by Lexy Timms
"Oh my goodness," Jamie whispered.
Alex couldn't even look at her and Jamie could see his hands tremble as he reached for her drink and gulped it down. "I'm a lot different now," he said weakly. "I don't lose my temper like that anymore."
Jamie realized he actually was pleading with her to agree. He needed her approval and he was scared that she wouldn't give it now that she knew what he had done. She reached out and touched his hand. "I understand why you did it," she said simply. "I'm not saying it was okay for you to lose it like that, but your intentions are completely admirable."
Alex looked up at her, surprised. "You really think so?"
"I do. I mean, I can hardly say it was wrong of you. Nobody else stood up for that poor girl. You did the same for me."
Alex breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed her fingers. "Thank you," he said. "I was sure you would think I was a monster."
"You’re not even close to being a monster," she chuckled. “Maybe a demon of a businessman, but that doesn’t make you a monster.”
He smiled weakly. “My father would disagree. He was furious when he found out. Except, instead of backing up his son, or even taking the fucking time to ask why I had done it, he just assumed I was guilty. When the weasel-shit called the cops and pressed charges, my father backed him up. The asshole raped his girlfriend and then I was the bad guy for taking action! You’d have thought my father would have been proud. He could be ticked for me beating the asshole up but he should have been proud I defended someone who was weaker and unable to defend themselves. Wasn’t that the whole friggin’ reason he was in the Navy. To serve justice and all that shit?” Alex stared at her, his eyes bright and angry.
“I don’t know.” Jamie tried to smile and felt her eyes sting with tears she didn’t want to fall. “You defended and protected me when Stephen came by drunk. I think that was pretty admirable of you.”
"Well, I spent three months in juvie. With no thanks to Naval Captain Reid." Alex played with Jamie's fingers, unwilling to let go of the comfort of her hand. "I was there three months and not once did my dad, or even fucking Mark, come visit me. It was like they were all embarrassed! My own family couldn't bear to look at me. When I came home, my father didn't speak or even make eye contact with me. He sent me off to boarding school as soon as I was out of juvie and then enrolled me in boot camps for the summer.”
Jamie stared at him, horrified at what he had gone through. Why would they do that to him?
“I was seventeen—almost eighteen—when I left. I graduated early, only because I was able to test out. I moved as far away as I could freakin’ get from where I came from. I got a job waiting tables to put myself through college. When I was nineteen I made my first investment and started researching the stock market, and Wall Street. By the time I graduated with a bachelor’s in business, I was already making enough off of my investments to live off of, quite well off, actually. I started my own stock broker company the week I graduated.”
“That’s incredible.”
“I was determinded to make something of myself and prove to that bastard he was wrong every time he called me a lazy-ass bum."
"That's why you work so hard?" Jamie asked. "Because you’re angry at your father?"
He shook his head and let go of her hand so he could motion to the bar to bring them another drink. "It started out that way," he admitted. "Then it became an obsession. The more money I made, the easier it was to pretend I was someone else. Someone who didn't have a screwed-up past and an asshole father. Or a brother that never once tried to back me up.” He paused when the bartender set two new glasses on the table. Alex took a swig and then cleared his throat. “Don’t get me wrong, I tried to keep a relationship with my brother and mother. After all, they were innocent in this. However, they let him stay mad at me and never tried to defend me. I refused to go home for Christmas, never called on birthdays, nothing. I stayed in touch briefly with Mark, but when he started pressuring me to make up with Dad, I pushed him away. He took my father's side, of course, and told me to apologize. The last time I saw Mark, it ended in a fistfight with him having a broken nose and me a black eye. That was ten years ago. The next time I saw him was when he walked into my office."
"I'm so sorry," Jamie said. "I had no idea."
