“So, an order then?” I said, cocking my head.
He nodded. “I don’t think that part of me is going to change, honey.”
I grinned and tipped up my face. “Thank goodness I don’t want it to change,” I said before standing up on tiptoe for a second kiss. “I should get back to work before people start wondering where I disappeared to,” I said, straightening his tie. “And didn’t you mention last night that you have an appointment with the investors today?”
His jaw clenched involuntarily. “Investors,” he muttered. “I used to be one of those. Now I just sit across from them making presentations instead of evaluating theirs.”
I paused, studying his expression. “You could always reschedule the meeting if you want to.”
For a moment, the idea must have been tempting because I saw temporary relief on his face before he shook his head. “Ifonly I could reschedule my entire career back to when I was actually happy.” He paused, adding, “See you at home.”
I walked out of the meeting room, feeling troubled by the knowledge of Jonah’s discontent, and made my way down to the break room.
When I stepped inside to get coffee, people in there suddenly stopped talking as soon as I walked in.
Weird.
My phone had three missed calls by the time I reached my desk with my cup. I saw that it was Dylan and called him back reluctantly. It had been a while since we’d spoken and I felt I should update him on the progress I’d made with Jonah.
“Have you seen the news?” he asked the moment he answered my call.
“What news?”
“There’s an article about you and your boyfriend in the newspapers. Evie’s picture is in it.”
Shit. What the hell?
“It’s an article about how you’re the perfect Cinderella story,” Dylan continued, while Stacey spotted me, and looking around, pulled me quickly into an empty meeting room. “Going to get hitched to billionaire Jonah Walkers, who you’re now living with, apparently. And how Evie’s life is magically going to change for the better.” He paused, and I could hear the bitterness in his voice. “He’s perfect Dad material, apparently. Oh, and there’s a picture of you, Jonah, and Evie in the playground near your apartment.”
My heart sank. Stacey pulled up the news article, and my jaw dropped at the pictures of me and Jonah andEvie.
“That’s us,” I muttered, seeing a picture a bystander had stealthily taken of us in the playground.
Evie didn’t know better, but I had a bad feeling about this.
“You said you wanted a life of stability and safety for Evie. Is this what it’s going to be like now that you’re with Mr. Billionaire? Evie’s going to make it to the news every other week?”
I hung up the call, my eyes pricking with tears while Stacey shook her head and squeezed my hand.
“It’s okay, Lexi. It’ll all be okay,” she murmured. I took a few steadying breaths, then stood and pushed open the meeting room door. As I stepped out, I caught the flicker of a few intense gazes landing on me. They quickly averted their eyes when they caught me watching.
Wordhadspread through the office like wildfire. Damn it.
I stepped back into the meeting room and grabbed my phone, hoping for a message from Jonah. Nothing.
I sent him a quick text.
LEXI
Do you know what’s going on?
Then, setting the phone down, I took a breath and forced myself to focus. If I could just get through the day, I could go home and think in peace without feeling like there were a hundred pairs of eyes following my every move.
Brian appeared at the door, with three laptops tucked under his arm. “Got yours,” he said, holding one out to me as he walked in. He handed the other one to Stacey, who took it with an understanding nod. “Figured we’d make this our little war room for the day.”
He glanced at me with a kinder expression. “We’ll work from here. There’ll be less gawking that way.”
He closed the door behind him with a quiet finality, cutting off the hum of office chatter.
