Page 92 of When Glitter Meets Gold

It’s the last thing I want to be reminded of. How am I supposed to turn up at a ball as Jack’s date after our earlier exchange? Walter continues, “Justin and Reza are going to be there. They want to use the ball to announce the partnership with the Vandenberg Group.”

I gulp. Justin and Reza are the creators of Street Bandit. They’re the ones I ultimately need to convince that my app is worth the investment.

“We’re trying to arrange a photographer, but the darn security won’t clear it for us,” Walter says hesitantly.

I blink, a smirk working its way onto my face. “Do you need me to ask my client to help us out with that?”

Walter sighs. “I’d appreciate that.” It’s the most strained request for help I’ve ever heard, but I’m taking it. I’m taking it because I need all the confidence I can get since I have to get in touch with Jack to ask for this favor…

38

JACK ‘J’

Well, shit.

How did he and Sara go from goofing around in her bedroom, admitting they cared for the other, to this? He could blame Kandi all he liked, curse her for the rest of his life for getting in the middle of things, but as much as it pained him to say, Kandi for once, wasn’t responsible for this fuck up. J had managed to screw things up all by himself this time.

The truth was, he knew he had to tell Sara about the situation with Kandi. It never even crossed his mind to keep it from her. In fact, the more time he spent with her, the more he knew he could talk to her about the whole thing and she’d support him fiercely.

The conversation was on the tip of his tongue each time they’d met over the past few days, yet the moment they wrapped themselves in each other, everything else just seemed irrelevant. It was the reason he kept going back to her. She made him feel good. Made him feel normal. Made him forget Kandi even existed.

Each moment spent with Sara was another momentspent closer to finding a home he never knew he needed. And one thing was for sure, you didn’t let problems enter your home.

His thumbs have been hovering over his phone for the past five minutes as he contemplates what he can say to make things right.

When he comes up blank, he tosses the phone to the other side of the sofa, at the very moment the screen lights up with a message from Sara. He never scrambled so fast to pick up an item in his life.

S: I hate how we left things, and I hate this awkward question I’m about to ask…

J: You can ask me anything

S: Walter’s asking if we can bring a photographer to the ball….

S: If you still want me there

J: Christ, of course I want you there. I’m the one who screwed up

J: Photographer’s fine, just send me their name to give to security

J: Can we please talk? Can I explain the situation?

S: Honestly, I just need to process everything, especially this stupid document leak

J: I don’t care about the documents. Told you this kind of thing happens all the time

J: What I care about, is you

S: I know. And I care about you too. I really do hate how we left things

J: Me too. You have no idea how important you are to me

J: I’m leaving to go to Seattle for a work trip in the morning, I want to see you before I go

S: I promised Amber I’d hang out with her tonight…sorry

J: No, that’s cool. You pair going to shit talk me?

S: Maybe…

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