“I don’t think that’s—” Jenna stops herself. For a moment, she looks almost uncertain, which is jarring on someone usually so composed. “Never mind. I’ll tell Bennett you need a few more minutes.”
She turns to leave, and something in my chest twists. Jenna’s always on the outside of these moments—always the professional, always the assistant, never quite part of the group. And suddenly that feels wrong.
“Jenna, wait.”
She pauses, hand on the door.
“You can stay,” I say. “If you want. We were just...” I glance at Serena and Layla, who both nod encouragingly. “I kissed Logan. Or he kissed me. Both, actually. And now I’m hiding in the bathroom trying to process it while these two interrogate me.”
Jenna stares at me for a long moment. Then, very slowly, she lets the door swing shut.
“You kissed Logan,” she repeats.
“Yes.”
“Logan Whitman. The man who’s been staring at you like a lovesick golden retriever for the past year.”
“He doesn’t—” I start, then stop. “OK, maybe he does. A little.”
“A lot.” Jenna’s mouth twitches—the closest thing to a smile I’ve ever seen from her. “When did this happen?”
“About twenty minutes ago. In the lab. Right before the meeting.”
“That explains why you were both late.” She tucks her tablet under her arm, something shifting in her posture. Less rigid. More... human. “And why his ears turn bright pink every time you two make eye contact.”
Serena snorts. “See? Even Jenna noticed.”
“I notice everything,” Jenna says. “It’s my job.” She pauses, then adds, almost reluctantly, “For what it’s worth, I think you’re good for him. He’s always been so married to his work. But ever since he’s been working with you, I’ve noticed he’s more…alive. That was something painfully absent while you were overseas. He cares for you a lot.”
“That’s... thank you, Jenna.”
She nods, crisp and professional, but there’s a warmth underneath it that wasn’t there before. “I’ll tell Bennett ten minutes. That should give you time to fix your hair—it’s stickingup on one side—and maybe put on some lip balm. You look like you’ve been...”
“Kissed senseless?” Serena supplies.
“I was going to say ‘chafed,’ but yes. That too.” She turns to go, then pauses again. “And Audrey? Dominic’s been texting me constantly about the Tokyo project. Logan is his best friend. So if he has any insights on how to make that man stop being insufferable, I’m open to suggestions.”
“I’ll be sure to ask. But from what I understand, when Dominic decides you mean something to him, that’s it for life. Kind of like a barnacle. You’re not getting rid of him.”
Jenna almost laughs. “That’s what I was afraid of.” She leaves, the clack of her heels receding with surprising lightness.
The three of us stare at the closed door.
“Did Jenna just... have a moment with us?” Layla asks.
“I think she did,” Serena says, sounding awed. “I think we just witnessed Jenna Pemberton experiencing human emotion.”
“She has emotions,” I defend. “She’s just private about them.”
“She’s a vault. A beautiful, terrifying vault.” Serena hands me a tube of lip gloss. “But apparently even vaults crack open for workplace romance gossip. This is historic. I’m marking it on my calendar.”
Layla checks her phone as I apply the gloss. “We should probably head back. I know Jenna said she’d stall. But if Bennett wants to reconvene, we’ve got maybe one more minute before he sends a search party.”
CHAPTER 14
Logan
Ifill my mouth with carbonara and stare at the door, trying very hard not to look like a man watching the door, waiting for the woman he just made out with to return.
