Tears sprang to my eyes as I wiped them dry before going into Hope’s room. After tucking her in and kissing her good night, I poured another glass of wine and took it to my bedroom.
“Please, Jack. Just listen to me.”
“If you’re worried about your job, don’t be. You’re a good personal assistant and I won’t fire you. There’s nothing between us, Lorelei, except a professional working relationship. Have a good night.”
I was broken and the tears began to fall uncontrollably as I lay in bed. I dialed Stella.
“It’s about time you called.”
“Stella,” I cried into the phone.
“Lorelei. Oh my God, what’s wrong?”
“Jack came over tonight unannounced and he met Hope. Now he’s pissed at me and told me that what happened between us was a mistake.”
“What a douchebag. Do you need me to come over?”
“No. Hope is in bed and I’m going to try and get some sleep. How the hell am I supposed to face him tomorrow? Being with him earlier was amazing and we both felt something. I’ve fallen for him, Stella,” I sobbed.
“Sweetie, calm down. Listen, I’m coming over and I don’t want to hear another word about it. I’ll be over in fifteen. Just sit tight.” Click.
I lay in bed, clutching the sheets that covered me. About fifteen minutes had passed and I heard the front door open and Stella walked into the room. She climbed in next to me and wrapped her arms around me.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” she said as she kissed the top of my head.
“I don’t think so. He told me that he wouldn’t fire me because I’m a good assistant but that there’s nothing between us but a professional working relationship.”
“Well, then he’s more of an asshole than we gave him credit for. Lorelei, he’s showing his true colors. You don’t want to be with a man like that. You deserve so much better.”
“But I really like him. My God, I slept with him. The first man in seven years and look what happens. It’s all my fault for not telling him about Hope. I was going to tell him tomorrow. I swear I was,” I sobbed.
“I know. He’s not worth it, Lorelei. Once you calm down, you’ll see that.”
I cried on Stella’s shoulder for the next hour and then I fell asleep.
****
Jack
I barely slept all night. Thoughts of Lorelei plagued my mind. How could she not tell me she had a kid? She had plenty of chances but chose to keep it a secret. Damn her. I climbed out of bed, showered, and headed straight to the office. Pulling out my phone, I sent a text message to Garrett.
“Are you in the office yet?”
“On my way, why?”
“I need to talk to you. Come straight to my office.”
“Sure thing, Jack. I’ll be there soon.”
As I walked by Lorelei’s desk, I shook my head. Maybe I should fire her. I didn’t know if I could stand to even be around her after what she did. Or didn’t do, I should say. Shortly after I sat down, Garrett walked in.
“What’s up?”
“Did you know that Lorelei has a kid?”
He stood there and blankly stared at me. The expression on his face told me he knew.
“FUCK! You did know and you didn’t tell me!”
“Jack, calm down.”
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down. How the hell could you keep something like that from me?”
“It wasn’t my place to tell you.”
“Did she ask you not to tell me?”
“No. Did she tell you?”
“No. We had a beautiful afternoon at the Trump yesterday and she left her sketchbook at the hotel, so I had Tony take me to her apartment so I could give it to her. That’s when I met Hope.”
“Oh. How did that turn out?”
“How the fuck do you think it turned out?” I threw my pen across my desk. “I was shocked. Do you know how betrayed I feel right now knowing that she lied to me all this time.”
“Did you ever ask her if she had a kid, Jack?”
“No. Why the fuck would I? She’s twenty-five years old. She shouldn’t have kids yet.”
“Did you just hear yourself?” Garrett yelled. “You didn’t ask and she didn’t volunteer. Didn’t you tell her that you hated kids?”
“Maybe.”
“Then why the hell would she tell you about hers? The poor girl was probably scared to death that she was going to get fired.”
“Yeah, well, now that I’m thinking about it, I just might fire her lying ass.”
“For what? Having a kid? You can’t do that, Jack. Not to mention the fact that you fucked her more than once. Do you know the fucking lawsuit she’ll slap on this company if you fire her? The magazine is in trouble as it is. If you fire her, you might as well kiss this company goodbye. I warned you to stay away from her, Jack. I warned you! You made your bed, now you can lie in it.” He pointed at me. “You have no one to blame but yourself.”
“You should have told me, Garrett. You’re my best friend. I wouldn’t have done what I did if I knew she had a kid.”
“Like I said, you have no one to blame but yourself. Now calm down and I’ll talk to you later.” He stormed out of my office.
I ran my hands through my hair and took in a deep breath. I was angry. So angry. But there was another feeling that resided inside me: hurt. Garrett was right; I couldn’t fire Lorelei. Not only would that be bad for the company if she decided to sue me, but she had a kid to support. Things from now on would only consist of a professional relationship.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lorelei
My eyes were swollen from all the crying I had done last night. I dreaded going into the office and seeing Jack. If I never had to see him again, I’d be happy. What I needed to do was start looking for another job and get the hell out of Sutton Magazine. The line that never should have been crossed was, and now I was paying the price.
“What’s wrong with your eyes, Mommy?” Hope asked as she stepped into my bathroom.
I bent down and kissed her head. “Good morning, baby. Nothing’s wrong. They’re just a little puffy. It must be my allergies.”
“I thought I heard you crying last night.” She pouted.
“You must have been dreaming. I wasn’t crying. I have nothing to cry about. Now go get dressed and ready for school. I’ll go make your breakfast.”
I couldn’t let my daughter see me like this. It had always been just me and her from the start and I wasn’t about to let any man, especially Jack Sutton, destroy me in front of my kid. After getting dressed, I made Hope her breakfast and then dropped her off at latch key. As I was on my way to Starbucks to get the asshole his morning coffee, my phone rang. It was Stella.
“Hello.”
“How are you today?”
“I’m trying to be okay. I need to be for Hope. I can’t let her see me fall apart over a guy.”
“I understand, but don’t force it. If you need time to yourself to think about things or get yourself together, let me know and Sebastian and I will watch Hope for a few days.”
“Thanks, Stella, but I’ll be okay. Hey, listen, I just got to Starbucks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, sweetie. Call me and make sure you either get him the wrong coffee or spill it on his dumb ass.”
I smiled. “I will.”
I ordered his damn Americano just the way he liked it and headed to the office. My stomach was twisted and I felt sick. The anger and disappointment in his eyes last night were unbearable to see. I saw another side of Jack when we spent time alone together. He was tender and sweet. He only wanted to please me and I let him down.
As I walked down the hallway with his coffee in my hand, I was literally shaking. I prayed he wouldn’t be in his office, but he was. FUCK! I took in a deep breath as I stepped inside and set his coffee on his desk.
“Is it right this time?” he asked in an abrupt tone.
“I didn’t taste it. So hopefully, it is.” I walked out of his office and sat down at my desk.