“A long time ago.”
“But today, in my office, it appeared that his presence made you uneasy. You know I would never ask you to work with a client you’re not comfortable with. I’ve already talked to my father about it and he’s aware of the situation. If you’d prefer we turn him away, we will.”
To lie or not to lie? I should tell him the truth and ask if there’s any way I can avoid working with him. I don’t want to appear weak, though. I certainly don’t want to appear incapable.
I think back to my conversation with Audra. The one question rolling around in my mind is can I do this. Can I work with him? Looking over Tyler’s shoulder, I spot Devon in the kitchen, laughing with Ryder over something. His head is tilted back, and his eyes are closed.
That man is one of the kindest people I know. He treats everyone with respect and would do anything to help another person. The Dixon brothers are the same. If I tell Tyler I can’t work with JP, he won’t force me. But that’s not what I want.
That’s not what I need.
It’s time to prove to myself that I’ve moved past what happened. That I’m no longer the weak individual he created. I’m stronger than that. I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.
“I’ll be honest, he’s not my favorite person. Our split was a bit rocky, but that was years ago. Today, he surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to see him, and then there he was, standing in your doorway.” I pause, needing a minute to muster the courage to say what needs to be said. The words he needs to hear to be reassured that he can count on me. “Our past relationship will have no bearing on this project, Tyler. I can work with him, it’s not an issue, but I appreciate you checking on me.”
“Are you sure, because—”
Holding my hand up, I cut him off.
“I promise. If things change, you’ll be the first person I come to.”
“I’ll hold you to that. This is a fairly large account. It could be great for the company, but at the end of the day, if it’s not the right move to work with them, I’ll dissolve the contract in a heartbeat.”
He signed a contract already? That was fast. Generally, he’ll meet with the client, draw something up, and sign a week or so later at a second meeting.
Is he rushing because he’s leaving town in a few days? Or is there some other reason? Before I can ask, Tyler starts to give me the run-down on the project. He doesn’t get far before Devon walks in and cuts him off.
“It’s Friday night, she’s off the clock. Plus, Angela looks like she might need to go to bed. She opened another bottle of wine and it’s almost empty.”
Rolling his eyes, Tyler goes in search of Angela. He’s a great guy and an amazing boyfriend from what I can tell. Not to mention, a wonderful boss.
“So what were you two in here talking shop for? I thought you had the weekend off,” he says, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Just a new client that came in today. I left before he had a chance to fill me in earlier,” I say, reaching for his outstretched hand. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
And I will. I’ll have to at some point. There will be no avoiding the subject even though it pertains to work, for the most part.
Right now, all I want to do is hang out with my friends and enjoy Devon’s company. Maybe have another drink or two so I can attempt to erase JP from my mind for now. It’s a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Once that’s doubled in size in the last twelve hours.
Chapter Nine
Lying in bed, listening to Devon lightly snoring next to me, I can’t stop worrying about Audra. I texted her a few times, but she hasn’t answered me. All I want to know is that she’s okay. There’s a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and something tells me things are not fine.
A sliver of light is coming from beneath the blinds when I finally drift off to sleep. What feels like minutes later, I hear the shower turn on and when I roll over, Devon’s spot is empty. Still warm, but empty. Scooting over into his spot, I fall back asleep instantly.
“Justine,” Devon says, running his hand up and down my arm. “Wake up, baby.”
“I don’t wanna,” I pout, refusing to open my eyes. I can smell eggs, my stomach growling in delight, betraying me.
“I brought you breakfast even though you slept through lunch.”
Lunch. As in, it’s after noon? I haven’t slept this late since my freshman year of college when I scheduled all my classes in the afternoon second semester.
Opening my eyes, I find Devon perched on the edge of the bed, blowing on a steamy cup of coffee. “Cream and sugar, lots of both.”
Damn he’s sexy, I think to myself. And sweet. And caring. And the perfect kind of man. Any woman would be lucky to have him in their life. Why me? My luck normally sucks.
That’s not true.
I can find the good guy, it’ll last a few weeks, and then shit will hit the fan or he’ll turn into a psycho. It’s the three-week curse. That’s when people tend to show their true colors in a relationship. When things are still new, but they’re starting to lose their sparkle.
“Thank you,” I reply, sitting up and taking the cup from him. “You didn’t have to bring me breakfast in bed.”
“I know, but how else was I going to keep you in bed all day?” he asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Before I can reply, he laughs. “Just kidding. We have plans today, and they don’t involve either of us in this room.”
Damn. I could go for a low-key day, lying in bed and doing nothing. Well, almost nothing.
“Tell me about these plans,” I reply, taking a sip of my coffee, the sugary sweet goodness bringing a smile to my face.
Devon explains our plans today as he feeds me eggs and toast. Feeds me, as in, holds the fork and puts food in my mouth as if I wasn’t capable of doing it myself. At first, I thought it was because he wanted to be funny. After a few bites, I realize that he planned to withhold food from me unless I agreed to all his ideas.
