by Lauren Layne
Jake was saved when she had to take an incoming phone call, although he did pocket the card for the chocolate fountain restaurant Melissa was insisting he try. It wasn’t really his thing, but it couldn’t hurt as a way of smoothing things over with Grace, who he was pretty sure was plotting her revenge from when he let her think that he’d documented her sex-noises on the Internet.
Right. Even if he didn’t have some journalistic morals, there’s no way he was letting the rest of the world in on those little moans she made. They were his. She was his.
That much he was sure of.
He just had a few things to figure out. Like what the hell they were going to do after that big baseball game finale that was right around the corner.
Neither one of them had breathed a word about what happened after that. Sure, they’d made progress last week after she’d told him about her ex-boyfriend’s proposal.
But had they agreed on anything other than exclusivity? For all he knew, she was still planning on starting her dumb plan for six months without men after their joint work assignment was done.
And then there was the not-so-minor detail that he could be in Cairo or Juneau or Madagascar at any point in the next year. She’d probably want to know that.
Maybe he could tell her after she’d gorged herself on the chocolate fountain.
But Jake was pretty sure no amount of chocolate, fountain or otherwise, would have Grace Brighton getting excited about the prospect of traveling with him. She had a life here, and he knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t exactly the jet-setting type.
She’d all but told him outright last night while looking at his travel photos.
Jake tried to push the thought aside as he headed back to his office. One day at a time. That’s all they’d committed to. Exclusivity, and one day at a time. There were no wedding bells. No babies. No exchanging of apartment keys.
He patiently waited for the wave of relief that usually came along with the reminder that his official status was still not committed.
None came.
Instead he felt empty.
“Hey, Malone, you got a sec?”
“Sure,” Jake said, detouring into his boss’s office. “What’s up?”
Cassidy gestured for him to have a seat. “Got some news.”
“I’m listening.”
Cassidy tossed a brochure onto the desk, and Jake whistled a little as he picked it up. “Nice. What did they print this on, money?”
Unlike the typical flimsy paper of a travel brochure, this one had substance. Jake couldn’t say he’d ever had a particular hankering to go to Costa Rica, but the breathtakingly lush landscape on this brochure definitely put the country on his mental travel map.
“It’s a thousand-dollar-a-night resort,” Cassidy said. “If everything goes according to plan, I’m pretty sure they can afford to print their brochure on gold if they want.”
Jake was already flipping through page after page of stunning beach scenes, a no-expenses-spared spa, eight restaurants, and a treehouse bar built over a jungle. Literally.
“Jesus, this is the picture of one of the bathrooms? It’s bigger than the entire floor of my apartment building.”
“Well, we’ll see about getting you one of those GPS bracelets before you go, to ensure you don’t get lost,” Cassidy replied.
Jake’s head shot up. “Before I go?”
“They don’t officially open until next month, but one of my college friends is on their publicity team. She heard about Oxford’s new travel section, and … we’re in.”
“Into what?”
“Their soft opening, the pre-party, whatever you want to call it. It’s when they have all the bigwigs come in and stamp their approval. Reviewers, celebrities, politicians, and you.”
Cassidy proceeded to rattle off half of Hollywood’s A-list, but Jake’s mind was struggling to keep up. Costa Rica. That was … really fucking far away.
“What’s the catch?” Jake asked, trying to buy time as he closed the brochure.
“No catch. Well, you’ll need to write the article, of course. Plenty of detail on the texture of the pillows, the water pressure, shit like that.”
“They’re buying a positive review,” Jake said, scowl in place.
“Not at all. I told Dena that our review would be honest and completely unbiased. She agreed. Any publicity is good publicity and all that. Although if that brochure is even remotely close to reality, I can’t see where you’ll find room to complain.”
Jake glanced down again. He took in the waterfall and the infinity pool and the wildlife. It wouldn’t exactly be the most adventurous of vacations, but it was free.
And still, he wasn’t nearly as excited as he should be.
“I sort of thought you’d be kissing my ass right about now,” Cassidy said, giving him a curious look.
Jake glanced up, pasting a grin on his face.
This is what you asked for. This is what you want. Thank the man and go buy yourself a new pair of swim trunks.
“Guess I better double-check my passport,” Jake said with enthusiasm he didn’t feel. “How soon until I leave?”
“Soon. Part of the deal was that you’d be there for their big champagne kick-off. They want to make sure you capture all of the big names in attendance, stuff like that.”
Jake sat up straighter. “How soon?”
Cassidy spread his hands in a preemptive don’t-shoot-the-messenger gesture. “They’d like you there by this Friday. The big launch is on Saturday, and then they want you there at least through the following Thursday to make sure you see all the hoopla. We’ve also been getting a lot of invitations from wineries in Argentina—they’re trying to get in on the wine-tasting tourism with their Malbecs. I thought you could head there after.”
Jake mentally added it up. At least six nights in Costa Rica. Another day to travel to Argentina. Then there’d likely be multiple stops at different wineries. Probably at least four days there …
And then what?
Chile?
Panama?
