"Sinclair’s wife is lovely," I murmur.
JJ doesn’t reply. He glances out the window, his forehead furrowed. His suit jacket is unbuttoned to reveal his crisp white shirt. There’s a slight shadow over his chin and cheeks, which is the only indication that it’s the end of the day and not the beginning. The rest of him is as put together as if he were on his way to the office instead of on his way home.
"What do you make of Sinclair?" He turns to me.
"Eh?" I blink. "You’re asking me?"
He scowls, "Do you see anyone else here?"
A-n-d, there he is. The alphahole I’ve come to expect. Clearly, he was on his best behavior because of the company we were in.
"Well?" His scowl deepens. "I asked you a question, girl."
"I do have a name."
"What’s that got to do with anything?"
I firm my lips.I will not get angry. Will not get angry.Jerk-ass is my boss. And he’s given me a roof over my head. He was probably born with a bad attitude. There’s nothing he can do about it. I should pretend he’s a child. Yeah, a grumpy, petulant kid who has yet to learn his manners. Yes, that’s what he is.
I stare straight ahead. "I think he’s as much of an ornery, uncompromising business man as you. As confident as you about his ability to influence people so they fall in with his plans. He must believe in your vision for he agreed to invest in your initiative. Also, I think he trusts you.”
"Why do you say that?" he asks.
The curiosity in his tone makes me shoot him a sideways glance. "Because he brought his wife along for the meeting. He strikes me as the type who’d never agree to his wife meeting a person unless he had complete faith in you."
"Or he was using it to put me at ease, while he plots a way to ambush me," JJ says almost to himself.
This time I turn to face him. "You really don’t trust anybody, do you?"
"Not a soul." His tone is matter-of-fact.
My phone—my personal phone— buzzes again. I pull it out and peek at the chat notifications in my family group.
Josh: Lena where are you?
Josh: Lena
Mira: She’s probably shacked up with a boyfriend. Do you have a new boyfriend Lena?
Josh: Lena?
Seema: Lenny baby what’s the goss?
Mom: Leave her alone, you guys. She must be busy with a new assignment. That is all it is, right, Lena?
Josh: Lennaaa?
Mira: Think we should try calling her?
Josh: Let’s
Seema: Oooh better still maybe we should take that trip to London and surprise her
Wha-a-a-t? My gaze widens. No, no, no, I can’t have my siblings landing here. I begin to type—
Me: STFU you guys. I’m alive just busy
Josh: Lenaaa hey is it true that Guinness tastes better in London than anywhere else in the world?