Loneliness burrowed deep into Jordan as she sat in her office, removing the pins from the sweater dress she’d stitched together earlier. A few days had gone by since the night Brandon had showed up at her door, and every time she remembered what he’d said, her heart ached for him. However, each time she remembered scrolling through his Facebook page, it was a kick in the heart all over again.
This made it so hard to figure out her thoughts and sort through her feelings. Which was stupid. Her own eyes had seen the way he flirted with that waitress in front of her. He might have said he wanted to be in a relationship with her, but his Facebook page clearly hadn’t gotten that memo. Maybe the rest of him really hadn’t either.
That would explain why he’d walked away so easily, without even trying to convince her to give him a second chance.
“My needs are well taken care of,” he’d once assured her.
Such a prick. Yet she still missed that prick—his voice on the other end of the phone line and his witty text messages. He used to communicate with her almost every day, and she longed for that bond again. But if she decided to go the friendship route, how would she ever get past that kiss or her lack of trust in him?
Actually, though, the lack of trust shouldn’t be an issue. Since she wouldn’t be dating him, she wouldn’t have to fear not being enough for him, or worry about him cheating. He could flirt with whomever, and she’d get the better side of him—the quick-witted male companion she liked to hang out with.
Maybe being friends was the right thing for them. At least that’s what she’d keep telling herself. But no way would she be the first one to contact him after everything.
The next few minutes, her mind tortured her as she brooded about why Brandon had even decided they should stay friends. Was it an easy letdown? Something to say just because? She frowned, wishing she could talk to her friends about it, but she’d already played off her trip to the video awards as “two friends hanging out.”
Anyway, it was better to keep this mess to herself than get Adrianna and Sam involved; she felt stupid enough about it on her own.
“It’s so hard being the bigger person,” she huffed before sending Brandon a text.
Jordan: I hope you’re doing okay.
A few minutes later, her phone rang with an incoming video call from Brandon. Crap. Why does he do that? She grabbed the mirror on her desk and touched up her lipstick before answering. He’s my friend now. What am I doing?
“Hey, you. What’s going on?” Brandon was walking around outside, the wind stormy in the background.
“Nothing much, at work and maybe a little bored,” Jordan said, playing with her necklace.
“Oh, I see. So you called me seeking amusement. I’m flattered.” She could hear his car door cranking open. “I’m heading to a meeting right now, so not much excitement on my side either.”
“Your ego should know I’m not calling you for amusement. You called me. I just wanted to see how you were, so I texted you.”
His lips quirked up, and she rolled her eyes, hating how handsome he was.
“You mean how I am after you called me a fraud and ripped my heart out?” He smirked. “Sorry. Too soon.”
She flinched at his comment and heard the car start. “I don’t know why I bother. You’re an asshole, and I really don’t like you a lot of times, but you already know that.”
“I know, I know.” He pointed to his face. “But do you see these dark circles under my eyes? I haven’t been able to sleep. It’s been killing me wondering if you would ever talk to me again, Jordan. I miss you, and I mean that! I see you judging me with your eyes. And I still need to give you a proper apology, because I suck at any and everything having to do with relationships, and I dragged you into that. Please give me a chance to make things right. When can I see you? What are you doing later?”
“You really think we can go back to being friends?”
“Of course. I’m better as a friend anyway.” The convertible car top lowered behind him. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing later?”
“Nothing exciting. Going to a lounge for happy hour with a few friends.”
“Sounds fun, too bad I’ll be studying later or I’d crash—hey, Jordan, I’m getting a call. I need to take this. Be safe later, and don’t go kissing any more assholes.”
She glared at him, ignoring the need in her gut as she remembered their steamy kiss. “It’s still too soon. Besides, I guarantee the next person I kiss won’t be an asshole.”
“Really? Maybe I should show up to intercept.” He laughed when her mouth hung open. “Just joking.”
She groaned in frustration after she hung up. Why did she have to like him?
She walked back out to the sales floor. With Black Friday and Christmas approaching, it was time to start planning for the busiest time of the year. She also had a meeting with a designer this afternoon about bringing a new line into her store. That made her think about selling her own designs. The selection of her own pieces that she’d listed on her website had made more sales than she’d projected, probably due to her fashion show, but opening another Artesian location was the priority. After that she would consider doing more with her own designs.
