JAMIE
TALKING ABOUT MY FRUSTRATIONS WITH SAM HELPED CALM ME DOWN, and the idea of getting proposed to was a great distraction. I was nervous that I didn’t know when he was planning on doing it and if it (as silly as the idea was) was for me. In the meantime, it didn’t take long for Callum to irritate me again. I’ve met a lot of people in my lifetime, and no one has irked me as much as he did. Heck, I’d rather be alone with Amy than spend another minute with him. He just had a smug and cocky personality, and he walked around like he was the coolest person ever to walk to the planet and I don’t like it when people think they are better than everyone else and use that knowledge to put everyone else down.
I held my frustrations in because I didn’t want to run to Sam every time Callum pissed me off. I tried to turn to my bandmates about what was going on, but I felt guilty reaching out to them because most of them had families of their own except John, but he was always hard to get a hold of. My last resort was Lisa who already knew the details of my history with Callum.
I spent the entire morning texting with Lisa about everything he was doing and has been doing since I had brunch with her. She suggested we meet for lunch to talk about this in more detail in person and come up with a plan that could be a permanent solution whether it was to get him to stop being a dick or change my perception of him.
Lisa was due to pick me up at any moment when Callum walked over to my desk like he always did every single day.
If he gives me a last-minute task, I am going to shove this pencil up his asshole.
My phone lets out a low beep indicating I had another incoming text. It was from Lisa.
JAMIE I’M RUNNING LATE, I’LL BE THERE SOON.
NOT A PROBLEM. JUST COME INTO THE OFFICE WHEN YOU ARRIVE. I GOTTA GO, LISA, YOU KNOW WHO IS COMING THIS WAY.
UH OH. BYE :X
“Ey, Jamie. I need the analytics from the Festival newsletters.” Callum tapped a finger on my desk before heading back to his office.
Ugh not again. I can’t take this. I have to say something.
“Sarah has those number.”
“Pardon?” Callum asked as he walked back to my desk.
“I said Sarah manages the email marketing account. She would be the one to pull those numbers for you.”
“I know, but I asked you.”
“And you also know that I don’t have access to the account. She does.”
“You can ask her for the numbers can’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“There you go.” Callum walked away a second time before adding over his shoulder, “Jamie, I suggest you try harder if you want to stay in product development or marketing.”
UGH! I could just smack him!
The bell connected to the building entrance chimed as Lisa tentatively walked into the lobby before tiptoeing to my desk assuming if she did so, no one would notice her.
“Hey Jamie, sorry for being late. I had to get gas, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of traffic it took just to get here.” Lisa apologized animated in her storytelling.
“Do my eyes deceive me?” Callum stared at Lisa in wonder.
Oh, God. Is he going to hit on her? Surely she has better taste than him.
“It’s you,” Lisa said in response.
“It’s you too.” Callum returned, his lips curled up slightly. “What do I owe this pleasure? Tracked me down have you?”
“You wish. I stopped by to have lunch with my friend, Jamie. What are you doing here?” Lisa inquired.
“I work here.”
“Jamie, he works with you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know what I should be telling.” I shrugged. I was more confused than ever. “Lisa, this is Callum King. Mr. ‘You Know Who’.”
“Mr. what?” Callum asked.
“Him? He’s the guy you’ve been griping about?” Lisa questioned.
“You’ve been griping about me?”
“Well…” I shrugged again.
“So, your name is Callum King?”
“Yes and I don’t recall ever getting yours,” Callum answered seductively.
“It’s Lisa.”
“Lisa what.”
“Lisa and that’s all you need to know.’”
“Wait, wait, wait. How do you two know each other?” I asked.
“She’s was my bedmate.” Callum teased.
“You’re what?”
“He was my one night stand,” Lisa explained.
I nearly choked. “He was your fling?”
“Yes.”
“There are several million men in the local area, and he was the guy you just had to sleep with?”
“He was cute.” She shrugged at me. As if that changed anything.
“Cute huh?” he winked
“Don’t flatter yourself.” She rolled her eyes at him.
“I don’t suppose you’d have lunch with me would you.”
“For your information, I came here to have lunch with Jamie.”
I just had a brilliant thought. Oh my god, it was genius. If Lisa could be a distraction to Callum, maybe he’d leave me alone. Better yet, perhaps she could help me get even. Yes! That’s the key. Lisa will help me get even and make him fall in love with her and then she will dump him and when she does, I’ll be there to gloat. That’ll drive him all the way back to London.
“No, you’re not,” I answered.
“Jamie, what are you talking about? We just texted about it this morning. You were whining about Callum, and I suggested us having lunch to discuss it and come up with a solution.”
“You talk about me a lot, don’t you?”
“Did she talk about our shagging and how great I was? I made her scream you know.”
I covered my ears. “Okay. The conversation is over. I’m walking away now. You two lovebirds should go out to lunch. He wants a lunch companion, and you want to talk about Callum, why not solve both problems and just have lunch together. Get to know each other again.”
“What about you? The whole point was for you to vent.”
“I think I’ll be okay with him being gone for a whole hour.”
“See love, she doesn’t mind. Ready to go?” he put his hand on her lower back urging her out the door.
“Don’t call me that. I’m not your anything.” Lisa corrected Callum.
“Well, you were something the other night.” He winked again.
“This is going to be a long lunch.” Lisa sighed.