by Leddy Harper
“I have no idea what you’re referring to. There’s not a jealous bone in my body.”
“Good, because he’s coming into town this weekend and has asked me to meet him for dinner and drinks.”
Trying my best not to act bothered by that, I cleared my throat and asked, “Oh, yeah? And what did you tell him?” I held up a finger and leaned forward until my chest hit the edge of the table. Looking her dead in the eyes, I added, “And for the record, anything other than hell no, go fuck yourself before my boyfriend breaks your kneecaps is an unacceptable answer.”
She hid her beautiful, contagious smile behind her hand as she giggled uncontrollably. What I wouldn’t give to see that while she lay beneath me. God, she was gorgeous. Stunning, in fact. I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought of her as anything less than the amazing woman that she was. And I wanted to spend as much time as I was allowed with her learning her every tic, every quirk, every flaw, until I knew her every hope and dream and fear like they were my own.
“No…I told him I’d have to check my schedule.”
I shook off the flowery feelings that had consumed me with the sound of her laughter and returned to what we were discussing—her meeting the rat for dinner. “Wait, so you were serious? He really asked you out?”
“He didn’t ask me out. He invited me for dinner and drinks to discuss his offer.”
“When did this happen?” And more importantly, why didn’t she tell me anything about it?
She picked up her phone and tapped the screen a few times while sipping her coffee. When she found what she was looking for, she slid the device across the table. Then she just sat there, drinking her coffee and watching me.
“Umm…” I peeked over the top of the phone and raised my brows. “It seems that he sent this to you on Friday. Why am I just now hearing about it?”
“Because Saturday happened.” She acted like Saturday was some monumental day in history. Then again, it might’ve been for her, considering she threw herself on me, begging me to fuck her in her uncle’s house. So yeah, it would make sense for her to feel like Saturday was on the same level as, say, D-Day.
It was definitely a day that would live in infamy.
“Okay, but we spent nearly all day together on Sunday. Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“You mean when you finally admitted that you’re interested in me? Or should I have waited until we were curled up on the couch, falling in and out of sleep while watching whatever was on TV? Not to mention, Finn…it was the weekend—you weren’t on the clock.” She really needed to stop making sense; she was starting to prove her point that I was acting jealous.
Rather than argue with her, I went back to reading the email, thankful that she’d given me her phone instead of having Siri read it out loud. I scanned through it briefly, checking for anything that stood out, and then started at the top to actually read what the self-righteous prick had to say.
“So basically, he still hasn’t given you any specifics about this campaign.” I continued to read, even though I was too annoyed to pay much attention to it. “Please tell me you haven’t already committed to this deal.”
“Well, I told him I would, but I haven’t signed anything.”
“I see that. Apparently, he plans to bring the finished contract to dinner this weekend.” I leveled my stare on her and added, “Whatever you do, do not sign that until I look over it. Got it?”
She nodded, though she didn’t say anything.
I went back to the email, hating how he’d invited her to dinner. I wouldn’t put it past the creep to hit on her, and I really didn’t like that idea. My only option was to join them, but I wasn’t sure if I could remain professional while sitting there and listening to him flirt with her.
“Well,” I continued, “his ideas don’t sound half bad. I’m sure you can put your twist on them and make them better than he ever imagined. But I don’t like that he hasn’t given you any specifics yet. That makes me a little nervous.”
She took the phone out of my hand and tapped the screen a few more times until she found what she was looking for. It was a DM on her Instagram account, and I instantly regretted not taking over those, too. Gia used to manage those for her, but when I’d taken over the posts, Mady had said she would handle the messages until I got more comfortable. Now I wished I had convinced her to let me deal with all of it from the get-go.
“We discussed the specifics there.”
I scrolled through their conversation, starting at the top. He’d contacted her a little over a week ago, while we were at the dude ranch. It made me wonder if he’d caught wind of that campaign before it was released, but there was no way to know for sure. His first message was just him pitching the idea of her promoting his sunglasses. The first few correspondences were simple and pretty straightforward, but once she showed the slightest bit of enthusiasm, it was like he went from zero to sixty in one message.
While I was aware that Mady had mastered the art of working around her disability, I was still curious about how she’d managed to carry on this conversation without skipping a beat. Sure, she likely had her phone read her the texts, and she could’ve dictated her responses, but it was hard to imagine her doing this all by herself. If I had to bet, I’d say she had her sister’s help.
“Why would you negotiate with him without speaking to me first?” Part of me was offended that she hadn’t confided in me about this opportunity. I realized I wasn’t her manager, but I thought I’d proven myself to be a valuable asset when it came to making deals. Maybe I was wrong.
For a second, she almost appeared fragile, like I’d slapped her with my words. But then she straightened her posture and transformed into the smart, confident businesswoman I knew her to be. “Finn, I’ve managed to get by just fine before you came along. I’m perfectly capable of making a few demands. If it had gotten sticky, then I absolutely would’ve come to you, but so far, he seems to be working with what I’ve asked for.”
