Dating You / Hating You
Page 35
Evie studies me for a few quiet beats. “I think it’s a conflict of interest. I think Brad would agree.”
There’s the edge of a threat in her tone, and I twist the cardboard band around my coffee cup while I think of how to respond. “I’ll talk to him.”
“I’m not sure I understand what led to this,” she says, confusion lacing her words. “You told me the two of you don’t get along. This is Jamie and Seamus’s first big shoot. Do you really want to—”
“How well Jonah and I get along isn’t the point. He’s the right guy for the job.”
“Then why didn’t you suggest him last week?”
“Because I assumed he was busy.”
“Why would you assume that?” she asks, shaking her head a little. “He’s been gossip fodder for months.”
Heat rises in my neck with the humiliation that Evie knew all of this about Jonah and I didn’t. “I think we both know that what people say about us isn’t always reflective of our ability to do our job.”
She nibbles her lower lip thoughtfully but doesn’t say anything else. Evie: calm, as ever.
“It’s not even that I mind your brother doing the shoot,” she says at length. “He’s still a big name, even with all the controversy.” She pauses, studying me some more. “But did you think it would go over well with me for you to just roll over any input I have in this? You represent Jamie. I represent Seamus. This is a big shoot for Trick, and these are things you and I need to be incredibly thoughtful about.”
I do a series of nods to be agreeable, though probably one too many. “If you don’t mind that he’s doing it, and agree that he’s a big name, why are you getting so pissed about this?”
I want to make a fist and punch myself in the mouth as soon as the words are out. Evie is acting anything but pissed right now. I need to stop letting my temper shoot out so abruptly with her; this combination of attraction and competition makes me completely insane.
I see the angry flush rise in her cheeks—and the effect on me is a confusing rush of desire—but again, she stays calm, gathering her things and pushing back from the table.
“You’re right,” she says. “What’s done is done. I’ll have Jess email you the wardrobe notes for Seamus’s end of the shoot, as well as my thoughts on the information you’ve given me today for the retreat.” She closes the folder around her printouts and stands. “Justin can send Jess anything you need me to review.”
“We’re going to talk through our assistants now?” I ask, looking up at her.
“It seems like the best idea, for a number of reasons.” She walks around the table and leaves the room.
Chapter thirteen
evie
“Evie, you’re going to break this machine,” Daryl laments, putting her hand on my quad to slow down my leg extensions. “What is with you?”
I offer up a breathless: “Carter.”
Standing from the machine, I grab my water and take a few deep drinks. Sweat pours off me, and everything burns. I am a beast this morning, but it feels amazing. I realize it’s either kill myself here at the gym, or go to work and punch someone in the solar plexus.
I should probably be mortified about getting up and walking out of our meeting yesterday, but screw him and his perfect forearms and cute crooked smile and diva brother.
I’m so tired of wanting to shove him into the wall and then shove my hand down his pants.
I am so over all of it.
“Not to poke the bear,” she says, “because I can see you’re just a little on edge today, but to be clear: we don’t like Carter anymore, right?”
“No, we do not like Carter anymore.” I use a towel to wipe the sweat from my forehead. “And I’d appreciate if you could remember that next time you’re supposed to be my wing-woman. You told me to be a badass and then melted as soon as he turned on the charm. Remember when you wanted to get back at Brant and I went to your cousin’s wedding as your lesbian fiancée? I kissed you—with tongue. That was me being Team Daryl.”
She laughs. “I’m sorry, you’re right. But to be fair, you really should have given me an adorkable warning, because . . . well, shit, Evie,” she says. “He’s completely fuckable.”
“Not helping!”
“I know I shouldn’t be enjoying this so much, but look how much he riles you up. I knew you were bossy, but who knew you had such a power-play fetish?”
“A what?” I stumble after her over to the free weights.
“You heard me.”
“Do I even want to know?” Amelia asks, racking her weights and looking between us.
I shake my head, watching as she moves to the squat frame.
Daryl leans against the metal bar, watching me. “Evie’s in denial, trying to convince herself that she hates Carter.”
