I laugh. “It’s my own fault.” I glance around. “Does Victor know?”
“I’m not sure.”
“So this is where you started working?”
She nods.
“Very prestigious.”
“It’s a step in the right direction. Angel Investments does good work, and your application is very strong.”
I open my mouth to speak. I don’t even know what I’m going to say, but I just want to keep talking to her. I never get the chance to embarrass myself because Victor reappears with a glass of water.
“Here you go. There. Good. Feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Farrah, I hope you don’t have that effect on all our clients, otherwise we might have to change our insurance provider,” he laughs. Farrah gives him a tight-lipped smile, glancing from me back to him.
She clears her throat.
“Well, Jes—Mr. Matthews,”
“Jesse,” I interrupt. She is not going to be calling me Mr. Matthews.
A smile twitches over her lips. “Right. Jesse. I’ve had a look at your file today, and I have a few questions. I see you have a site already secured. Would it be possible to arrange a site visit with you and your contractor?”
I nod. “Absolutely.”
“Great. I also have some questions about some of these quotes. The fit-out quotes seem quite high, especially the plumbing. I think we could trim your costs by at least ten percent with a few tweaks.”
My eyebrows rise. “Wow, okay. I’m listening.”
That’s a lie. I’m not really listening. As she starts going through the details of my file, I’m just watching her lips move. My eyes are drifting down to her blouse, and the way the buttons are straining at her breasts. I’m watching her tuck a strand of rich brown hair behind her ear.
“How does that sound so far?” She says, glancing at me.
“Great,” I croak. I clear my throat. “Sounds good.”
“Good. I’ll get to work on the full proposal then. We’ll have to set the site meeting either this week or next, so just let me know when you’re available. Here’s my card,” she slides her card across the table and my eyebrow arches.
She gives me a look that says, don’t you dare mention that you already have my phone number.
Victor checks his phone and jumps up. “You’ll have to excuse me. Farrah, you’re alright to finish up here on your own?”
“Of course,” she says, smiling. He jogs out the door and down the hall, and Farrah takes a deep breath.
“Jesse,” she says slowly. “If you don’t want to continue with Angel Investments, or if you want someone else to handle your file, I completely understand.”
“You seem more than competent.”
“Don’t you think it’s a conflict of interests? How are we supposed to be professional when… you know… and my history with your brother?”
“Does Victor not know about that?”
“I assumed he did. I don’t think he’s a huge football fan, but my engagement wasn’t exactly a secret. Maybe he doesn’t know you and Elijah are related.”
“He always seems like a football fan to me. He talks about it like he’s a fan,” I say, drawing my eyebrows together. Farrah just laughs.
“Yeah. He’s good at making people feel important.”
I love the way she grins. Her eyes flash and she shakes her head. A strand of hair comes loose from the bun at the nape of her neck, falling against her creamy, soft cheek. My hand twitches and I stop myself from tucking the hair back behind her ear.
I take a deep breath. “Look, Farrah, if you’re uncomfortable with this, I understand. I can make up some excuse with Victor and get someone else on the file. But you’ve had, what, a couple hours with my application and you’ve already come up with all this? I don’t want anyone else.”
When the words come out, it sounds like I’m saying something more. I don’t want anyone else. Maybe it only sounds like that to my ears. Maybe it was a completely normal sentence, but being so close to her is making my head spin.
Farrah just takes a deep breath and nods.
“Okay. But this is a professional relationship. Nothing more.”
“Nothing more.”
“You can expense your new shirt to the firm,” she grins. “It was my fault, after all.”
I look down at the spattering of coffee stains on my shirt and grin. “It was your fault. I can’t help what you do to me.”
That sexy little smile crosses Farrah’s lips, and my heart squeezes. Every single part of me hopes that it will be much, much more than a professional relationship. She stands up and shakes my hand, and then I watch her walk out of the conference room. And damn, she looks just as good going as she did coming in.
21
Farrah
Back in my office, I slump down in my chair and put my head in my hands. I was not expecting that. There’s a gentle knock on my open door, and I look up to see Rachael.
“Hey,” she says, glancing down the hallway and then slipping inside my office. She closes the door and then turns back to me. “So… that was Jesse Matthews.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?! All you said was they were giving me a file.”
“I didn’t know! Victor is super secretive about our more famous clients. I swear I would have told you, or warned them somehow or—”
“It’s fine,” I say. “He choked on his coffee when I walked in.”
“What?!” She giggles, sinking down on one of my chairs. “No! Really?”
“Yep. And we agreed to keep it professional. Did Victor know Jesse and Elijah are brothers?”
“Probably not. Victor’s not really into sports, and he can be a bit forgetful. It’s amazing he’s been as successful as he has.” She pauses, cocking her head to the side. “So you’ll keep the assignment?”
“What else can I do? I just started here last week, and Victor told me he’s one of our biggest clients. I can’t exactly turn it down. “
“And you’ll have lots of nice, long, quality time with Jesse.” She arches her eyebrow and I laugh.