Right now, she needed more space to make the store more personalized, and with a new location, that could be possible. Her dream was to have a boutique with a lounge in the front where she could serve drinks to clients while they awaited their friends, or a place to hang out and chat before leaving the store—a nice storefront on Rodeo Drive would do.
She shook her head. Now she was definitely dreaming.
The lighting in the restaurant and lounge generated a purple hue, juxtaposing nicely with the white leather lounge chairs in the room. Sam and Adrianna sat opposite Jordan by the huge glass windows overlooking downtown L.A.
She brought the strawberry mojito to her lips, enjoying its refreshing tanginess. “So what have you guys been up to?”
Adrianna set her cocktail on the table. “Really? You’re just going to pretend you didn’t have a fabulous, celebrity-filled weekend with your Casanova? We need details. How was it?”
“It was fun,” Jordan said, forcing a smile. She didn’t want to think about Brandon. It had taken her this long to get out of her hating-men phase, and she was ready to move on. Just with someone who wasn’t Brandon.
“That’s it?” Sam asked. “He didn’t sweep you off your feet and make endless love with you until dawn?”
Jordan blushed. “No. I told you guys, we’re just friends. He has loads of models and famous people on his contact list to sweep off their feet. Trust me, no dirty details here, besides the fact that I’m single and there’s a beautiful man at the bar.”
“Oh, well, excuse me.” Adrianna grinned. “I guess at least he helped you realize you need to date someone, so that’s good.”
“Who says anything about dating?” Jordan said, waggling her eyebrows.
“First of all, what did he do to you?” Adrianna laughed. “Second, I’m going to need his number.”
“Yeah, no way. Anyway,” Jordan stressed, changing the topic. “I accepted the offer from that new designer. Thank you, Sam, for referring her to me. The designs are gorgeous. Now I just need a bigger store. I feel like it used to be a simple store with plenty of space. Now it’s getting overcrowded and cluttered.”
“What are you thinking about? Where would you relocate?” Sam asked.
“I was thinking about opening another location and promoting Charlie to store manager at the current store. But then I don’t know. I have to weigh the pros and cons of relocating versus having two locations. I want a store outside of the mall now that my customer base has grown. I hate the mall. It’s too crowded. There’s always so much going on, and it makes me feel closed in. I need windows and doors connecting to outside, you know?”
“Good for you. Sounds like a great idea. Too bad I have the daycare. I would come work for you,” Adrianna said, pouting. “Those kids drive me crazy, but I love them with all my heart.”
“Perfect. Now when Jordan and I have kids, we know where to take them,” Sam said, looking at her phone. “Oh, I didn’t show you all a picture of the guy I’m dating.” She did a few clicks and swipes on her phone. “This is him.”
Adrianna and Jordan looked at the picture on Sam’s phone of a handsome guy dressed in only sweatpants.
Adrianna cleared her throat. “Sam, that bulge, just saying.”
Jordan burst into laughter with Adrianna as Sam’s face reddened.
Adrianna gasped for air. “Oh my, did Patrick turn you out? Yeah, come to think of it, he was the last guy you were in a serious relationship with. Well, you know what they say . . . once you go black . . .”
Sam blushed. “Of course that’s all you’d see. I hate you guys.”
“I’m sure you do, freak!” Adrianna teased.
“Shut up! That’s the last time I show you guys anything,” Sam said, stuffing her phone into her purse.
Jordan sipped her drink, keeping her mouth shut. The attention was no longer on her.
“Don’t worry, we aren’t judging. Whatever makes you happy, princess.” Adrianna smiled. “Besides, I have a confession. I found someone who . . . gets me, and we sort of have been hooking up, exclusively. Sorry, Jordan, we kind of decided to keep you and Brandon out of the loop, because, well, we were having too much fun. Anyway, remember Damian, Brandon’s buddy?”
The drink trickled down the wrong part of Jordan’s throat, causing her to cough nonstop. “What? How? When!” she managed before coughing again.
