Page 94 of Trials of a One Night Stand
Zelda exchanges a glance with Jack, and then she smiles coyly at me. “Maybe it is.”
“What about your own work?” Bradley asks. “You’ve always put the company first and wanted to know exactly what was happening with each project.”
In other words, micromanaging has taken all of my time…and my personal life has somehow been left behind. I know the answer, however.
We have an amazing team at Zentello, so I can step aside for however long Jayne needs me to.
“So did you, Max, Sam, and Zelda,” I say. “Once but not any longer. I can do the same, now that I see what truly matters. And I do see it. Jayne is worth whatever I end up doing or not doing in my professional life.”
The room falls silent, and the surprise on my friends’ faces makes me smile. I’ve never prioritized anyone over work before, including Zelda, and it must be a shock to them.
“I love Jayne, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to her.”
I take a deep breath, and my heart pounds as I pull out my phone. My fingers hover over the screen, trembling slightly.
This is it. The moment of truth.
The phone rings and rings. Has she blocked me? The question makes my stomach clench. Before I can hang up, her voice announcement comes on.
“You’ve reached Jayne Everton.” Her practical, professional tone sends my pulse racing. “I can’t take your call. Please leave your name and number, and I’ll get back to you.”
Beep.
“Hey, Jayne,” I say as Ashton groans and Chloe shushes him. “I’ve been a colossal jerk, and I understand if you never want to speak to me again. But I’ve realized, finally, how wrong I’ve been. I’m truly sorry. I want to support your dreams, not overshadow them or not give you the opportunity to pursue them. Can we talk? I’d like a chance to make things right. If you want that too.”
I disconnect from the call before I can second-guess myself and stare at the screen, willing it to ring or for a text to appear.
Seconds tick by, feeling like hours. My palms sweat, and I can’t stop fidgeting.
What if Jayne doesn’t respond? What if she tells me to go to hell? What if she tells me she met someone else?
“Come on, Jayne.” My gaze remains locked on the phone. “Give me a chance.”
Jack brings me a plate of food. “You need to eat, man.”
I do, so I take it and shove a forkful into my mouth if only to appease my friends and my empty stomach. No one says much, but maybe they’re hungry.
The wait, however, is excruciating. I imagine Jayne listening to my message, her expressive eyes widening in surprise and her hand drifting to her stomach. Will she scoff and delete my voice message? Or will she recognize the sincerity in what I said?
The screen remains stubbornly blank, and my phone annoyingly silent. My stomach churns with anxiety. This is the worst form of torture, but I deserve it. The truth is, I’d wait forever for Jayne if I had to.
My phone buzzes.
Finally.
My heart leaps into my throat as I see Jayne’s name on the screen.
“She replied.” My relief is palpable, and my breathing comes easier.
“What did she say?” Bradley asks. He’s a rogue when he plays Dungeons and Dragons, but he should be a golden retriever. He’s got so much tail-wagging energy going on, especially right now.
“She wrote, ‘I appreciate your apology. I need time to process everything, but I’m willing to meet. Tomorrow, two p.m., at the coffee shop that’s walking distance from where I’m staying. No promises beyond that.’”
Hope floods through me. Her response is guarded, but it’s not a flat-out rejection. That’s more than I deserve and expected. I’ll take it.
“Fuck,” Sam yells. “Don’t make her wait. Reply, you idiot.”
Oh, right. “Thank you,” I type. “I’ll see you at two.”