“Ohhhh. I like Carter,” Amelia bends her back, lowering for a dead lift. Coming back up, she says, “He came in to sign some tax forms. I didn’t think the rest of the HR women were going to let him leave, and that’s saying something. That one is a charmer.”
“You realize he’s my nemesis, right?” I say.
When she finishes her reps, Amelia guides me into position for my squats, with the bar against my shoulders and behind my neck. “Your ‘nemesis.’ You are so cute.”
“Are you poisoned by his charm, too?”
She smiles at me. “Shut up and squat.” She startles as if she’s just remembered something. “Oh! You will never believe who Brad just signed.”
I stop, locking the bar into place and meeting her eyes in the mirror. “If you say Gabe Vestes I’m going to scream.”
“That’s right. The same Gabe you mentioned having lunch with Brad right before the merge went public. I don’t know exactly who’s doing what, but something tells me Brad has his hands in a couple cookie jars.”
“I knew something was off about that. Brad got caught calling him a no-talent hack when I was still at Alterman; it didn’t make sense that they’d suddenly decided to mend their fences.” I step away from the squat frame and turn to face them both. “Likely Brad knew about the merger beforehand—and if he knew which of the CTM agents were getting the boot, he’d know to swoop in and make friends with Gabe again.”
“Just another shady move,” Amelia says.
“Why do you think he took Kylie off retreat planning?” Daryl asks, sitting on the bench next to us.
Amelia considers this. “Maybe he’s keeping her busy in other ways.” She grins at us. “Maybe they’re having an affair.”
I shiver, repulsed. “I’d like to think Kylie has a little more sense than that.”
See, Carter? I don’t think the absolute worst of her after all.
“And better taste.” Amelia looks at her watch. “I have a payroll meeting I can’t be late for.”
A smart woman would leave a workout like the one I’ve just had and go get something healthy for breakfast. An egg-white omelet, maybe. Or something whole grain. A smoothie.
Apparently, I am not a smart woman. I go straight to Sidecar Doughnuts and order three butter-and-salts and a giant latte. But I am smart enough to leave two of the doughnuts on my desk, bringing only one to the team breakfast meeting scheduled for eight a.m. in the conference room.
There’s the edge of a threat in her tone, and I twist the cardboard band around my coffee cup while I think of how to respond. “I’ll talk to him.”
“I’m not sure I understand what led to this,” she says, confusion lacing her words. “You told me the two of you don’t get along. This is Jamie and Seamus’s first big shoot. Do you really want to—”
“How well Jonah and I get along isn’t the point. He’s the right guy for the job.”
“Then why didn’t you suggest him last week?”
“Because I assumed he was busy.”
“Why would you assume that?” she asks, shaking her head a little. “He’s been gossip fodder for months.”
Heat rises in my neck with the humiliation that Evie knew all of this about Jonah and I didn’t. “I think we both know that what people say about us isn’t always reflective of our ability to do our job.”
She nibbles her lower lip thoughtfully but doesn’t say anything else. Evie: calm, as ever.
“It’s not even that I mind your brother doing the shoot,” she says at length. “He’s still a big name, even with all the controversy.” She pauses, studying me some more. “But did you think it would go over well with me for you to just roll over any input I have in this? You represent Jamie. I represent Seamus. This is a big shoot for Trick, and these are things you and I need to be incredibly thoughtful about.”
I do a series of nods to be agreeable, though probably one too many. “If you don’t mind that he’s doing it, and agree that he’s a big name, why are you getting so pissed about this?”
I want to make a fist and punch myself in the mouth as soon as the words are out. Evie is acting anything but pissed right now. I need to stop letting my temper shoot out so abruptly with her; this combination of attraction and competition makes me completely insane.
I see the angry flush rise in her cheeks—and the effect on me is a confusing rush of desire—but again, she stays calm, gathering her things and pushing back from the table.
“You’re right,” she says. “What’s done is done. I’ll have Jess email you the wardrobe notes for Seamus’s end of the shoot, as well as my thoughts on the information you’ve given me today for the retreat.” She closes the folder around her printouts and stands. “Justin can send Jess anything you need me to review.”
“We’re going to talk through our assistants now?” I ask, looking up at her.