“Jeez, Jo, calm down,” Adrianna said, a crease forming between her brows. “It’s not that surprising, is it? We exchanged numbers at the movie theater. I know I had a date, but Damian and I ran into each other when I had gone to pee, and it was animal instinct. Let me tell you, he’s an animal.”
“When was the last time you talked to him?” Jordan asked, and when she looked at Sam, she realized Sam also knew. “Have you been on Facebook recently, A?”
“What? I deactivated my account not long ago. He was jealous of other guys contacting me, and I was jealous of the girls, so we kind of did it together. And what the hell? Do you have Facebook now? Why are you both looking at me like that? Please don’t tell me he’s engaged or married, or I don’t know—what is it?” Adrianna picked up her phone.
“Adrianna, put the phone down,” Jordan said, her voice firm. “When was the last time you heard from Damian?”
“A few days . . . or shit, it’s been over a week. I’ve been kind of occupied, trying not to seem too anxious. I didn’t want to be the first one to contact him,” she explained. “We decided to take a break from each other the night he left to do some club promotion for a bodybuilding award he won. We’d spent every day with each other since we met, so it was needed. Things were moving way too fast between us. Anyway, what’s with the twenty questions?”
“Adrianna, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to say anything . . . it was Brandon’s business. I didn’t know you two were—I would have told you sooner.” This was the second hardest thing she’d had to say to Adrianna. The first was confiding in her about Todd. “There was a shooting that night at the club. Damian was with his cousin James—”
Adrianna’s eyes widened as she caught on. “Is he okay?”
Jordan swallowed as she tried to find the right words. “He was shot. He didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”
It broke her heart to see a tear slide down Adrianna’s cheek. Moving to the other side of the table, she and Sam sandwiched Adrianna into a tight hug. And to think Adrianna had known the guy for less than a month. What about Brandon? How must he be feeling? Her heart ached, thinking back to the night he’d come to her for comfort, the night she’d turned him away when he needed her—all because of some stupid crap she saw online.
“I didn’t want him to go, and he didn’t want to either, especially because of that stupid break from each other thing we’d decided on.” Adrianna sniffled. “I need to go home. I need to be alone. I can’t—”
Samantha drove Adrianna home, leaving Jordan to sit in her car for a few minutes, thinking. Brandon had said he would be studying, but she called him anyway. She had to see him.
His house sat on a hill, forty minutes away from downtown L.A.
She called him again when she reached the steel gates, like he’d instructed her to. They opened up to a driveway that narrowed uphill to a captivating yet massive house for a single guy. Floor-to-ceiling windows walled the front, revealing a living and dining area. The outside lighting at the corners of the building, together with the light extending from the inside, distracted her from Brandon, who stood waiting to meet her in a white T-shirt and sweatpants.
“Hey, is everything okay?” he asked as she stepped out of her car. “I know I said I missed you, but—”
She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I’m sorry for not being there for you when you came to me.”
“No need to apologize, silly. Is that why you came here? You might not understand me, Jordan, but believe it or not, I understand you. That being said, I thought you were out with your friends. And I know you’re not here for a nightcap. So, what’s going on?”
He was warm and smelled like some tantalizing male body wash. She let her hands fall from him, no matter how good it felt to be in his arms again.
“You wish you understood me. I assure you, I’m not like most women.”
“I know.” He laughed. “You’re worse, but I get you.”
Jordan smiled as she gave his arm a playful thump. “You are a horrible person. This is why I don’t like you. Is this what I’ll have to deal with in this friendship now? You reminding me how awful I am?”
“Maybe,” he snickered. “I can’t make any promises.”
“Unbelievable!” She shook her head. “Anyway, back to why I’m here. Adrianna and Damian were hooking up. They met that day we ran into each other at the movie theater . . .”
She stopped talking as something horrible crossed her mind. What if Brandon had gone out with Damian that night, instead of with her, and something had happened to him? At the sound of a loud exhale from Brandon, she took a deep breath and reassured herself, he’s still here.
“Damn, I’m sorry. I had no idea. I’m guessing she just found out? Where is she?”
