“Maybe. Kendrick might want to talk with you first,” Kirby says.
“So they haven’t pulled out?” Part of me wishes they would. That would solve the problem of having to make the hard decision I don’t want to make.
“No, thank God,” Kirby says. “Apparently they own LMZ, though, the celebrity TV channel? They’re interested in an exclusive story with you and Ashley.”
“Fuck. You know what, this is enough for me to deal with, okay?”
“Understood,” Kirby says. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
I end the call and pull myself out of the chair.
I’m exhausted, still haven’t changed my clothes from yesterday or taken a shower.
But damn, I don’t think I need a shower right now.
Right now, I need to take a fucking bath.
TESS
When Jack pushes open the door, the noise wakes me from sleep. My head is resting against the lip of the large sunken tub, and the jets surrounding it create a bubbling bath like I’ve never had before. It was easy to let the steam and hot water lull me to sleep.
“Hey, Tess,” Jack says, sitting on the edge of the tub. He has a bottle of white wine tucked under his arm and two glasses in his hand. “Want some Pinot gris?”
“Sure, that sounds nice.” I sit up, my torso covered in the bubbles that have settled on the surface of the water. “Did you ever get a chance to eat? You left Emmy’s before Ricky finished making brunch.”
“I ate a granola bar a minute ago, and I have a frozen pizza we can warm up for dinner. Can you believe it’s already four in the afternoon?”
“I can. This day has felt really long, actually.”
“Sorry.” Jack pours the wine and hands a glass to me. “I’ll just let you finish in here.”
I shake my head. “Don’t go.”
“I thought we were in a massive fight.” He cocks an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t even know why we’re fighting,” I tell him. “Because, look, whatever is going on between us isn’t love, but it also isn’t nothing.”
“No, it isn’t.” Jake clinks his glass against mine.
“You were so pissy with me at Emmy’s. When you realized I hadn’t told her anything about my past.”
“I was pissed. With reason. I don’t get the secrecy. And I just spoke with my publicist, Lola.”
“Yeah?” I ask, taking a sip of my wine to avoid his gaze. “And what did she say?”
“She said she couldn’t dig up a single fact about you. I’m guessing your lease isn’t even in your name, Tess.”
“It’s not.” I sigh, then take another drink of the chilled white wine. “I may have kept that fact from Emmy and Claire, but I’m not keeping it from you. I didn’t tell them because I don’t want to burden my friends.”
“And me, I’m not your friend?”
“No,” I tell him. “You’re not.”
“What am I. then?”
“That is what I’m trying to figure out. Do you want to just be fuck-buddies? Do you want me to be your mistress? Your sex-pet? Were you mad earlier because I didn’t just bend over and say yes?”
“I don’t want you to be those things, Tess. I’m not that guy.”
“What guy are you, then? You’re one of the most famous DJs in the world, and right now, you’re hanging out with. Me. Jack, I’ve got nothing on Ashley Fast.”
“Thank God for that.” Jack sets down his wine. “Listen, I don’t know what you and me are. Hell, I don’t even know who you are. But I do know I’m something to you.”
He kneels before the tub, looking at me, and all I want in that moment is to feel his lips on mine. But I know he deserves more than that from me.
“If you didn’t want to tell your friends anything because you didn’t want to burden them,” he says. “Why did you tell me?”
“Because you’re the first man I’ve ever met who might genuinely be able to lighten the load.”
“I want to help, Tess.”
“I know you do.”
His sincerity is so gentlemanly, so unobtrusive. He isn’t trying to get me into bed, or even get me to talk. He’s just here, with me. And that means more than he knows.
“Then we’re more than friends, but not lovers?” he asks.
“I guess so.” I want to thank him for everything he’s doing right now to put me at ease on a night when I should be all broken up. “But tonight, I think we should make an exception,” I tell him.
“Exception to what?”
“Well.” I give him a sly smile. “Maybe we should be fuck-buddies, just so we know what we’re giving up.”