“It seems like the best idea, for a number of reasons.” She walks around the table and leaves the room.
Chapter thirteen
evie
“Evie, you’re going to break this machine,” Daryl laments, putting her hand on my quad to slow down my leg extensions. “What is with you?”
I offer up a breathless: “Carter.”
Standing from the machine, I grab my water and take a few deep drinks. Sweat pours off me, and everything burns. I am a beast this morning, but it feels amazing. I realize it’s either kill myself here at the gym, or go to work and punch someone in the solar plexus.
I should probably be mortified about getting up and walking out of our meeting yesterday, but screw him and his perfect forearms and cute crooked smile and diva brother.
I’m so tired of wanting to shove him into the wall and then shove my hand down his pants.
I am so over all of it.
“Not to poke the bear,” she says, “because I can see you’re just a little on edge today, but to be clear: we don’t like Carter anymore, right?”
“No, we do not like Carter anymore.” I use a towel to wipe the sweat from my forehead. “And I’d appreciate if you could remember that next time you’re supposed to be my wing-woman. You told me to be a badass and then melted as soon as he turned on the charm. Remember when you wanted to get back at Brant and I went to your cousin’s wedding as your lesbian fiancée? I kissed you—with tongue. That was me being Team Daryl.”
She laughs. “I’m sorry, you’re right. But to be fair, you really should have given me an adorkable warning, because . . . well, shit, Evie,” she says. “He’s completely fuckable.”
“Not helping!”
“I know I shouldn’t be enjoying this so much, but look how much he riles you up. I knew you were bossy, but who knew you had such a power-play fetish?”
“A what?” I stumble after her over to the free weights.
“You heard me.”
“Do I even want to know?” Amelia asks, racking her weights and looking between us.
I shake my head, watching as she moves to the squat frame.
Daryl leans against the metal bar, watching me. “Evie’s in denial, trying to convince herself that she hates Carter.”
“Ohhhh. I like Carter,” Amelia bends her back, lowering for a dead lift. Coming back up, she says, “He came in to sign some tax forms. I didn’t think the rest of the HR women were going to let him leave, and that’s saying something. That one is a charmer.”
“You realize he’s my nemesis, right?” I say.
When she finishes her reps, Amelia guides me into position for my squats, with the bar against my shoulders and behind my neck. “Your ‘nemesis.’ You are so cute.”
“Are you poisoned by his charm, too?”
She smiles at me. “Shut up and squat.” She startles as if she’s just remembered something. “Oh! You will never believe who Brad just signed.”
I stop, locking the bar into place and meeting her eyes in the mirror. “If you say Gabe Vestes I’m going to scream.”
“That’s right. The same Gabe you mentioned having lunch with Brad right before the merge went public. I don’t know exactly who’s doing what, but something tells me Brad has his hands in a couple cookie jars.”
“I knew something was off about that. Brad got caught calling him a no-talent hack when I was still at Alterman; it didn’t make sense that they’d suddenly decided to mend their fences.” I step away from the squat frame and turn to face them both. “Likely Brad knew about the merger beforehand—and if he knew which of the CTM agents were getting the boot, he’d know to swoop in and make friends with Gabe again.”
“Just another shady move,” Amelia says.
“Why do you think he took Kylie off retreat planning?” Daryl asks, sitting on the bench next to us.
Amelia considers this. “Maybe he’s keeping her busy in other ways.” She grins at us. “Maybe they’re having an affair.”
I shiver, repulsed. “I’d like to think Kylie has a little more sense than that.”
See, Carter? I don’t think the absolute worst of her after all.
“And better taste.” Amelia looks at her watch. “I have a payroll meeting I can’t be late for.”
A smart woman would leave a workout like the one I’ve just had and go get something healthy for breakfast. An egg-white omelet, maybe. Or something whole grain. A smoothie.
Apparently, I am not a smart woman. I go straight to Sidecar Doughnuts and order three butter-and-salts and a giant latte. But I am smart enough to leave two of the doughnuts on my desk, bringing only one to the team breakfast meeting scheduled for eight a.m. in the conference room.
