Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
An hour later, I stood in the kitchen and pretended to wipe down the counter, because secretly it was the best vantage point to watch Julie and Jackson. Watching Julie flirt with Jackson was painful, but watching Jackson flirt back felt like a knife was going through my heart. The man had charm. I thought Matt was an outstanding flirt, but Jackson took it to a whole other level. They were no longer even interacting with other people at the party. They were huddled together talking. Every time Julie spoke, Jackson leaned down, putting his face near hers, so that only he could hear what she said. Whatever she said was apparently funny, because he laughed. I watched as he gently brushed some of her hair off her shoulder. Something ugly moved in my stomach. How could he flirt like that with her, when only a short while ago he had given me one of the most incredible kisses of my life? Just because his kiss had defined all kisses in my life to date, did not mean that it had meant anything to him. For Jackson, that was probably just another everyday kiss. He had come to my room, and I was having a pity party, so he tried to make me feel better with a pity kiss. I needed to get my act together here and just be happy for them .
Jackson lifted his gaze and green eyes met mine. My face burst into flames. I was staring at them like some creepy forlorn lover. I almost tripped over myself to turn away. This was my doing. Jackson and I had done the unthinkable. I had cheated on Matt. I had kissed Jackson. There was no coming back from that. I needed to focus my attention back to Matt. Jackson needed to concentrate his ridiculous charm and charisma elsewhere, and who better than at Julie, who looked like she was about to self-combust in heat.
Furthermore, I had no business concerning myself with Jackson’s love life. And I certainly had no right to let it bother me. I had a wonderful fiancé whom I was going to marry in three short months.
“Matt!” someone yelled over the music. I looked up with relief to see Matt walk in the door, carrying two bottles of wine. I started towards him, and then stopped in my tracks when a beautiful woman walked in behind him. He turned and smiled at her, and then put his hand on her back, ushering her further into the loft.
I watched as he walked through the room, introducing her to our various friends. She was probably just a co-worker that he had brought along. So why did something cold crawl across my skin?
I pasted a big fake-ass smile on my face and walked towards them.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi,” Matt smiled, avoiding my eyes. The three of us all stood there. It was awkward.
“Hi Matt,” I said again and raised my eyebrows at him. His eyes were bloodshot and red, and he had that look to him. The look that said he had already drunk more than his fair share.
“This is Katherine, one of the partners at my firm.” He pointed a wine bottle at me. “And this is….”
He was loaded.
“Emily,” I glared daggers at him and stuck my hand out to shake hers. “Pleased to meet you.”
“I was getting to your name,” Matt enunciated carefully. “Any booze in this place? ”
My manners kicked in. I’d deal with Matt later. I asked her, “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I would love a glass of pinot.”
As I turned away, I heard her say, “How long do we have to stay here?”
I stood in the kitchen, my hands shaking as I poured the wine. What exactly was going on here? Who was Katherine? Why had she answered Matt’s phone? Why was he already drunk? Why hadn’t he introduced me as his fiancée? Questions crowded my mind.
How could I possibly jump to conclusions when I had just kissed Jackson. Was I going to turn this situation back around on Matt and make this his fault?
I brought her a glass of wine, and we smiled at each other. Polite and welcoming conversation. I could do it.
Someone shouted from across the room, “Emily.”
“Excuse me.”
“My girlfriend accidentally knocked over your plant,” Ben said with an apologetic face.
I stared down at the tiny jasmine plant that Jackson had given me. It lay mangled on the floor amongst the black soil and the smashed blue ceramic pot. The fragile small plant lying there made me want to cry a little bit.
“I'm so sorry,” Ben’s girlfriend said with genuine regret in her voice.
“No problem,” I sat on my haunches in front of the mess.
A familiar figure appeared beside me with a hand broom and dustpan. “Here let me help.”
“Wait,” I said, as Jackson moved to start sweeping. “I want to save the plant.”
“I don’t know if that plant is going to survive the fall,” Ben offered his advice. “It looks pretty toast to me.”
Annoyance flashed through me. “We can save it.”
I picked it up with both hands and then I looked around. “Now what? ”
I glanced up at Jackson’s bemused expression. “You want to save that?”
“Yes.”
“You’re different. You know that?”
I lifted my chin. “Can you use your stupid army skills to help me or what?”
A gorgeous smile broke out on his face, and the party faded away from around us. “I think my stupid skills might come in handy.”
“You're in charge.”
While I cradled the plant at the counter in the kitchen, Jackson rooted through the cupboards looking for a dish. I looked over my shoulder. “That dish.”
He looked at the silver bowl in his hand. “I was looking for Tupperware.”
I frowned. “Oh no. This plant can’t do Tupperware.”
He brought the bowl over. “Are you sure? This looks a bit fancy.”
“It’s perfect,” I said, a smile on my face. “My granny bought it for me.”
He set it down. “Do you have potting soil?”
“I do actually. In the pantry.”
I watched as he poured soil into the bowl, and then I repotted the plant into the sterling silver bowl. Jackson watched as I watered it and then we both stood there looking at the droopy plant.
Julie came over. “What are you guys doing?”
“Someone dumped a plant. We just repotted it.”
She peered over my shoulder. “You did not.”
I knew the moment she spoke what she was getting at. I attempted to change the subject. “Julie, you want some more wine?”
“That bowl is from fucking Tiffany’s. That’s the Monteith bowl.”
“Ha,” I lied. “Not true. I think I got this at a garage sale.”
Jackson’s eyes met mine.
“Bullshit,” Julie sounded indignant. “I know Tiffany. You can’t plant that crappy weed in a bowl worth over four thousand dollars. That’s sacrilege. ”
I took a deep breath and then picked up the bowl. “This isn’t a crappy weed. This is a friendship plant and I can plant it in whatever bowl I want.”
“Must be nice to throw around your money for everyone to see.”
“The only reason why this bowl has value is that it was a gift from my granny,” my face burned.
“Easy for you to say,” her voice was like a whip.
Without looking at either them, I picked up my $6 plant in my $4000 bowl and walked away from both of them.