Caught Looking (Hot-Lanta Series)

by Quinn, Meghan

  Jane blushed. “Yea we are seeing each other, it’s been great.”

  Molly yelled from across the shop, “Don’t let her fool you Dolly. They are fucking up a storm every chance they get.”

  Jane turned white. “Molly! Jesus, do you need to shout that?”

  Dolly patted her on the hand and laughed. “Girl, if I were you I would be shouting that across the roof tops. Good for you, but I hope there is nothing too serious between you two because haven’t you heard?”

  Jane looked confused. What hasn’t she heard? Was Dolly about to tell her that Brady was gay? She was standing in a drag queen’s dream and if anyone knew information on what celebrities are in the closet it would be Dolly. Jane was going to set her straight if she tried to tell her Brady was gay. She knew for a fact that was not true, she had proof on many different occasions.

  Jane asked quizzically, “Haven’t I heard what?”

  Dolly leaned over the counter and brought her voice to about a whisper. “That Laney girl saw the picture of the two of you together in one of those magazines and was not very happy. She told my friend and confidant, who is her hair dresser that she was going to get Brady back. She said letting him go was one of the biggest mistakes of her life.”

  Jane sagged in defeat. “Laney? As in Laney Johnson, Brady’s ex-girlfriend? Beautiful blonde movie star?”

  Dolly nodded, patted Jane’s hand and started to walk away to open a dressing room for Albert who had a handful of clothes and said, “I’m sorry honey, but as everyone knows whatever Laney wants, Laney gets.”

  With that Jane sank into a deep purple, velvet chair. Was Dolly right? Was Laney going to try to win Brady back? Would he take her back? She didn’t see why not, that woman was a life size Barbie doll, who wouldn’t want her back? She probably did things for Brady Jane could never live up to.

  No! She wouldn’t do this. Brady told her he loved her, that he was falling for her, Jane Bradley. She had his heart, not Laney Johnson. She had to give Brady the benefit of the doubt and trust that he was serious about her and no one else. But Laney could most likely be very persuasive if she wanted to. Jane saw the Maxim that Laney graced the cover of, she even drooled herself from the cleavage Laney sported. Hands down there was no denying that Laney was more beautiful than Jane but maybe Jane beat Laney in personality? She laughed at herself, ok.

  Jane excused herself outside for a moment. Albert told her to hurry up because he was ready to blow her bra off with his catwalk. Jane pulled her phone out and dialed Brady’s number. Brady always told her to call him when she felt insecure or sad. She waited in anticipation as his phone rang. Damn it went to voicemail. She left him a message.

  “Hey Handsome, its Jane. I, uh just wanted to call you, um, because I heard something and I don’t know it’s stupid, crap sorry forget I called, erase this message. Say hi to Michael for me. Bye.”

  Ugh, she just sounded like an idiot. Good job Jane, after he heard that riveting message he would for sure be more inclined to date Laney. Laney probably left messages in a Marilyn Monroe type voice.

  She probably would have said in a sultry voice, “Hey Brady (rolling her “r”) it’s me, I was just calling you to tell you how sexy you are and that I am naked in bed thinking about you caressing my body. Call me later.” Then she would have giggled and hung up.

  Jane felt like she could puke. She needed to get a grip with her life. This was so not healthy.

  Chapter 18

  Brady finally got out of the video room and rubbed his head hoping it would help clear the fog that eclipsed his brain from being in there too long. He hated looking over scouting videos of pitchers he would face in the upcoming season. He knew they were helpful and come time when he had to go up against them he would be ready but it was still hard to pay attention to them for hours.

  Earlier when Jane text him the picture of her in his t-shirt jersey, he thought about telling her about Laney contacting him but decided to do it over a conversation on the phone instead. That was not a text kind of message to relay. He wanted to make sure he heard her voice when he told her so he could tell if she was upset or not.

  He stopped by his locker to grab all his belongings. He checked his phone and had one voicemail. Shit Jane called hours ago, he hoped it wasn’t important. He listened to her voicemail.

  “Hey Handsome, it’s Jane. I, uh just wanted to call you um because I heard something and I don’t know it’s stupid, shit sorry forget I called, erase this message. Say hi to Michael for me. Bye.”

  Brady stared at his phone and thought that was one weird message. Jane seemed rattled by something. What was she doing today? He was pretty sure she was hanging out with Molly and Albert so why did she seem rattled? Brady had to go back to the training room so instead of calling Jane, he sent her a text message.

  Brady: Hey baby, I got your message, are you ok?

  Jane: Yea, sorry about that just forget it.

  Brady: Ok…how was your day?

  Jane: Fine

  Yes, something was definitely going on that she was not telling him. She was being very short and vague with him, he could tell she was pulling away from him and he needed to call her out on it. He needed to know what happened while he was looking at scouting videos. He hated not knowing when something bothered her, especially when he wasn’t there to console her.

  Brady: Jane I know something is wrong, please don’t pull away from me.

  Jane: I’m sorry Brady, you’re right. There is something that is bothering me. I was at Dolly’s today and she told me some unpleasant news.

