I was binge-watching Project Runway, waiting for the inevitable moment when the token Plus Size model would be eliminated, when an unknown number rang through on my cell phone.
Not unusual, since I used the phone for business. I summoned my inner customer service persona, and swiped to answer. “This is Jaelyn.”
“Don’t hang up, please.”
All the ice cream in the world couldn’t suffocate the hurt Owen’s voice summoned. I was too frozen to speak or disconnect. If I said anything, I wouldn’t be able to hide how I felt, and he wasn’t worth the tirade that wanted to push past my lips.
“Lyn?”
“My friends call me Lyn, you don’t.” I kept my voice steel. “I’m not signing your contract.”
“That’s not why I’m calling. I want to apologize.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. We all know what happened. I would have preferred to know up front I was part of the business transaction, so I’d know I was a whore.” I winced at the emotion that leaked into my words.
“Technically we were the ones exchanging sex for what we wanted. But we weren’t—”
My fury spiked. “Are you actually mansplaining my own feelings to me?”
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intent.” Owen sounded sincere. Then again, he had yet to sound otherwise. “And sex plus a business proposition wasn’t either. I didn’t go into that thinking If we fuck, that’ll make negotiations easier.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Neither did Kingston. He’s a good guy.”
Why hadn’t I hung up yet? Because he didn’t get to see how pissed off I was. “He is your business partner.” Friend? Lover? I’d never actually clarified that, but it didn’t matter. “It might not be a great relationship if you didn’t think highly of him.” I bit back my thoughts about Kingston trying too hard, in order to hide his insecurities. “Let me guess, he just has a hard time separating business and pleasure. Did you know who I was at the coffee shop?”
“No.”
“Really.” My tone was back to flat.
“I swear to you.”
A clipped laugh slipped out. “Your word doesn’t mean anything to me.”
“That’s fair.” Owen let out a long exhale. “Listen, forget the pitch. Come up to the reservoir with us this weekend.”
Seriously? My disbelief and distrust couldn’t crank any higher. “Why?”
“You’ll like these people, not just as connections, but as people. And I had fun the other day, we’d like to spend time with you again.”
Uh-huh. “What’s your end game?” I didn’t understand any of this, including why I hadn’t hung up yet. Oh, right, because I wasn’t letting him see that I cared.
“As in, what am I hoping to achieve?”
“Exactly that. Is this the next attempt to lull me into a false sense of security, and then dump another you won’t want to turn this down pitch on me? Tug at my emotions to get me to play?” My experiences said that was the only reason for someone to keep trying this hard to win me over—they wanted something.
“Do I strike you as a tug on emotions kind of guy?” Owen asked flatly.
Mister Infuriating Logic? “No.”
“My end game is spending more time with you. And as Kingston would say, enjoying the view. We’ll pick you up at six Sunday morning.”
“I haven’t said yes, and I’m not up that early on a Sunday anyway.”
“You are, because you bake everything fresh the same day.”
Logical prick. I did still want to meet his friends. It may not do me any good, if this was some sort of cruel prank—my gut curdled at the idea mixed with memories. But if he was sincere, I may have a way to easily take care of this zoning thing, and if it was a joke, they’d never know they had any impact on me. I knew how to grin through the worst.
“Are you in?” Owen asked. “I should warn you, we’re not giving up on your café, but I’ll find a different way to convince you, and it won’t involve tricks or sex or asking over and over again.”
“I’m curious to see how what you think will work.” And I was ready to turn him down, regardless.
“Me too. Sunday at six?”
He wasn’t getting the best of me. Telling him no felt like the easy out. I was going to make them work for a result they weren’t going to get. “I’ll be ready.”
Chapter Eight
Saturday night, Anne was already at the restaurant when I arrived five minutes early. So were Luna and Violet, but they stood several feet away from Anne.
I tugged them all together, and made introductions. I’d met Luna a few times, but she tended to be quiet unless she was talking about topics she was passionate about.
Sadie showed up just a few minutes later. “Oh, come on,” she called lightly as she approached. “I was even on time. Do you know anyone else who’s not early to everything?”
“Fashionably tardy is one of your charms,” I teased.
Sadie stuck her tongue out at me and flipped me off. “Two minutes early is not late.”
“Come on.” Anne grabbed my arm. “I skipped lunch. I’m starved.”
“How did you skip... Oh. Chase is out of town, isn’t he?” I put the pieces together. She needed a Chase in her life to keep her fed, she was so skinny.
That was the last thing I needed in mine. A man who wanted me to eat more. Lunch with Owen and Kingston rushed back, rapidly followed by the memories of amazing sex, and asinine things said after.
Tomorrow was only to make connections.
We were shown to a table, and conversation was stuttered as we ordered drinks and food. I wasn’t in the mood for Sadie and Anne to give me looks for getting a salad, so I indulged with quesadillas, and asked for a box, so I could put half of it aside immediately.
As our food arrived, things relaxed.
Anne and Luna slid into more technical conversation, filled with terms I only understood in the loosest sense. They were swapping programming stories and, from the laughs, jokes in a literal different language.
I’d never seen Luna this interactive. It made me smile that she and Anne were getting along so well.
“You obviously know your shit. What do you need me for?” Anne dipped a fry in enough ranch dressing to drown it, and popped the food in her mouth.
“I can’t get anyone to talk to me. Like, interviewers and such.” Luna pushed her food around her plate.
She could be some serious competition for me when it came to picking-but-not-eating.
Anne tilted her head and studied Luna. “What’s your specialty?”
“Network security.” Luna’s enthusiasm for high-level java jokes vanished beneath a soft voice.
Violet nudged her. “She’s the best. Seriously. She did this thing with my VPN... Am I allowed to tell them about that?”
Luna nodded. “Only them.”
“She did this thing where... hell, she basically rewrote it, and now I can watch K-Dramas as they air.”
“You don’t speak Korean.” Not that I was aware of, anyway.