“Okay, but from now on, can you at least let me know when something like this happens? I trust that you know what you’re doing, but I would feel much better if I’m not kept out of the loop on this kind of thing.”
“Yeah, I can do that,” she said with a simple grin that made me want to tickle the bottoms of her feet until it stretched across her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was a big deal, and I didn’t want to waste your time if nothing came of it. I get tons of offers like this, but very few turn out to be legit. I promise, as soon as it became more than tossing a few ideas back and forth, I told you about it.”
I nodded and let it go, choosing to put my energy toward the actual deal rather than how it came about—or who it was from. I spent some time researching his company and the other promotions he’d run. From what I could tell, everything was on the up-and-up, and if this went through, it could prove to be a major turning point in Mady’s career. Maybe letting her follow her gut wasn’t such a bad thing.
Between one thirty and two, I pretty much did nothing but watch the clock. Luckily, Mady was too occupied with lunch and laundry to notice how much time I was wasting. I guess it was a good thing she didn’t pay me by the hour. But once two o’clock came, I packed away my laptop and found her in her bedroom, folding clothes on her bed.
Without a word, I held her face between my hands and kissed her until we were both breathless. “I’ve got a new rule. From now on, I get to kiss you when I first get here before we start work. Having to go all day without tasting your lips is fucking torture.”
“That works for me.” She giggled and moved the basket out of the way so I could sit. “I take it you’re off the clock?”
“Yup. My job as your assistant is officially over for the day. Now I’m here as your boyfriend.”
The most gorgeous smile crossed her face right before she leaned in for another kiss, though this time, it was short and sweet. “I love it when you call yourself my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, you’re right. But I think it’ll so
und so much better when you say it to, I don’t know, Mickey this weekend when you meet up with him.”
She tossed a pair of folded socks at my face and shook her head. “Would you feel better if I told him I can’t go?”
I said “no” while nodding, making her laugh again. “In all honesty, this sounds like a really good opportunity, so I don’t want to get in the way of that. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bothered by the way he talks to you. I just don’t think it’s very professional.”
“I’m sure he knows how young I am, so he probably thinks that’s what I want to hear.”
What I really wanted to do was have her tell him that it made her uncomfortable. However, she didn’t seem to be put off by his comments, so I had to bite my tongue and trust her to make the right decisions when it came to this guy.
“I’m just trying to look out for you. I hope you know that.”
Mady covered my hand with hers, rubbing her thumb in calming strokes along my knuckles. “I know, Finn. And I appreciate it. Just as long as you don’t become controlling; I don’t do well with that.”
“Are you used to dating guys who try to control you?”
She offered a lazy shrug and went back to folding her clothes. “It’s not like I seek them out, but it seems to be the type of guy I usually attract. It sucks because they don’t ever show that side until later. It’d be nice if I knew what I was getting into from the start, you know?”
“Trust me, I know. That would’ve saved me a marriage—and a divorce.”
“So, speaking of marriage…” Mady slid off the bed and took a stack of shorts to her dresser to put them away. With her back to me, she said, “My mom called me last night right after you left. I told her about our conversation and how we’ve decided to give dating a try.”
I’m pretty sure I saw my life flash before my eyes.
“Anyway, she was really excited for us. She even sent me several pictures of diamond rings. Technically, she was sending them for you, but since she doesn’t have your number, and I didn’t want her to interrupt your guys’ night, I just had her send them to me to show you.”
“Diamond rings? For what?”
She turned around and swatted her hand through the air, as if brushing off my ridiculous question. “Engagement rings, silly!”
That time, I was sure my life had flashed before my eyes, because I nearly choked on my tongue. “W-why would she send you those? Did you tell her that we’re getting married?”
“Well, isn’t engagement the next step after dating? It’s kind of a given, Finn.”
For the first time, I seriously questioned my judgment when it came to Mady. Until now, she’d disproven my assumptions, so I had no idea where this sudden turn came from. “But we’ve only been dating for a day.”
“Come on! We’ve been getting to know each other for more than a month, so that kind of accelerates the dating process between us. Plus, one day seems long enough for you to get all territorial over me when it comes to Mickey, so what’s the problem with going ring shopping? That way, the evidence that I’m taken will be properly displayed.” She clapped her hands and did a little hop on the balls of her feet. “We have an appointment with my mom’s jeweler tomorrow afternoon. But don’t worry, it’s not until after two, so it won’t interfere with work.”
“Yeah…because, at this moment, that’s exactly what concerns me most.” I was too stunned to think straight. “Wait, are you just saying all of this because of what I said about your dinner with the mouse this weekend?”
That had to be it; there was no way she’d gone psycho overnight. I couldn’t have possibly missed the red flags.
“No, not at all. I don’t understand what the problem is. Did I say something wrong? You’re turning all shades of green and white.”
I stared at her for several long seconds, hoping she’d crack a smile or start laughing. Anything that would let me know she wasn’t serious. But when she went about putting the rest of her clothes away, not a hint of teasing on her face, I had to do something.
