23. Jessica
JESSICA
This little game of tug and war was so cute, and he’s so arguably adorable with his little self, but I didn’t have time to play with him right now. I have an ex to skin. I started to get out of the car, but he pulled me back in. “Wear it, or I take you back home and tie you to the bed.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes said he was serious. Still, I had to ask. “You’re joking, right?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” No, you look like you’re gritting your teeth hard enough to break them. I didn’t say the words out loud, though, because I wasn’t sure about this particular brand of crazy.
I looked around outside the car. Even though the windows were tinted and there was no way for anyone to see inside, I still felt a bit conspicuous. “You want me to change here, in the parking lot of your office.”
“Just pull the dress on over your head, then reach in and take the top and shorts off.”
I had no choice but to do what he said, rolling my eyes all the way. “Hey!” I yelped. He grabbed my shorts and tossed them on the floor next to his feet. “You won’t be needing those again.” Did he think my credit cards stopped working?
“Those cost me a hundred bucks.” I held out my hand to him facetiously.
He one-upped me, of course, by reaching for his wallet, only instead of cash, he placed a black card there. “What’s this?”
“Look at it.” Why is my name on this card?
“When did you get this?”
“Don’t ask so many questions; it’s yours.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but words failed me.
“You do know I have my own money, right?” There’s no way he didn’t know. Everyone around these parts knows the Thornton kids are trust-fund babies. “What your father gave you and what I have for you are two separate things.” His logic is astounding. Still…
“I can’t accept this.” I know for a fact that the minimum for this card is a million dollars. I also know it’s not a regular credit card but more like a debit card where the funds are already there and you just have to swipe.
“Jessica, don’t piss me off.”
“Is this some kind of payment for services rendered?” I was indeed a little peeved, but nowhere near what he was apparently. No sooner had the words left my lips than I found myself pinned to the headrest with his hand gripping my chin forcefully.
“Say that again!” The fire in his eyes made my pulse tremble.
I studied them for all of six seconds before doing the unexpected.
I raised my head ever so slightly and kissed him.
That took the wind out of his sails, and he soon sank in, all anger swiftly forgotten under the barrage of my tongue in his mouth.
I waited for the right moment, just when I felt that give in him before slipping away and jumping out of the car.
I doubt he knew what hit him before I made it to my ride and peeled out of the parking lot.
I was laughing so hard my eyes teared up.
In the rearview mirror, I could barely make out his shadow in the car still sitting there.
I’d forgotten all about Dale’s message by the time I pulled into the little coffee shop across the street from his job. I’d timed my next move perfectly, giving myself some wiggle room just to be safe, but there was no fun in not seeing the results firsthand.
I sent off the encrypted email that had been routed through Zermatt and sat back and waited. I’d decided to go with the little side piece first. I knew once that domino fell, Dale would live in fear, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I wasn’t too obvious, though. This first message had nothing to do with their affair and more to do with some in-house shadiness that was sure to catch the higher-ups' attention.
Even that was just the least of what I had in store for her.
Once her boss took the first nibble, I already had a line of bread crumbs queued up to follow one after the other.
I shook my head once again at the idiocy of Dale.
Though he didn’t know the ins and outs of my career since it was top secret, he knew that I was good with computers; in fact, I could build one with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.
Still, he’d chosen to mess with me. Then again, his narcissism probably led him to believe that he was untouchable.
Either that or he really thought I was stupid.
I’d done a very good job these last few weeks after learning about their affair, going out of my way not to let on that I knew anything. I used that time to gather all the necessary information before making the last strategic move.
I sat up from my slouching position and took a sip of my imported coffee when I saw my prey exit the building across the street. I had the perfect viewpoint, so I could see the worry and panic on her face as she reached for her phone and frantically punched numbers on the screen.
I hadn’t gone too hard with this first volley, just enough for her direct superior to get her out of the building as soon as possible.
I knew she wouldn’t be fired outright; there’d have to be an in-house investigation just to cover their asses, but with the information I’d sent as a teaser, there was no way they could leave her in place in the immediate future.
My reason for being here was to ensure that they did their job one and to see for myself the beginning of her destruction. Who told her to muddy my waters? I trailed her all the way down the sidewalk and around the corner until she was out of sight, a slight smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
Some people might say I’m being too harsh.
After all, people have affairs every day, which means someone is being cheated on somewhere right now as we speak.
Those people were not raised by Chase Thornton; in fact, my father would probably have nuked them both by now, whereas I was more into playing with my food like a cat with a mouse before devouring.
I had another refill of coffee because there was no telling when I’d be back here to enjoy. My cat-and-mouse game had many legs, all spread out over time for my enjoyment. I finally listened to Dale’s last message, and it was more whining and pleading followed by threats and mudslinging.
