A Heart to Trust

by A. L. Brooks

Chrissy pursed her lips.

  “Honestly, I think you should give Olivia a chance. She’s just trying to do her job like the rest of us.” Jenny willed Chrissy to believe her.

  Chrissy pulled a tissue from her jacket pocket and wiped at her eyes then her nose. “You’re such a good person.” She sniffed. “You see the best in everyone.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but I think it’s just this situation getting to you, this idea that we’re all competing for these jobs. If you should blame anyone, it should be Derek for pitching us against each other.”

  “He’s a good manager. He knows what he’s doing.”

  “If you say so,” Jenny muttered.

  Chrissy straightened her shoulders. “I’m sorry about all this.” She waved a vague hand in front of her. “I guess it must be my time of the month or something. I’m overreacting, I know.” She gave Jenny a smile. “Let’s just forget it, okay? I mean, I’ll be honest, I don’t think I can trust Olivia like you do, but I promise I’ll stop being so cranky in the office. Okay?”

  “That would definitely help.” Jenny squeezed her shoulders, then backed away. “I know it’s going to be awful when Derek does decide which one of us goes, but hey, if we all impress him, maybe he’ll keep us all anyway? Do you ever think of that?”

  “That’s… No, I hadn’t thought of that at all. Hm.” Chrissy’s eyes took on a distant look.

  “Come on, finish up that half-cold latte and let’s get back. I bought a fresh bag of M&Ms on the way in this morning so we can top up the dispenser.” Jenny grinned at her, relieved beyond measure this awful moment was over. Chrissy was way more highly strung than she’d realized, and Jenny was drained after talking her down.

  “That’s definitely enough temptation to get me back there.” Chrissy smiled, but her eyes were still distant.

  By the end of October, Jenny had to acknowledge that Chrissy had made a real effort to play nice, even if she still held her suspicions about Olivia.

  For her part, Olivia had often cast a suspicious look Chrissy’s way when she wasn’t looking but had not said a word to either Chrissy or Jenny about what she thought.

  Instead, the three women had found a steady point where they focused on their work together on Catwalk or left each other alone when they worked on their other projects. It was enough.

  Maxwell seemed to roll with whatever was sent his way, but Jenny could tell he didn’t level the same amount of enthusiasm at Catwalk as he had done for any of the projects he’d worked on at TC. Even the thought of spending an evening looking after some of his favorite sportsmen come December didn’t seem to cheer him.

  The change in the project had ruffled a few feathers through October, but everything seemed to have settled down. They’d found a replacement for Jason Bentley: an up-and-coming soccer player who was so good-looking, he’d earn them thousands of dollars single-handedly when he marched down that runway. The designers had all, apparently, merely shrugged and got on board with the change of models they would design for and promised that everything would be ready on time. The venue plans were coming along, as were all the ancillary plans around transportation, security, and catering.

  The first rehearsal, a technical walk-through, was scheduled for today, the first Thursday afternoon in November. There would be a fuller rehearsal, with as many of the actual participants as they could manage, in the middle of December, but the four production assistants would stand in for the stars and host for today.

  They took the subway downtown as a group, which was only a tad awkward in terms of Chrissy and Olivia not talking to each other. Once at the Excelsior they met with Marisa again, who took them to the Hudson Room and handed them each an up-to-date floor plan for the event.

  The assistant director, a guy in his mid-forties named Arnold Dunn—with so much facial hair he resembled a grizzly bear—introduced himself. He was, much to Jenny’s relief, nice to her and the other PAs. She had experienced directors and executive producers who weren’t, so she warmed to the bear man immediately.

  “You’re going to be invaluable today.” He smiled kindly at them. “I’ll try not to rush you around too much, but you are PAs, famous sportsmen-turned-models, hosts, and anyone else I need you to be.” He held up his hands and chuckled. “Try to keep up.”