Jet over to the Bahamas to see what was new there?
Hell, it could be weeks before he’d be able to see Grace—
At the thought of Grace, a realization hit him over the head.
“You want me to leave this Friday? But the baseball game is on Sunday.”
Cassidy nodded. “Trust me, I know. Camille is pissed. She took this one all the way up the food chain, but ultimately I won.”
“You’re canceling the game?”
“It’s still on—you just won’t be there. And why do you sound so bent out of shape about it? You’ve done nothing but complain about the game ever since you heard about it.”
Jake lifted a shoulder. “I thought it was a big deal.”
“It is. And the readers will be disappointed, of course, but we can frame it to add a nice element of drama. Instead of a tepid parting of ways between you and Grace, you’ll be the no-show, can’t-commit bachelor. Oxford readers will relate. And Grace will be the scorned woman, to which Stiletto readers will relate.”
I’m tired of being that guy.
Whoa. Where had that thought come from?
But it wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was that they were going to make Grace into some sort of poor victim who got stood up. She wouldn’t want that. The last thing she needed was to feel like a fool again.
“It’s a little demeaning, isn’t it?” he said. “Painting women as victims and men as soulless, unreliable jerks?”
Cassidy turned immediately serious. “When you put it that way, yeah. We’ll handle it carefully. Convey that it was a relationship that just didn’t work out. Happens all the time. People will get it, and feel for you on both sides.”
Jake nodded, even though he didn’t like it.
“Plus you and Grace are no longer the sole show,” Cassidy said. “Given the Costa Rica opportunity, we’ve shifted emphasis a bit. The game won’t be a finale for you and
Grace so much as a launch of the next couple. We’re featuring one of Camille’s interns, and Cory Garrison will be taking over for you. People can whip themselves into a frenzy about that.”
Jake didn’t give a fuck who the next couple was. “So Grace will be at the game alone?”
“Her friends will be there, Camille will be there. Hell, I’ll be there. There are tickets for thirty people. The only thing left to figure out is what we’re going to do for the kiss-cam.”
“The what?”
“You know, when they show the couples kissing. Camille’s most recent over-the-top idea. Normally we’d just call it off, but since you two have become local celebrities, the local stations already have the slot booked. It was supposed to be you two on camera with everyone weighing in on whether it was a good-bye kiss or a sexy kiss. That sort of thing.”
That sort of thing. Cassidy made it sound so simple.
Jake rubbed his temples. He didn’t know which was worse, the fact that this whole thing was turning into a spectacle or the fact that he wouldn’t be there. “So what’s your plan?”
Cassidy shrugged. “We’ll get Cole or one of the other guys to step in. Plant the seed that Grace will have her happily-ever-after with another guy.”
Over my dead body.
Jake opened his mouth to tell Cassidy that he had to be there. That he needed to be at this game and see this thing through.
He needed to see if he and Grace had a chance.
But then his eyes found the brochure and his gut twisted. Hell, what did it matter if he went to the game or not? Things were still headed in the same nowhere direction. He’d be jetting all over the place. She’d be here and planning her big white wedding.
He’d known it wouldn’t last.
He just hadn’t known it would suck this bad when it ended.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Hey, give me two minutes,” Grace said, seeing Jake waiting in the doorway of her office. “Just need to finish a draft of this article: ‘Five Romantic Comedies He Won’t Hate.’ ”
“Yeah right,” Jake said. “You writing about unicorns next?”
She shot him a look. “You survived Sleepless in Seattle just fine the other night,” she said, her fingers tapping away on the keyboard.
“No, I survived Tom Hanks just fine. Everyone likes Tom Hanks. Doesn’t mean I’m going to buy the limited-edition DVD or anything.”
She rolled her eyes, ignoring him for a second as she finished her thought before turning to face him. “Okay. Done. Where to today?”
His eyes scanned the office. “Where are the girls?”
Grace pointed to each of her friends’ chairs. “Dentist, lunch-sex, don’t know.”
“Who’s who?”
“Emma’s at the dentist, Mitchell swung by to pick up Julie, which is why I’m assuming there’s lunch-sex involved, and I think Riley’s off interviewing women in Times Square for her new article, but I’m not really sure.”
He didn’t respond, and Grace looked at him then—really looked at him for the first time since he’d come into the office.
And she didn’t like what she saw. This wasn’t playful Jake. It wasn’t even focused-on-work Jake.
It was a withdrawn, closed-off Jake.
The office suddenly felt stifling. She knew that look. It wasn’t unlike the one on Greg’s face that horrible day when she’d confronted him about Maureen.
The look was so much worse than anger or disdain. It was resignation.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. She knew it wasn’t.
“Can we talk?”
And there it was.
There wasn’t a woman alive who didn’t know what that meant. Both 1.0 and 2.0 rallied around her for support, 1.0 to comfort, 2.0 to shield.
“Sure,” she said with a sunniness she didn’t feel. She stood and shut the door. Grace really, really didn’t want an audience for what she thought was about to go down.
