“Because I didn’t love you, and it didn’t feel right.” Now that she knew what right felt like, she couldn’t believe how close she’d come to making a colossal mistake. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, and for that I apologize. I let things go too far.”
John sucked his teeth, the unpleasant sound reverberating in the quiet room, drawing her emotions closer to the edge. “I take it you didn’t invite me here to tell me you changed your mind about us?”
“Got it in one,” she said, pointing at him. “You’re a doctor, so I figured the smarts were in there somewhere. I was wrong for running out on you on the show, and you deserve to hear that from me. I was unsure of my feelings and was too cowardly to confront them until it was too late. For that, you have my apologies. But trying to blackmail me? That’s low, really low and underhanded.”
He sighed. “I thought you would say yes. We were good together, Jada. Opportunities like this don’t come along very often.”
“You have a good career as a doctor!”
John made a face. “An anonymous doctor in an anonymous hospital in Minnesota. I like attention. I like the opportunities and money coming my way. I like people calling my name when I walk down the street.”
Yep, all those opportunities she’d thought she wanted. She sighed. “Well, good luck. But if you ever pull something like this again, my mercy won’t be so sweet.”
He studied her for a second. “You’re fierce, much fiercer than I gave you credit for.”
Jada glared at him. “Compliments ain’t gonna get you nowhere, buddy, but thanks. I feel fiercer than I ever have in my life.” She stood and took a few steps to the door. “And because I am feeling that way, I have one more surprise for you.”
She opened the door. John jerked back in his chair when Donovan stepped inside.
She shouldn’t take delight in the scared look on John’s face, but she did. She’d work on that later. “You know how I said we were done? I lied. Hi, Lila.”
John’s eyes, already widened, turned into saucers when Lila stepped from behind Donovan. She inclined her head. “Jada. John.”
Jada nodded at Lila. Lila had only been too eager to meet with her and Donovan, undoubtedly thinking she would agree to Lila’s Plan B.
Jada had wanted the meeting on her own turf, the better to set the tone and be in a familiar, powerful spot. She didn’t know or care about football, but she had learned a thing or two from her grandmother over the years.
Lila’s smug smile dimmed when she spotted John. “What is he doing here?”
“Oh, we’re going to get to that in a bit. Have a seat, please.”
She and Donovan sat across from the Terrible Twosome. Having him there calmed her. She’d never believed she’d find someone who had her back like Donovan did. She didn’t know what she did to deserve him, but she was grateful nonetheless. “Thank you for coming, Lila.”
Lila’s thin lips curved into a caricature of a smile. “My pleasure. I’m assuming you called us here because you either changed your mind about doing the show with John or you like my new show idea with you and Donovan. John and I are here for your final answer, right?”
“You would think, but no,” Donovan said, his hard gaze cutting between Lila and John.
Lila sat up straight. “Then why are we here?”
Jada pasted on a saccharine smile. “To talk, of course. Now, from what I remember, your working theory is that Donovan and I aren’t really dating, and you’re going to expose us for frauds if we don’t do what you say.”
Lila’s gaze darted to John for a second. “That sounds…”
“Accurate, I know. Well, joke’s on you.” Jada silently added the bitch. “Because we are very much a couple.”
“We are.” Donovan raised her hand and laid a gentle kiss to the back of it.
The last of Jada’s nerves faded away as righteous anger took its place. “Of course, it’s our word against yours, I know. In order for you to believe me, I could describe the location and shape of a scar from his childhood on a part of his body not on display right now, but I’m sure you can use your imagination as to why I know it exists. I haven’t mentioned the part where our friends and families will back us up about the status of our relationship.”
“If you insist on ‘exposing us,’” Donovan said, his voice hard as ice, using air quotes, “we’ll have to do some exposing of our own. Certain people, like network executives, probably aren’t too keen on their employees engaging in blackmail. Besides, Jada is beloved. You know it, and I know it. I’m sure her fans would love to fill your Twitter mentions with all kinds of creative replies if they knew what you were attempting to do.”