A Lot like Love
Page 76
Instead, she decided to try a different tactic. The hell with beating around the bush. “So where does that leave us?”
Nick hesitated, then dodged the question. “Where do you think that leaves us?”
What Jordan wouldn’t do right then for those badass interrogation techniques. He was being far too cagey. Also not a good sign.
Still, she pressed on. Hell, she would make this as easy as possible for him—she’d even start him out. “I think that this was an incredible weekend.” She paused, waiting for Nick to pick up from there. Me, too, Jordan, he could say. And I want to keep it going. I don’t care what it takes—we’re fantastic together. Something along those lines. Anything.
She stared at him expectantly. He stared right back at her. Undoubtedly the second longest amount of time they’d ever gone without talking.
Then . . . the strangest look of resignation came over his face. And he finally picked up where she left off. Except he didn’t say what she’d wanted to hear.
“But we both knew it was just a weekend,” he finished, his voice noticeably flat.
Jordan felt the ache—a sharp pang—cut through her. It meant a lot more than that to me.
But she didn’t say that, either.
Instead, she put on a brave face. She was getting pretty good at telling lies these days; she could handle one more. “You said your job made things complicated. I suppose this is the complicated part.”
Nick watched her closely with those amazing green eyes of his. “I’d been hoping, actually, that things wouldn’t have to be so complicated,” he said quietly.
Ah, she got it—he didn’t want her to make this awkward . Probably the reaction he was accustomed to from all the other Lisas in his life. But she had her pride. As she’d told him before, she was a big girl. She wouldn’t yell, she wouldn’t cry, she wouldn’t beg him to stay. But she needed him to leave.
Her eyes stung at the thought.
Now. She needed him to leave now.
“We’re both adults, Nick. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out discussion. We had our weekend together, and now we’ve come back to the real world. You’ve got your job and all the trappings and rules that come with that.”
He stepped toward her. “So that’s it?”
Jordan guessed that he’d expected her to at least ask him to stay one more night. But every moment she spent with him would only make this harder. “I think it’s probably better to make a clean break. Given the inevitable.”
“The inevitable.” He stood up straight and folded his arms across his chest. “I have to say, this was not how I saw this conversation going.”
She cocked her head at that. “Well, is there any other option?” Although she kept her expression carefully neutral, inside she felt anything but. Say you don’t want to leave.
Nick studied her for a long moment. “No, I guess not.”
A silence fell between them.
“I think, all things considered, that it’s best if you go now.” Jordan forced herself to meet his eyes, then had to look away before he could read too much in her own.
He nodded. “Yeah, I think so, too.” He edged his way toward the front door, then paused. “Should I call you on Tuesday to let you know how things go with Eckhart?”
“Sure.” Jordan followed him and watched as he grabbed his suitcase. The image of him leaving her place, suitcase in hand, would likely stay burned in her brain for a long time. But for now, she kept her chin up. All she had to do was keep it together until he walked out the door.
Nick rested his hand on the door handle, and when he looked at her one last time, what she saw surprised her.
His eyes blazed with anger.
“Well, Rhodes, thanks for the weekend,” he said, his jaw clenched tight. “I’ll be sure to send you a check for my half of the hotel room. Hell, maybe I can even write it off as a business expense.”
Now that was a slap in the face. And Jordan was confused. Why would he be mad at her? “That’s a little cold. You don’t have to be an ass**le about things.”
His expression was incredulous. “I’m the ass**le?”
She pointed between them. “Is there something I’m missing here? Because all I said was—”
“Don’t bother, I heard you the first time,” Nick said, cutting her off and yanking the door open. “I heard every word you said.” He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Jordan stood in her living room, staring at the door in confusion.
Well.
No clue what that was all about.
Thirty
AFTER KYLE LET Jordan into his penthouse condo, a man dressed in a black tuxedo came around the corner and greeted her.
“Good evening, Ms. Rhodes.” He held out his hand. “May I take your coat?”
“Of course. Thank you.” Jordan handed over her coat and threw her brother a wry look when the man hurried off. “You hired a butler?” That would be so Kyle.
He slung his arm around her neck, half-hugging her, half-dragging her toward the dining room. “No, Dad brought in a waiter for dinner tonight. Hope you’re in the mood for sushi, because he bribed the head chef from Japonais to cook for us.”
Actually, she wasn’t in the mood for sushi. Or any dinner, for that matter. For the last twenty-four hours, all she could think about was Nick. And thinking was all she’d been doing, since he hadn’t returned any of her calls. She’d tried his cell phone three times and had left him messages. Not a word in response.