  An hour later, Jenny stopped to catch her breath after she’d run behind the stage from one end of the hallway to the other. She’d never been one for hitting the gym regularly, and it showed. All she’d had to do was grab a crate of cabling from the far end and bring it to the electrician at this end, and she was puffing.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She handed him the crate. “Fine.” She put her hands on her hips and inhaled deeply. “Fine.”

  He smirked and turned back to his work.

  “Jenny!” someone called in her radio earpiece. “Out front, please!”

  She sucked in another breath, pulled open the door to the left of stage, and stepped out.

  Olivia stood on the other side of the door, and Jenny collided with her with a loud, “Oof!”

  They both automatically reached out to balance each other, their arms ending up wrapped around each other’s waists.

  Jenny was instantly aware of the curve of Olivia’s waist, of the heat beneath the soft material of Olivia’s shirt.

  Olivia’s gaze met hers and the hazel of her eyes, darkening by the second, mesmerized Jenny once more. Then Olivia’s fingers grasped, slowly but firmly, at Jenny’s waist. Sparks zapped down her back, over her ass, and down her thighs. Olivia’s lips parted, and Jenny noticed how they glistened in the overhead light and how soft and kissable they—

  “Jenny?” Chrissy said from somewhere nearby.

  Olivia and Jenny leaped apart as if they’d each bounced off an invisible force field.

  Jenny spun to face Chrissy, who wore a deeply suspicious look on her face. “Hey! Was it you who called me out here?” Her voice was pitched higher than normal, and she cleared her throat.

  Chrissy shook her head; her gaze flitted from Jenny to Olivia and back again.

  Jenny’s face was hot; she wondered if Olivia’s was just as pink.

  “I’m needed backstage,” Olivia murmured, and stepped through the door without looking at Jenny again.

  “And someone needs me up front.” Jenny didn’t dare meet Chrissy’s gaze. She walked away as quickly and as gracefully as she could, her heart pounding, her brain still replaying how intensely arousing it had been to have Olivia’s grip tighten on her body.

  Olivia walked serenely down the hallway that ran the length of backstage and into what would become the greenroom on the night of the gala. She shut the door behind her and slumped against it, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back against the wood. Her breathing was a tad ragged, and her pulse an unnerving throb in her wrists and neck.

  This is getting ridiculous. She sighed. Her body was still warm from the feel of Jenny in her arms. She couldn’t believe she’d hugged Jenny in the office on the day Derek announced they were changing the project, and now she’d inadvertently done it again. It was the sweetest torture imaginable.

  She remembered Broderick questioning her back when they struck their deal. How he’d tried to make her aware of what she had to give up, albeit temporarily, to help him make his lifelong dream come true.

  “At least two years, Olivia,” he’d said. “Two years with no girlfriend, not even a one-night stand. Have you thought about that? Really thought about it?”

  She believed she had. And up until now, she had been absolutely fine. Yes, because I hadn’t met anyone quite like Jenny. It still baffled her. Jenny, from outward appearances, wasn’t her type. And yet… When I’m with her, I can’t stop smiling, and when I’m not with her, I can’t seem to stop thinking about her.

  She stepped away from the door and paced the room. This is
ridiculous. And so risky.

  Chrissy had looked incredibly suspicious just now, and she was the last person Olivia wanted to have gossiping about her.

  She knew what she needed to do, and she took a couple of deep breaths as if to steel herself for the tasks. Firstly, she had to get that wall back in place, the one that kept her emotions—and libido—in check. Next, she had to get on with the project and make sure she got a job out of it at the end. Finally, she had to keep her mind and body immune to the charms of any woman she met until she and Broderick could get divorced. Then, and only then, can you go looking for someone special to make a life with.

  Piece of cake.

  She sighed.

  Chapter 20

  “You looked so good standing there, presenting your creations.” Jenny gave Carl another hug.

  Carl ducked his head. “Thanks. It felt good to be up there.”

  Tamara waved at Jenny from the bar and she walked over. “What are you having?”

  Jenny pondered that for a moment. “A blue lagoon, please.”

