Page 10 of Payback
“Don’t waste your time waiting on me.”
“It’s not a waste of time.” His lips barely skimmed hers, but it was enough to make her mouth tingle. “It’s an investment in our future.”
***
There was a reason Bella had a three-date rule. Anything beyond three dates required a messy, face-to-face break-up and she hated those. Yet here she was, in Jeff’s office, rehearsing her speech while she waited for him.
“Hi,” he said, grinning when he spotted her. “My assistant said you were waiting for me. What’s up?” He kissed her cheek on his way to his desk.
“I’m sorry to just stop by like this. I know I should have called or texted first.”
“No problem.” He glanced at his watch. “But if you were hoping to grab lunch I’m afraid I can’t. I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”
Good. That meant they wouldn’t have time for a long, drawn out scene. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“Sure.” He smiled, swiping a hand over his freshly-cut brown hair. “What did you want to talk about?”
She shifted, trying to recall the words she’d rehearsed.
“This is about Loran, isn’t it?” he asked, frowning. “Did you go home with him last night?”
Was she that obvious? “Actually, he did give me a ride home. But nothing happened.” It was true, he’d barely touched her. So why had her body been buzzing all night, begging for relief?
“Okay, if this isn’t about him, what’s wrong? And don’t tell me nothing is. I know you better than that, Bella.”
She’d allowed this to go on too long, trying to distract herself from thinking about Loran. It wasn’t fair to Jeff and now she owed him an apology. “I think you’re a great guy.”
He groaned. “Please don’t tell me you’re setting me up for the friend speech.” When she couldn’t deny it he gave her an incredulous look. “I thought we were finally getting somewhere. Now that we’re living in the same city, we could start seeing each other more. You’d even told me you’d think about meeting my family next month.”
“I know.” She glanced at her cell phone when it buzzed. It was peeking out of the pocket of her handbag and she could see the name flash across the screen. Loran. “Um, I know what I said. But I never led you on, Jeff. I told you I wasn’t looking for anything serious.”
“I know what you said, but when we both decided to move here I thought—”
“You thought it was a step in the right direction.” She should have corrected his misconception sooner. “I’m sorry. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, but it wouldn’t be fair to go on wasting your time.” Last night’s claim echoed in her ears. Loran claimed he was making an investment… in their future. “I’m sure there’s someone out there who wants the same things you do, but you can’t meet her if you’re with me.”
“What if I want to be with you?”
She wished it were that easy. Jeff was a nice guy, a safe bet. No risk of getting her heart broken with someone like him. “I’m afraid I…” Her stomach churned. She hated this part. “I don’t want to be with you, Jeff.” She reached for his hand across the desk when he winced. “Forgive me?”
“No reason,” he said, looking her in the eye. “You can’t help how you feel.” He sighed. “Thanks for being straight with me.” He gestured to their surroundings. “And showing up here to tell me, face-to-face. I know you didn’t have to do that.”
She’d thought about going to his place that evening, but his office seemed like a better option. “Well, I should let you get to that meeting. I have a pretty full day myself.”
He walked her to the door and held his arms out before opening it for her. “I hope he’s worth it.”
Their embrace was stiff and awkward as she said, “He’s not the reason I’m doing this.”
“You may not think he is, but I know better.”