Nick hesitated, then dodged the question. “Where do you think that leaves us?”
What Jordan wouldn’t do right then for those badass interrogation techniques. He was being far too cagey. Also not a good sign.
Still, she pressed on. Hell, she would make this as easy as possible for him—she’d even start him out. “I think that this was an incredible weekend.” She paused, waiting for Nick to pick up from there. Me, too, Jordan, he could say. And I want to keep it going. I don’t care what it takes—we’re fantastic together. Something along those lines. Anything.
She stared at him expectantly. He stared right back at her. Undoubtedly the second longest amount of time they’d ever gone without talking.
Then . . . the strangest look of resignation came over his face. And he finally picked up where she left off. Except he didn’t say what she’d wanted to hear.
“But we both knew it was just a weekend,” he finished, his voice noticeably flat.
Jordan felt the ache—a sharp pang—cut through her. It meant a lot more than that to me.
But she didn’t say that, either.
Instead, she put on a brave face. She was getting pretty good at telling lies these days; she could handle one more. “You said your job made things complicated. I suppose this is the complicated part.”
Nick watched her closely with those amazing green eyes of his. “I’d been hoping, actually, that things wouldn’t have to be so complicated,” he said quietly.
Ah, she got it—he didn’t want her to make this awkward . Probably the reaction he was accustomed to from all the other Lisas in his life. But she had her pride. As she’d told him before, she was a big girl. She wouldn’t yell, she wouldn’t cry, she wouldn’t beg him to stay. But she needed him to leave.
Her eyes stung at the thought.
Now. She needed him to leave now.
“We’re both adults, Nick. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out discussion. We had our weekend together, and now we’ve come back to the real world. You’ve got your job and all the trappings and rules that come with that.”
He stepped toward her. “So that’s it?”
Jordan guessed that he’d expected her to at least ask him to stay one more night. But every moment she spent with him would only make this harder. “I think it’s probably better to make a clean break. Given the inevitable.”
“The inevitable.” He stood up straight and folded his arms across his chest. “I have to say, this was not how I saw this conversation going.”
She cocked her head at that. “Well, is there any other option?” Although she kept her expression carefully neutral, inside she felt anything but. Say you don’t want to leave.
Nick studied her for a long moment. “No, I guess not.”
A silence fell between them.
“I think, all things considered, that it’s best if you go now.” Jordan forced herself to meet his eyes, then had to look away before he could read too much in her own.
He nodded. “Yeah, I think so, too.” He edged his way toward the front door, then paused. “Should I call you on Tuesday to let you know how things go with Eckhart?”
“Sure.” Jordan followed him and watched as he grabbed his suitcase. The image of him leaving her place, suitcase in hand, would likely stay burned in her brain for a long time. But for now, she kept her chin up. All she had to do was keep it together until he walked out the door.
Nick rested his hand on the door handle, and when he looked at her one last time, what she saw surprised her.
His eyes blazed with anger.
“Well, Rhodes, thanks for the weekend,” he said, his jaw clenched tight. “I’ll be sure to send you a check for my half of the hotel room. Hell, maybe I can even write it off as a business expense.”
Now that was a slap in the face. And Jordan was confused. Why would he be mad at her? “That’s a little cold. You don’t have to be an ass**le about things.”
His expression was incredulous. “I’m the ass**le?”
She pointed between them. “Is there something I’m missing here? Because all I said was—”
“Don’t bother, I heard you the first time,” Nick said, cutting her off and yanking the door open. “I heard every word you said.” He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Jordan stood in her living room, staring at the door in confusion.
Well.
No clue what that was all about.
Thirty
AFTER KYLE LET Jordan into his penthouse condo, a man dressed in a black tuxedo came around the corner and greeted her.
“Good evening, Ms. Rhodes.” He held out his hand. “May I take your coat?”
“Of course. Thank you.” Jordan handed over her coat and threw her brother a wry look when the man hurried off. “You hired a butler?” That would be so Kyle.
He slung his arm around her neck, half-hugging her, half-dragging her toward the dining room. “No, Dad brought in a waiter for dinner tonight. Hope you’re in the mood for sushi, because he bribed the head chef from Japonais to cook for us.”
Actually, she wasn’t in the mood for sushi. Or any dinner, for that matter. For the last twenty-four hours, all she could think about was Nick. And thinking was all she’d been doing, since he hadn’t returned any of her calls. She’d tried his cell phone three times and had left him messages. Not a word in response.