“She wanted to be by herself. But for the first time, I think she’d met someone she connected with. I can tell she’s heartbroken. I’ve never seen her like that.” Jordan frowned. “I’m not good at dealing with pain anymore. I don’t know how to—or what to do.”
“Everyone deals with things differently. You just have to listen to what she wants to share. Since you’re here, I could show you how we’re dealing with it right now. Come on, Andrew and James are inside. I don’t think you’ve met James—he’s Damian’s cousin. The studying thing wasn’t working, so I called them over.” Brandon took her hand and led her onto the porch. “Watch your step. You can’t go falling for me again.”
Right, she thought as the warmth from his hand holding hers spread to the rest of her body.
After passing through the foyer, she spotted Andrew sitting on a large, modern, sectional sofa, with a muscular man she assumed was James. His skin was darker than Damian’s, and he was out of shape, but his facial features bore some resemblance.
“Andrew, remember Jordan? And James, I don’t think you’ve met her.”
Jordan smiled, a little self-conscious about meeting more of Brandon’s friends. “Hey, Andrew. Nice to meet you, James. So, what are you guys up to?”
“Chilling and reminiscing about the good times—drinking beer, trying not to be too sad, you know?” James said.
“Sit down. Get comfortable,” Brandon said, stretching out on the sofa next to Andrew.
She sat in a recliner across from James, letting out a yelp as the chair moved into its fully reclined position, taking her with it. Her tight bandage dress that stopped above her knees was not helping one bit as she fought to sit up. Brandon and his friends laughed so hard they almost fell out of their seats. Regaining her composure, she used her ab muscles to pull herself up.
“Jordan, what was that?” Brandon cackled.
“Nothing, just dominating this chair.” Jordan blushed.
“Oh, I see. It looked like the other way around from here.” Brandon’s face grew serious. “I should have told you, that chair is haunted. It was Damian’s chair.”
The chair started to move back to the upward sitting position, and she jumped out of it.
“Dude, stop fucking with her. Somehow I wonder why you’re single,” Andrew said, snatching a small remote control from Brandon’s hand. “Heads up, Jordan,” he added, tossing the remote to her.
“Do you want a beer?” James asked her.
“Ah, sure,” Jordan answered.
James stood, but Brandon cut in. “She doesn’t drink beer. You don’t drink beer,” he accused.
“You don’t know that,” Jordan shot back.
“Fine. Have some of mine?” Brandon dared, handing her his bottle.
Jordan took it and drank for five seconds, veiling the bitter aftertaste that made her jaw clench. “That was horrible,” she said, sticking her tongue out. “Here.”
“Damn, you were about to be my favorite girl,” James said, sitting back down.
“Grown-man things,” Brandon joked. “Come on, I know what you like.”
He knows what I like. She snubbed the increasing butterflies to admire his tasteful décor.
“Your house is beautiful,” she said as her heels echoed on the hardwood floor.
“You’re beautiful,” Brandon responded.
“How much have you had to drink?” Jordan smiled, noticing that he had the same wine as they drank at her house. She shouldn’t think anything of it, but still.
“Not much. This wine grew on me, by the way,” he said, handing her the glass. “Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour. Starting with the kitchen . . .” He extended his hand out over his sleek, masculine kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and a black granite countertop. Black, white, and gray tiles covered the backsplash and extended to the gray cabinets, where the microwave and oven were mounted.
Four chrome and black swivel chairs sat around the breakfast bar she leaned on. For some reason, her thoughts drifted to being naked on top of it before the unpleasant thought of Brandon having sex on it with other girls eradicated her fantasy.
She turned to where Andrew and James were talking at the opposite end of the room, but after a moment, Brandon walked her around a corner and pointed out a dining and an additional living area.
“And here we have bedroom one.”
The fundamental bed, dresser, and nightstand decorated each bedroom they passed. After the third one, she stepped into his office, which had the same contemporary look as the rest of the house.
She took note of the two large bookshelves. “You read a lot?”
“I do. It’s a boost to my ego when I know more than my colleagues.”
Jordan fought a smile. “From experience, I would say your ego is fine, Mr. Kuvat.”
“Funny, I hate when people address me like I’m my father. But when you say it . . . it sounds like you’re flirting with me—Mrs. Kuvat,” he said, opening another door. “This is a guest bedroom.”
