Chapter 12 Shit’s starting to get real #4
Jordan awoke the next morning with Tyler’s face pressed up against her shoulder.
They had fallen asleep on opposite sides of the bed with a very large gap between them and now he was almost on top of her, one arm strewn across her midriff.
The fact that she was in his bed was slightly surreal.
Last night was weird. Hot and weird. Every time they spent any time alone together, their relationship evolved into something different.
Yesterday she’d pushed too hard for an evolution.
He’d made it clear that he wasn’t ready for anything more, that he didn’t want to lead her on, but flirty smiles and lustful looks would lead any woman on.
She’d caught him checking her out a few times when he thought she wasn’t looking and there was actually a part of her that liked seeing him try to act professional when she knew he was hot under the collar.
Last night, however, she had taken it too far.
She didn’t really regret doing it, though.
Because, hot damn, if that’s how Tyler lashed out, it was only more incentive for her to keep doing it.
But she needed to back off a bit, give him the time he asked for to decide if this was something he wanted to pursue.
Pictures of Trisha were lined up on the dresser and that was a sign that he wasn’t completely over her.
If she pushed for something he wasn’t ready for, physically or emotionally, she would end up being the rebound girl.
She still didn’t know exactly where she stood with him. Last night they’d touched each other inappropriately, fought in a way she didn’t consider normal and then they went to bed like nothing happened.
Weird. Tyler Evans, flat-out weird. So she was just waiting for him to wake up so she could see what their relationship had evolved into now.
Reaching over, she grabbed her cell phone from the night stand and sent Gemma a text to tell her to feed Roscoe and Princess, because Gemma, Miss Unreliable, needed to be reminded to do simple things like that.
She immediately received a string of responses.
Gemma: Where R U?
Gemma: If you’re not in your bed
Gemma: Then whose bed are you waking up in this morning?
Gemma: OMG! You did the nasty with your boss!!!
Jordan: Nothing happened
Jordan: A little happened :)
Gemma: It’s like I’ve taught you nothing
Gemma: There was a moment where I was almost proud of you
Gemma: Oh! I forgot to tell you.
Gemma: Leaving on a trip tomorrow.
Gemma: Taking Neil with me this time. Will be back in a few weeks.
Jordan rolled her eyes. She should have predicted that would happen. Gemma had been home for more than a month and that was way too long.
Jordan: You guys have a safe trip *kisses*
The constant beeping of her phone stirred Tyler from his slumber.
Jordan: He’s waking up. Gotta go!
“Good morning,” he mumbled.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”
“Much better.” His eyes closed again, as if they were still trying to adjust to the morning light. “You sleep okay?”
She smiled. “Yeah, apart from your bear-like cuddles. I keep wondering what would’ve happened if Matt actually came over yesterday…like would he have woken up in this same position?”
“Yes,” he responded, lifting himself up a fraction. “Matt loves a good cuddle.”
After a very subtle squeeze, he sat up and ruffled his hair with his hand.
Oh, this man was just the right dose of sexiness in the morning.
Tousled bed hair and a scruffy jaw. His phone rang and he quickly reached over to get it.
“Speak of the devil.” He answered and put it on speaker. “Yes, Matthew.”
“Oh, my God! Ty! You’re alive! I was so worried. Close call, huh?”
Tyler rolled his eyes and smiled. “Matt, I just want you to know that Jordan is now officially my new standby guy. I no longer require your services.”
“You wound me, Ty,” was his flippant response.
“And I also posted an ad this morning to fill the vacancy for my new best friend.”
“I already applied and got the job. I was actually the only applicant. No one else in the world is crazy enough to try filling that position.”
Jordan smiled to herself. She had witnessed so many of these schoolboy type conversations between them and she’d never understood how two business moguls could still argue like little kids.
Sometimes when they spoke to each other it seemed like they were still their ten-year old selves, like the banter between them had not matured as they grew older.
“And Jordan doesn’t know what she’s in for,” Matthew said with a laugh. “She can happily take the standby guy position. What time did she leave last night?”
Tyler’s shoulders stiffened a bit. “She didn’t leave.”
There was silence for a long while and it started to feel a little uncomfortable.