Thankfully, I like his ideas or else I would be starving right now.
First up, we need to go check on Audra. I shared my concerns with him last night as we crawled into bed. She always texts back, even when we’re fighting with each other. It’s not like her to go silent, especially when things were looking up between us. Instead of blowing off my concerns, he promised me we would check on her today.
As long as Audra’s doing okay, we’re going to head downtown and hit up the art gallery that opened last month. Apparently, Devon is a bit of an art enthusiast and wants a few new pieces for his place. I never would have guessed.
After that, we’re meeting up with Ryder and Emerson for dinner. When I asked him what I should wear, he said something comfortable. And to bring a jacket for later but wouldn’t tell me what for. I have a feeling we’re going to be doing something outside. The temp is supposed to hold steady in the high sixties today but drop into the low fifties once the sun goes down.
As we’re about to leave, Devon’s phone begins ringing and he excuses himself to take the call. Waiting for him in the foyer, I can’t help but hear part of his conversation as his voice echoes through the hall.
“You’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll be home tomorrow night. Yes, I promise. I have to go, but I’ll call you later, okay? I love you, too. Okay, I will. Love you. Yes, I promise. Okay. Love you. Yep, see you tomorrow. Okay, bye.”
“Sorry about that,” he says, shoving his phone in his pocket as he steps up beside me.
My curiosity was peaked the moment he said “I love you” but I keep my mouth shut when he doesn’t provide any information. I’m sure it was his mother. Who else could it be? He said he was single. He made it clear he was close with her. Maybe she’s the reason he doesn’t want to leave Chicago. Tyler and Ryder made it sound like there was some crazy reason he wouldn’t ever leave. Being close with his mom isn’t farfetched. A lot of guys his age are still close with their parents, especially their mothers.
In fact, it’s kind of cute.
As we appro
ach my apartment door, I stop and turn to him, worried about what we may, or may not, find on the other side. If Audra is home and Keegan is with her, I don’t want Devon to overstep. He hasn’t been privy to meeting Keegan yet, and I have a feeling when they do meet, they’re not going to embrace in a bro-hug. They’re two completely different men, who see things two very different ways.
“So,” I begin, shifting my weight from one leg to the other as I decide how to say what’s on my mind without offending him. “As long as Audra is okay, we’re in and out. If Keegan is here, be prepared for him to judge you with just a glance. He’s an asshole like that. But please, do not put him in his place. Just let it go.”
“I know,” he replies, reaching for my hand and giving it a light squeeze as he laces our fingers together. “You’ve warned me at least a dozen times about how much of an ass he can be.”
One warning is not enough. Ten warnings might not be either.
“So if he’s in there, you have to promise not to beat the crap out of him.”
“I’m just here for support.”
Okay, that was easy. I don’t think I’ve ever dated someone with such a clear vision.
Opening the door, I’m surprised to find Audra in the kitchen, baking more cookies. She seems cheerful, calling out to us as we enter.
“Hey, I’m in here. Want a snack?” Her voice is high pitched, overcompensating for something.
When I round the corner into the kitchen, I see why. Through clenched teeth, Audra’s managed to plaster a fake smile on her face. Standing behind her is Keegan, an apron covered in poppies tied around his waist.
Her eyes beg me not to say anything, but my gut tells me I need to. Someone needs to stand up for her.
“What happened to you last night?” I ask, taking a seat at the counter.
“We decided to stay in,” Keegan states, taking a bite of a peanut butter cookie. I send up a small prayer that he chokes on it, but my prayers must have fallen on deaf ears.
“That sucks, Audra,” I say, stretching out her name as I stare at Keegan. “You missed a lot of fun.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe next time,” she quips, looking to Keegan, who rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, maybe next time,” I snap. “Or the time after that. It depends if Keegan gives you permission, right?”
I was worried Devon would say the wrong thing or step over the imaginary line, when I should have been worried about me all along.
Audra’s already bloodshot eyes well up, and she runs from the room. I stand to follow her when Keegan’s hand falls on my arm.
“I got this,” he says, his voice soft and caring.
Raising my eyebrow at him skeptically, I tug my arm away from him. “Thanks, but I’ll take care of it.”
Turning my back on him, I head in search of Audra. I find her in the bathroom, dabbing at her eyes to stop the tears.
“I’m sorry,” I say, leaning against the frame of the door.
“No, you’re not. You hated him before last night, and you hate him even more now.”
“I didn’t say that I didn’t hate him, I said I was sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped and blamed him for you not coming last night.”
Lies. All lies.
“Why didn’t you text me back?” I ask when she doesn’t reply.
Our eyes meet in the reflection of the mirror and I realize why. He was here, with her. Was she not allowed to text me back? Did he not give her permission? He’s such a controlling bastard. We’re going to have to talk more about this later, once he’s not around.
“Well, we didn’t come over to cause trouble. I just wanted to check on you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“We’ll leave you two alone, then.”
“Justine,” Audra calls as I step into the hall. “I like him. He’s nice and you can tell he cares about you.”