He shrugged. "Now you do. So, don’t ask me to be sympathetic to my family. They are better off without me, and I’m better off without them.” He reached for his glass and pointed the rim in her direction. "It's similar to your family, in a way. Your sister’s a spoiled little bitch who your mother can’t stop trying to polish and shine. Only difference is that you handle it a lot better than me."
"Hardly," said Jamie and traced the wood grains on the table with her finger. "I've pretty much been a wet blanket all my life. I tried to bend to my family's wishes and whim. Heck, I even got fired from my sister’s maid of honor position. Not demoted to bridesmaid, but basically kicked out of the wedding."
Alex's head snapped up. "What?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It only happened on Friday, not exactly news to share at a work brunch."
"Oh shit!" Alex ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Jamie. That's all my fault.”
“No, it’s not. I didn’t do what they wanted and my sister freaked out. I’m finally getting some backbone. That’s because of my job. I should be thanking you.” She tried to smile, but the disappointment of not meeting her sister’s expectations hurt more than she thought it had.
“I was trying to make things better and instead I screwed it all up again."
"What do you mean?" Jamie had no idea what Alex was talking about.
"I couldn't get over how Stephen had assaulted you in the parking lot and I was worried he would do it again. Since he's marrying your sister, he'll always be in your life, and the last thing I want is for something like that to happen again when I'm not around to protect you."
"What did you do?" Jamie whispered. Her heart rate sputtered and belted out a rapid rhythm.
"I threatened Stephen." Alex looked at her, anger blazing in his eyes from the memory. "I told him that if he didn't stay away from you, or if he made you uncomfortable in any way, I was going to wreck his father's company. I could buy it way below its real value and then rip it apart and make sure no one would even know that it had existed. Not only would it destroy his father's lifework, but it would kick Stephen out of his easy and comfortable lifestyle effectively. I think he told your sister to kick you out of the wedding." He shook his head. "I’m so sorry, Jamie. I was trying to help. I'll fix it, okay? I'll explain it all to Christine and—"
"No." Jamie shook her head, smiling suddenly. She couldn't help but feel proud and oddly excited at the thought of Alex threatening Stephen to protect her. She knew a cold-hearted move like that could ruin his reputation if the press got the right spin on it. But he was willing to do it to protect her? "I didn't want the maid of honor job anyway. It was exhausting work and I had to deal with Christine's nagging, and for what? An ugly, size-six mermaid gown? It definitely isn't worth it.” She chuckled again. “Did you really threaten Stephen?” When he nodded, she continued, “It was really sweet that you did that on my behalf."
Alex smiled hesitantly. "Really sweet? I was kind of thinking it was barbaric and manly.”
"Yes," she laughed. "Very barbaric and tough and monster-like. You probably shouldn't have, but I appreciate you risking your reputation on your assistant."
Alex grabbed her hand and pressed his lips against her knuckle, which made Jamie's heart stutter again. "I would follow through, in a heartbeat," he said. "You matter more to me than just about anything else."
Jamie swallowed. They were crossing a line she wasn’t sure they should cross, or even sure if they’d already crossed it.
Alex seemed to realize it as well at the same time. He straightened suddenly and dropped her hand. “I mean, I’d be lost without you as my assistant. Nobody can do what you do. I’d never be able to
hire someone else because they don’t exist. You’re like part superwoman or something.” He grinned, but it looked forced.
Maybe Mark had been right about his brother's feelings after all. But thinking about Mark reminded her why they were there. "What’re you planning to do about your family?"
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he suddenly had a bad headache. "I'll go to see them," he said finally.
“You will?” She couldn’t hide the relief in her voice.
"But only if you come with me.” He shocked her with his words. “You’re the only person I trust with this information. We can continue to work and make sure the company runs smoothly."
He had somehow managed to turn this personal trip into something business related. She understood his reasoning, but was unsure if she could keep her feelings just business. However, he needed her. It terrified and exhilarated her at the same time. She would never understand why he had so much faith in her. "Okay." Jamie nodded slowly. "I'll go. Mark said they still were at the same address an—”
"I know the place." Alex reached for his beer and finished it.