“Yes, quality time going over charts and numbers.”
“I’m sure he’d love to hear you talking all about charts and numbers.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Stop it.”
Rachael grins, standing up. “Well, I’m happy for you. You’re out here, moving on, getting what you want. You inspire me. I’m not sure I could have bounced back so quickly.”
My cheeks burn. “I don’t feel like an inspiration. I feel like I’m barely holding myself together.”
“Your version of ‘barely holding yourself together’ is similar to my version of ‘killing it’,” she laughs. Rachael makes for the door but before she gets there, I stop her.
“Hey, Rach?”
She turns around, waiting for me to speak. Suddenly I don’t know what to say. I sigh.
“You remember Max, from college?”
“Yeah, what about him?”
“I don’t know why, but this whole thing with Elijah has made me think about him. I feel… I don’t know. I guess I feel guilty about how I treated him.”
“What do you mean? You guys were on the verge of breaking up, and then he hurt his knee and he became a nightmare to be around. It was inevitable. Do you remember right after he injured himself how he used to yell at you? It was completely out of line.”
“Yeah, I remember,” I sigh. “I wasn’t an angel either. And I just keep thinking that I should have been there for him afterwards.”
“He used to ignore you to hang out with his friends all the time. You were talking about breaking up with him for weeks before his knee happened. Do you remember that? I remember because it was driving me crazy. I just wanted you to pull the trigger already. The relationship was doomed.”
“Yeah… I forgot about all that,” I sigh. “But I guess…” I shake my head, staring out the window. “I guess being fucked over by my fiancé has just
made me think back on my life. Like maybe it’s karma, you know?”
Rachael sighs and sits down across from me again.
“I don’t think so, but I understand how you could. I know it’s a hard time.”
“I just keep thinking like, Max and I broke up right after he hurt his knee. And I started dating—what was his name? Um… Ben. I started dating Ben a couple weeks later and Max got so upset about it. And now it just feels like I’m doing that again, except it’s worse because Elijah and Jesse are brothers and they’re famous.”
“Right, well, first of all, Max would have gotten upset about you dating anyone. And you’re not dating Jesse, remember? You hate-fucked him. And now it’s over.”
“Except for the fact that he’s now my client.”
Rach grins. “Except for that fact, yeah. But anyway,” she waves her hand. “You’re doing the right thing now, which is pursuing your career and figuring out what you want. You need to stop relying on other people—and by other people I mean men—to fill that hole in your heart.”
My throat tightens and I blink back tears in my eyes. How can Rachael read me so easily? She knows me inside and out and can give me the tough love I need.
Rachael sighs and puts her hand across the desk. I put my palm against hers and she smiles at me.
“Listen, Farrah, I know you have daddy issues, but right now is the perfect time to get over them.”
I snort-laugh and shake my head. “Only you could get away with saying I have ‘daddy issues’.”
She grins and squeezes my hand.
“I know you haven’t had it easy. And I know you keep all that pain inside. It’s hard to be on your own when you grew up scared and unsafe. But now you have such a perfect opportunity to face those fears head-on. You’ve grown into such a beautiful, successful, funny, charismatic woman, Farrah. So make this time about you.”
I can’t stop the tears now. I wipe my face, glad that my office door is closed. Rachael stands up and comes around the desk to wrap me in a hug. I sniffle against her shoulder and then she pulls away and puts her hands on my shoulders.
“Just put yourself first, Farrah. Look for strength inside your own heart. You’ll never find it in someone else until you realize that you’ve got everything you need right there in that beautiful soul of yours.”
I nod, unable to speak past the emotion in my throat. Rachael sighs.
“And if you want to make amends to Max, which for the record, I don’t think is necessary… but if you want to do it, just find him on social media or something. If it puts your mind at ease then I’ll allow it.”
“You’ll allow it?” I grin.
“Yes. As your official best friend, I will allow you to contact your ex in this one particular, extraneous situation.”
I laugh.
“Wow, I’m shocked.”
“You should be. But remember: you don’t need to. Rely on yourself right now. Stop turning to men who aren’t good for you.”
I sigh, nodding. Rachael smiles at me and squeezes my shoulder.
“How’s my face? Does it look like I’ve been crying?”
She licks her thumb and wipes a smudge of makeup off near my eye.
“There. You look great.”
I take a deep breath. “Thanks, Rachael.”
“Anytime.” She smiles at me and then walks out of my office. When she leaves, I take a deep breath. I know she’s right. I know that I’ve been overly dependent on my relationships with men over the years, and I know I need to learn to take care of myself.
But if I’m honest with myself, I’m scared.
I’m scared of being alone. I’m scared of having no one to turn to. I’m scared of what my mind will turn to when I can’t distract myself with another toxic relationship.
I’m scared that maybe, after enough introspection, I’ll realize that I might not be worthy of love after all.
22
Jesse
Getting the Matthews Football School off the ground was supposed to take my mind off Farrah, not bring me closer to her.
…Not that I’m complaining.
