Page 80 of The Last Autograph
“What?”
Alexia smoothed both hands over her perfectly straightened hair. “Word is you left him heartbroken as soon as the going got tough. Now you’re swanning around while you wait for his money, and poor old Jake’s so infatuated that he can’t seem to think straight… Although, when I saw him last, he denied you guys were involved. Said you were just friends.
“Anyways, hopefully, this time away in Paris will give him a chance to come to his senses. Because, let’s be real here, you might have fooled Jake with this whole ‘substitute for Jesse’ gig, but you haven’t fooled me, and you certainly haven’t fooled Hazel.”
Her words gnawed at the pit of Molly’s stomach.Just friends.She checked her watch. “Is there anything else? I really need to get back to work.”
Alexia sat forward in her chair and tapped the table with a polished fingernail. “So what do you suggest I do?” Tears welled in her eyes. “I loved Jesse, and it hurts, you know, that he died and never acknowledged that love.” She sniffed. “It’s hard when someone you trusted and cared about turns around and sticks the boot in.”
“Mr. Sinclair’s the executor. Perhaps you should talk to him.” Molly clenched her hands to steady them. If Alexia didn’t leave soon, she’d be tempted to grab her oversized mint-colored water bottle and pour its contents over her head.
Alexia stood, picked up said water bottle, and shouldered her bag. She strode to the door and rested her hand on the doorknob. “You know what? I really thought we were friends. People say you’re a stuck-up bitch, but until now, I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt. Silly me! And he’ll never love you, do you realize that? Because, in his mind, he’ll always be second best to his twin, and for Jake, second best is never good enough.”
Molly didn’t have a chance to shut down the conversation before she added, “Oh, and you know he’s with that Ava over there, don’t you? She still lives in his apartment. That’s the only reason he returned to France. To see her. And let me guess—I bet he’s hardly even bothered to call you. Little Molly Parker, out of sight out of mind.”
Alexia’s blows left Molly struggling to breathe.
“Still, I did warn you, didn’t I?” Alexia continued her bitchy attack. “That day at the patisserie, remember? So, yeah, you have only yourself to blame.”
She threw the door open and marched out into the corridor as Molly followed.
When she reached reception, she yelled back for the entire office to overhear, “I hope you have the shitty day you deserve, Molly Parker!”
As she left, Nathan stared at Molly, his eyes wide in shock. “Whoa, brutal. And the full-name treatment too. I’ve always been wary of her. Stuck-up little bi-atch.”
“Funny, she called me the same thing.” Heat bathed Molly’s cheeks. “I’ve never been called that before.”
“And by an expert in the field.” He handed her a pack of tissues from his desk, his expression softening. “Are you okay? You’re shaking.”
“Thanks, I’ll be fine.” She steadied herself on the counter. “So you know Alexia?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t everybody?”
“Seems that way.”
“Why don’t you go and grab lunch? Get some fresh air.”
She released an unsteady breath. “Yes, I should.”
Now more mortified than upset, Molly had almost reached her desk when Winston stormed out of his office. “What in Eve’s biblical garden was that all about?”
“Just a little misunderstanding. I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“You’d better be. Next time, take your visitors downstairs to the coffee shop.”
“But their coffee’s disgusting.”
Winston flashed her a knowing smile. “And your point is?”
At home that evening, phone in one hand and Hozier playing softly in the background, Molly lounged on the sofa and contemplated her day. She’d never thought of herself as a stuck-up bitchorpaired the wordsJakeandinfatuationtogether. Was he… infatuated, or was she just his “out of sight, out of mind girl” as Alexia had said?
When it came to men, her judgment had been defective so often that she now saw it as her default status. And for all she knew, he could be infatuated with Ava, not her at all. Because, let’s face it, Alexia Cunningham was hardly a reliable source of gossip.
Tired of her restless thoughts, Molly was rummaging in the pantry for some chocolate when her text alert sounded.
CeCe:What’s up at the tiny house?
Molly:It’s chocolate o’clock. I’ve had a shitty day.
