“Give her the iPad, doofus.” I shook my head.
Five seconds later we were looking at Cody McHotson—not his real name was my wild guess—wearing a Viking helmet, sleeveless Billabong tank top, and a smug smile that flashed bleached teeth. He looked like the reason they invented guns, but he was actually doing this—sending minors out to look for a body part.
“It’s not gross or anything.” He tucked a lock of his blond side-bang back into his hat. “Like, don’t expect to find something super weird. But it’s there, and hey, if you feel like making a buck, you should go for it.” The stoner laughed into the camera, sending a plume of smoke toward the lens.
“Is he a minor?” I turned to Judith.
She shook her head. “Twenty-one.”
It was official. This generation was too dumb to repopulate. Hard to believe I would be dependent on his likes fifty years from now.
“Good lead, Humphry. Jessica, follow it.”
“I’m on it.” Jessica saluted, typing away on her phone.
“Hey, what about me?” Steve flung his arms in the air.
“You gave me a lead about Belgian cheese. Be happy my shoe is not in your ass.”
“Ugh,” he wailed, picking a pastry from the basket and stuffing it into his mouth.
He was of the Phoenix Townley brand—a rich boy who’d wormed his way into my newsroom through connections. My father had paved the way for people who were incapable of consuming a latte without burning themselves in the process, let alone making one, yet simply had the right last name. Of course, same could be said about me. With two differences: I hadn’t asked for this job, and I’d goddamn well earned it.
People were leaving the conference room when I jerked my chin toward Judith. “A word in private.”
“Here?”
“Yes, Einstein.”
The room had floor-to-ceiling glass walls, exactly what I needed to keep my hands off her. Once we were alone, I shut the door and sat down in my seat, linking my fingers together. She straightened, her chin high, watching me closely.
“This can’t happen anymore.” I motioned between us.
I wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to blow our dirty fucks out of proportion. The last thing I needed was for her to think we were in a relationship of sorts. I needed to keep my work area efficient and professional.
She clicked her pen, nodding. “Agreed.”
“Anything you need help with?” I gestured downstairs with my finger, but I could see by her flaring hazels that this was not the way she interpreted it. “I saw you crying outside this morning.” My lips flattened. “This was not an invitation for a cock-ride.”
Her cheeks pinked. “I fail to see how that is any of your business.”
“My employees are my business,” I shot back drily.
“Their performance is, yes. You don’t have to worry about that. I assure you.”
Judith didn’t have the tools and means to fight me. But other than that, she did a damn good job of standing up to me.
I was getting tired of beating around the bush, so I just gave it to her straight.
“Was the phone call about us?”
She tilted her head back, laughing. “No. There is no us.”
“Quite right. Good job on the YouTuber.” I stood up, ironing my shirt with my palm. This was good. I could go back to ignoring her from now on. I was about to do just that, marching over to the door, when I saw the face behind it and froze.
Lily Davis stood on the other side, her glossed lips grinning at me.
Lily Davis, as in the woman I should’ve been fucking.
Lily Davis, as in the woman Humphry knew nothing about.
Lily Davis, as in my fiancée.
Some girls looked like they had the world at their Louboutin-clad feet, and the leggy brunette who burst through the glass door with a megawatt smile was one of them. Her flowery perfume made my eyes water, but maybe I was just on the verge of crying because of my exchange with my boss. She gripped Célian’s collar—flashing an engagement rock the size of an entire Tiffany’s store—and planted a wet kiss over his scowling lips. He held her shoulders and took a step back, giving her a frosty onceover, as if assessing the damage on a recently purchased wrecked car.
“Lily.”
“Fiancé.”
What?
It shouldn’t have surprised me. Célian was gorgeous, successful, and a billionaire in his early thirties. Why wouldn’t he have a fiancée who looked like sex on heels? But the irony wasn’t lost on me. He had managed to put me firmly in Elise-the-editor’s shoes. The other woman. The homewrecker. The moral-less girl. Only difference was, Elise had known for a fact that Milton had a girlfriend. I, on the other hand, had had no clue.
I stood on shaky legs, waiting for Célian to introduce us. He did no such thing.
Throwing Lily a cold glare, he ground out, “This is a surprise.”
And not a good one, his eyes said.
“I had a fitting just around the block, and Mom wanted to buy macarons for Grams, so I thought I’d drop in and say hi. You know how I get stabby when there are carbs around since I started keto.” Her thick eyelashes fanned against her cheeks as she clung to him, as if worried he could slip out of her hands like butter. On top of being a brunette version of Blake Lively, with a summer dress and bright yellow sandals, she looked wildly in love. Undeniably so.
But I wasn’t going to do that to myself—be jealous of her. The poor thing had a cheating scumbag for a fiancé, and even now, he looked about as remorseful as a used tissue.
“And you are…?” She circled her manicured finger around my face.
The idiot your partner cheated on you with.
I wanted to fall down on my knees and come clean. Tell her I’d had no clue he was taken, that he was lying, that he was a jerk. Of course, I didn’t have a death wish.
So I settled for a faint smile. “Jude Humphry.”
“Jude. Oh my God. Love your name. So chic. I’m Lily Davis. But, you know, not for long.” She ran a possessive hand over Célian’s muscular arm.
A needle of guilt pierced my heart, my agony pouring out.
“Wow. Congratulations.”
Célian stared at her like she was an alien, a perfect stranger who’d walked into his life unannounced. Sweat coated my upper lip.
“Oh, this little thing?” She wiggled her fingers, flashing a rock that made Dwayne Johnson look miniature. “We’ve been engaged for as long as I can remember. I finally got around to planning the wedding.” She rolled her eyes, laughing. “It is so exhausting.”
Coincidently, so was holding my smile intact while she told me about her relationship with my boss. I decided to excuse myself before I did something that would secure me a night in jail—like slap Célian across the face several times.
“I’m sure you’ll rise to the seemingly impossible challenge.” I reddened, watching the cheater smirk in my periphery. “Well, I have a lot of work to get to. So…” I tilted my head to the door and found my way out. Célian stood next to Lily—they were a united front, after all—staring at me with quiet interest.
Engaged. He is engaged. I was so flustered, so blind with fury, I didn’t even know how I would proceed with my day without doing something stupid and irrational, like trash his entire office.
I stumbled toward my station, keeping my eyes on my Chucks. A hand snaked behind me, clasping my elbow and spinning me in place. I slapped it away instinctively, thinking it was Célian.
It was Steve, sitting at his desk, his dull eyes zeroing in on mine.
“Happy with yourself, Junior?”
What in the fresh hell did he want from me, and did he realize how extremely poorly timed his question was? I couldn’t be less happy with myself right now.
“Define happy, and please don’t touch me again.” I jerked my arm back.
He stood up. Steve was a little pudgy, and not very tall, but he was handsome in the way men who had all the money and time in the world could be. Groomed to a T.
“You made me look like an idiot back there, and we both know it,” he pointed at the conference room, whisper-shouting.