  They were in Limelight, celebrating Carl’s jewelry launch at Bloomingdale’s earlier that evening.

  Carl was, miraculously, still relatively sober. He’d been on his best behavior at the Bloomingdale’s event, declining the champagne and sticking to water instead. Now, however, he had his second gin and tonic in hand and finally relaxed.

  Solomon was by his side, one hand resting on Carl’s waist.

  Jenny liked them together; Solomon seemed to like Carl for who he was, and his calm personality grounded Carl in ways proving very good for him.

  “And here’s your disgusting concoction.” Tamara handed the blue drink to Jenny. “I gotta say, I didn’t expect you to be drinking tonight, given it’s only a Tuesday.”

  “Just this one.” Jenny smirked and took a sip. “And please remind me of that when you ask what I want for my second drink, okay?”

  Tamara laughed. “So, how is work? We’ve hardly heard from you in the last few weeks.”

  Jenny took a long drink. “It’s good, mostly. We’re busy on this group project plus I have two TC projects wrapping up soon that I’m still part of.”

  “How’s it working out being in that group?”

  Jenny nearly choked on her next sip. “Uh, it’s fine. All good.” Now was not the time or place to get into it and—

  “Yeah, that sounds real convincing.” Tamara narrowed her eyes. “Spill, Quinn. Don’t give me the censored version.”

  Sighing, Jenny motioned toward one of the booths.

  Carl and Roz were deep in conversation about creative things at the bar and didn’t glance their way as Jenny and Tamara strolled over to the booth and sat.

  “So?” Tamara said as soon as they were settled.

  “It’s…complicated.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Jenny rolled her shoulders. “All right. So, Maxwell is cool. He and I have always understood each other and that hasn’t changed with working on this new team. He’s easy, you know? Knows what he wants, knows how to do his job, doesn’t bother anyone else.” She took another sip of her cocktail, wondering how well her willpower would hold up once she’d finished the drink. “Chrissy is… God, I don’t even know how to start. High-maintenance, for sure.” She filled Tamara in on some of Chrissy’s more dramatic moments. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like her. We can have fun together and I know she’s always got my back. But Jeez, the way she reacted when she thought Olivia was ‘taking me away’ from her. It was—”

  “Bizarre?” Tamara threw in, a frown on her forehead. “Because that’s what it sounds like to me. And it’s not the first time you’ve told me weird shit she’s said or done.”

  “Hey, she’s nice!”

  “I didn’t say she wasn’t.” Tamara placed her beer down on the table. “Look, I know you. I know you always look for the good in people. And I know why. But sometimes…” She pursed her lips, her fingers pulling at the label on her beer bottle.

  “What?”

  “Well, you know, after what your parents did, I can understand why you just want to find people you can trust, people who will love you no matter what. I get that, okay?” Tamara leaned forward. “But with some people, especially the ones who are nice to you when you’re vulnerable, it makes you too trusting, too keen to believe in their niceness. To the point where you become a little blind to the reality.” Tamara pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. “I think you’ve been playing it right with the uptight and standoffish Olivia, but not with Chrissy, and I have worries.”

  Jenny sat for a moment, absorbing what Tamara had said. Was she too keen to believe in someone like Chrissy? Someone who was nice to her from the start, someone who was so open with her feelings? Just because Olivia was more guarded and slower to open up didn’t necessarily mean she didn’t have nice qualities, did it? Sure, Olivia had been snooty at times, but not while they worked on Catwalk 2.0. Far from it.

  Guilt tugged at Jenny’s insides. Had she been too quick to dismiss Olivia—and too quick to accept Chrissy at face value? She’d tried to rationalize Chrissy’s emotional reaction as part of this ridiculous job fighting, but was there more to it than that? Hadn’t Olivia said Chrissy had lied to Jenny? “Olivia’s avoiding me.”

  Tamara quirked an eyebrow but said nothing at the non sequitur.