  Brady: Dolly’s?

  Jane: You know the drag queen shop, Albert needed a dress for Molly and Luke’s wedding.

  Brady chuckled to himself. Oh of course Albert needed a dress for Luke and Molly’s wedding. He wished he could have been a fly on the wall while they shopped. He would have loved to see the obnoxious clothing deemed worthy by Albert to put on. The guy had quite the ostentatious style and if he was in a drag queen’s paradise Brady could only imagine what Albert picked out. He focused back on Jane and what was bothering her.

  Brady: What did Dolly tell you?

  Jane: She said her friend who is Laney’s hair dresser said that Laney was bragging to everyone about how she is going to win you back and letting you go was one huge mistake.

  Crap! Brady grinded his teeth together and made a low growl in the back of his throat. That was the last thing he wanted to hear. Laney did not stop until she got what she wanted and most likely Jane thought about that.

  And what did Laney mean “letting” him go? Was she deranged? She cheated on him. She was the one who fucked up. She probably saw the pictures of Jane and was jealous that Jane was getting publicity; not Laney.

  Laney also liked the challenge of trying to get what she wanted. She was not saying those things because she actually cared about Brady or loved him. No, she was saying those things so she could get some free publicity. God he hated her. Brady sent a message back to Jane and hoped she believed him.

  Brady: You have nothing to worry about sweet thing. You know you are the one that owns my heart.

  Jane: You promise?

  Brady: Yes, are you kidding me? I could not even focus on the scouting videos today because I kept thinking about your sweet smile, sky blue eyes and bodacious body.

  Jane: Ha, bodacious body. That is a throwback word.

  Brady: You liked it. Damn I need a Jane fix soon or I might explode.

  Jane: I know what you mean. Do you know when you will have some time off soon?

  Brady couldn’t imagine being without Jane for months on hand. He was barely making it now and it had only been a little over a week. He would have a weekend off soon and he knew exactly what he was going to do with it. He wanted to spend time with Jane but he also wanted to get to know her friends better as well and prove to them that he was the perfect fit for her. He should talk to Michael and plan something where he surprised Jane, Molly could help as well. Brady sent a me
ssage back to Jane to throw her off, yes he loved surprises.

  Brady: Probably not for a while, sorry baby.

  Jane: Ugh, I thought you said you were going to at least get one day off a week.

  Brady: So did I. We’re just so busy, I got to go. I will talk to you later.

  Brady couldn’t be texting Jane right now when he needed to make plans for a surprise this weekend. He hoped if he saw her this weekend it would help her forget the rumors about Laney. He decided not to tell Jane about Laney right away, the timing was not right especially after she heard about Laney from Dolly. If he told her Laney had been texting him that would really send her flying off the edge. No, he would wait a little bit and let this new information blow over first.

  Now he needed to make plans to surprise her. First things first, he needed to talk to Michael and get in touch with Molly.

  ***

  Jane started to get quite busy with work and decided that it was time to hire an assistant for additional support. It would a big moment for her. She worked incredibly hard to get to the point where she needed to hire additional staff. Granted it was just one person, but it was still a huge stepping stone for her business.

  It felt like yesterday she found empty office space in the popular neighborhood of Decatur. It was the perfect little space for her. Her office was small with exposed beams that gave off a rustic feeling. She separated the office into two spaces; the main entrance where she did consultations and the back where she kept her personal desk and office equipment. Jane would set up a small desk in the front for the new comer so they could greet clients and take care of any incoming traffic and phone calls.

  She had a couple of interviews today and hoped to hire someone to start next week. She knew it was a pretty tall order but she had an event coming up that she could not do by herself unless she had the ability to split herself in two and be in two different places at the same time. She didn’t get the memo on how to accomplish such a feat so she decided it was time to hire someone else.

  She had a lot of inquiries and resume submissions which surprised her given the fact that she was such a small business. She was nervous because she had never conducted an interview before and she wanted to come off as a strong and confident business woman. She had not talked to Brady much in the last day or so, he had been really busy with spring training. She sent him a quick message.

  Jane: Hey handsome, hope you have a good day. I have my interviews today wish me luck.

  When Jane looked through all the resume’s that were submitted for the position, there was one that pulled her attention the most. A girl named Patty O’Neil, great Irish name, seemed like the best candidate. She had experience in catering and had been part of a wait staff. She also majored in event planning and interned with a small event planning company in New York. In her cover letter she said she wanted to relocate down to Atlanta. Jane was interested to find out the reason for the switch. New York and Georgia were pretty different. Maybe she had a husband or boyfriend that relocated. Jane’s thoughts were interrupted by a text message. It was Brady.

  Brady: Hey sweet thing, good luck today. I’m proud of you.

  Jane’s heart melted as she sighed.

  She interviewed two candidates and they were both very nice and accomplished but she didn’t feel a connection with either of them. One of the candidates, Martha, had the most irritating nose twitch and sniff. Every time she did it Jane cringed. There was no way in hell she would be able to deal with such an irritating habit on an everyday basis. The other candidate, Juan, was a gay man to the fullest. He was very entertaining, too entertaining actually. She was afraid that he would be too busy cracking jokes and being the center of attention that he would distract attention from an event or forget that he was actually there to work. Her next interview was with Patty. She hoped this was the one.

