Only then did I notice the grocery bag hanging down at her side. I could see the logo of my favorite ice cream clearly through the bag and smiled. It was good to have a close friend with the same taste in ice cream.
Without asking, Gigi made her way into the kitchen, grabbing two spoons. I followed.
“Here,” she said, handing me my own pint of moose tracks ice cream, the perfect medicine for a break-up. Though I wasn’t sure that this even counted as one. We weren’t a couple in the first place.
“Talk.” Gigi demanded, digging into her own pint. I sighed.
“Well, I’m not sick,” I began.
“Clearly.”
“You knew?”
“I had a hunch. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“J.D. and I have been sleeping together again.”
“Well, yeah.”
“You knew that too?”
“First of all, I’m your bestie. I notice things. Like the spring in your step lately and that you’ve been more relaxed. I also noticed the two of you sneaking out of the boardroom two weeks ago, clothes wrinkled and hair a mess.”
“You saw us? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“At first I was waiting for you to tell me. When you didn’t, I figured you had a good reason,” she shrugged.
I loved this girl. So many women would be upset that their best friend kept something as big as this from them. Gigi understood.
“It seemed like a good reason at the time. I didn’t want J.D. to feel pressured into making us an official couple. That’s what happened between us last year, I think. We started out with sex. Great sex. We never talked about being exclusive or anything like that, but I really liked him and I think he liked me. Then, it was suddenly over. I think it just started to feel too real for him.”
“And you thought that wouldn’t happen this time?
“I don’t know what I thought. I wasn’t thinking at all, actually. It was all emotion. Lust first, then caring, then maybe even more. My head knew this was a bad idea, that we wanted different things, but I it was like I couldn’t stop myself. I got swept up and was helpless to stop it.”
“Do you love him?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. Unreciprocated love is wasted.”
“Eat your ice cream,” Gigi said.
I picked up my pint and walked into the living room. I could hear Gigi’s footsteps behind me. Taking a seat on the couch, I folded my legs up underneath my body. Flippin on the television, I settled on reruns of an old sitcom. We watched for a while before I turned the volume down and spoke.
“You know I haven’t seen anyone since we dated before.”
“Yeah, I noticed that.”
“Why can’t I move past him?”
“You tell me. What draws you to him?”
“Well, he’s hot as hell for one thing. And great in bed,” I sighed. “But he’s also smart and funny, mostly in a sarcastic way. He laughs with me.”
“You sound smitten.”
“Yeah, that’s the problem. He treats me like a queen, worships my body, but he doesn’t want me as more than a friend.”
“Then he’s crazy. You’re the best and if he can’t see that, there’s something wrong with him.”
“I don’t think that’s the problem. If I did, it’d be easier to get over him. I’d say, ‘to hell with him. He just can’t handle my awesome.’ Then, I’d ride off into the sunset with my head held high. I refuse to get hung up on a guy that doesn’t appreciate how great I am.”
“But he does appreciate you?”
“I think he cares about me more than he wants to. This is the one situation where it’s really not me, it’s him.”
“And there’s no changing his mind?”
“I don’t think so.”
Gigi fell silent after that. I looked down at my ice cream, deep in thought. It was no good. I couldn’t force a guy to get over his commitment hang-ups. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the sunlight streaming through the window reflect off Gigi’s engagement ring when she lifted her spoon to her mouth.
There was a big party taking place in less than a week. A celebration of love that I had planned with J.D. Gigi and Damian were supposed to be preparing to celebrate. They were supposed to be planning a wedding and their future lives together.
Yet, here she was with me. And I was being a huge downer. When was the last time we talked about her wedding plans? Had she found a dress yet? I couldn’t believe I didn’t know the answers to these questions. I had been so wrapped up in my J.D. drama that I hadn’t exactly been a good friend.
This ends now, I told myself. I’d given it my best shot with him, and it wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t going to spend days or weeks pining to be with a man that rejected me. I had never done that, and I wouldn’t start now.
It was time to let him go. Finishing my ice cream, I turned to Gigi and changed the subject to the wedding, asking about her plans. I knew I had made the right call as her face lit up and she launched into a rundown of the dress she wanted, the over-the-top things Damian had planned, and her favorite destination wedding options.
I listened, interjecting with my thoughts here and there. I also slid my phone out of my pocket. There was a party coming up and I couldn’t go alone. Gigi would spend half the night worried about me if I did.
Besides, J.D. was going to be there. This would be my chance to show him that I was okay with the way things went down between us. He had been upfront about his intentions from the very beginning. My feelings weren’t really his fault.
As Gigi debated between types of flowers, I came to a decision. When she went to the bathroom, I opened my text messages and pulled up Keith’s name. Not allowing myself any second thoughts, I began to type.
Chapter Sixteen: Party Time
I stood in front of the mirror, tying my tie. I had used the internet to teach myself to do this years ago. My father hadn’t been around to show me when I was younger. Now, as an adult that attended tons of formal events, the skill was both necessary as well as handy.
