Page 69 of Let Me Win You

“Locked?” I struggled to understand. “Why?”

Geoff spread his arms wide. “I don’t know! I was returning to my room last night when some asshole shoved me in the closet from behind, then locked the door. I had nothing but a bathrobe on and no food or drink other than some ice and a bottle of sparkling wine…”

The events of the last night started to finally come together like pieces of some weird puzzle.

“Did you, by chance, knock on my door last night?” I asked.

“Yourdoor?” He moved his eyes from me to Invi, then back again. “Then… Are you…”

“Invi is my boyfriend, yes,” I confirmed to a very obvious delight of my mortal sin, whose lips stretched into a triumphant smile and whose cheeks warmed with giddy blush.

I smiled too. It was new to me to see a man so happy from just being called my boyfriend—new and nice.

“And Jess?” Geoff turned his head looking around. “Where is she?”

Of course, it all made sense now. Our red-headed Romeo here had mixed up the rooms and knocked on the wrong door last night. Though, he’d probably have just as little chance with Jess as he had with me at that hour.

“Jess is over there.” I gestured at my friend, who was pointing an accusing finger at the fuming Shaun behind the glass doors. “She’s talking to her boyfriend.”

“Oh, she has a boyfriend?” Geoff’s expression fell.

“I’m afraid not for long now,” I said, bringing a look of hope to his face. “But, Geoff, listen…” I placed a hand on his arm. “Even if she does break up, the last thing she’ll probably want is to jump into another relationship right away. Okay? You need to be patient.”

He worried his lip between his teeth. “A woman like her won’t stay single for long.”

“Single or not, Jess gets harassed a lot by men who hope to be her next boyfriend. Do you really care about her?”

“Do I?” His voice squeaked as if I asked whether he enjoyed breathing or wished to stay alive. “Nic, I’ve turned down job offers I would’ve killed for before I met Jess. But when she called to hire me, I didn’t hesitate. The best work interview I’ve had in my entire life was with her. We connected so well. It felt like I met my other half, you know? I’m usually intimidated by beautiful women and try to stay away from them. But with her…” He sighed, his gaze drifting to Jess across the room.

She seemed to be screaming at Shaun now, her face turning red and her arms gesturing wildly. Yet, a dreamy softness settled over Geoff’s features as he looked at her.

“It was so easy to talk to her,” he gushed. “I made her laugh, and she was so quick at replying to all my jokes. I haven’t met anyone so sharp and witty before, yet so easy-going and down-to-earth too.”

Jess flicked her wrist in the air, as if literally casting Shaun into oblivion, before turning her back to him and returning to the studio room. The glass door shut into Shaun’s face. He made a move to follow Jess, but then just spat out some curse words at her back, stomped his foot, and left.

Instead of coming to us, Jess marched around the room, with her eyebrows pinched together, and her mouth set into a firm line.

“She’s upset.” A deep concern etched on Geoff’s face. “I should go to her.”

I made a move to stop him. Jess obviously was trying to calm her nerves a little before returning to us and eventually facing the cameras again. But then I thought about something.

“You said you know how to make her laugh?” I asked Geoff.

He grinned confidently. “Yes, I do.”

“Then go.” I nodded. “Cheer her up, please.”

“She asked for water.” Invi handed him one of the bottles.

“And, Geoff…” I touched his arm again. “Just keep in mind that she probably doesn’t want another boyfriend right now. She could really use a friend, though. Okay? Could you be her friend? Can you give her more than a Champagne fueled night in a hotel room?”

A blush spread over his face, connecting the gazillion freckles on his neck and chin.

“I… Knocking on hotel doors is not something I usually do. But they say women like confidence, right? So, I figured that Jessica was worth everything, even my potential humiliation if she sent me away.”

“Well, she probably needs you more now than she did last night.” I gestured at Jessica on her way to complete the second circle around the room.

Geoff jogged to her. At the sight of him approaching, the wrinkle between her eyebrows smoothed out, and I exhaled with relief. Geoff gave her the bottle of water, accompanied by the world’s most awkward bow. Jess giggled, hiding her mouth behind her hand like a schoolgirl.

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