I hesitated only a moment before walking forward and sinking into the chair. Feeling fidgety, I clasped my hands in my lap, my fingers twisting together nervously.
“Was it about Emily?” His voice was gentler than before.
I frowned, confused by the question. “Emily? Why would it be about Emily?”
“I saw you two arguing at the gym last week.” He leaned back slightly in his chair, eyes never leaving my face. “She seemed upset.”
Heat crawled up my neck as I realized he’d heard more of that conversation than I’d thought. “No, it wasn’t about that. Emily is just very protective of me, that’s all.”
“What does she need to protect you from?”
The direct question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, unsure how to respond. He waited patiently, those hazel eyes seeing far too much.
“My family,” I finally admitted, the words barely audible. “My sister is getting married in six months. I’m a bridesmaid, and there’s a lot of... pressure... to look a certain way for the wedding.”
Jack’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Um, well, smaller.” I felt color flooding my cheeks as I stared down at my hands. “Of course, they want a certain aesthetic for their wedding. I get that. It’s still six months away, so there’s time for me to do what needs to be done.”
“What in the ever-loving fuck are you talking about?”
His harsh tone made my head snap up. Jack was staring at me, his expression darkening by the second.
“Going to the gym. Getting in shape. That sort of thing,” I stammered, suddenly feeling like I’d said something terribly wrong.
Jack’s face was a thundercloud now, his jaw clenched so tight I could see a muscle ticking in his cheek. I’d never seen him look so angry.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly, trying to smooth over whatever nerve I’d hit. “I’m used to it. My mom has always been this way. She’s just way more full-on now, since the engagement. I’m finding it much harder to keep a lid on my reactions to it. That’s all.”
“You don’t deserve that.” His voice was low, intense, leaving no room for argument.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m used to it, like I said. It’s just?—”
“Mia.” Jack cut me off, each word deliberate and firm. “You don’t deserve that.”
“That’s really nice of you to say. I appreciate it.” I smoothed my skirt over my knees, unsure where to look. The intensity in his eyes was almost too much to bear.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, a welcome distraction from the tension crackling between us. I pulled it out with an apologetic glance at Jack, then felt my breath catch. My mother’s name on the screen sent an immediate wave of dread through me.
“What is it?” Jack’s brow furrowed even more as he noticed my reaction.
“It’s nothing.” I shoved the phone back in my pocket, my fingers still trembling slightly.
“Mia.” His warning tone made it clear he wasn’t buying it.
I blew out a breath and rolled my eyes. “Okay. If you must know, that text is from my mom. It’s the twenty-third text since yesterday, telling me all about the guy they’re setting me up with for the wedding. He’s not much to look at, but at least I won’t have to go alone and embarrass them.”
I didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in my voice as I pressed my fingertips against my temples, feeling the beginnings of another headache forming. I was determined not to spiral again, not here, not in front of Jack.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “That was totally unprofessional. I should go.”
“This is pretty fucked up, Mia.”
“Tell me about it. But you know what? It’s not even worth talking about. It’s just a really bad joke, at the end of the day. In fact, Emily and I were just joking the other night that I should hire some ridiculously hot escort to take as my date.” I gave a half-hearted laugh. “You know, really give my mother something to talk about for once.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to crawl under Jack’s desk and die. Had I really just told my boss Iwas considering hiring an escort for my sister’s wedding? I was definitely getting fired. Fuck that. I was going to fire myself. Straight into the sun.
Jack’s expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he opened his mouth to respond. Before he could say anything, his phone rang loudly on the desk between us.
