Apparently, the one with the gift was the last to know. “Yeah, but he conveniently forgot to tell me he’d spoken with Reina, so when she told me about my gift, I decided to test it out.”
Portia glanced down at her dress, stuck out her tongue in disgust, and turned around for Lola to unbutton. “How’d you do that?”
Had it only been yesterday she’d made love with him in the closet? In one day, she’d cried enough tears to drown a giraffe, and yet, she could still feel the slight ache between her legs from their lovemaking. “We baked bread. I figured Braden would come clean. That he wouldn’t let anyone eat something I’d cooked.”
“And did he?”
“No,” she shook her head and cracked the first real smile of the day. “He told his chef not to serve it to the customers. So instead, a few of the employees ate it.” Portia covered her mouth with her hand. “Jenny must have skipped breakfast because apparently, she ate a lot. Enough that she went up on stage and performed a dance.” She owed the waitress a huge apology. But how did you apologize for manipulating someone’s hormones? Jenny probably wouldn’t believe her even if she told her the truth.
“What kind of dance?”
“The kind which requires stripping. She’d gotten down to her underwear when Stephan carried her off the stage and the cops arrived.”
Her sister’s jaw dropped as she took off the dress. “Who called the police?”
“Jon. He’s been paying a waitress to slip him information.” What a slime. He was so proud of himself for what he called ‘corporate espionage.’ He’d spilled all the details, not considering for a moment that she’d turn around and help Braden. “I found this out yesterday when Braden disappeared into the kitchen and left me alone with Jon. Turns out, Braden was right about Jon all along. He’d been using me to find out information to put Braden out of business. But I didn’t give him anything . . . until recently.”
She was so angry at herself for falling for Jon’s innocent act all these months. She’d wasted so much time on him when she could’ve spent it with Braden.
“The Will?” Portia asked.
She nodded. “Yeah. I knew as soon as I told him that it was a mistake. He got way too interested all of a sudden. But I figured it was public information, so he could have discovered it on his own anyway. I stopped calling him. Stopped hanging out with him. But when he showed up with the police, I knew we had a mole working at Acropolis. I played the dumb musician and Jon bought the act hooker, line, and kitchen sink.” Portia smiled at her intentional play on words. “I pretended I was on his side and got him to reveal the mole. I also bought Braden some time before Jon would move against him. Jon thinks I’m going to flunk the audits. He actually laughed at me when I told him I’d intentionally fail them. The guy doesn’t think I can pass even if I tried. I can’t believe I trusted him.” She dropped into a chair and rested her elbows on her knees.
“But you didn’t, did you? He was safe for you because you knew you’d never develop feelings for him like you would—”
“Braden,” Lola finished. She swallowed the lump of mixed emotions trapped in her throat. “In the end, I shouldn’t have trusted him either. I thought he knew the real me, but when he overheard me and Jon talking, he immediately assumed the worst. He thinks I was the mole and didn’t give me a chance to explain.” Portia stopped and hung the dress on the hanger, then turned and knelt down in front of Lola. “Then he told me he’d used me, too. That he’d seduced me so I would fall in love with him and keep the property, so he’d get his lease. All of it was a lie.”
Portia spoke in a soft voice, “I don’t believe that and Ryan doesn’t either. Braden may have told himself that’s why he was seducing you, but I think he was already half in love with you the night of my engagement party. Anyone could see how he looked at you. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you. Alexander just gave him the push he needed to act on his feelings.”
She wanted to believe that. “You say that like Alexander planned for Braden and me to—”
Portia smiled. “Fall in love? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“How could he know?”
Her sister shrugged then stood. “I don’t know, but if it weren’t for his Will, Ryan and I would’ve never gotten together. I’d be waitressing in New York and he’d be working eighty hours a week as a lawyer. Alexander brought us together and I’d wager anything he did the same for you. I don’t know how he knew. It’s like he was omniscient. Let’s face it, if we’re Muses, anything is possible. Maybe he’s Zeus.”