He twists in his seat to face me as he deadpans, “I’m shocked.”
“Back before the wedding, I was putting my sister-in-law Samantha on, acting as if I was trying to win Janie over. She knows Janie well. She said not to do any grand gestures, nothing romantic, nothing extravagant or expensive.” Nigel makes a face. Because he knows me. I always do all those things. Not only for women, either. Friends, family, staff. I give giant gifts. I used to pull huge practical jokes on my brothers. Anything to make people smile, release some tension. I’ve never really held back before. “Yeah,” I respond to his face.
“What’d you do?”
“It wasn’t crazy, I hired a decorator to make over her work cube in Halloween decorations. The whole office does it. And it wasn’t even that expensive.”
“D’you pay off the night security guards?”
“Of course.”
“Pay overtime for the decorator’s staff, pay extra for the materials the decorator probably had to expedite and—”
I raise a hand. “I get it.”
“Did she at least like the stuff?”
I let out a small laugh. “I don’t really know.”
“Huh,” he turns back around and grabs his keys and sunglasses. “Well, guess it’s a good thing you don’tlike herlike her, huh?”
I huff, “Don’t be cute, Nigel. I do notlike herlike her. I just don’t want to piss her off!” I find myself yelling at the man who is already out of the car. “You going to come round and get my d—” but he slams his door shut and walks toward the Clark Industries jet.
I let myself out and follow after him. I feel rattled from our conversation, but I’m sure I’ll feel better relaxing on the plane, drink in hand, seat reclined.
So, she didn’t love the gesture, so what? It was good for appearances, as I bloody said! Nigel says nothing more as I sit on the sofa across from him. But he grunts in annoyance.
Rude old bastard.
“Right, ready to head to whatever Clark Enterprises has going in North Texas?” our pilot asks.
I open my mouth and barely, justbarelystop myself from telling him to take the jet to New Jersey rather than Dallas. “Yes,” I say instead.
I’m not rushing off to Janie, who doesn’t want to see me. This is what we agreed on. I travel, she works, we make appearances once a week. This is what I want.
…Is this what I want?
No.
Not really.
Purposely ignoring the smug look I receive from Nigel as I stand, I quickly head to the cockpit.
15
JANIE
“Mrs. Clark?” I hear someone say. “Mrs. Clark?” Again, louder.
Oh! She means me.
I grit my teeth. Everyone here is way too invested in my marriage. I haven’t even changed my name.
Crap, I am probably going to have to change my name.
“Oh, sorry, yes?”
“You have a visitor at the front,” Gloria says, almost giggling.