  Jenny rubbed a hand across her forehead. “A whole lot of things happened in a short time and Olivia and I got pretty close.” At Tamara’s frown, she plunged on. “I know, I know, you told me to be careful, and I was. Then I wasn’t. But neither was she!” she added before Tamara jumped in. “There’s something there, and I know she’s married, but there’s something…”

  “You’ve been single for over a year, ever since Bambi lost her mind and decided to leave you for that lobbyist.”

  Jenny couldn’t help laughing. “Her name was Brandi, and you know it.”

  But Tamara had a point. Brandi had blown into Jenny’s life and out again in the span of only two months. She’d left quite an impact, knocking Jenny’s confidence back further when it was already a tad low after the embarrassment over her crush on Morgan.

  “And no one has even caught your eye since then,” Tamara continued as if Jenny hadn’t spoken. “So, are you sure there’s something there, or is it just that she’s the first hot woman to hit your radar in what has been a pretty barren time for you?”

  “Ugh, I don’t know. You might be right.” Could that be it? Because there was truth in Tamara’s theory—it had been a long time since a woman piqued Jenny’s interest. “Well, whatever, we shared a moment a few days ago at the technical rehearsal. But since then, she’s definitely backed off in a big way. I barely get a ‘good morning’ out of her anymore.” She drained the last of her cocktail. “And she told me before that… Well, she told me Chrissy had lied to me about her. That nothing Chrissy had said was true.”

  “Hm, interesting.”

  “I’m a little screwed up over this.”

  Tamara shuffled along the seat until she could drape an arm over Jenny’s shoulder. “No shit.”

  A laugh burst from Jenny’s lips. “Gee, thanks. That helps.”

  Tamara chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like I was unsympathetic.” She tilted her head. “It’s hard to know what to say. I don’t want to upset you, okay? But you know I’ve never sugarcoated anything with you, yes?”

  “Yeah, and I love that you’re always honest with me. So keep it coming.”

  “Okay, then here goes. It does sound like there’s some pull between you and Olivia, and it definitely sounds to me like Chrissy is jealous of that. You’re a grown-up, and no one can tell you what to do if they’re not living what you’re living. But please, just be careful, okay? I still keep coming back to Olivia being married. That’s a potential disaster waiting to happen.” She chugged he
r beer, and Jenny said nothing, giving her the moment. “And maybe think over what I said about being too quick to want to like people. It’s great to make new friends and to have cool people in your life, but only if they really are cool.” She tightened her grip on Jenny’s shoulders. “I don’t know what Olivia’s game is, but as someone who’s surrounded by office politics every damn day, I can tell you this: Chrissy sounds like she’s manipulating you a little. Maybe more than a little. Be careful.”

  Jenny blinked rapidly. Chrissy, manipulating her? She’d seemed so friendly, so welcoming. And yet. She blew out a breath. Maybe she needed to take a step back, look at Chrissy with fresh eyes.

  And Olivia?

  She slumped back in her seat. Hell, she had no idea what to do about Olivia.

  Olivia and Broderick were, for once, on time for Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, they would likely be early. She wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, whether subconsciously they’d decided always being last only led to more stress and more pointed questions from Katherine, or if it was pure luck. Whatever it was, she was amused when they buzzed up to Philip and Mallory’s apartment; Mallory sounded completely taken aback to hear their voices instead of Katherine’s.

  When they walked into the apartment, they were greeted by Mallory, but Philip was nowhere in sight. “My darling husband is on a conference call with the Singapore office.” Mallory twisted her lips. “So much for this being a holiday.”

  Olivia threw her a sympathetic look, but she understood. While many C&V staff were out of the office today and tomorrow, she also knew most of the execs and their assistants would have at least some work to do. International organizations were no respecters of public holidays.

  She herself was beyond grateful for the short break. Deciding to back away from Jenny and what had been developing between them was all well and good, but doing so had exhausted her. She’d seen the confusion and hurt in Jenny’s face, and it churned her stomach every single time. Everything would have been so much easier if she could have explained why she’d slammed down her walls, but that was impossible. Not even Jenny could know Olivia’s real situation.