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“By myself works fine.” Jake destroyed more zombies.
“So you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. And since when did you encourage me to talk about my problems? That?
?s Eva’s role.”
Matt looked at him steadily. “Right, I get it. You don’t want to talk about it. And don’t worry about the beer. We have enough for tonight. I told Paige I’d drive the van to pick up some scaffolding for your event tomorrow, so I can pick some more up then.”
“Scaffolding?”
“They’re building a centerpiece—they haven’t told you?” Matt frowned. “Paige has found a set designer. Don’t you have meetings about this stuff?”
Not if he could help it. “We had a meeting at the beginning. I told her what I wanted. They’re coming up with a plan that fits. I glance at the emails occasionally.”
“You didn’t give them a budget?”
“Open-ended.”
Matt winced. “You gave Eva an open-ended budget? She’ll open an account at Bloomingdale’s and strip the place bare. I thought you were a businessman.”
“I gave Paige the budget. I want to make a splash. It will be worth the investment, I’m sure.” And he’d wanted to give Paige full rein to wow Manhattan’s finest. That much he could do for her.
“You’re telling me you don’t know the details?”
“Why buy a dog and bark yourself?”
“Are you calling my sister a dog?”
“No.” Jake got violent with the zombies. “I’m telling you I know how to delegate. I don’t care what’s in the food, as long as my guests are fed and happy. It doesn’t matter to me if the mushrooms are chanterelle or oyster, which is what I told Eva when she tried to discuss details with me. She’s the food expert. I’m leaving it to her.”
“And Paige is overseeing the whole thing. She’s working twenty-hour days for you, so you’d better say something encouraging.”
Jake kept his eyes on the screen and killed a few more zombies. Since the conversation in his office, he’d stayed out of her way.
“How is she doing?”
“Why are you asking me? I thought she was sharing your office?”
“She is, but she’s working and I’m working and we’re not working on the same thing.” Jake destroyed everything on the screen in a violent bloodbath.
Matt raised his eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. Why would you think anything is wrong?”
“Because you’re tense and you’ve killed a hell of a lot of zombies.”
“That’s the point of the game. To kill zombies.” Jake dropped the controller, hating the fact that he felt guilty. What did he have to feel guilty about? He was doing this for her. Putting himself through the hell of sexual frustration for her. “So last time you saw Paige, she didn’t seem upset?”
“Upset?” Matt’s eyes narrowed. “Why would she be upset? Has something happened?”
Yeah, he’d virtually stripped her naked and feasted on her mouth as if she were his next meal. “It was a friendly enquiry, that’s all.” He felt his neck grow hot. “She’s been working hard.”
“I thought you hadn’t seen her.”
“That’s how I know she’s working hard. I haven’t.” Apart from in the elevator when he’d seen, and tasted, far too much of her.
“You haven’t put your head around the office door once to check on her?” Matt sounded more amused than annoyed, but the whole situation was as uncomfortable as walking on gravel in bare feet. Jake shifted.