Devon. She approves, not that I’m surprised. Everyone seems to like him. He’s that kind of guy.
“Thanks. I like him too.”
Nodding, my smile is sympathetic at best as I head in search of Devon. When I make it back to the kitchen, I find him sitting silently where I left him. Neither he nor Keegan are speaking, but they’re staring each other down. Devon’s eyes look calm while Keegan’s are on fire.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, tugging Devon’s arm.
I can feel Keegan’s eyes on us as we leave the room. They’re filled with hatred and rage. I can only imagine what the two of them talked about while they were alone.
“So?” I ask as soon as Devon starts the car.
“What? You asked me not to say anything, so I didn’t. I think that pissed him off more than anything.”
“You didn’t say a single word?” I’m shocked but proud at the same time.
“Nope, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get under my skin. He’s a real piece of work. I’ve met guys like him before. They never change and tend to get more aggressive with age.”
Audra needs to get away from him sooner rather than later.
Walking into the gallery, I can’t stop thinking about Audra and how I’m going to convince her to see the real Keegan. I contemplated asking him to take me back to the apartment. I have a bad feeling about her being alone with him right now. At the same time, he seems to be good to her when it’s just the two of them. He only acts like an asshole when other people are around.
Aimlessly, I allow Devon to drag me through the gallery. He rattles on about each piece, asking my opinion on a few. An hour later, he’s picked three pieces for his place, paid, and arranged for them to be shipped to his office. That’s when I finally come out of my daze.
The total price.
Holy shit! He dropped thousands on artwork. They were nice pieces, don't get me wrong, but not that nice. I would have to work an entire month to make what he just spent in less than sixty minutes.
“What’s wrong?” he asks as we walk the three blocks from the gallery to the restaurant we’re meeting Emerson and Ryder at.
“Nothing,” I deny, my words lacking the conviction I was hoping I mustered.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” he asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him.
Money. Not a great topic of conversation. I knew he did well for himself, but I had no idea he did that well. It makes me uncomfortable for some reason. I would hate for him to think I only want to date him because of his money. I’m sure he’s dealt with that before, and hopefully he can see that I’m not like that.
“It’s nothing, really. I promise.”
I feel him nod his head as we come to a stop at the crosswalk. As the signal changes, I go to take a step, but Devon holds me back. Looking up at him, he’s staring straight ahead, watching as the signal for us to walk begins to blink.
“It’s the money thing, isn’t it,” he finally says.
“It’s not a big deal, I swear. It just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
Finally looking down at me, he places his hands on my shoulders and turns me so that we’re facing each other. “Money is not a big deal to me. I have money because I rarely spend money. Would it make a difference if I was poor?”
“I don’t care how much money you have. It’s your money, not mine. And yes, I’d still like you if you were poor. That’s not why I enjoy hanging out with you.”
“Good, because I like you, too, and I would hate for money to be the reason that this doesn’t work.”
“Why would that be a determining factor?” I ask before I can stop myself.
Searching my eyes before he answers, Devon finally says, “Because I have more money than I know what to do with, and someday I plan to find someone to share it with. That person has to be a very special kind of person, one who doesn’t care about money. Money can change people, it can make them mean and ugly, and that’s not the type of person I want to spend my life with.”
Oh! Well, then.
Chapter Ten
The rest of his life with. Is he talking about me?
My heart is pounding in my chest.
That’s awfully fast. It’s only been a week since we met. We’ve spent three nights together. We haven’t even had sex yet.
Maybe he’s just thinking ahead, in case this works out and things get serious. Right now, they’re as far from serious as they could be. We’re having fun, hanging out and getting to know each other.
I wouldn’t even call him my boyfriend yet. Would I? What does he call me when he tells people about me? Does he tell people about me?
I’m overthinking it. Again.
“Hey, guys!” Emerson exclaims as she slides into the booth across from us, followed closely by Ryder.
“How was your morning?” I ask.
“Good. Ryder was able to get in one last game of golf before they close the course for the season and I got to drive the golf cart.”
Laughing at her enthusiasm, Emerson continues to tell me about their outing this morning, including every shot Ryder missed. He’s engrossed in conversation with Devon, but I see him roll his eyes every time she explains what he did wrong.
“Do you play?” she asks me.
“Golf? No. I tried once. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Me either,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders.
“How do you know so much about what went wrong today, then?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.
“Because I explained it all to her not realizing she would use it against me later on,” Ryder chimes in. Emerson elbows him in the ribs but never stops smiling at him.
After hours of great food and laughter, Devon checks his watch and announces it’s time to head out. He ignores my pout as he helps me into my coat.
I’ve been trying to get him to tell me where we’re headed next since we sat down. Emerson and Ryder were of no help, their loyalty to Devon holding strong. I even attempted to pull Emerson into the bathroom to try and get the secret out of her to no avail. She did promise that I would like it, however.
“What’s with all the mystery?” I ask Devon as we walk back to his car.
Rumors: Justine & Devon Page 7
