CHAPTER TWENTY The First Crack
The first real crack appeared on a Tuesday night at a charity event in Beverly Hills.
Maya's agency had helped rebrand the foundation hosting it, so she spent most of the evening making sure sponsors were happy and photographers captured the right people in front of the right backdrop.
Jalen arrived late in a black suit and kissed Maya's cheek. "You look good," he said."You sound surprised.""Never."For the next hour, he was charming. He talked easily
with Maya's CEO, made her clients laugh, and told everyone who asked that Maya was the genius behind the campaign.
She relaxed.Maybe they had simply hit a rough week.Then a woman in a silver dress crossed the ballroom. She was beautiful, tall, with sleek hair and the effortless
confidence of someone accustomed to being watched. Her eyes found Jalen.His found hers.Something happened between them in less than a
second.Recognition.Too much recognition.The woman approached."Jalen."He smiled. "Camille."Maya looked between them."Maya, this is Camille Rhodes. Sports marketing.
Camille, Maya."Camille's gaze moved to Maya, then back to Jalen.
"So this is Maya."The wording was subtle.Maya heard it anyway.
"We've met?" Maya asked.Camille smiled politely.
"No. I've heard your name." Jalen shifted.
"Camille works with a couple of my clients.
""Worked," Camille corrected. "Past tense.
"The air tightened."Good seeing you," Camille said. She touched Jalen's
arm lightly before walking away.Maya waited until she was gone."What was that?""What was what?""Don't."Jalen took a sip of his drink. "We dated. Briefly. Years
ago.""How many years?""Two. Maybe three.
""And she knows my name?""I told you I've talked about you before.
"Maya studied him."Did you sleep with her recently?
"Jalen's expression hardened. "No.""While we were together?
""No.""Did you talk to her after we got together?
""Maya.""That's not an answer.""We work in the same industry.
Of course we've talked." "About work?"His eyes moved away.The crack widened.Maya felt the ballroom tilt slightly around her.
"Jalen.""Can we not do this here?""Then answer me.
""We texted a few times. Nothing happened.
"Maya went still."You texted your ex."He gave her a look that was half irritation, half
warning."Don't make that comparison.""Why not?""Because I didn't hide a whole emotional relationship
from you."The words struck exactly where he knew they would. Maya's face burned."That's low.""It's true.""So because I hurt Andre, you get to keep secrets from
me?""I didn't keep a secret. You never asked."Maya stared at him.There it was again - the old Jalen talent for turning a
boundary into a technicality."I'm leaving," she said."Maya, you're working the event.""Then I'm going to the bathroom before I say
something in front of my boss."She walked away without waiting for him.Inside the restroom, Maya gripped the marble sink and
looked at herself.
The woman in the mirror was thirty-five, successful, intelligent, experienced.So why did she suddenly feel eighteen?
Her phone buzzed.A message from Jalen.Jalen: You're blowing this out of proportion.Maya read it twice.Then, against every instinct, she thought of Andre's face the night he said, You don't like what your choice costs.For the first time, Maya wondered if the cost had only begun.