Page 39 of Game of Love
When she sat next to me I suddenly thought of us as little girls. She’d always come to my house. That would have been my parents’ mansion.
Anya and I had known each other since we were five.
We met in kindergarten and had been friends ever since.
She knew me and more importantly knew who I was. Not just for the fact of me being Jia Marchesi, but she could fill in the blanks too, and just know if there was something I wasn’t saying or talking about, when it was bad.
Earlier when she’d come by, I’d simply told her what Pa had said about Europe and the shit with Armand. I followed that up by telling her I needed to leave.
I’d never expressly said that before.
“Jia, maybe you should think this through a little more,” she offered.
“Yes, maybe I should but how long is that going to take? Thinking things through and coming to a conclusion? Especially when my father seems to be doing all the thinking for me.”
She sighed and pursed her lips together. “Jia, I just don’t want you to do something to make the situation worse.”
“I don’t think it can be any worse than it is. This is me being careful Anya. I have to do something. Whatever that something is… it gives me hope. The cruise won’t work. There’s been too much talk of Europe and angst over Armand. Pa will suspect something.”
“So what would you do? Just disappear one day?”
I smirked without the humor and blew out a ragged breath. That was actually the plan.
She glared at me when I didn’t answer. “Jia, you can’t. I’ll be worried sick. I’d worry so much over you. You can’t just disappear on me.”
“I think I’ll have to.”
“How will you do it though? If it’s not your Pa watching you like a hawk, it’s his men.”
I couldn’t help but think of Xander as she said that. It was the reference to the hawk. Of anyone I’d ever heard being compared to that saying he definitely fit the bill in every essence with his keen eyes.
Unfortunately, eyes that were not on me.
The man told me he was off limits to me. That was really a new one.
“What is that smile for?” She grinned. “I can’t keep up. You’re smiling like you’re thinking about a man.”
“I am. See this whole thing has made me crazy. I’m one of those people who can’t decide what to think about first.”
She giggled. ”You never told me about a man.”
“Because there’s nothing to tell.”
“But the fact that we’re talking about a man signifies you like him. Jia Marchesi doesn’t talk about men she has no interest in.”
I shook my head at her although she was quite right. I didn’t talk about men that never held my interest.
“He’s Pa’s new recruit. Hot like sin but not interested in me.”
“What man with eyes isn’t interested in you?” She actually widened her own eyes like the thought was unheard of.
“Anya I could say the same for you. It’s only because I’m in this slump that I haven’t started on you about Mike.”
She frowned. “I’m trying Jia. It would be easier to say no to him if I’d never fallen for him. I know he’s bad for me and I actually feel proud of myself for turning him down this time. It took me a few days, but I got there and just at the point where he looked comfortable. Like he thought he had me back. We were in a restaurant when I caught him blatantly checking out some woman’s rack. I was sitting in front of him and I just thought,fuck this shit. I can do better. So I did. I’m here and he’s been calling me but I’m not going back to him.”
I listened to her and felt proud too. This was the first I’d heard her sound so strong and determined in what she wanted with regards to him. I guess I could take back the annoyance I’d felt the other night because it had led her to this point.
“You sound like you know what you’re doing,” I encouraged her.
