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“How’s Joanna?” she asked, referring to the English professor he’d been dating the past few weeks.
“I assume she’s fine. We’re no longer seeing each other. What about Jericho?”
She spared a thought for the man she’d dated on the rebound soon after breaking up with Jamie. Jericho had been a long-haired, artsy and moody man with more piercings than a college campus bulletin board. He’d fit into her world perfectly. They’d spent their time combing through farmer’s markets and making vegan meals, and he’d played the ukulele for her over falafel. For a few months things had been good, but then Jericho had gone and Googled her. Suddenly, after finding out who her father was, he started asking her to front the bill when they went out to dinner. To “invest” in a new art studio and a new van he could haul his paintings in.
And when she’d told him she and her family didn’t speak?
He’d suggested—in all seriousness—that she act more like daddy’s little girl so she could gain access to daddy’s money.
Screw that.
Sex with Jericho hadn’t been that good. Certainly not worth putting up with bullshit. And it wasn’t good enough to get Jamie Whitcomb out of her mind, either. So she’d tossed the sprouts out of her refrigerator, stocked it with steaks, and told Jericho to take his ukulele and stuff it up his—
“We broke up a while ago, as well.”
“Ah. Any big plans for summer vacation?”
Why all the small talk? she wondered. Didn’t he realize how hard it was for her to stand here making polite conversation with him? To resist stripping off his clothes and begging him, once again, to take it all the way? “Just Vegas,” she said, referring to her upcoming trip to visit her friends and support the opening of Rhys and Max’s new magic show. Jamie would be attending as well.
She normally had more planned during the summer. Liked to get out of northern California and explore the rest of the country. But this time, she was looking forward to staying close to home. God, wasn’t she becoming the domesticated one?
“So, about why you came…”
“I came to say a goodbye, of sorts.”
Her heart stuttered, but hopefully she managed to keep her face blank. “Goodbye?”
“That’s right. I’m not coming back next semester.”
“You’ve taken another teaching job?”
“No,” he said, slipping his hands in his pockets. “Teaching has been wonderful, but I always planned to return to Whitcomb Enterprises in Los Angeles. My father will be retiring soon. Plus, the company’s expanding into airplane parts manufacturing plants and my environmental science expertise is going to be critical in that expansion.”
“I see,” she said, looking down at her hands, folded on her desk. “So, when are you leaving?”
“I leave tomorrow in order to start the ball rolling, but I won’t officially be in the swing of things for a few weeks.”
He left tomorrow.
She hadn’t seen him much since they’d broken up. Only here and there. And she’d been so angry before. It had only been a few weeks since they’d been able to be civil to one another again. Now he’d be gone from her life. Forever?
She was more shaken by the news than she wanted to admit.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She swallowed, forcing a shrug. “Of course. I wish you well, Jamie.”
“I may be leaving the university, but we’ve still got Vegas.”
“Of course.”
“I’m attending a bachelor party while I’m there—one of my college friends is marrying my sister—and then I’ll be at the wedding.”
“That’s right. Brianne. And Eric?”
His jaw clenched. “That’s right.”
“So the wedding is in L.A.?”
