blew a gasket.
“What?” he shouted.
“He’s Daniel’s father. We had a thing last summer. He wants to be part of Daniel’s life now.” Somehow, spilling the truth to Neil didn’t bring the same sense of satisfaction with it that telling her parents had.
Neil looked at her as though she’d just puked all over herself. “You let that celebrity dick seduce you?”
“It was before I met you,” she fired back.
“We knew each other in middle school,” he argued.
“Okay, it was before I met you again. It’s none of your business.”
“Like hell it’s none of my business,” Neil raged on. The traffic sounds weren’t enough to drown out what he was saying from any passing ears. “You’re my girlfriend.”
Not if he kept talking to her like that.
Out loud she said, “Nothing is going on between us right now. He just wants to be part of his son’s life. I’m not going to deny him that.”
“Why not?” Neil snapped. “It’s not like he’s done anything to try to be a part of Daniel’s life—or your life, for that matter—before now.”
She flinched at the accusation. It was too close to what she’d been thinking. “Simon’s been through a lot in the last year,” she found herself defending him, although God knew why. “He’s trying to turn over a new leaf. Give the man some credit.”
“No,” Neil said flat-out. “I will not give any celebrity who is trying to hit on my girlfriend and take over my workplace any sort of credit at all.”
“Why are you so sensitive all of a sudden?” she fired at him.
“Because these people are fucking with what’s mine,” he growled. “Literally, it would seem.” His eyes flashed with a new, furious light. “Are you sleeping with him now?”
“What?” A burst of guilt sizzled down her spine, as if she had entertained the idea.
“Because you’re certainly not sleeping with me at the moment.”
“I’ve been busy with the wedding and with Daniel,” she defended herself.
Sleeping with Simon. What if she had the chance to do that again? That night last summer had been so—
“No,” she blurted, for Neil and for herself. “I am not sleeping with Simon. I’m not sleeping with anyone right now.”
“Yeah. I know,” Neil tossed at her.
“Is that your problem?” She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You’re pissed at me because you’re not getting any?”
“Maybe?” He sounded like the pouty middle school boy she’d known.
“Well, you’ve got a hand, haven’t you?” she said.
“That’s not funny,” he grumbled.
“Neither are you. Now go back to work and deal with your pushy celebrities and let me deal with mine. I’m trying to save my job here, and you’re not helping.”
“Jenny, I won’t—”
Whatever he wouldn’t do or say, Jenny wasn’t interested. She turned on her heel and marched back into the office. Men. They were such assholes sometimes. Maybe she was better off without one. If Neil decided he wanted to run off and discover himself or go through some recovery process for being a bona fide jerk, she wouldn’t complain. At least Simon had the balls to face up to his shortcomings and do something about them.
She marched past Laurel and Ivy—who wore expressions like they’d seen the whole confrontation and would have given their firstborn to know what had been said—to flop into her desk chair. Goddammit, she should not be thinking of Simon as the better man in this scenario. He was the one who had left her, and Neil had come in to support her when she needed it. For a few weeks, at least. When had he turned into such a possessive moron? Not that Simon was any better, with his arrogance and assumptions.
No, what she needed here was to take back her life and her pride. She’d help Simon buy a house, but that was it. If he wanted to spend time with Daniel, he could figure out another way to do it. Skype, maybe.
She was ready to pack the whole thing in and consider moving to
“What?” he shouted.
“He’s Daniel’s father. We had a thing last summer. He wants to be part of Daniel’s life now.” Somehow, spilling the truth to Neil didn’t bring the same sense of satisfaction with it that telling her parents had.
Neil looked at her as though she’d just puked all over herself. “You let that celebrity dick seduce you?”
“It was before I met you,” she fired back.
“We knew each other in middle school,” he argued.
“Okay, it was before I met you again. It’s none of your business.”
“Like hell it’s none of my business,” Neil raged on. The traffic sounds weren’t enough to drown out what he was saying from any passing ears. “You’re my girlfriend.”
Not if he kept talking to her like that.
Out loud she said, “Nothing is going on between us right now. He just wants to be part of his son’s life. I’m not going to deny him that.”
“Why not?” Neil snapped. “It’s not like he’s done anything to try to be a part of Daniel’s life—or your life, for that matter—before now.”
She flinched at the accusation. It was too close to what she’d been thinking. “Simon’s been through a lot in the last year,” she found herself defending him, although God knew why. “He’s trying to turn over a new leaf. Give the man some credit.”
“No,” Neil said flat-out. “I will not give any celebrity who is trying to hit on my girlfriend and take over my workplace any sort of credit at all.”
“Why are you so sensitive all of a sudden?” she fired at him.
“Because these people are fucking with what’s mine,” he growled. “Literally, it would seem.” His eyes flashed with a new, furious light. “Are you sleeping with him now?”
“What?” A burst of guilt sizzled down her spine, as if she had entertained the idea.
“Because you’re certainly not sleeping with me at the moment.”
“I’ve been busy with the wedding and with Daniel,” she defended herself.
Sleeping with Simon. What if she had the chance to do that again? That night last summer had been so—
“No,” she blurted, for Neil and for herself. “I am not sleeping with Simon. I’m not sleeping with anyone right now.”
“Yeah. I know,” Neil tossed at her.
“Is that your problem?” She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “You’re pissed at me because you’re not getting any?”
“Maybe?” He sounded like the pouty middle school boy she’d known.
“Well, you’ve got a hand, haven’t you?” she said.
“That’s not funny,” he grumbled.
“Neither are you. Now go back to work and deal with your pushy celebrities and let me deal with mine. I’m trying to save my job here, and you’re not helping.”
“Jenny, I won’t—”
Whatever he wouldn’t do or say, Jenny wasn’t interested. She turned on her heel and marched back into the office. Men. They were such assholes sometimes. Maybe she was better off without one. If Neil decided he wanted to run off and discover himself or go through some recovery process for being a bona fide jerk, she wouldn’t complain. At least Simon had the balls to face up to his shortcomings and do something about them.
She marched past Laurel and Ivy—who wore expressions like they’d seen the whole confrontation and would have given their firstborn to know what had been said—to flop into her desk chair. Goddammit, she should not be thinking of Simon as the better man in this scenario. He was the one who had left her, and Neil had come in to support her when she needed it. For a few weeks, at least. When had he turned into such a possessive moron? Not that Simon was any better, with his arrogance and assumptions.
No, what she needed here was to take back her life and her pride. She’d help Simon buy a house, but that was it. If he wanted to spend time with Daniel, he could figure out another way to do it. Skype, maybe.
She was ready to pack the whole thing in and consider moving to
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