I meet Farrah and Victor at the future site of the school a few days after our first meeting. I bought this land last fall, but the weather turned and we weren’t able to start construction.
I’m waiting in my contractor’s pickup truck in front of the empty lot when they pull up. We get out of the truck as they get out of their vehicle.
“Jesse!” Victor booms, shaking my hand vigorously. “And this must be Neil. How are you?”
“Nice to meet you,” Neil, my contractor, says. They exchange pleasantries, but I don’t hear any of them. I’m too busy looking at Farrah. Her eyes immediately meet mine as she gets out of the car. She’s wrapped up in a big jacket and scarf, and the cold is making her cheeks rosy—or maybe that’s a blush.
She walks over to us and nods her head. “Hi,” she says before turning to Neil. “Nice to meet you.”
My hands are itching to wrap around her. I want to intertwine my fingers in hers and show her my vision for the school, but instead I just clear my throat and motion to the lot.
“Shall we?”
Our little group sets off toward the patch of grass. There’s a dilapidated building at the far side of the field, and Neil launches into our plans. He points out the field, and starts his pitch. The field will accommodate a full-sized football field, and Neil outlines the costs of goal posts, turf, fences, and everything else we’re planning on installing.
Farrah nods, stealing a glance or two my way.
“What about lighting?” She asks. “Gets dark pretty early in the fall and spring. How old will the kids be?”
“We’re still pricing the lighting, but we’re hoping to have floodlights installed on the field as well,” I say. “The kids will be school-aged, so we definitely want this to be a safe place.
She nods, jotting down some notes in her file. When we get to the building on the other end of the field, I open the door for her and she smiles at me.
I don’t know what it is about her smile, but it never fails to send a jolt of energy through my chest. As soon as the warmth passes, it’s replaced with pure frustration.
Fucking Elijah.
If only I’d met her before he did! I wouldn’t be stuck in this purgatory. She’d be mine. The thought of my fucking scumbag brother with his hands on her body is enough to make me pop a vein in my neck. I shake my head to dispel the thought.
Neil points out the work that needs to be done to the building, showing Victor and Farrah the layout of the locker room and offices.
“What about girls’ locker rooms?” Farrah asks.
“I… uh…” Neil glances at me.
She arches an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that this is going to be a boys-only football school?”
“I honestly hadn’t even thought about it. It sounds stupid to say so now.” I shake my head. “I’m embarrassed.”
“What about this area here? What is it, an old kitchen?” She pokes her head through a door. “What about adding a second locker room for girls? Sports should be accessible to everyone.”
“We can consider it. I can add it into the quote.”
“Farrah, you’re supposed to save me money, not make me spend more of it,” Victor laughs. “Maybe I shouldn’t have hired you after all.”
Farrah puts her hand on her hip. She tilts her head to the side. “So tell me Victor, how smart a business decision is it to exclude half the population from something? And if this were successful, and we wanted to expand into other sports, would you exclude girls from playing those, too? Soccer? Field hockey? Track and field? Are those male-only sports, too?”
“Fair point,” he grins. He nods to Neil. “Price it up. She’s right.”
Farrah nods, glancing at me. A smile twitches at her lips and I can’t help but smile back. God, she’s beautiful.
We continue the tour, with Neil and Victor discussing particulars. Farrah stays back t
o look through one of the old offices. She glances at me as I lean in the doorway.
“This is impressive, Jesse.”
“It’s not much now, but I think we could make a real difference in the community. We’re planning on opening a hundred spots for the first year, but building the facilities for at least double that many kids.”
“And have you thought about scholarship opportunities?”
“I have, actually. That’s why I wanted to start this.”
She takes a few steps in my direction and smiles. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I grin. “I realize that not everyone grows up with cabin-mansions.”
“Really? You had me fooled.”
I laugh. “The plan is to open up at least 10% of the spots to scholarship kids. The fees for the other kids will cover them, and we can give them top-of-the-line training.”
“What about equipment?”
“All covered.”
She nods. “Sounds great. You’re going to make a lot of kids very happy.”
We walk back toward Victor and Neil, who are waiting for us outside. I take a deep breath.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about my career these days. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old.”
“You’re not that old, you’re what, 35?”
“Almost 36.”
“Wow, I take that back. You’re ancient,” she grins.
“You know what I mean. In football years I’m basically geriatric.”
“Are you thinking of retiring soon?”
I glance down at my Super Bowl ring and sigh. “I told myself if we won this year, I’d retire. But now, I’m not so sure. I think I have another season in me.”
She smiles. “I think you do, too. Plus, it’ll give Neil time to get this built.”
“Exactly,” I grin. “I figure once I retire, I can put everything I know to good use. Pay it forward, you know?”
“Very noble.”
When we get back to the two men, they nod to us and we head back across the frozen field to the cars. Farrah shakes my hand, and I see something flash in her eyes. Then, she looks away and gets back in Victor’s car.
Mr. Right: The Complete Fake Engagement Series Page 28