The big party was tonight, and I hoped everything went off without a hitch. After my last conversation with Judy, the one that ended in her storming from my house, I hadn’t spoken to her directly. We had exchanged a few emails, which was probably the least personal way we had ever communicated in at this point, and they were all about the engagement party. When the caterer would be arriving, had the fireworks been set up, had accommodations been made for the entertainment, that sort of thing. Anyone that read those emails would think Judy and I were mere acquaintances, if that, for all the distance portrayed in them.
I would see her tonight, of course. It was sure to be awkward, but that wasn’t what concerned me. Tonight would be the indicator of whether she and I could ever be friends again.
Despite the harsh words I spoke to her, Judy was important to me. I already missed the light she brought into my life. It would be devastating if I lost her altogether just because I couldn’t keep it in my pants. I wanted to kick my own ass for putting myself in this situation.
I buttoned up my jacket stood back from the mirror to check myself out. In my grey tuxedo, I knew I looked good. But I wasn’t looking for any female attention tonight. Probably wouldn’t be for a long time.
I arrived right on time, but the party was well underway already. I looked around the garden. I knew that Judy had set everything up earlier in the day.
Round tables were set up near the pond, crisp white tablecloths covering them. There were pillar candles of various sizes in the center of each table, the glow of their flames dancing across the faces of the guests seated there. The wine tasting was set up to one side with several people gathered there. Two long tables were filled with finger foods and the cupcakes we had chosen.
The small stage that I had commissioned to be built was standing between two large trees. There were only a few instruments set up there for now. The music would start later, after sundown.
I scan
ned the crowd, looking for Judy, but she didn’t seem to have arrived yet. I did spot Hayden, talking to Keith. I was surprised to see him there.
Catching my eye, Hayden waved me over. I skirted the edge of the crowd, trying to avoid a lot of small talk, and reached them quickly. They both held glasses of wine. I noticed Keith scanning the crowd and assumed he was looking for women to add to his list of conquests.
“Hey, man. This is great,” Hayden said, clapping me on the back.
“Thanks, but most of it was Judy. She is a visionary.”
“Judy Mixon?” Keith asked. There was a look in his eye that I didn’t like one bit.
“Yeah. She’s the maid of honor, so we planned this party together.” And she’s mine, I added silently. My mostly-dormant possessive side was coming to life.
No. No, she’s not yours and you wanted it that way, I reminded myself.
I forcefully pushed my inner turmoil aside. I had to stop thinking like this.
“I met her when I signed an agreement with So Good. I have a fundraising event next month and I hope to see lots of their clients volunteering.”
“That’s great.”
“Have you been to their office? Lots of women working there. Not just a bunch of nerds, either. There are some hot pieces in that building,” Keith grinned.
“They’ve hired mostly woman. It’s a rarity in Silicon Valley, but I think it’s great,” Hayden interjected, defensiveness in his voice.
“Oh, I think it’s great too. I’m excited to work with them. If you know what I mean.” There was a predatory look on his face.
“I didn’t arrange a meeting for you so that you could get laid,” I told him.
“Lighten up. Damn, I formed a legit business agreement with them. It benefits both businesses. I just want some fringe benefits if I can get them.”
“Whatever. It doesn’t look good if you screw half the staff of So Good. Does your nonprofit really need the scandal?”
“Okay, fine. I won’t go after the staff. I can’t make any promises about the owners though.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I seethed.
“Judy. I bet she’s a fireball in bed.”
“You’re interested in Judy?” Hayden asked, shooting me a calculating look. He seemed worried that I would attack the man.
“Not just interested. Pursuing. Why do you think I’m here?”
“She invited you?” I asked, skepticism clear in my voice.
“Of course, she did. I’ll be going home with her tonight. Mark my words,” he said, still rocking that signature laid-back smile of his. He was somehow oblivious to the tension in the air.
“Oh, there she is now,” Keith said, staring behind me.
I whipped around and there Judy was, walking into the party with a huge smile. The whole gathering seemed livelier somehow as she made her way through the crowd, greeting everyone whether she knew them or not.
Her dress was white with large splashes of color, as if someone had flung paint at her. It was a tight, low cut dress with a slit up to her hip. Little was left to the imagination and I felt myself harden at the sight.
Her hair was gathered below her right ear and flowed down her chest in big curls. Flawless red lipstick drew attention to her mouth and I wanted to see those lips wrapped around my erection once again.
“Excuse me, guys,” Keith’s voice pulled me out of my reverie. Without further ado, he strode away from us and straight up to Judy.
I watched as she greeted him warmly, not at all surprised to see him. He must have been telling the truth then. He was her date.
“Maybe we should go mingle with the other guests,” Hayden said, sounding uncomfortable.
I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I just continued to watch as Judy hugged Keith. It was when he planted a kiss on her cheek that I finally looked away. Spinning on my heel, I stormed off to the wine tasting area. I needed a drink. At this point, it didn’t matter what the wine tasted like, I just wanted a full glass. Or two. Maybe three.
Chapter Seventeen: No Spark
I had convinced myself that this would be easy. I had a date. He was hot. I carefully chose a dress that I could rock. It was time to move on.