Chapter 10
They drove home in silence. As they pulled into the long drive to Alex’s house, he began to talk. “If you are uncomfortable coming…”
“I’ll be fine. I can get things sorted in the office tomorrow, clear your schedule, and make sure there is a temp to cover for Gina if she’s still stick.” She pulled her phone out and saw she had missed a call from Nicholas and a message from Gina. “Looks like Gina’s back in business.”
“Good.” He pulled his car into the garage. “Are you sure you’re okay to come?” He turned the ignition off and turned to face her.
She hesitated, unsure if he was having second thoughts about inviting her along. Maybe it had been heat of the moment and now, having a chance to think about it, he probably wasn’t sure he wanted her around his family. He might be embarrassed. “It’s up to you, Alex. I can come with you or I can stay here and manage the office.” She bit her lip, hoping her reply would let him decide what he wanted and not force her to make the decision.
Alex opened his car door and got out. “Fine. I’ll let you know in the morning.” He walked toward the door leading to his house as Jamie got out. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jamie. Thanks.” He disappeared behind the door, letting it automatically shut behind him.
Jamie stood in the garage alone and finally moved when the automatic garage door opener light shut off. She moved quickly then, feeling awkward. She headed out the side door and walked around to her suite. The sun had set and the automatic lights blinked on as she passed them. The night sky already had stars sprinkling across it like sparkly dust. She didn’t know what to think or how to stop her brain from thinking about Alex.
Maybe it would be better if she didn’t go. She was trying so hard to keep her heart out of her job, but her feelings kept jumping back in. She wanted Alex to see his family, to be able to say good-bye to his father, however, did she really need to be there? At times it felt like Alex was pulling her towards him and then it felt like he was pushing her away. He made it clear that he needed her as his PA, nothing more. He’d just gone away with some woman for shit’s sake! He didn’t want her in his bed. She’d keep everything professional. If he wanted her to come to—where were they going, anyway? She kicked a small stone on the sidewalk. If he needed her to come along, it would be completely business related. Nothing more. There would be no personal interruption on her part. She could keep it all professional. Again.
She unlocked her apartment door and slapped her forehead when she stepped inside. Shit! She was going to have to ask him for a ride into work tomorrow. She had left with him and her car was still in the parking garage at work. Again.
Her phone vibrated in her jacket pocket. She pulled it out and saw Nicholas’ name on the screen. “Not now,” she muttered, tempted to send her phone to call-answer. Instead, she shrugged out of her jacket as she swiped her phone. “Hey Nicholas.” She needed to tell him she wasn’t interested in dating. At least not now.
"Hello, Jamie," Nicholas replied, sounding cheerful. Jamie's stomach churned. Either she would lead him on or totally spoil his good mood. Then Nicholas surprised her. He cleared his throat. "You probably think I'm about to ask you to dinner, but I'm actually calling to give you an out."
"An out?"
“Yeah, you see, on my way home from work, I went to stop at my favorite watering hole for a drink. It’s a local dive. Great chicken wings.” He hesitated, as if waiting for her to say something. Jamie didn’t know what to say. “I noticed Mr. Alex Reid in the corner, by the moose. You were there. It looked like a pretty intense conversation, you didn’t even notice me.”
Jamie groaned. "It's not what you think," she said. "He's my boss. We were just having a quick business meeting. Nothing more." Lame. Real lame, Jamie.
"You don't have to explain yourself, Jamie," Nicholas said. "It really isn't any of my business. Whatever the meeting was about, I saw the way you looked at him and I know you’re not available for dinner." Jamie was silent, too embarrassed to say anything. Nicholas chuckled kindly. "Listen, no hard feelings, okay? I'm still happy to meet you for dinner if you want."
He wasn’t going to let her off that easy, was he? She was passing up on a real sweetie. Alex had mentioned Nicholas wasn’t poor and he didn’t trust the guy. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
"Alex and I aren’t dating."