“I talked to Cassidy today,” Jake said, half sitting on Riley’s desk. Grace did the same on Julie’s desk since it was across from Riley’s and as far from Jake as she could get without leaving the crowded office.
She waited for him to continue.
“And I got my new work assignment.”
She blinked. Not what she was expecting. It definitely didn’t explain his expression. He looked like someone had died.
What did his new assignment have to do with them? Even if his new story involved something in the dating department, it didn’t mean it had to affect his personal life. Just look at Julie—she was happily engaged and still wrote dating articles all the time. In fact, her writing about relationships had gotten better since she’d entered into one herself.
They could make it work. They could make anything work.
“You’ve heard that Oxford is adding a new section? Travel?”
“Eh, nope,” she said with a sheepish smile. “Can’t say I’ve paid a whole lot of attention to Oxford’s table of contents.” Also, get to the point already.
Jake held her gaze, his expression bleak. Waiting for her to understand.
Then it hit her. Hard.
“You?” she croaked.
He gave a curt nod.
“But why?” Surely Alex Cassidy wasn’t so much of a hard-ass that he’d send one of his best columnists on the road without his consent.
“Because I asked him to.”
It was a good thing Grace had started gripping the desk at some point, because that little tidbit of information just might have knocked her over. “When?”
And why?
“Before all this started. Because all of this started, actually.”
Her mind flitted back to her conversation with Cole Sharpe. The one where he’d told her that Alex Cassidy had had to bribe Jake to take on the joint Stiletto story.
She’d thought it had just been about the fancy office.
But it was so much bigger than that.
“Explain,” she said, trying to paste a smile on her face.
He started toward her then, starting to reach out a hand, but apparently thinking better of it. She didn’t move. “I’ve always wanted this role, Grace. You’ve seen my pictures. I’ve always loved to travel. I settled down these past couple of years thinking I got it out of my system, but I started to get the bug again. You know?”
No. “The bug? The bug that makes you want to leave home and jump from state to state, country to country?”
“Yes. I’ll come back occasionally, of course. But I’ll likely be on the road more often than not.”
He said it so simply. As though it was the most natural thing in the world to pack up and leave your friends and family.
And her. He made it sound as though it was easy to leave her.
“I asked Cassidy for a shot at the new role before I met you,” he said quietly. “You have to know that.”
Grace nodded. It could have been a relief. A balm to her ego. It wasn’t. Because now that he did know her, he hadn’t exactly told his boss that he’d had a change of heart. Hadn’t proclaimed that there was a woman in New York worth staying for.
You knew he wouldn’t stay, 2.0 said in her gentlest voice yet.
And that was the real crapper in all of this. He’d never made any promises. She’d never made any requests. He wasn’t doing anything he shouldn’t. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. Then why did it hurt so badly?
Now Grace realized that 2.0 had been right all along. She should have stayed away from men. It was always going to end this way, with the guy walking away unscathed while she felt broken.
No way. She was not doing this again. Grace was done being the brokenhearted one. Done being the victim, the one left behind. She might not be able to control Jake’s decision, but she sure as hell could control her own response to it.
No tantrums. And definitely no tears.
“Well, that’s awesome,” she said, her voice smooth as butter. “It’s a great opportunity.
Where
are you off to first?”
His head snapped back slightly at her cavalier tone.
That’s right, 2.0 said with a little sneer. We don’t need your lame-ass comfort.
“Costa Rica.”
“That’ll be great!” she said, knowing her voice probably stank of insincerity. But really? Really? A whole other continent?
He nodded. “Yeah. Cassidy has connections that got me a sweet deal at a brand-new resort. It’s pretty cushy.”
For a second Grace’s heart lifted. A resort? She’d sort of been imagining some kind of rustic backpacking adventure, but a cushy resort sounded … romantic.
Was that why he was here? Was he asking her to tag along with him?
And would she go?
“I leave Thursday,” he said, his eyes not quite meeting hers.
Her hopes came crashing down. I leave Thursday. Singular pronoun. Got it. “Thursday, wow. That’s … soon.”
Jake nodded. “I’ll have to miss the baseball game.”
Wow, this just keeps getting better.
“All the better for you, right?” she said. “Now you don’t have to break your pact with yourself and set foot in the evil stadium. Ever going to tell me what that’s about, by the way?”
His lips pressed together, and he remained silent.
“Right. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now anyway. It’ll be one of those sexy little mysteries I can take away from my time with Jake Malone.” She gave him a sassy little smile to let him know that this was all good with her, even though she wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t about to vomit.
He ran a hand through his hair and gave a harsh little laugh. “You know, I’ll admit you’re not responding like I thought.”
She tilted her head as though confused. “Oh?”
“Yeah, I thought you’d be, you know, more … upset.”
Grace shrugged. “Well, I know we said we were going to try the one-man/one-woman sort of thing, but we’re adults. We understood that only meant faithful as long as we were together. It’s not like we agreed to a certain time commitment. Right?”
His eyes flared then, and he opened his mouth as though to argue, but shut it just as fast before tipping his head back in acknowledgment. “Right.”