Or was it?
I couldn’t stop watching J.D. out of the corner of my eye. He looked gorgeous in his tuxedo, his dark hair combed back. The way he carried himself, with a relaxed sense of self-assurance, was distinctive and made it easy to track him in my peripheral vision. Hopefully no one noticed.
Keith certainly didn’t. He seemed to think that he was sweeping me off my feet. I had listened to him regale me with stories about his philanthropy and the interesting people he had met through his foundation. I wanted to be impressed. I wanted to find him fascinating because of his work.
But I didn’t.
I couldn’t help thinking that he was prattling on about himself too much, without asking me anything significant about myself. He had too many stories to tell; he couldn’t seem to fit anything else into the conversation. Everything he told me made him look good. It should have been easy to fall for the charm.
The problem was his smile. The perfect smile with the perfect white teeth and one dimple in each cheek. I had thought, when we first met, that it was a nice, easy-going smile. It suited him. Now, looking closer, it seemed like a perfectly constructed mask, designed to disarm those around him.
Was I being too hard on the guy? Maybe I was just comparing him to J.D. and anyone would fall short at this point.
“Did that statue just move?” Keith asked, drawing my attention to the line of “statues” next to the wine tasting area.
“Yes! They’re living statues. Basically, people dress up as statues and pose at parties, shifting positions occasionally, it’s all coordinated to happen at the same time and see if anyone notices. You’ve heard of people doing street performance in cities like New York? It’s like that, but you hire them for parties. I knew I had to book them for this as soon as I heard about them.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this. I run an arts foundation.” He laughed and moved to one of the statues, closely examining her.
They were all classical women, draped in floor length chiton dresses. They were poised elegantly, and looked to be made of white stone. It was truly living art. I didn’t know how they could hold those positions so long.
“Oh, I almost forgot the bubbles!” I exclaimed.
“Bubbles?”
“I bought some of those bubble machines for the party,” I explained, pulling him along to the stage area. I had stashed the bubble machines back there earlier today.
“Like soap bubbles?” he asked. I nodded while pulling out the four machines and lining them up along the front of the stage. “Don’t you think that’s a little...childish?”
“That’s what makes it fun,” I said flippantly.
I started filling the machines with the bubble soap. As much as I didn’t want to compare the two men, I couldn’t help thinking that J.D. would never call me childish. If I did something he considered silly, he would just laugh and maybe poke fun at me. I flipped on the machines and bubbles immediately started floating up out of them hovering over crowd.
“Isn’t it great?” I asked Keith excitedly.
“Uh, yeah,” he replied unenthusiastically. I tried not to let his reaction bother me. Elliott walked up to the stage and grabbed the microphone as we stood there.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, his voice booming out over the crowd. “May I present our guests of honor, Damian Black and Gigi Stevens.” The couple walked through the archway leading into the garden as the party guests broke out into applause.
I joined in with the clapping, throwing in some cheering for good measure. Damian was wearing a black tuxedo with a blue vest that perfectly matched Gigi. Her dress was a halter top gown that cascaded down her body like water. Her hair was pulled back in a chignon and teardrop earrings glinted in the soft light. I suspected that those
were a new gift from Damian. She looked so beautiful.
I pushed my way through the crowd, Keith hot on my heels, and greeted them enthusiastically. “Hey guys! How much do you love it?” I asked, my arms spread wide to indicate the party as a whole.
“It’s perfect,” Gigi said, her eyes darting around to take everything in.
“Yeah, you guys did great. Where’s J.D.?” Damian asked. I winced.
“I’m sure he’s around here somehow,” I replied, a forced airiness to my voice. I could feel Keith’s eyes on me, but he couldn’t possibly know about my connection to J.D.
“Are you hungry? Let’s grab a bite. I’m starving,” I said to Gigi, grabbing her hand and leading her through the crowd to a table of assorted foods. Most of them were small bites, but there was plenty of variety and I loaded up a plate with as much as I could fit. I knew everything was delicious, of course. J.D. and I had already tried it all to approve the menu.
The four of us took a seat at an empty table and Keith introduced himself to Damian. Oops, I forgot to do that. I shrugged to myself and pointed out the living statues to Gigi.
“Oh wow, that looks good,” Keith said to me, gesturing to the ham and swiss croquettes on my plate. “Can I try that?”
“Sure,” I said, grabbing one and holding it out to him. I expected him to take it from me, but instead he held my wrist in his hand. He then leaned forward, taking a bite from the food as I held it out. Slowly he pulled back, chewing his food while staring at me. It reminded me of my cake sampling with J.D., but without the sexual tension on my end.
Instead of releasing my wrist, Keith trailed his fingers lightly down my forearm. His barely there touch did cause goosebumps to break out over my arms, but I didn’t feel a spark.
“Delicious,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. I found myself unable to look away from his face. He wanted me, I could see it reflected in his hazel eyes.
“Keith!” a voice said loudly, and a hand came down on his shoulder, startling him. Keith pulled away from me and looked up into Hayden’s face. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 28