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“I don’t need an escort,” she says as she gets up. “You’ll see, she’ll fuck you over and don’t come crawling back to me when it happens. I know plenty of men that enjoy my company.”
“But they never ask you to stay, do they? Goodbye, Serena.”
She gives me the finger as she makes her way down the stairs with security following.
“What the fuck was that all about?” Paige asks.
“She wanted to have sex, and I said no. She told me that Lana would cheat.”
“Do you think that would happen?”
“No. Lana is faithful, and I trust her. She wouldn’t do that to me.”
I take a long pull on the beer that the waitress just dropped off. I never thought about Lana cheating on me. I’ve given her good reason to, though, coming home late, not communicating, and being disconnected at times. But I know she loves me.
“Then you should take what Serena said with a grain of salt. Not all women cheat.”
“I know. I think I’m going to leave. I’ve had enough. It’s after midnight, and I have to get up early and prepare some figures for my meeting with Jordan.”
She kisses me, and I shake Ben and Harry’s hands. Cabs are plentiful since it’s Friday night and not that late for the club crowd. By 12:45, I’m back home and lying in bed watching the sports news when I hear my phone chime. Who would be texting me this late? I check, and it’s from an unknown number, not even one with a New York area code. What I find in the text makes me sick, a picture of Lana kissing someone at a bar. The message says: Out of sight, out of mind.
I have the urge to throw my phone across the room, but I put it down before I do. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I want to call her, but it’s too late, and she might still be at the bar where she’s kissing this guy. I’m tempted to text the person back, but I’m sure I won’t get an answer. Whoever sent it wanted to provoke me, not protect me.
I can’t sleep and doze instead. When I get up at eight, I’m bleary-eyed. Not how I want to be for a meeting with a potential investor. I have some figures to prepare, and all I want to do is stay in bed and wallow in misery. I can’t get the picture of Lana out of my mind. What the fuck was she thinking when she kissed that guy?
There must be some kind of explanation for her behavior, although I have no idea what it could be. I resist calling her and head down to the gym to work out my frustrations on the treadmill. I run hard for almost an hour, but I still feel miserable when I come back to my apartment.
I’m going through the motions preparing for my meeting even though my heart isn’t in it, and I’m not sure how I’ll sound. I wish I could pass this meeting off to one of my staff, but this is my baby, and I need to handle it myself.
I get to the restaurant shortly before twelve, and Jordan Grayson is already there. He’s tall with perfectly coiffed blond hair and crystal blue eyes. I like the guy; he’s very cordial and pleasant. We discuss several options, and he seems optimistic about giving me an investment. What he says towards the end of our meal knocks me off balance.
“You have a personal problem, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t seem as sharp as you were when we discussed this meeting.”
I knit my brows and begin to apologize, but he holds his hand up.
“Girl trouble?”
“Is it that obvious?”
He chuckles, “I’ve been through it. Let me guess, you have a little spitfire that’s a handful, but you can’t let her go?”
“Partially right. She is a spitfire, but I think I lost her already.”
“How so?”
I know I shouldn’t pour my heart out to a business associate. We’re not friends, and I don’t want to seem weak, but he seems genuinely interested in my plight. So I tell him what transpired the evening before.
“Hmm, that could be anyone, and did you check the date on the picture? Is there a time stamp? Maybe it’s from someone with an ax to grind. Ever consider that?”
“I have, but why now when she’s away?”
“Because someone wants to cause trouble. If she’s worth it, then give her a chance to explain.”
“How can you explain that away?”