“Morning, Matthew,” she sang.
“Hi, Jordan.” His greeting was awkward and covered with a layer of friendliness. “I think an apology is in order. That was probably the worst Friday night you’ve ever had.”
She smiled. Not the worst by a long shot. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Well, Tyler is gonna cook you a great breakfast as a token of my gratitude.”
“Thanks. That’s so sweet of you, Matt.”
“Okay, I’ll see you two on Monday,” Matthew said, wrapping up the conversation. “Hey, Ty. Make sure you give the girl a good breakfast. It’s the least I could do.”
Tyler hung up the phone and sighed. “I’ve got orders now.” He stood up, revealing his bare chest in all its chiseled glory. “Guess you’re staying for breakfast.”
She pulled the covers back up to neck. “Call me when it’s ready. I’m going back to bed. Some of us only managed to get some sleep after midnight.”
“Sure.” He smiled and headed to the bathroom.
She pulled the pillow over her head and groaned.
She wasn’t really tired, but cooking breakfast with him was just too domesticated for her liking.
She should leave. Everything inside her was telling her to go, but Mister Evans had some kind of hold on her, one that was getting stronger the more time she spent with him.
As much as she tried to pull away, he kept reeling her in with his awkward charm.
This whole situation was a mess, a mess she couldn’t seem to get out of.
* * * * *
So waking up beside Jordan this morning was kind of amazing.
That was something he hadn’t experienced in the year he’d lived with Trisha.
She was always dressed and ready before he woke up and now he was beginning to realize that there was something slightly demented about that.
It was a nice feeling. To wake up with a warm body beside him.
And when that body was Jordan’s…well, then the word nice was an understatement.
Tyler switched off the stoves and placed the dirty dishes in the sink. It was a simple breakfast. Bacon, eggs and French toast. He laid the food out on the island counter and walked to the foot of the stairs. “Jordan,” he called out, “food’s ready.”
After hearing a tired groan, he saw her drag herself out of bed and go into the bathroom. “There’s an extra toothbrush in the cabinet,” he shouted.
He was about to go back to the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door and as he opened it, his heart stopped. Just stopped.
“Trisha.” It came out as a choked whisper, probably because of the nervous lump that was now lodged in his throat. “What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“Uh…I live here.”
An irritated smirk curved on her lips. “Matt said he was gonna be here. He asked me to come pick up the rest of my stuff.”
Operation Cupid!
How did he forget about that? Matt was an evil genius. That’s why he told him to make breakfast, so Jordan would stay long enough for this disaster to unfold.
“Matt is only coming by later.” It was the best lie he could think of on the spot. “Probably just a miscommunication about the time.”
Strange things happened when two people ended a relationship so abruptly.
Seeing her again after so long made him feel so many emotions.
Discomfort and awkwardness filled the air around them, their three-year history exchanged through simple eye contact.
His body was tensing, becoming stiffer every second he spent looking at her.
She was as beautiful as ever. Clothes pressed and pristine.
Make-up expertly applied. Not one hair out of place.
A flawless image of perfection. A total contrast to the woman he could hear coming down the stairs.
Tyler turned to look back and, as usual, was completely enamored by the unkempt sight of her.
His lime green, V-neck T-shirt hung loose on her, but was much tighter on her chest. That’s because she had the type of breasts that demanded attention no matter what she wore and the deep V at the collar only accentuated the fact that those breasts were gravity-defying.
She was so tall. His T-shirt only covered her to mid-thigh.
She held her arm out, as if there was an imaginary railing she was using for balance as she came down the stairs. “Need help?” he asked, suppressing a chuckle.
“I got this,” she replied, sounding somewhat terrified.
Trisha cleared her throat to get his attention. Her smile was forced and her green eyes showed unadulterated disdain. “My stuff?” she said, each word coated with bitterness.
Jordan reached the front door and smiled, completely unperturbed by the fact that she was only partially dressed and his ex was standing in the doorway. “Hi,” she greeted.
“Hi,” Trisha responded, spreading her fake smile even further. “I know you, right? What’s your name again?”
Tyler gritted his teeth. Trisha knew her name. She just wanted her to feel like it wasn’t important enough to remember and that kinda pissed him off.