Apparently, he was more annoyed by seeing me with Julius at the restaurant than he was about the breakup.
It stuck in his craw that I could be out with another man so soon after leaving him, which meant that I was a cheating slut who had been with said man all along.
I think most cheaters’ logic is born in the toilet.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I imagined what was going on behind the walls of the building across the street.
If I know anything, there’s a mad scramble to confirm or deny what had been written in my little fire starter.
As a communications company, they had no choice but to take any hint of subterfuge seriously.
As one of the minor executives, Dale would already be drawn in, not to mention the fact that he’s her senior on the job and the one who had trained her personally when she first came on board. Some of the dirty water will be splashed on him for sure, but that was just the beginning.
I’m sure by now that he has no idea what his little darling has been up to; at least he’s not that much of a dog. But once I leak the news of their affair, there’s no way people won’t suspect him of knowing or even taking part in her scheme, evidence or not.
I left the little coffee shop Dale had introduced me to and stood outside on the sidewalk looking up at the building with a smirk.
DALE
What the hell is going on? That didn’t look good. I made myself look busy so as not to be drawn into the drama until I was called, but it wasn’t easy. Nothing seemed to be going my way today or the last couple of days, to be exact. Not since the night Jessica left me.
I’d convinced myself at first that her only use was her family name, that she didn’t mean more than that to me. After all, what man, worth his salt, would put much stock in a woman who barely let him kiss her after years of dating?
I knew everyone thought we were sleeping together, after all, she spent time at my place.
But no one would ever guess the ice princess was very hands-off behind closed doors.
She’d claimed to want to wait for marriage, which I now think was a crock because she was rather close to that guy at the restaurant.
Just the thought of the two of them sitting so close, feeding each other across the table as they laughed with each other was enough to have my blood boiling again.
My colleagues had teased my mercilessly, which had led to the confrontation and me being arrested, something else I hold her responsible for.
I had to endure their questions not only about the breakup but about the new guy, which only made me look like a fool. To save face, I’d made up some story about her trying to get back at me for working too many hours lately, but even I knew that story had holes in it.
Most of them had come to know her a little bit and knew she wasn’t that kind of girl, so there was still doubt on their end, and there was no escaping the looks.
I could tell they wanted to ask more, but I was saved in part by that arrest. I knew it was only a matter of time, though, before the questions started up again.
I’d barely slept a wink, though, even though Charlotte had been waiting for me in bed after Mom bailed me out. My mind was filled with thoughts of Jessica and that guy, the one I had learned was the person who had threatened my mother outside Jessica’s home the night she left me.
Even now, with my worry about what was going on with Charlotte, my mind couldn’t seem to let go of the fact that Jessica was already dating someone else. Did she let him touch her? My fists clenched tight as I stared at the wall.
My mind was in turmoil these days and had been since I realized she knew about the affair.
No one can ever know about that, or I’d be in a world of hurt- not that I expected her to say anything, but still.
I’d gone to great lengths to keep it a secret and had been very careful not to blur the lines.
Her own indifference had made it easy to do.
Since we weren’t intimate with each other and I had convinced her that I was fine with it, there had been no reason over these past few years for her not to trust me.
Of course, I wasn’t fine with it, but I had high hopes of us getting married back then and didn’t think too much about it.
But what red-blooded man could go that long without sex? She couldn’t be that green. And besides, I was sure I could talk her into my bed sooner or later, which I knew was a pipe dream after our first year together.
I came to believe that she was genuinely waiting for marriage since she was normal in every other way, except for that aloofness when we were alone together.
I’d seen her with her family and friends enough to know that she was a warm, loving person, someone I had truly come to admire, even though I was using my association with her for my own selfish reasons.
I had no reason to believe or suspect that there was anything else going on until last night. Where had that guy come from, and why were they so close? I’d seen more warmth in her eyes when she looked at him than in all the years we’d been together.
How could she? I slammed my hand down on my desk before calming myself down again. Was she just doing this to piss me off because she found out about Charlotte and me? And how long had she known anyway? I never did get a straight answer on that.
She hadn’t shown any signs that she knew anything had changed in the last few months since the affair started.
In fact, she seemed friendlier, come to think of it, as if she’d warmed up to me more.
I’d even toyed with the idea of proposing again, even though she’d blown me off the few times I’d asked in the past.
Now she was already flirting with other men and looking all cozy with him in front of my friends, who didn’t even know that we had already broken up. My mind wanted to linger on that affront, but it couldn’t help straying to this new development.
What the hell had just happened with Charlotte? Why was she rushed out of the office and her computer confiscated without warning? She hadn’t even been allowed to take anything from her desk, and I was almost certain her supervisor wanted to check her bag.
I wanted to get up and ask, but was afraid of bringing attention to myself. Then I glanced out my window from the sixth floor, and my blood ran cold.