As much as I wanted to spend the day in bed with Simon, I forced myself to be up and out early. I didn’t want to raise any unnecessary questions with Jack if he realized I had spent the night again, especially sleeping in his dad’s bed. It was torture, leaving the warmth of Simon’s arms and heading out into the freezing cold to go home, but I knew it beat the alternative of planting any seeds in Jack’s young, impressionable mind.
After a long, hot shower and a cup of coffee, I was glad I’d braved the cold so early. I was lounging on my nice comfy couch, which I didn’t plan on moving from all day. Hannah wasn’t able to make our afternoon get-together, and I was perfectly fine with that. I just wanted to veg out with my blanket wrapped around me and some chick flicks on my television.
“Damn it!” I whispered to the knock on my door just as I was settling into a movie. I warily got up, wondering who it could possibly be, flinging the door open immediately when I looked through the peephole and saw Jess. “I know…I suck!” I apologized right away for not returning her last two phone calls.
“Thanks, you saved me the time from having to say it myself.” Jess walked in, making herself comfortable on the couch.
“I’ve just been super busy.”
“With what? I thought you’d have a lot of free time on your hands now that you’re unemployed.”
I creased my eyebrows in confusion. I hadn’t talked to Jess in weeks, so she had no idea about anything that had transpired recently in my life—or at least I didn’t think she did.
“I talked to Margo.”
“You what? Why would you do that after she tried sticking it to you?” Suddenly I was on the offensive, and Jess was quickly becoming one of the people in my past who I’d just as soon forget.
She raised an eyebrow. “So, it seems as if my stock tripled once you left your beloved idol. She actually called me up groveling.” A satisfied grin stretched across Jess’s face.
“And I hope you told her where to go.”
She shrugged.
I shook my head in disbelief. “Jess, don’t do it. I don’t care how much she’s offering you, don’t go back there.”
“Oh my god, Bree, would you relax? It’s not like I have much of an option. I don’t exactly have clients beating down my door.”
“Then find another line of work, but don’t go back to working for her. Please, Jess,” I begged.
“Jeez, Bree. What’s the big deal? Just because you decided to part ways with Margo over mutual differences, don’t try to sway me.”
“Mutual differences? Did she tell you what happened, Jess?”
“Yeah, she said you guys had a difference of opinion over a client.”
I shook my head, trying to stem my anger.
“I don’t get it, Bree. Why all this hate for Margo all of a sudden? She was your mentor and you were her protégé.”
“No. She was not. She was nothing but a sick, twisted bitch who brainwashed me for her own benefit.”
Jess’s eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time she had ever heard me speak badly of Margo.
“I was in the hospital with a dislocated shoulder and black and blue marks covering my face, thanks to her.”
“What happened?” Jess’s matter-of-fact tone changed to concern.
“She forced a client on me—a client who she knew had a violent history. He got drunk, beat the shit out of me, and then he tried to rape me.”
She reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. “Oh my god, Bree, I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”
“Now you do. So please, Jess, whatever you do, don’t go back to that horrible woman. I don’t care if you can’t afford your place anymore—then come move in with me.”
“Oh, okay, so both of our unemployed asses could eat bread and water together,” she teased.
“Actually, I’m not unemployed.”
Jess’s jaw dropped. “Really? Are you holding off on me about another agency?”
“No. I’m done with that line of work.”
“So what the hell are you doing, then?”
I hesitated for a brief second. “I’m babysitting.”
Laughter spewed from her and my agitation began to rise, not finding much humor in it at all.
“I’m sorry, Bree, but you don’t have a maternal bone in your body. Who in their right state of mind would allow you to watch their kid?”
“You know what, just forget it!” I snapped, picking up the remote control and turning up the volume on the TV.
“Bree, I’m sorry. Really, I want to hear all about it.” She finally got her laughter under control.
“He’s just a friend of mine who needed help taking care of his son.”
“A friend?”
“Yes.” I shook my head.
“That’s funny, because I don’t remember you ever mentioning a male friend before.”
I shrugged.
“Bree! Who is he?” she demanded.
“His name is Simon.”
“And…where did you meet him?”
“I-I’ve known him for a little while now.”
Jess’s eyes widened. “Oh my god! It’s that British guy, isn’t it?”
My silence gave it away.
“You little bitch. Not only did you steal my client, but you end up getting a job with him. How the hell did you get so lucky?”
“I don’t know. I just did.”
“So, is having sex with him part of your job duties?”
“No, Jess, it’s not. I told you, I’m done with that.”
“Wow! You’re becoming a real goody two-shoes, aren’t you?”
I sighed loudly. “Maybe I actually like being a goody two-shoes. You should try it sometime.”
“Nope, that will never happen. And what’s this?” She touched my hair. “I’m sorry for just noticing it now, but I love the new hairdo.” She cleared her throat. “Did Simon have anything to do with the new look?”
“What? No, Jess. I just wanted a change.”
“Okay, but he’s gotta think you look totally hot.”
“Oh my god, I cut a few inches off my hair—big deal! It had nothing to do with him, and I have no clue how he feels about it,” I lied.
“Jeez, I don’t know if I like this new touchy side to you.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.
She grabbed her ringing phone from her purse and became flustered. “Bree, I really need to take this. I’ll give you a call this week.” She leaned over, planted a kiss on my cheek, and ran out the door with her ringing phone in hand.
I got up and locked the door, wondering who was on the other end of that phone call. Fairly certain I already knew the answer to that question, I became angry at myself for divulging as much as I had to Jess. As much as I cared for her, if she was back in cahoots with Margo, there was no way I could trust her or even be friends with her. It had taken me a while to figure it out, but I was quickly learning who I could and couldn’t trust in life. Sadly, the trust list was getting smaller by the day.