Page 32 of Take the Wheel

Nancy hesitated. She didn’t want to say it, but it was clawing at the edges of her mind. ‘You don’t still have feelings for her, do you?’

Ari rolled her eyes. ‘Please never say that again. I will be sick.’

Nancy wanted to believe her. But that flicker of hesitation, however brief, lodged itself in her thoughts. And worse than that—worse than the idea that Ari might not be as over Paris as she claimed—was the way Nancy’s stomach twisted at the thought.

Nancy was jealous.

She exhaled sharply, irritated at herself. Ari was her boss. Her chaos to manage. That was it. So why did the idea of Ari still caring about Paris make her feel like she’d just swallowed a shit smoothie?

Nancy straightened. ‘Right. Well, don’t let your strategy get in the way of actually getting your stuff back.’

Ari grinned. ‘Wouldn’t dream of it.’

Nancy turned toward the door, needing a second to clear her head. ‘I’ll grab us coffee. You look like you’re going to need it.’

Ari beamed. ‘You always know what I need.’

Nancy just shook her head, already walking away before Ari could see the flicker of frustration still lingering on her face.

Twenty-Four

Ari found Paris in the games room, taking grinning selfies. The second Ari walked in, the phone and the smile dropped. ‘Well?’ she asked desperately.

‘I’ve found the perfect DJ,’ Ari assured her. ‘You’re going to love him. He has a great vibe. He did my friend Jenna’s wedding in Turks and Caicos. The floor was never empty.’

‘Oh, thank god!’ Paris said, relief washing over her features. ‘I knew you would fix it. You were always so good like that. You knew everyone.’

Ari forced herself to smile. ‘Yeah, I guess I did.’

‘That time when that B-list actor dropped out of that fundraiser, you found me someonebetterwith a day’s notice. I knew then…’ She paused. ‘Anyway, different time.’

Ari could feel the manipulation seeping through Paris’s words, but she didn’t care. She needed to know what Paris had meant. ‘You knew what?’

‘That you and I would end up dating, that’s all,’ she said casually.

‘Because I could help you?’ Ari asked, a bitter taste filling her mouth.

Paris’s smile tightened ever so slightly. ‘More that you were resourceful. It’s an attractive quality.’

‘Resourceful,’ Ari repeated, nodding to herself, feeling the sting of the truth. That’s all she had ever been to Paris. A means to an end.

‘You know, I’m so glad you came,’ Paris said, trying for sincerity. ‘I wasn’t sure you would.’

‘Why not? All that was years ago,’ Ari replied, forcing a lightness she didn’t feel.

‘Well, I’m so glad to hear you’ve finally moved on,’ Paris smiled.

That rubbed Ari wrong. ‘Moved on? Me?’

Paris shrugged, a smug smile playing on her lips. ‘I know it was rough for you. Everything that happened.’

Ari’s annoyance grew. ‘Not sure what you mean by “everything.”’

Paris offered a condescending smile. ‘I didn’t want to end it, you know. You didn’t leave me a choice. But now I think we can both see it was the right call.’

The disbelief surged in Ari. ‘Youended it?’

Paris’s eyes narrowed, her confident facade beginning to crack. ‘Let’s not dwell on the bad times. It’s unhealthy.’

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