For a second, he felt himself rear back, like he was watching a show where the innocent maiden was seduced by the devil with his temptations. Then he blinked, and the vision dissipated.
“Why are you looking at me funny?”
Explaining what he’d just thought he’d seen didn’t seem like it would fly. And he knew that she was always reluctant to do something she didn’t feel like was her own suggestion. He had to be wise, be careful in what he said next. “Look, I just feel like if you drink it, it’s telling the guy—who you don’t even know—that he’s allowed to have some part of you. And you don’t know who he is. He could be part of the mob.”
She scoffed. “We don’t have the mob here in Australia.”
“Don’t be so sure of that. It might not be what you see in movies, but crime gangs exist here too.”
Her eyes widened. “Come on, Jordan. That’s insane. You’re being so judgemental. He’s probably just a nice guy who thought he’d be kind and send something to a girl he might think was pretty.”
While EJ was definitely pretty, Jordan was so torn by internal warning flags he couldn’t feed her ego and agree aloud. “Guys try to own women, and I can’t believe you’re so naive as to fall for it.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she picked up the drink and swallowed. “Mmm. Delicious.”
“Wow. Okay. Real mature.”
“Right?” The tension in her face faded. “Look, I’m sorry if you’re bothered by someone else taking an interest in me, but we’re not on a date, and I am very capable of making my own decisions.”
“I know that.” But—
“It’s going to be okay, Jordan.” Her expression softened. “We’ll still be fine even if we don’t see each other every day.”
Wait, this was about her being safe from the walking red flags of this world who used women. It wasn’t about his own pathetic need for her. Hedidn’thave a pathetic need for her. He cared for her. A lot. That was all.
He glanced back at the bar and saw that the man had finally disappeared. Good. About time. He exhaled silently.
“So, are we okay now?” EJ asked.
He leaned forward. “Of course we are.”
It was more a faith statement than reality, because he still felt the churn of emotions inside, a churning that her earlier statement had provoked. Because they wouldn’t see each other as regularly as before, and he didn’t have the right in any way to insist on her following his advice. Which meant he’d have to pray and trust that God would protect her.
Chapter 4
It was one thing to want to quit her job. It was another to have quit and only just realised what her life would look like now. Days at home, dressed not in business suits but Uggs and trackies, as her parents would call these fleece-lined pants that were unfortunately supremely comfortable. Unfortunate, because they were so comfy she would be happy to wear these the rest of her days. But one didn’t need to make a style statement when one worked from home. Of course, one still made something of an effort for the videoconference calls with financial backers—a woman couldn’t look like a complete slob—but a quick brush of hair, a crisp white shirt, and a powerful shade of red lipstick could take a girl a long way. Business from the waist up, comfort down below.
And when onejust so happenedto have a background that might include a shot of the Sydney Opera House, well, that was a flex that told its own tales. Like perhaps there was more to this small-town girl than they might first realise. And that one shouldn’t judge someone on the university they’d attended, that sandstone hallowed halls weren’t as important as the dynamic forward focus that Dream Match was all about.
She nodded as Gwen Baker, a female entrepreneur who had appeared onShark Tank Australia, finished her spiel to the select participants for this female-only online business networking seminar that EJ had scored an invitation to. God bless Liv, whose boyfriend Liam had somehow managed to pull some strings that had resulted in a British Shark reaching out and connecting EJ and Gwen. This game of entrepreneur endeavour seemed to be all about connections, and EJ knew she had to hustle to make the most of every one.
“Thanks, ladies. This has been great,” Gwen said.
“Thank you so much for giving your time to share your insights.” EJ smiled. She had to be first in with the acknowledgements, to be shown to be a leader, not the one who followed.
“It’s been a pleasure.” Gwen nodded. “EJ, right?”
EJ’s chin dipped. “From Dream Match.”
Gwen’s face brightened. “Oh, that’s right. I’ve heard great things.”
“It’s going really well, thanks to the kindness of so many generous people.”
She pushed her smile down to what she hoped passed as humble. Nobody liked someone who trumpeted their success, especially in Australia. The tall poppy syndrome, where people liked to cut others down to size, was an unfortunate quality most successful Aussies were familiar with. One shouldn’t get a big head, or get too big for one’s britches as Mum might say, oh no. People who dared to step out of the status quo were rarely encouraged the way they were in other parts of the world. There was a reason she’d not attended her high school reunion last year.
The video call ended, and EJ exhaled, leaning back in her seat. Building a business was all about scrambling from one task to the next, all while tossing a dozen balls in the air andhoping none fell. She might as well be a juggling gymnast doing parkour, doing her best to keep a smile on her dial like she enjoyed the chaos of her life.
She closed her eyes, pressing her knuckles into her forehead. It was one thing to have time; it was another to realise just how hectic life had been trying to balance everything. And for what must be the hundredth time, she thanked God for Jordan’s wise advice to quit Donwell. That, at least, had proved to be one ball she could safely place down, rather than feel like she was responsible for too many things.