Jordan stopped moving. Mrs. Kuvat.
He turned with a smug smile. “I figure since you don’t like to be called by your last name, I would improvise, but oddly . . . Mrs. Kuvat does seem fitting.”
Now all she could think about was what life with Brandon would be like as Mrs. Kuvat. “How much did you drink? You can’t flirt with me, remember? Friends only.”
“I do remember, but you flirted first.”
This guest room had a different feel to it, something intense and distinctive. A colorful, abstract picture on the wall in a black frame highlighted the adorned, cream-and-black room.
“This is different than the rest of the rooms,” Jordan said, focusing her attention on the recessed lighting in the ceiling. “It’s incredible. You couldn’t have designed this by yourself.”
“I happen to have very good taste, Jordan. I do own a few properties. However, I have two designers with whom I work closely for a reason. Nothing is here that I didn’t hand-pick myself, including you.” He grinned and inhaled. “Anyway, I do like things of this nature. Anything that has to do with renovating, architecture, or design, I’m all for.”
“I’ve known you for a month, and I didn’t know this side of you. There’s so much more to you than you told me. Why is that?” she asked, anticipating a look into his bedroom and wondering if it would reveal more about him. Dammit, why was she so interested in knowing more about him?
“Because everyone usually knows who I am. You know, public knowledge on the Internet. But I was glad when I realized you didn’t know, and I knew you didn’t by the genuine innocence in your eyes. So I left it there because it was nice pretending to be . . . I don’t know, good—normal for a change.”
Clutching her stomach at his pure honesty, she drank some of the wine she’d been touring with, then spoke softly as they walked to the opposite side of the house. “So I made it easier for you to deceive me? Wow, you’re right, Brandon Kuvat. Being friends is better.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Well, shit! It sort of is, but not really. I just meant it was nice for a change to win someone over on my own, rather than you knowing everything about me upfront. Everyone judges me from what they find online, which also means a lot of people take advantage because they know I have money. It’s always hard to tell who genuinely likes you when money is the first thing they discover about you.” He pointed inside a home theater setup with black leather recliners, and as he turned to her, his shoulders drooped. “By the way, in case you don’t already know, I own a private jet and also Sky Fast with my dad. Now you know everything everyone else knows.”
She actually hadn’t been aware of his wealth until he’d mentioned it to her at her apartment. And after that, she’d been too pissed off about his Facebook page to care about anything else. Now she realized he had his own jet but had flown coach with her, for her. Again, she really shouldn’t be thinking so much of it, but wow.
“So, you’re saying we didn’t have to fly coach.”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
Jordan smiled. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For flying coach with me.”
“That’s all you got out of that?” His uncertain tone and rapidly blinking eyes made the revelation that much better.
“It’s the only thing that mattered.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. A shy smile she’d never seen on him took over his features, stealing the very air from her lungs, but he distracted her from it just as quickly when he pointed to the ceiling.
“Cool, huh?”
Square acoustic panels with blue LED lights and fiber optic effects covered the ceiling in the theater room. As he closed the door and dimmed the lights, they stood in a galaxy, surrounded by stars. It was like the inside of the limo, except this was his house.
“Oh my gosh,” Jordan breathed, looking around. She needed his designer for her dream boutique.
“I know what you’re thinking—you’re ready to see my bedroom,” he said, opening the door.
“Actually, I was thinking I might need to hire your designer.”
“Oh yeah? Well, prepare to have your ovaries melt in my bedroom.”
She laughed. “Oh, sure. Where all the magic happens, right?”
Shades of tan, brown, and beige covered most of his bedroom, contrasting with the giant black platform bed centered against a wall with matching nightstands.
“The only magic that happens in here is sleep. As you can see, there’s no TV or computer. This is where I relax.”
“Uh, yeah, right! A California king bed and no magic? Even I would be having nonstop sex if I had a bed like that,” Jordan remarked, turning to see Brandon giving her a look. Crap, I thought the room was going to melt my ovaries, not him.
A sigh left her lips. “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Look at me like that.”
He smirked. “Like what?”