Page 48 of Love Beyond the Illusion
Jack leads me past an office with a sign outside the door that readsDirector of Marketing: Marybeth Hopper.He peeks his head inside, but it’s empty. “I wonder where she is.”
“Should we go look for her?”
“Sure—” Jack suddenly halts, his eyes locked on the cracked double doors to our left. “My father’s office,” he mumbles under his breath. His palm is resting on my lower back. It feels intimate after the conversation we had a second ago. No one is around, and no need to put on a show.
With gentle pressure, he nudges me into the space. The area is larger than the other spaces, boasting large windows with clear views of the vineyards and hills. “I’ve only been in here once since he died.” Jack runs a hand through his naturally messy blonde hair. “My mom’s in the adjoining office. They both have individual entrances, but my dad insisted a door was attached between them. He wanted them to move freely between without being bothered by anyone else.”
I smile. “That’s really sweet. They were so much in love, weren’t they?”
“Yeah,” he replies. “My mom has kept his office pretty much shut off from anyone else. The plan is for me to move into this space. I’m dreading the day when I have to start cleaning it out and go through everything.” Jack strolls over to the window behind his father’s desk, almost like he’s lost in thought, having this conversation with himself.
I can’t imagine how difficult it is for him to be here. The more time I spend with him and the more I understand the weight he has on his shoulders, the more I empathize with his need not to be alone. Jack needs me in more ways than one.
I quietly move around the desk until I’m right behind him. His body stays facing the hills with his back to me. I slip my arms under his and wrap them around the front of his waist. My front is to his back, and we stand connected to one another. I lay my cheek against his shoulder blade as he tilted his head to the side, resting his face against the top of my head. I breathe him in while my lungs rise and fall in rhythm with his. They sync perfectly.
“I’m sorry this is hard for you,” I keep my voice low.
I stack my hands around his stomach. He adds his on top of mine, grasping them steadily. All I can take from his gesture is that he’s saying thank you.
“Jack Bradley!” A high-pitched voice from behind us slices through the thick silence in the room.
Both of our heads jerk back simultaneously, but our bodies stay together. Once the short, gray-haired lady walks in, Jack slowly pulls from me. “Hi Marybeth, how are you?” he asks as he brings her in for a friendly hug.
“I’m good. It’s nice to see you,” she replies, holding a tall stack of papers.
Jack wraps an arm around my back, nudging me forward. “This is my girlfriend, Piper.”
“Hello dear, it’s so good to meet you. Heidi told me that you are just wonderful.”
“Thank you so much. It’s great meeting you, and I’m so happy to be here.” Even my responses feel like a job interview or the first day at a new job, where I’m trying to make a good impression on the staff members. But since the moment we pulled up the long, windy driveway, a sense of familiarity has been overwhelming. Waves of pleasant feelings have come and gone since then.
“I’m looking forward to talking with you at the end of the week about what we’ve been doing with our marketing strategies and campaigns,” Jack tells her.
“Of course. I have a full presentation for you. You’ll be excited. But I’m also looking forward to all you’re going to do.” She’s vigorously nodding her head.
“Great. Thanks Marybeth.” Jack looks back at me with a soft smile on his face. “I’m going to finish showing Piper around. See you soon.”
“Of course, of course,” she quickly answers, stepping to the side and allowing a path for Jack and me to slip out of his parents’ office.
“So great to meet you, Piper. I’m sure I’ll see you around,” she says.
“It was my pleasure.” I smile, ignoring her natural comment of seeing me around. I’m unsure what Jack wants me to say now, especially after his bizarre response in the hallway earlier. We hang back by the door until Marybeth leaves, and then Jack proceeds to shut and lock the office that was once his father’s, which now belongs to him.
Chapter Eighteen
Jack
“DidIhandlethequestion better this time?” Piper’s tone is soft, but I can tell there’s sarcasm behind it.
“What question?” I already know what she’s referring to.
“About whether I’d be around in the future. You seemed upset with my response to Edward. I assumed you would’ve been happier by me dismissing it from Marybeth,” she replies as we make our way through the back hallway and toward the front of the tasting room.
She did exactly what she was supposed to do. Piper played her part with Edward. But I can’t explain why I became defensive when I heard her response. Everything is natural with her, and I find myself getting lost in the moment and completely forgetting that none of this is real.
I stop, stepping in front of her and blocking the tasting room entrance before she has a chance to open the door. “I shouldn’t have questioned you about it. You’re doing exactly what I you to do. I guess I was caught up in what’s real and what’s not.”
Piper’s eyebrows pinch together. Her hazel-green eyes stared up at mine with confusion. “This is what you wanted.”
