Page 82 of Drive Me Wild
“Wow.” She whistles softly. “That’s a lot.”
“Mm-hmm.” I tug her inside with interlaced fingers. My hand stays clasped with hers as we walk to the living room and settle on the couch, our limbs intertwined like some tantric yoga position.
“I want to talk to you about something big.” Josie grins widely and claps her hands together adorably. “Verybig.”
“What is it?” I have no clue where this conversation is going, but I’m dying to know what has her this excited.
Her narrowed eyes suddenly shine with delight. “Kelsey wants to start a hospitality group. Well, he’s technically already started one. I’m not really in the know with that side of the business, but anyway. The evenmoreexciting part is…” she drums her hands against my thigh, “he asked me to be the head of marketing!”
A shiver runs over my skin like a ghostly touch. “Full-time?”
She nods. “Yes. There’s no way I could work for himandMcAllisterandhelp Ella out with the podcast. Although El may be hiring her own team soon, but still.”
“Are you accepting it?” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice even if I wanted to. “I thought you only wanted to consult.”
That’s what you told me.
“I haven’t decided. Originally, yes, it was simply freelance, but this is an unreal opportunity.” She shrugs nonchalantly, as if her words aren’t crashing over me like waves during a storm. “I’d be able to build out my own team and everything. Can you imagine me being someone’s boss? I mean, I technically boss you and Blake around, but this is an official boss title. Cool, right?”
“I, uh?—”
“And listen to this!” Josie says, her eyes lit with excitement. “When I was at Gemini the other day, I was craving ice cream. I mean, when am I not craving ice cream? But I wasreallycraving it then, more than usual. But I was also craving acookie. It got me thinking. What if we created an artisanal ice creamsandwichshop? Customers could choose their cookie—snickerdoodle, sugar, chocolate chip, fudge brownie—and then whatever ice cream flavor they wanted. Kelsey says if I come up with a real proposal, we can discuss it! Doesn’t that sound to die for?”
Josie leaving McAllister isn’t part of my plan. I need her.
“Theo? Are you okay?” Josie rests her hand on my forearm. “You look like you’re getting a root canal, for Christ’s sake.”
Usually, I’d laugh at Josie’s ridiculous comparison, but I’m too focused on reeling in the red-hot betrayal swirling through my veins. My throat burns and I readjust myself, causing her legs to fall out of my lap. “You’d be leaving me.”
A carefree laugh slips through her lips. “I wouldn’t be leaving you, babes. I’d be leaving McAllister.”
They’re one and the same.“And you’re fine with that?”
“You yourself said that McAllister isn’t the end all, be all for me,” Josie says, the casualness of her voice turning to confusion. “You encouraged me to share my talents with more people.”
“Key word beingshare, not use them all somewhere else,” I snap, anger flashing in my eyes. “When did he offer you the job?”
“After the tasting. I tried to tell you on the phone, but there was never a good time.” Josie’s smile falters. “Why are you upset? I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“Well, apparently I don’t make you happy if you want to leave me.”
“Of course you make me happy. Don’t be ridiculous,” she says hastily. “I-I just think this could make me happy, too. I have a chance to create something really cool from the ground up. Not only a company that I believe in, but one that believes in me, too. This hasnothingto do with you. I promise.”
“It does if you’re leaving McAllister.” My voice cuts through each word with razor-sharp precision. I slink further down thecouch to put some space between us. “It has everything to do with us.”
“I love you and what we have together,” she says firmly. “No job is going to change that.”
Taking a deep breath, I nod absentmindedly. Almost as if her words are just that, words. “You leaving McAllister will fundamentally change our relationship. Changemylife. If I sign McAllister’s contract, who’s going to handle my social media? I was only fine with that if it wasyou. You can’t leave. You just can’t.”
Now it’s Josie who moves back to put space between us. “So you want me to turn down a really amazing offer because it means I’d have a life of my own outside of Formula 1? Outside of you?”
“Formula 1 isourlife! It’sus, Josie. How do you not see that?”
Her wry laugh makes the hairs on my arms stand up. “Since when is our relationship dependent on me working for Formula 1? You’re being unreasonable, Theo.”
“You saw how we barely spoke last weekend. You couldn’t even find time to tell me somethinghuge. It’ll be like that every weekend. Living two completely separate lives. I can’t do that. I won’t, Josie.”
My words hang in the air between us, sucking up the oxygen and making it hard to breathe. The way Josie’s shoulders turn inward sends a chill through me. As if I’m not the first man who’s let her down, and I won’t be the last.