  Patty’s interview was at 1:00pm and it was 1:10pm. Patty was late. Well there went that idea of thinking Patty was going to be a good hire. You can’t be late to an interview and expect to get the job. Jane was annoyed and started to pack up her things when a person came bursting through her door. Startled, Jane looked up and saw a girl with strawberry blonde hair, fair skin and looked like a younger version of Amy Adams. Her hair was a wind-blown mess and her clothes were completely disheveled. She wore high heels and one of them had a broken heel so when she walked she had what looked like one serious limp. What the hell happened to this girl?

  She brushed her hair to the side with her hand and held out the other for a hand shake.

  “Hi, I’m Patty O’Neil. I’m extremely sorry that I’m late. My car broke down five streets down and I sprinted all the way here. It seems like I need to work out a little more since I’m ten minutes late.”

  Jane couldn’t help but smile at the girl. She looked like one serious train wreck but Jane was intrigued. The girl ran from five streets over in heels and a pencil skirt. She was determined Jane would give her that. Jane offered her a seat and grabbed some water for the heavily breathing girl.

  “Well I’m glad you didn’t hurt yourself running over here. Usually I don’t deal with people who are late but I’m interested to hear more about you after seeing your determination just to make the interview. Tell me what brings you to Atlanta?”

  Jane saw a dark cloud pass over Patty’s eyes. Jane wondered if her move to Atlanta was a sensitive subject for the girl. Patty took a second to gather herself and answered the question.

  “I needed a fresh start and my best friend, April, lives in the area. I thought it would be a good move for me.”

  Jane was interested, there was defiantly some history there. She wasn’t going to push her for the details right away but if she did hire her, she would get to the bottom of that conversation.

  Jane asked, “How do you like it in Atlanta so far?”

  Patty perked up a bit. “Oh I like it much better than New York. The weather is amazing and the people are so much friendlier. The area is great too, so much to do.”

  Jane asked her some more questions about her history. She found out she actually played basketball for Marist College where she attended school. She was a point guard since she was the shortest on the team and the best ball handler. Jane liked that she was on a team because it showed Patty could handle responsibility and could be a leader if Jane needed her to be. Her wait staff and catering experience was a plus and her internship gave her great experience working in all different types of event atmospheres. They got a little off track when they started comparing chicken salad sandwiches and egg salad sandwiches but Jane didn’t mind. It was great to actually feel a connection with someone.

  Patty seemed extremely determined to make it on her own and reminded Jane of herself. She admired that about Patty. Jane knew how hard it was to make a name for yourself and if she had any help. It might have been a little less stressful on her. She decided that Patty was in the same boat she was a couple years back, but Jane wanted to offer this girl the help Jane wished she had.

  “You’re willing to work weekends, right?” Jane knew it was stupid question because if you’re into event planning you could bet two tits and a ball sac that you would work weekends.

  Patty replied, “Of course, I expect to work weekends and I’m very flexible. I have nothing holding me down right now.”

  Jane was curious. “No husband, children or boyfriends in the mix?”

  “Nope, completely single and so not ready to mingle. My friend April likes to take me out to meet guys but I’m just not ready yet. I got mixed up in a very abusive relationship and I’m not ready to take on more than I can handle. Right now I’m focused on nothing but myself and my career.”

  Very interesting. Yes, Jane wanted to help Patty. Jane offered her the job on the spot which made Patty jump up and hug her. Jane couldn’t help but laugh and hug her back. They talked about her pay scale, said their good byes and Jane sent Patty on her way. Jane was excited to have Patty working with her. They both had the same mind se
t and they were both very much determined. Jane thought with both of their strengths they had the possibility to really take JB Events to the next level.

  Jane was so excited and there was only one person she truly wanted to share it with. She called Brady. She had not talked to him on the phone in a while, they mostly communicated through text messages because he was so busy or too tired. It started to worry her. Was he already bored with her? Brady’s phone went to voicemail. Jane groaned out loud and waited for the beep.

  “Hey Brady, it’s me. Just calling you to let you know I hired someone. Her name is Patty O’Neil and I think she is going to be great for my business. She looks like Amy Adams so you better not drool all over her when you meet her. Um, kind of sad you didn’t answer your phone. I miss your voice and I miss you. I guess I will talk to you later. I love you Handsome. Bye”

  ***

  Brady’s heart pained when he listened to Jane’s voicemail. It killed him not to talk to her but he really wanted to throw her off. If he talked to her on the phone he knew he would spoil the surprise.

  He was so happy for her that she hired someone and had the opportunity to be able to take her business to the next level. She did everything on her own and used the resources she had to prevail. She was one hell of a business woman.

  Brady had to get packed. His plane was going to leave in a couple of hours and he was still sweaty from practice and had nothing packed. If he had it his way he would pack nothing because he would have preferred to be naked with Jane the entire time he was there but he knew that was not an option. He had a plan and the plan required clothing. He sent Jane a quick message.