“Mady, listen. I’m not sure where our lines got crossed, but you’ve got this all wrong. When we talked yesterday, we agreed to take things slow and feel it out. Now you’re mentioning diamond rings and engagements. I’m sorry, but I’m not ready for that. In fact, I don’t see myself being ready for it anytime soon.” I held my breath and prayed she wouldn’t start crying. If she did, I wouldn’t be able to stick around, which would mean I’d lose my job and my girlfriend all at once.
Then again, that might be a blessing in disguise.
The longer she stared at me, the more her lips began to twitch. At first, I couldn’t tell if she was about to smile or cry, but eventually, her eyes gave her away. They glistened, but with pure amusement instead of tears. It was enough to make me sigh with relief, right before a twinge of irritation spread through me.
“Why would you do that?” I demanded, happy to know it was a joke but annoyed that she’d let it go on so long. “You had me questioning your sanity.”
Finally giving up the act, she howled in laughter and dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach as tears rolled down her cheeks. Meanwhile, I just sat there, straight-faced, and waited for her to catch her breath so she could explain herself.
“April Fools!” she shouted through her giggles.
I pulled my phone from my pocket to check the date. Sure enough, it was April first. I had no idea how I’d missed that—the events of the last few days probably didn’t help. I was the prank master in my circle, and I couldn’t help but berate myself for passing up an opportune moment to get one over on Mady.
“I see how it is. You got me this time, but prepare yourself for next year. I have three hundred and sixty-four days to plan the perfect hoax. I don’t know what it’ll be yet, but I can guarantee it’ll make yours look like child’s play.”
“Game on, Kelly.” She wiped her eyes as her laughter died down.
I didn’t know how, but Mady managed to become more perfect every day.
15
Mady
If I didn’t get a grip soon, my nerves would end up getting the best of me.
It was Saturday night, and I was on my way to meet Mickey for dinner. I’d waited all week for Finn to offer to come with me, but he never did, and I didn’t want to ask him outright, for fear of coming across like I couldn’t handle things on my own. I mean, I could, and he knew that, but I’d made such a stink about not needing him to manage every little thing that I didn’t really have a reason to invite him along.
Now I wished I’d just sucked it up and asked.
I wasn’t entirely sure what Mickey looked like; it wasn’t like he had his picture posted anywhere. I knew he was in his early forties, but other than that, everything was vague. Luckily, I wasn’t forced to pick him out of a crowd, because the hostess led me straight to him. She stopped at a table, held out her arm to let me know we’d reached our destination, and then left. But as I took in the man who I assumed to be Mickey Hamilton, I began to freak out, worried that I’d greet him and take a seat, only to discover I’d been led to the wrong table. Thankfully, he took the initiative and I didn’t need to stress further.
“Mady! It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you!” The tall, attractive man with dark hair stood and pulled me into an awkward hug, the kind where you don’t quite get your arms up in time, so they’re kind of pinned to your sides. At least I knew I didn’t have the wrong table.
When he finally released me, I went to take a seat, only for him to move behind me and pull out my chair. I was seconds away from falling on my ass in the middle of the restaurant, yet I managed to recover flawlessly and sit down before he pushed the chair back in.
“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I’m glad you were able to find time in your schedule.” He took his napkin and draped it over his lap. Everything about this guy screamed money, from his posture to his perfectly styled hair to his suit that probably cost more than m
y entire wardrobe. “I much prefer to do this in person than over email, but in this business, that doesn’t happen often. So it’s really nice when it works out.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, so I smiled and offered a nod.
His expression softened as he took me in. “Wow, I didn’t think it was possible, but you are more beautiful in person than in your photos. With all these filters and makeup apps these days, you can never be sure how someone looks in real life. But, I’ve got to say, Mady, you are absolutely stunning.”
My cheeks flamed with heat, forcing me to drop my attention to the menu set out in front of me. I didn’t have the first clue how to respond to that, even though it wasn’t the first time I’d heard it. However, coming from Mickey Hamilton, a man who was almost twice my age—and quite attractive if I were being honest—made it uncomfortable.
Finn had been worried about the way Mickey spoke to me, thought he was too flirtatious, yet I’d passed it off, telling him I was used to it and that it didn’t mean anything. However, now that I sat across from him, looked him in the eye as he complimented me, I started to wonder if Finn’s concerns held some validity.
“I can’t wait to see the photos of you wearing my glasses. I know they’re going to fly off the shelves once your posts gain traction. Every woman will see it and buy them in hopes that they’ll look as good as you.” His eyes crinkled when he smiled, showing his age a little more—although he still didn’t look a day past thirty. Then again, if I had that much money, I’d probably be able to afford the best moisturizer, too.
“That’s really kind of you to say, Mickey.”
Just then, the waiter stopped at our table to take our drink orders. Usually, I’d ask for something strong to get me through a meeting like this, but a little voice in the back of my head—which sounded eerily like Finn—warned me against it.
“I’ll take a bourbon, neat. And what kind of wine do you have for the lady?”
I held up my hand to stop the gentleman from wasting his breath with the wine list. “Oh, I’m okay. I’ll just take a glass of water with lemon, please.”