“Why didn’t you say something?” Georgia asks me with concern.
“It doesn’t matter.” I gesture to Darcy to keep going.
“He pointed out that all those guys got their jobs because of their connections and that it wasn’t any different.”
I’m struck speechless. He stuck up for me?
“He saw me crying,” I blurt out. “After that meeting.” I don’t know why I’m telling them this. Georgia looks like I’ve slapped her, she’s so surprised. She’s never seen me cry. “He, um.” I swallow. “He knew I felt bad about what Gary said and told me Gary was the stupidest person he’d ever met.” I take a deep breath, replaying the way his eyes went kind and soft and how everything inside me had settled. “And he told me I belonged at the Storm and that he believed in me. That I was smart and talented and hardworking.”
In that moment, I felt like if I fell, he’d catch me. Pippa grabs Hazel’s hand but I barely notice.
He’s my boss, not my—I don’t know. But what about that stuff after I babysat Bea?
“He, um.” I clench my eyes closed. “Told me he was attracted to me.”
The table is very, very silent.
“This was after I babysat Bea,” I add.
Hazel’s jaw drops. “He let you babysit Bea?”
Darcy stares. “Wow.”
“Is that... bad?” I look between them. “What are you not saying?”
Bea’s been reading in the guesthouse almost every weekend morning that she’s staying with Tate. The other day, a drawing was tucked under my door—us listening to music on the record player.
“He doesn’t trust anyone with Bea,” Georgia tells me with a small smile. “He’s extremely protective over her.”
“Oh.” I blink, once again at a loss for what to say. “Oh,” I say again.
Well, then. He doesn’t trust anyone, but he trusts me.
He fired Gary the Fuckhead for me.
He told me he was jealous over me and that he was attracted to me.
I had a good sleep,he said the day after we slept in the same bed.
Idefinitelycan’t tell them about that. Georgia’s head will fall off.
“He said he didn’t want it.” I don’t know why I’m telling them this. “He said he didn’t want to be attracted to me. He said it was never going to happen.”
He gave my panties back. I don’t know why that’s so disappointing.
Georgia presses her lips together like she has something to say but is holding it back.
“Spit it out,” I prompt.
“Nah.” She smirks. “I had to figure it out on my own, so you have to, too.”
I blanch. “What doesthatmean?”
“Enough embarrassing Jordan.” Darcy gives Georgia a firm look.
The conversation moves on to actual work-related topics, and when Hazel brings up Darcy and Hayden’s upcoming wedding, Darcy lets out a deep sigh.
“We’ve got so much going on right now. Okay, me. I’ve got so much going on right now. Randeep is on paternity leave this season, and I thought we’d be fine without him but it’s actually quite a bit of work.”