“It’s Jordan.”
“You’re Tyler’s secretary?”
Of all the demeaning things to say.
There was nothing demeaning about being a secretary, but it was the way she said it with that condescending tone, another tactful jab to Jordan’s ego.
Now he understood what Matthew meant when he’d said that she treated everyone outside her social circle like dirt. She wasn’t always like that. Most of the time she was thoughtful and caring, but if provoked, she never held her tongue. And she had a very sharp tongue.
“I’m a lot of things to Tyler,” Jordan replied, still unfazed. “I just got promoted to standby guy this morning.”
He grinned at that, but Trisha’s face hardened and that’s when he knew trouble was coming.
This would end up in a catfight if he didn’t stop it now.
Jordan could fend for herself, whether it was against Alex Partridge or Trisha Parker, but he’d seen Trisha in action before.
She was usually poised and well-mannered, the epitome of a lady, but Jordan had a way of riling people up with her words and all hell was about to be unleashed.
He wasn’t going to allow that, not with Jordan.
He briskly walked up the stairs to get the cardboard box filled with the last few reminders he had left of her before heading back to the door.
“I’m sure that’s exactly what you are,” Trisha said with a wicked smirk. “The standby. I hope you—”
“Well, here’s your stuff,” Tyler cut in, thrusting the box into her hands. “As you can see, we’re kinda busy, but thanks for stopping by.”
Her face dropped and he could see the hurt in her green eyes. That wasn’t his intention. He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. But such were the circumstances he’d created for himself.
“Goodbye, Trisha,” he said, his heart sinking as he closed the door.
That was uncomfortable and unpleasant and it was safe to say that Operation Cupid was a total, epic fail.
This was what he’d wanted. He’d wanted Trisha to see them together, use jealously to make her realize what she’d lost. He’d even begged Matt to help him out and now that it had happened, he just felt like a despicable human being.
He turned to Jordan and tried to smile. “You okay?”
She nodded, but he could see that standby comment had slashed right through her. “Run-ins with exes are never easy. Just ask Brian, the douche-face.” A slight smile tugged at her lips. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve had better days,” he admitted.
“Do you want me to leave?”
He shook his head. “No.” Closing the gap between them, he placed both hands on her shoulders. “You’re not a standby, Jordan. Don’t take anything she said to heart.”
Again she nodded, but doubt still lived in her eyes.
It was understandable. He’d been going back and forth with her since the middle of June, but he wasn’t lying.
Somewhere in that time something had happened to shift his focus.
He was confused, yes, but Jordan was by no means just a standby, and he was ready to do anything to take that sullen look off her face.
“God, this is awful…and tense. You know what we need?”
“What?”
“Ice-cream.”
And then a perfect smile lit up her face.
“Also I have muesli and I’ve heard the combination makes for a very nutritious breakfast option.”
Her mouth dropped with fake awe. “Where did you hear that? That sounds like the words of a true genius.”
“There’s a thin line between crazy and genius,” he responded as he led her into the kitchen.
They nibbled a bit on the bacon and eggs before he took out a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
Sitting down on either side of the counter, they ate it straight from the tub.
The tension was replaced with the enjoyable silliness he had come to expect from her.
He could sit there and look at her for hours.
She was exquisite, beautiful without even really trying.
She giggled and told jokes and he could feel himself being pulled deeper into this tangled web.
The more he watched her, the more confused he became.
The line was blurring, the line of the boss-accountant relationship.
Getting Trisha back had been his plan. He’d set out to pursue this plan with determination, fortitude.
Yet a few minutes ago she was right in front of him and he closed the door on her, willingly, without a second thought.
In his head, he kept trying to deny it, kept telling himself that he had only done it to protect Jordan from her spiteful words.
Jordan didn’t deserve to get hurt by the sheer idiocy of this plan.
She was an innocent in this stupid game.
Yet as much as he chanted this in his head, there was a part of him that knew better, a part that acknowledged and even accepted what had happened.
Whether he knew it at the time was still unclear, but here was the fact of the matter: He had just chosen Jordan over Trisha.
Rock…meet hard place.