She named a private school in Austin. “They recruited me for volleyball.”
I studied her, impressed. “A collegiate athlete? You would have been out of my league then too.”
Her gaze flicked down to her hands in her lap. Her nails were painted bright orange, like the color guys wore hunting. “Out of your league?” she echoed skeptically.
“I was a total nerd. Spent more time in the computer lab than anywhere else.”
Her lips quirked up, and she looked at me like I was a damn puppy dog. “That’s adorable.”
I shook my head, despite wanting to stick my head out the window and let my tongue loll like a happy,adorable, golden retriever. “Sure.”
Genevieve must have hit a pothole because the car shifted, making Jada and I bounce. Both our hands went to the middle seat to steady ourselves, her palm landing solidly atop my hand.
Heat zipped up my arm from the contact, and when I met her gaze, I swore she could feel it too. But she quickly tugged her hand away.
Then she reached for the door handle, and I panicked, because was touching me really that awful that she wanted to jump out? But when I looked out her open door, I realized the car had stopped; we’d arrived at The Tower.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said, and then shut the door behind her.
I hurried out of the car so I could catch her before she went inside. “Jada,” I called.
She stopped on the sidewalk, adjusting her purse and looking over her shoulder at me. “Yes?”
My lips formed a crooked smile. “We forgot the mimosas.”
“Guess we’ll have to do this again then,” she replied.
Feeling like a success, I got back into the car and had Genevieve take me back to the parking garage. When she got to the drop-off spot near the private elevators, she said, “Have a good day, lover boy.”
I quipped back, “Try not to hit any more curbs while eavesdropping.”
She cackled as I got out. I hid a smile of my own.
However, the levity only lasted for the elevator ride. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Maya greeted me with a grim expression on her face. “Jasper is early.”
“But we were supposed to meet to prep for his ten a.m.”
She nodded. “Apparently he’s an ‘early riser’.”
If we weren’t so screwed, the joke would have been funny. “Where is he?” I demanded as I strode toward my office. The last thing I wanted was someone like him skulking about the building and gathering intel.
“Owen’s babysitting him in the waiting area by your office, drinking sun tea out of a pickle jar.”
It was hard to keep a straight face. “You’re kidding me.”
Her dark eyebrows lifted. “Okay, it’s a mason jar, but still.”
I shook my head at her, knowing my meeting with Jasper was no joking matter. He’d chosen to see me, for some unknown reason. And now the guys were depending on me to sway him toward a sale. To save us from the requirement of a forced marriage with an unreasonable prenup.
As we rounded the corner and my corner of The Tower came into view, I saw Jasper wearing a beige linen outfit with leather sandals, twisting the lid onto a mason jar as he licked his lips. Owen stood awkwardly near him.
I had to turn around to keep from laughing. “Damn it, Maya,” I whispered.
But she was unphased, going forward. “Jasper, Bryce has arrived. Can I get you anything to drink?” She walked to my etched-glass office door, pulling it open for us.
Jasper shook his tea and smiled, all his leathery skin crinkling with the movement. “I’m good.”
“Wonderful.” She gave him a bright smile in response, then shuddered at me once he walked past her.
