Page 51 of Cakewalk
I unfolded the blanket and draped it over Griffin’s body as he kicked back fully, throwing an arm over his eyes. I closed all the blinds, then returned and pulled his shoes off, tucking the blanket under his feet.
“You’re very nice to me,” he mumbled, before slipping into a deep sleep.
I knelt down beside him, watching him sleep peacefully, my mind going back to the accidental confession. And here I had been trying my best to convince myself that it really had only been a fling, and that I really could get over him.
This situation was different from my ex and I knew it. Griffin really was somebody I didn’t want to lose, and not out of some sort of desperation. I saw something in him that nobody else recognized, and it was precious to me, something I didn’t want to let go. And the more everybody judged him, the harder I wanted to hold on.
Maniacal taking-over-Calhoon tirades aside, if the town really was this close to bankruptcy, then we needed this shake-up. All of our livelihoods were at stake.
But even more than that, so was my sanity. Because I wasn’t sure I could stand another day without him.
Chapter 19
Griffin
I wokeup with my head pounding. Not such a rare occurrence these days, but I also woke up to a blanket wrapped cozily around me, plus the savory smell of something cooking.
I sat up, wondering what the hell Patches was getting up to this time. I had raccoon-proofed the entire apartment, yet still he always found trouble. Had he turned the damn stove on again?
I craned my neck over my shoulder to see Jade bustling in the kitchen.
Shit.Then it all came back to me. The bar, the pinball machine. Her dragging me back to the apartment. Me ranting and rambling… about what? Certainly not my plans to bring Calhoon into submission. And definitely not about the fact that Jade meant so much to me that she could bring me to my knees.
No, even drunk, I had the presence of mind to not talk about that subject. Mrs. Salisbury herself had tested my mettle on that, and I had never spilled a single bean to her.
“You’re awake,” Jade announced, her voice light and happy. “I’m cooking dinner. Sweet Italian sausage and pasta. I figured you’d have an epic hangover and could use something good and filling to eat.”
I squinted, still trying to remember what happened before I passed out. “Did I let you in here?”
“Yes.”
“Did I tell you about Patches?”
“Patches made himself known.”
“Did we make some kind of agreement to be roommates?”
Jade pointed a wooden stirring spoon at me. “You joked about it, though I’m pretty screwed right now in terms of accommodations. But I guess it’s not your fault that I was counting on you leaving by now.”
“Did I tell you anything about my plans to take over Calhoon?”
“Yes, something about you waiting out Calhoon’s bankruptcy, then snatching it all up for yourself.”
I stood up slowly, the headache making me move with care. “Well, I mean, that’s not really how I want it to go down. I do want the town’s approval before I go forward with it. Hostile takeovers aren’t a good way to conduct business.”
“That sounds like a fair enough proposition. If you can bring it all to light, I’m sure they’ll be reasonable.”
“Exactly. We’ve been trying to play nice, but now it’s time we put everybody’s feet to the fire.”
“‘We,’ Griffin?”
I sat on a stool at the kitchen counter and considered how to respond. She clearly wasn’t ready to jump into all of this again so quickly. “You’re still doing the whole PR thing, right? I checked your website. You’ve gotten good reviews.”
Jade arched a brow at me, and I realized maybe that seemed stalkerish. Or maybe she just didn’t expect me to have kept caring about her.
“Yes,” she said, putting a lid on a pot that was boiling pasta. “I’m still trying to get my firm going. But don’t take any of this—” she gestured between herself and me, “—for granted. I’m not jumping back into bed with you that quickly, romantically or professionally. If I do, I want it to be for certain this time.”
I nodded and sat down. That was fair enough, considering her entire life as she knew it probably fell apart the last time she went to bat for me. I leaned forward on the counter and asked, “How have things been between you and your family? I know Courtney was pissed when I last saw her in the parking lot.”
