I reach for my purse and pull out my phone. I press on Lottie’s name and put the phone on speaker, listening to it ring.
“Gah! Did you make it to San Francisco?” Lottie says when she answers the phone.
“I did and, oh my God, Lottie, this place is so beautiful. I can’t get over it.”
“I’m so jealous. I told Hux when you two are done there, we need to at least take a weekend trip, because he was showing me pictures of the penthouse and it looks like a total dream.”
“It is. I can’t wait to see what kind of views I have in the morning.”
“And the flight was good?”
“As good as it could be.”
“Turbulence?” she asks.
“Well, not turbulence with the plane, more like turbulence with JP. He’s really not happy with me.”
“I gathered that. Did he say why?”
Your opinion of me is so low, that you believe only the worst.
“He did and, honestly, Lottie, I feel sick about it.”
“What happened?”
“Well, you know how Edwin and Genesis went off with each other the night of the gala?”
“Ah, yes, and you haven’t heard from him since. A real winner, that one.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t really tell you what happened after.”
“What do you mean you didn’t tell me—oh my God, Kelsey, did you sleep with JP?”
“No!” I nearly shout and then realize I might be too loud. I bring my voice down while I stand from the bed and start to unpack and organize my things. “We didn’t sleep together, but he did take me back to his place, and when I say his place, I mean the driveway. That’s as far as I let it go before I told him I wasn’t sleeping with him.”
“Did he ask you into his house?”
“No, I kind of . . . you know . . . assumed that he wanted to sleep with me. But he was just being nice. I inadvertently insulted him and now he pretty much hates me. He barely talked to me on the airplane, and has retreated to his room, where I’m sure he’ll stay the entire night.”
“So, you’re in an uncomfortable situation, then?”
“Correct.” I carry my toiletries to the bathroom and line up everything in a row by order of how I use them. “I really want to enjoy myself here. We’ve rarely been able to travel, let alone in a lavish way, but things are weird with him and I don’t know how to make it better.”
“JP is an odd one. He’s very sarcastic, and sometimes, it seems like he doesn’t take things seriously, but there’s a darker side to him, too, a side he doesn’t talk about much. Even Huxley was saying how JP can be very closed off. I think you struck that dark part and maybe the only way to fix things is to apologize sincerely.”
I sigh and lean against the bathroom’s honeycomb-tiled wall. “I think you’re right.”
“I know I am. Oh, and hey, I talked to Ellie. Derek would love to meet up while you’re in San Francisco. He’s going to check his schedule and will let you know when he’s available.”
“Okay, yeah, cool.” My stomach lurches and I can’t be sure if it’s from needing dinner or the looming conversation I have to have with JP. Either way, it’s not a good feeling. “I should go. Dinner will be here soon.”
“You got this, sis. Show them what the Gardner sisters are all about.”
It’ll be fine.
Just lightly knock on his door and if he happens to snap at you like a beast, just know, it has everything to do with what you said to him, and nothing to do with him . . .
Taking a deep breath, I lift my knuckles to his door and give it a quick knock.
I press my lips together as I wait for his response, but when I hear nothing, I knock again and ask, “JP, are you in there? Dinner is here.”
I wait for a few breaths and then he finally calls out, “Eat without me.”
I was afraid he’d say that.
That’s why I devised a plan to get him out of his room.
“Okay, but, uh, I think I broke the oven and it sort of smells like gas so do you think you could help me with that? Then I’ll leave you alone.”
Between you and me, I didn’t even touch the oven, but I figured a gas leak might get him moving.
And lucky for me, I’m right.
The doorknob tilts down and then the door opens, revealing a bare-chested JP, wearing only a pair of shorts.
Well, uh . . . would you look at that.
An expansive chest of thick pecs that connect to his prominent collarbone, and sculpted arms that are peppered in ink. Below his pecs are a row of what I can only describe as unattainable abs that ripple into an edged Adonis belt where his shorts hang dangerously low.