“Oh, no. We’re not exclusive.” He chucked the brick and our relationship along with it. So fast. So easily.
My stomach plummeted along with the brick. I’m sure my face fell too, but Jett didn’t give me any time to dwell. He nodded at the dumbass who was my nonexistent boyfriend. “Great. I’ll let you know a time later today.”
Then his eyes cut to mine. A vivid blue ocean burst from them, inviting me to come swim. “Victory, as discussed over messaging, we have things we need to do today. Let’s go.”
With those words, he spun on his oxfords and headed toward the elevator.
Maybe I should have tried to discuss my feelings with Steven, but then his whiny voice sighed my name with the damn Y that I should have shut down the first time he used it and said, “We can talk about it later. You know I enjoy being with you, I just really want this in with Jett.”
I held up a hand as I walked toward the elevators. “I don’t do nonexclusive. So, we’re exclusively done.”
The words ruffled his feathers to a level of discomfort he’d never experienced from me before. He squirmed and scrunched his face in a way that would normally have me consoling him. “Now, Vicky, just wait.”
My body almost surged in his direction to do just that. Instead, I curtailed my damn instinct. The one that made me smooth out the kinks, stop the rattling of nerves, settle the unsettled. I stopped doing everything for everybody else and stepped back, away from the person who only made the slightest effort and toward the person who took what he wanted.
“I’m not in the mood today, Steven. Just so not in the mood.” I rubbed a hand over my forehead and then ran fingers through my hair. “We’re over. And it’s Vick. No Y.”
I met my Phantom at the elevators where the smile he wore was as big as it was victorious. He appeared younger, approachable, less ruthless. He’d lost the tie he’d been wearing and the top two buttons of his white collared shirt were undone. My mouth watered at a glimpse of that chest.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself,” I muttered, trying my best to stay mad at him.
“Quite pleased with how easy he made it. I’ve always told you he bends with the damn wind.”
I punched the elevator button even though Jett already had. “Don’t gloat. It doesn’t suit you.”
He leaned in to me. “Relax, Pix. I’m taking the morning off to help you let go of whatever the hell is bothering you. Your tension is making everyone else tense.”
We walked into the elevator as the doors opened. When they closed behind us, he studied me. “My team has somehow stopped being mine and started being yours.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“You buzz in and they buzz up. You barrel forward and they do too. Bob called me the other day to explain a new take on a contract. He nailed it, and then proceeded to tell me about the cookie he was eating that you’d brought in. They move with you whether you’re happy or in a funk like you are now.”
I slumped onto the elevator railing. “If that’s true, I feel shitty about how I’m acting today.”
He eyed me leaning against his elevator and dragged his gaze up and down my black skirt and blouse. “I was surprised to see you in black today.”
“Well, I felt witchy this morning,” I snarled.
He hummed and then said, “What do you want to do?”
“You had us take the morning off. You pick what you want to do.”
The elevator doors opened, and he set his hand on my lower back to guide me out of the lobby to a black SUV. “Great. I wasn’t going to do what you wanted anyway.”
He opened the car door and I slid into the back seat, greeting the driver. He was an older man I hadn’t met before who’d begun driving for Stonewood Enterprises a few weeks ago.
“Well, don’t let Jett here fool you. He doesn’t work that hard, and he’s always up for a good conversation if you’re driving him.” I winked at Jett who rolled his eyes.
“Jerome isn’t an idiot, woman. He knows better than that.”
“He’s right, miss. I do, but I’m happy to try and annoy that man out of working any day I get him in my car.”
“That’s what I like to hear!” I rubbed my hands together and leaned back in my seat. Jett’s arm rested across the top of it and he curled his hand around my shoulder to pull me closer. “So, part of your problem today was being in the office. You’re out and smiling already.”
“It’s just the sun. Fall’s been cold so far, and I’m a sucker for sun and a warm day,” I admitted as I looked out the window. “Where are we going?”
“To Garrett’s Popcorn Shop,” Jerome announced. “That’s where you wanted to go, right, boss?”