Page 10 of Man of the Month Club: January
“Really?” I pretend to be stunned by the kind offer. At her nod, I say, “That would be wonderful.”
Feeling like a bit of a heel for duping her and wanting to help her out in any way I can, I add, “I’ll be happy to pay you for your time.”
“That won’t be necessary,” she answers quickly.
When she goes to climb into my truck, so I can deliver her to her car, I tell her I need to run inside the house for a minute. Once I’m in the kitchen, I grab the bills from the emergency section in my wallet and place them on the counter.
I start to jog back to her, but freeze when the thought enters my mind that she might misconstrue the money as payment for last night. There isn’t enough cash in the world to compensate her for that wondrous experience, but her significant insecurities are sure to flare up over the payment.
The listing agent for the house has left a personalized pad of paper and pen on the counter as a bit of advertisement––likely not having any idea one of the hottest real estate brokers in northeastern Indy would end up being the buyer.
I glare at the picture of the slick, middle-aged gentleman smiling with large, white veneers from the paper before scribbling a note to thank Maggie for meeting the movers.
Whistling comes naturally as I hurry back out to my truck to rejoin the woman, whom I intend to spend the rest of my life loving.
9
Maggie
Perhaps I spent a bit of extra time picking the perfect outfit to cover my scars and getting ready to meet Jett’s movers, but that doesn’t mean I want my relationship with the sexy man to continue. Just because he showed me the best night of my life before giving me a toe-curling kiss when he dropped me off at my car does not imply that I could or should expect anything further from him.
I will help him out with his scheduling conflict today; then that will be the end of it. It will be hard to let him go without a fight, but at least I’ll always have the memories of our one perfect night together. No one can ever take those from me, and I am sure I’ll relive them over and over again for the rest of my days.
Once I’m as primped as my mangled face will allow, I hop into my car and drive over to Jett’s new mansion by the water. I’m a bit early because I intend to have a look around before the movers arrive, so I will know how to triage Jett’s belongings. Besides, if my mind wants to imagine living here as Jett’s wife for a few marvelous moments, then what is the harm?
The key he’d given me easily opens the massive walnut front door. I gasp as I take in the lovely crystal chandelier in the high-ceilinged foyer with panoramic views of the water. This is easily the most beautiful home I’ve ever entered, and I’m instantly jealous of the woman who actually will eventually become Jett’s wife and get to live here with him.
I trail my fingers along the slate gray granite countertops in the impressive executive kitchen. Even though I’ve never been much of a cook, I’m sure anyone could whip up some marvelous meals with these luxurious, stainless steel appliances.
My eyes snap to the pile of cash on the kitchen island. As soon as I read the note and count the money, I grab my phone and stab at the button to call Ciara.
As soon as my friend picks up, I say in a screechy tone, “I had sex with Jett last night, and he left me a thousand dollars in cash with a note. Does he think I’m a hooker?”
When Ciara has the audacity to laugh at my concerned question, I’m tempted to hang up on her. I refrain because I need to hear her opinion about the money. When her laughter subsides, she says confidently, “I’m sure he doesn’t think you’re a hooker.”
“Why else would he leave me that much cash?” I hiss into the phone.
She answers my question with one of her own. “What does the note say?”
“It just thanks me for meeting the movers,” I tell her.
In a logical tone, Ciara says, “It sounds to me like he’s paying you for doing him a favor.”
I shake my head, even though she can’t see me through the phone. “That’s way too much money for spending a couple of hours here guiding movers on where to place furniture and boxes.”
“Perhaps he’s really grateful that you’re helping him out of a bind. Besides, I have it on good authority that he thinks the world of you and can’t wait to see you again,” Ciara hints.
My heart soars at her reassuring words, but I can’t imagine how she would know anything of the sort. Beyond curious, I ask, “Exactly what good authority are you referring to?”
“I just got off the phone with Phoebe, and she said her cousin sounded utterly smitten with you when she spoke to him this morning,” Ciara reveals.
“Smitten?” I ask, letting the wonderful word roll around my mind.
“Mm-hmm,” Ciara murmurs, sounding delighted. When I remain quiet, my friend adds, “Call me after you see him again because I want to hear all about your blossoming romance.”
“Okay,” I agree, completely distracted by the surging hope that Jett could actually care about me.
After we sign off the call, I type the words ‘define smitten’ into the internet browser on my phone. I know what I think it means, but I want to see if Merriam-Webster agrees. I stare at the glorious words on the screen for a long moment.
