then she can have him.
I walk back into my office just as my phone dings, indicating a new text.
Amanda
I’ll have the article taken down. for now. XOXO
Chapter Ten
Lana
As soon as Jake leaves my office, I sit down and sag back in my chair in relief. My hand hurts from how tightly I grip my cell phone. Dominic is still talking to me, but I’m barely paying attention. He deserves so much better than me.
“Dominic, hey, I’m sorry. I just realized that I can’t get together tonight. Could we do another night?” I feel guilty that I keep putting him off like this. If Jake hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have answered my phone. I’ve managed to avoid Dominic for the last couple of weeks. I know I need to talk to him, but I don’t want to break his heart.
“What’s going on, Lana? I’m not so dense that I haven’t realized you are avoiding me,” Dominic insists.
“I haven’t been avoiding you. I just have a lot going on with work right now,” I hedge.
“Then, let’s do pizza tonight as you agreed. I know you don’t have plans. I’ll come over, and we can talk. Please.”
Ugh, I can’t put him off any longer. Ever since that night at the hotel with Jake, I have been so conflicted. What I experienced with Jake was a one-time thing. Well, I guess now it’s a two-time thing. It’s not something that will ever be repeated.
On the other hand, I don’t remember Dominic ever making me feel the way I feel when I’m with Jake. When Dominic and I were together, I loved him. I was ready to marry him. But there was always something missing in our relationship. Maybe it was chemistry or passion. And perhaps those things don’t really matter. Are chemistry and passion really needed to have a fulfilling relationship? Until I figure it out, I don’t want to string Dominic along more than I already have. As of now, we haven’t made any commitments to each other, but I know he has expectations for us. We’re only getting to know each other as friends, not even dating. And I need to be clear with Dominic that it has to stay that way for now.
I end up agreeing to meet with Dominic tonight. He is bringing in pizza, and we’re going to watch a movie. I just hope that I am able to make him understand that we can’t start a romantic relationship right now.
While sitting in the quiet of my office, my mind unintentionally drifts back to Jake. After what just happened, I don’t think I can keep pretending to hate him. I’ve worn that hatred as a shield to protect myself from allowing him to get close again. But it has taken a toll on me. I don’t want to continue acting this way.
If I am unable to convince Jake that I hate him, then I need to find another way to keep him at a distance. Fortunately, Dominic provides the perfect solution. Jake already thinks that Dominic and I are dating. I have said nothing to make him believe otherwise. If I can make himthink we’re in love, I know that he will back off. I hate the deceit, but it’s necessary to protect my heart.
I am sitting at my desk an hour later when I receive an email from Jake. Opening it up, I read carefully:
To: Lana Jacobs
From: Jake Anders
Subject: File Access
Highly confidential. I’ve given you access to the files for our next proposed projects. I need you to look into each of the three companies and find the information we discussed last week. The deadline is two weeks from Monday.
-Jake
