In Love With My Personal Assistant(32)

     



 

James looked towards the driver and smiled. The car had a limo design and had a partition between them. It was now, not later.

"I need to talk to you," James said quickly. Jennifer frowned and shook her head.

"No."

"Jennifer, please take off your glasses."

She scoffed and turned her back to James. "I said no."

James sighed loudly. "Please don't make me do this." He waited for  Jennifer to respond, but she didn't. Instead, she crossed her legs and  her arms and clamped her jaw shut with renewed vigor.

"Okay, fine. As your boss, Jennifer, take off your glasses."

Jennifer sneered this time and turned to James. "Are you seriously talking to me like that?"

Shrugging his shoulders, James repeated himself, "Take off your  glasses." She froze first, and then, with clear disgust, she removed the  glasses and glared at James.

"What?" She spat the word in his face. James held her gaze steady.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. Jennifer didn't move. "I'm sorry, and I mean it this time."

"And the last time was … what?"

James sighed loudly and ignored her question. "I'm sorry about last  night, Jenn." She searched his face, hers softening considerably at  length. "I don't understand entirely what happened," he confessed.  Jennifer's brow twitched as she searched his face. "But I am sorry. I  mean it," James repeated. He needed her to believe him. It wasn't a lie,  or a gimmick, but the truth.

Jennifer looked away, and then down. Her face wasn't as hard, nor her  poise quite as off putting. James ran his eyes over her body.

"Were you drunk last night?" He questioned her softly.

She offered him a weak shrug. "I don't know."

"Do you remember everything?"

Jennifer met his eyes again. "Well, I know we didn't have sex."

James grinned with her direct statement. "Sometimes you're predictable,  and then other times, like now, you completely blow my mind-"

"Were you drunk?"

"Not even close," James ran a hand along his lips and nodded somberly.  He tried to keep his mouth shut, but couldn't keep the next words from  tumbling out, "Why didn't you tell me to stop?"

Jennifer replaced the glasses and looked away. "I am not having this  conversation with you right now," her voice was soft but steady and  firm.

James nodded quickly. "Okay. Alright. That's fine. I just," he paused  and sucked in air, "I'm just really sorry. I value you, Jennifer," he  looked at her but she didn't look back. She stared out the window  instead. They were near 34th street. Maybe two more minutes to go before  they made it to the blast fence for drop off.

"I value you as my assistant," James continued, "as my employee and as a  woman but I didn't show you that last night and I'm so sorry for that."

Silence fell for over a minute before Jennifer spoke. "I don't know what to tell you, James."

"You don't have to tell me anything. I just need you to know that I know I was wrong."

Jennifer didn't give him a response until they arrived at the heliport.  Even then, it was a thinly whispered, "Thank you," and nothing more.





Chapter Eighteen

Nowhere to Hide





Jennifer was thankful for James's maturity on the way back. He  monopolized the laptop, and she had acquired the satellite phone. She  conducted several second interviews while she was on the phone and ended  her work with a final selection. She wanted to see her pick of  potential new hire in person and used the time to make reservations at  the Terrance for Wednesday evening.

If it were another day she might have chosen to have the interview  within a few short hours, but her mind was still numb. She would have  sworn that she could still taste James's kisses on her mouth and her  knees grew weak just thinking about it.

The inflight meal was a large, stuffed mushroom with steak, peppers,  cheese and spices that really awakened her senses. They ate in silence.  By the time they landed, the hangover was officially gone, leaving only  the shame in its wake.

James whispered to her that she could take the rest of the day, a full  24 hours. As far as she was concerned, that meant the morning too.

Her body didn't fully relax until she was back in her home, and even  then, she sat her phone on the kitchen table, and stared at it. Andrew  had emailed her a couple more times, but he hadn't called again. She  wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.

After a few second thoughts, she turned the phone off and huddled on her  couch beneath a comforter and the remote. She watched movies until her  windows were dark, and then she thought of Brittany in Hollywood and  Nicole in New York.         

     



 

She wanted to call Nicole. Catching up with Brittany was likely to be  more than she could handle. Jennifer moved towards her cordless phone  and lifted it from the charger. She couldn't remember the last time she  used it for anything other than ordering food when her cell phone was  left in another place in the condo.

Luckily, Nicole's number was still programmed and that number hadn't changed. Her friend answered on the first ring.

"You remembered to call me."

Jennifer was sure she could hear a smile in her friend's voice. "I owe  you one big time," Jennifer responded. She cocooned with the comforter  and allowed her body to relax. It didn't though, and remained stiff.

"So, how'd it go?"

"He never came to my room and I woke up with a hangover."

"Did you puke?"

"When I tried to brush my teeth." Nicole sighed. Jennifer pressed her lips together and said nothing.

"What did Mr. Awesome say in the morning?"

"Please don't call him that," Jennifer groaned.

"Well?"

Her eyes closed wearily. "He apologized for his behavior."

"Really? First?"

"Yes. He demanded I talk about it," Jennifer grumbled, and then scowled,  "he ordered me to take off my glasses like I was a child. Ugh, you  should have been there."

Nicole chuckled. "No thanks. I really don't do that kind of drama. So he apologized, eh? That's cool."

Jennifer shrugged to herself. "I guess. He told me early Monday morning he was sorry for Friday too."

"What happened Friday?"

"That's when he told me he loved me, remember?"

"Oh," Nicole whistled. "I remember now." Silence settled over the call,  getting comfortable until Nicole spoke at last. "Are you going to tell  me what happened?"

Jennifer frowned at length. She had been debating whether or not she  would since the moment she had picked up the phone. She wanted to forget  as much as the moment she had with James as she could, but she couldn't  get the taste of him out her mind or the way her body gave way beneath  his strong grip.

Hesitantly, Jennifer started with the idea she had thought was so  clever: to place her purse between them. She finished just short of the  phone call and stopped with the breathtaking words he had muttered to  her. I want you on top of me. She didn't have the strength to recall the  events after he mentioned his suite.

Nicole whistled intently. "Girl, that sounds like some steamy stuff  right there," she let out a breath of air. "So why didn't you just tell  him to stop?"

Jennifer placed a hand over her already closed eyes and rubbed hard.  "Because I wanted it," she muttered. She could tell Nicole the truth.  She was far enough away to where she wouldn't feel complete humiliation  at admitting the weakness of her heart in the moment.

"Yeah," Nicole murmured, "can't say I would have had the strength in  your situation either. That man is damned gorgeous and he knows it. Wait  a minute though," Nicole cut through her own thoughts with renewed  vigor, "How'd you get him to stop? I called you and you were already in  your room."

"Oh yeah," Jennifer frowned. "Uh … someone called me."

Nicole was silent. After a moment, she asked, "You don't want to tell me  who?" Jennifer shook her head. She couldn't bring herself to say  anything more. "Wow. So he called?"

Jennifer chuckled. She felt tears collecting behind her eyes. Partly  because she was thankful Nicole could read between the lines. The other  part was due to deep sadness.

"Yeah. Great timing, but I thought he was you and I answered."

"Oh, tell me you didn't," Nicole breathed.

"Yes, I did," Jennifer sucked in breath and wiped at her cheek. "And then when I realized I screwed up I hung up on him."

"Did he call you back?"

"No."

"Has he called you at all?"

"No. I have some emails but that's it."

"Oh, Jennifer. Sweet, Jenny," Nicole cooed. "Baby, I am so sorry. I  should have tried harder. I should have made you leave with me."

"Even if you did, Nikki, what would happen when I was alone with him  again? Something is just wrong with me," Jennifer cried, "there has to  be. Why can't I sort this mess out?"