“I do miss you. Eight years is a long time.”
“Eight good years. But not love, Will.”
“Not love, but not nothing. We’re not nothing to each other. The blonde is nothing to me.”
“You were my bank and Blondie is not nothing.”
“You do this when you want to annoy me. Reduce what we had to the contract.”
“I want to wake you up. You love this woman. Go get her.”
How had he managed to forget Jiao’s ferocity? “You’ve been talking to Bo.” Will sighed. “You think it’s that easy. I hurt this woman terribly. I think I’ve probably hurt her career.”
“Good, then she’s not busy right now. She has time to watch you grovel. You know how to say sorry to a woman. I taught you that well.”
Will shook his head, full of memories of screaming matches he and Jiao had in their first year together before she taught him many things, including the power of understanding a woman.
“I wasn’t just late for dinner. I didn’t forget an anniversary.”
“You’re putting up a great wall. You’re in a bad way.”
“I’ve never been scared of retreat, you know that. This is one of those times I lose.”
“Will Parker, you’ve never lost anything you truly wanted.”
“I lost you.”
She didn’t pause to think about that. “You never wanted me. If you’d wanted me, I’d never have left you.” She was right and they both knew it.
“Jiao.”
“Look, stupid man. I have a good life. You set me and my family and my family’s family up. But if I hear anything more about you being such a dumbass I’ll come back to Shanghai and make your life hell.”
“Jiao.”
“Will, I’m serious. Transfer me to Pete.”
“What are you up to? Why?”
“I want him to watch you.”
“I don’t need watching. I don’t need you and Pete checking up on me. I’m not a five year old.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
Will sighed, beaten. “I’ll put you through to Pete.”
“Wait. If you really don’t want Blondie you need to choose.”
He was entirely defeated. Between Bo, Pete and Jiao, the three people who knew him best, he was not going to get away with staying single much longer. And if Pete was right, if the whole thing with Darcy only happened because he was lonely, then staying alone was dangerous to his health and to the business.
“What about May Ling?”
“Not that dirty skank. She’d eat you alive.”
He laughed for the first time on the call. “You don’t think I can hold my own?”
“Not with that one. She’d want your heart, and you’ve already given it away.”