“Me too,” he said, giving me his lopsided grin.
Which was how we wound up walking hand in hand down the steps toward the recording studio. Right when the guys and company were pouring out of the place.
Jimmy’s eyes latched onto our joined hands and his face hardened. It might have just been me, but I’m pretty sure the temperature in the room rocketed to lava levels.
“If she’s here, she’s working, Dean,” he said, his voice flat and unfriendly.
What the hell?
“Right.” Dean dropped my hand like it had been dipped in poison. “Sorry, Jim.”
“Actually I was just on my break,” I said, despite the fact I’d never actually had an official break since starting with him. He probably owed me quite a few by now.
A muscle jumped in Jimmy’s jawline. “Lena, I asked you to get the info on the interview for next week.”
“It’s waiting for you in the office.”
“I’m not in the office, Lena. I’m here.”
“So I see. Just give me a moment and I’ll fetch it for you.”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all, Jimmy. Anything for you.”
His jaw hardened. “And we can do without you carrying on with your boyfriend during business hours from now on,” he said.
Carrying on? For fuck’s sake. There was a lot I could say in response, but all of it came with the distinct possibility of putting Dean straight back in the firing line. “Duly noted.”
“Great.”
“Awesome.”
He just glared at me.
Therefore, I got the last word in and I won. Take that, you god damn arrogant tyrannical shithead. I didn’t know if he was jealous or what, but perhaps he’d snap and fire me this time. He certainly seemed angry enough, his eyes promising all sorts of damage. Part of me almost hoped he would, my heart hammering inside my chest. Do it, do it, do it.
“That’s enough,” he snapped.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t need to.”
True enough. We could read each other far too well at times.
Everyone had frozen sometime during our verbal combat, all the better to watch the carry-on. Even Liv the movie star seemed discomforted by the scene. Her head turned this way and that, eyes wide with obvious confusion.
Then Mal let out a loud wailing noise. “I hate it when mommy and daddy fight!”
The crazed drummer barreled up the stairs in a dramatic exit. If Dean and I hadn’t flattened ourselves against the wall we’d have been knocked over. David choked on a laugh, Ben at least had the good grace to turn his back before he cracked up, and behind them, Taylor and Pam said nothing. The movie star still had the oblivious thing going on. Then her hand crept beneath Jimmy’s arm, her fingers wrapping around his strong bicep and squeezing before her fingers dropped away.
“Jimmy?”
He sort of started, the anger dropping from his face. “Yeah, Liv. Why don’t we go out?”
I could see why the woman had made millions, her smile lit up the room. Fortunate for me and my sensibilities, Jimmy’s face remained more reserved.
“Can I have a word with you first?” I asked him. We needed to clear the air about this handholding business. That, and I couldn’t stand the thought of him leaving with her, of what might happen between them next. I just wasn’t ready. Another minute or two maybe and I’d be fine, if we could just fix this latest fight.
“Not now,” he said.
“But—”
“Not now.” His voice was a whip and it cut through me sure and true.
The guys amusement cut off dramatically.
“Jim,” said David, face serious.
“Stay out of it, Dave.” Jimmy held out his hand to Liv and she took it. Apparently, the matter of me had been closed.
“We’ll head off,” said Ben, giving me worried looks as he passed me on the stairs.
I smiled back determinedly. “Later, guys.”
God, did everyone know about my great unrequited love?
Or no, my boss’s sweet words had gotten them worked up. Perhaps they thought I’d burst into tears. Like hell, it would take more than harsh words from Jimmy Ferris to do that. Dean now stood apart from me, concerned for his job no doubt, which was fair enough. We’d gone on one whole date, not enough to throw your career away over. When David went past, he reached out, grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I don’t know how Jimmy reacted because I followed his brother straight up the stairs without looking back. Didn’t mean I wouldn’t make him regret the put-down later, however.
Liv said something down behind me and Jimmy answered in a suitably subdued voice. I didn’t want to know what.
I’d asked for this, told Jimmy to date, pushed him into it even. But then he’d made me date too and then torn into me for daring to hold someone’s hand. Rage boiled up inside of me, an inferno’s worth. I didn’t need to fetch shit. Jimmy was going out, he didn’t really care about the interview info. Instead of doing my duty, I power walked my fine self up to the second floor. I didn’t run, because to run would insinuate I was some sort of coward making an escape. I didn’t slam my bedroom door shut either, calmly locking it instead.
Everything was fine.
I was okay.
And Jimmy Ferris could go fuck himself.
CHAPTER TWELVE
My bedroom door handle started rattling just after five, waking me from my afternoon slumber. Three hours I’d been holed up in my room. A lesser mortal might have cried themselves to sleep, but I’d had a nap with a slight amount of tear duct drama attached to its beginning.
Whatever.
I was over letting Jimmy Ferris turn me inside out. It was time to start acting like a grown woman and put the nonsense behind me.
“Lena.” More rattling.
I raised my weary head off the pillow, rubbing at my sore eyes.
Some thumping. “Open the door.”
“Have you come to apologize?” I asked.
“What the fuck do I have to apologize for?”
Slowly, I sat up. “Oh, I don’t know. Try being a hypocrite, yelling at me, and embarrassing me in front of other people for starters.”
A moment of silence. “Don’t be ridiculous, open the door.”
“No.”
“Open. The. Door.”
“We can discuss this tomorrow, Jimmy. Good night.” So I’d go to bed with no dinner. For once, my belly didn’t mind and my heart was too torn up to care.
At which point, Jimmy went off. “It’s my fucking house and you work for me. It is not okay for you to be carrying on with him during business hours. Where the fuck is the respect? You’re on my time then and you damn well know it. It’s absolute bullshit. You’re both completely out of line. I pay you, you’re my assistant, and he’s got the fucking gall to try something with you behind my back in my house. He has no business touching you ever. I don’t want to see that shit happening again, he’s to stay away from you. The * didn’t even stand up for you, Lena. Did you notice that? I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking of having anything to do with the little dickhead.”
I gaped at the door. Clearly, the man had lost his ever-loving mind. He wasn’t making a single lick of sense, but he kept on keeping on. Apparently the fact that he’d set me up with Dean in the first place had been completely forgotten. Amazing. I had to tune out for the sake of my sanity. I crossed my legs and leaned back against the headboard, waiting him out.
*
Eventually, the silence was deafening on both sides of the door. I strained to hear something, anything.
Then the crashing began.
Boom!
The first bone-jarring noise made my whole body jump. Second time around wasn’t much better. My bedroom door smashed open and Jimmy strode on, seeming twice as tall as normal, putting most mountains to shame. Righteous indignation blazed in his eyes, red tinged his skin. Maybe I should have been afraid, but I was too busy being pissed.
“Did you just kick my door down?” I shrieked the obvious. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”