“Yet.” He chuckled. “Don’t let him be an idiot and screw it up. Look, I’ve got to go. Keep my number, if things change.”
“I will. Sure. Thanks. Uh, see ya?” She knew she sounded like an idiot, but she didn’t know what else to say. After she hung up, Jamie threw herself down on her bed. Nicholas was right. She couldn't deny she had feelings for Alex that were far from professional, regardless of what his own feelings were. She was fooling herself if she thought she could keep it professional. It wasn’t going to happen.
She wanted to scream in her pillow.
Damn it! First, she fell in love with the boss' son and let that crash and burn. And now she was in love with her boss.
Her phone vibrated against her hand. She lifted it up to check who was calling.
It was a text from Alex: Flight booked. We leave at noon.
****
Even under the circumstances, Jamie couldn’t help but be excited about travelling first class. The seats were huge! People looked at you with envy as they headed into the sardine can behind them. They were the only two in first class. The stewardess kept coming by offering a beverage and Alex, looking like he could really use one, politely said no.
They had barely spoken at the office. Jamie had woken early, went for a workout on the treadmill and then packed her suitcase. She had been about to call for a taxi when Alex knocked on her door and said he was heading into work if she wanted a lift. She hadn’t argued and that was the last time they spoke, until he told her it was time to head to the airport. Incredibly awkward. She hated it.
“You still planning on going to the wedding?” Alex asked suddenly.
Jamie looked over at him from the book she held, but hadn’t been reading. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I was kind of waiting to see if she would call me.” She set the book down. “She’d been calling and messaging me five to twenty times a day. Now it’s stopped completely. It feels weird.”
“You should go. It might be good to give her a good dose of feeling small,” Alex said, his face revealing nothing. “You look good. You’ve lost weight. You’re confident. You’ve got one hell of a job to brag about.” He winked at her. “You show up looking incredibly gorgeous and she’ll wish you were still her maid of honor, instead of whatever bony, bitter friend she chose.”
Jamie laughed. “That’s okay. I’m not into paybacks.” She smiled, glad he was talking to her again. “I don’t think I’ll have fun. Besides, she thinks bony is great.”
“Perhaps there’s an
other way to get back at her, then.” He tapped his finger against the leather arm of his chair. “You need a date. Someone to blow her mind, and everyone else’s. I should take you! Stephen told me, after I hired you, that Christine went on about how you were going to have the hots for me and would never stand a chance. I’d never be interested in a girl like you.”
Jamie flushed. “He told you that?”
“Multiple times. I’ve had way too many run-ins with your family than I care to count. I can’t stand mine, but yours… they’re crazy.” He chuckled. “She would hate it if we showed up together, I’m sure.” He held his hand up. “You’re coming along on this trip for me. Let me make it even, and help you with that.”
Her stomach dropped. He wasn’t offering to go because he wanted to, he was doing it to keep things fair. “You wouldn’t want to go to this wedding. You don’t even like the bride and groom.”
“No, but this is business.” Alex smiled grimly. “And I want to make Stephen realize he picked the wrong sister to mess with.”
Jamie shivered. Only Alex would consider a threat a business arrangement. “Trying to get back at Christine seems like way too much effort. I’d rather just let everything go and carry on with my life.”
“The decision is yours to make. Just know that the offer is there if you want to.” He straightened in his seat as the fasten seat belt sign lit up. “I don’t like owing people favors, but I always pay up.”
She stared at him a moment and then sighed. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me anything. I’m happy to help you out with this.” As a friend.
“Sorry I made you miss your date with Nicholas.” He cleared his throat. “I saw it in your schedule… our calendars are connected.” He looked away suddenly.
Jamie arched her eyebrow. “It’s okay,” she said. “The date got called off anyway. Nick saw us at that bar last night. I tried to explain but he…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, I guess.”