Page 39 of Executive Benefits

“His hair is barely gray.” I brushed the comment off. “Besides, I told him we were hanging out tonight. Plus, he’s not my anything. Your warnings have been stuck in my head since the first time I slept with him.”

“And yet, you had sex with him two more times after that.”

I rolled my eyes. “It was really good sex,” I said. The doorbell rang again, and I rose to answer it.

“Take something to protect yourself!” Mia responded as I went out the door, and I shook my head at her nonsense.

“Knock it off, it’s probably just kids being dicks.” I snorted and hopped down the stairs. I stopped when I saw a man’s silhouette through the glass. “Crap,” I whispered. I told Nick I was busy tonight.

Annoyance percolated in my chest. If he wasn’t going to respect my boundaries, that would give me a good reason to really let the idea of some sort of life with him go.

I marched up to the door, unlocked it, and “Jared,” fell from my lips as he turned.

“Hi...” He smiled and stood there with flowers in his hand. White daisies. My favorite. “Can I come in?”

“No,” I said as he tried to hand me the flowers. “Why are you still in Heart’s Creek?”

“Because I came to make amends.”

I shivered, rubbing my arms from the cold air that seeped in around me and the chill down my spine at his words.

“Oh, sorry.” He stepped into the foyer, and I let the door close. The only reason I even let him close to me was because it was frigid outside. Now, I just needed to hear what he had to say so he would think he said everything he needed to and then kick him out.

He handed me the flowers. “I’m not taking these, Jared.”

“I can’t believe you’re that angry with me that you won’t take your favorite flowers.”

“I think you’re delusional if you believe I would take anything from you.”

He leaned forward with a smile he thought was charming and said, “That’s not the first time you’ve said that to me.”

I released a huff, letting him know he was on thin ice, and gave him a hard glare. “What do you want, Jared?” I asked. He knew about my New Year’s Eve tradition with Mia. He even knew that Mia had moved with me. He was totally shitting over everything because he was trying to save his precious ego.

He deserved a good kick to his ego, and I wasn’t sad about being the person who delivered that blow to him.

“Hey!” Mia shouted down the stairs. “Was I right?” I leaned back to see her kneeling down, trying to get a look at who I was talking to. “Oh,” she said, not hiding her disdain. “Do you need a knife or an umbrella?” she called. My eyes snapped close, trying and failing a little bit to stop the laughter from coming out ofmy mouth because neither Jared nor Mia needed that type of encouragement.

I turned my attention to Jared who did not look amused at Mia’s suggestion that I get a knife for my protection. I was tempted to say something, but I didn't.

“Please do this for me. I know I was an ass. But I need you. You were the only one who was doing the job right.” I wondered who else he tried to hire and if they rejected him. If they did, I’d send them a fruit basket. “And I miss you too.”

“Jared, I’m booked up through March,” I said. I really just needed to get him away from me. “I’d keep looking for another PR person if I were you, but if I’m free then, maybe I’ll help you out.” He handed me the flowers. I shook my head. “I don’t want those. I’m not interested in starting any kind of romantic relationship with you ever again.”

I didn’t blink when his smile drooped. I almost believed his sadness and shock were real, except that I remembered who he was and how he thought he could win people over with manipulation.

“I’ll hold you to that project,” he said, his smile perking right back up.

“You need to leave.” I wasn’t going to respond to that statement at all. “I’m spending time with my friend.”

“You’ll kick me out even though you know I don’t have any place else to go?”

“I did not invite you to this town, nor to come and see me. It’s your fault you have nowhere else to go.”

He tried to hand me the flowers one more time. I opened the door and ushered him out. “Julia, wait.” He stepped forward and placed his hand along my cheek. “We were good together, baby. I’m sorry I flirted. Please just think about giving me a second chance.”

I took his wrist and moved it away from my face. “No, Jared. It’s time you moved on.”

“Fine. But I’m not giving up on us yet,” he said and clipped my chin with his finger. I pulled back, not bothering to hide my revulsion. As Jared walked away, he placed the flowers on my porch in some weird attempt to prove whatever he was trying to prove.

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