The Love Of Money - S01 E205

Story 1 month ago

The Love Of Money - S01 E205

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 205

"Okay," Kwan said. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm handling it," said. "Just make really damn sure the next one isn't married to a billionaire."

"Thanks, Marcus," he said, staring down the trail in the direction that Carla had vanished and then starting down the same path, taking it at a much slower pace. As he passed, I clapped him on the shoulder and watched him head back toward the rest of the party

"You've changed," Jessica said.

I turned my attention back to her. "What?"

"You're more decisive than you were."

"I was indecisive before?" I asked.

"You could be. I mean, you often left a lot of the decisions up to me. Like, where we went to eat or what we did."

I held up my phone, and the screen showed Chandler's text exchange. "This isn't like deciding where to eat, Jess."

"That," she said.

"What?"

"That," she nodded toward me. "What you just did. You never said things like that. Not with that tone."

I still wasn't quite sure what she was getting at and looked around the trail. I wasn't crazy about doing this in a place where anyone could just walk by. As I scanned the area, I spotted Jon partially hidden from view by a tree trunk. I wondered how many others were out there keeping an eye on me or whether they would realize that I was having a private conversation and steer people away from the area.

"Come on," I said, leading Jess deeper into the garden and into one of the small alcoves with a few nice outdoor chairs that must have cost more than whatever she paid in rent.

"I didn't mean it as an insult or anything," she said as I sat in one of the chairs. She sat in the one beside me, turning it a little so it was slightly facing me. "It's a good thing, actually. It was kind of hot watching you take charge like that." She pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it absentmindedly as she watched me. "It's good to see you."

"Thanks" I said. The absence of the returned sentiment was palpable.

We sat in silence for several prolonged moments, and I leaned back into the chair, watching her as she looked around the garden and fidgeted in growing discomfort. It would have been nearly pitch black had it not been for the single lamp on a stand behind us, casting long shadows across her face and highlighting a few of her features. Her subtle cheekbones looked more prominent on her oval-shaped face. Her strong chin was a little stronger, and her Greek nose looked even straighter and more perfectly proportioned for her face in the strange combinations of light and shadows.

"So," Jessica said as the uncomfortable moments became unbearable, "What's the deal with Erin and Danni?"

"Erin's my assistant," said. "Danni's my realtor. I'm trying to buy the rest of the building, so she's helping me. Erin assists me with pretty much everything."

"I see that," Jessica said. It didn't sound accusatory as much as a confirmation that she'd noticed the type of relationship we had. "Are you sleeping with them?"

Straight to the point. Jess preferred beating around the bush and putting off the things she dreaded. I wondered just how much havoc her anxiety was playing on her body leading up to her asking this question.

"Yeah," I said. Seeing how she had confessed to sleeping with someone while we were in a relationship, I decided there was no reason to spare her. "I hired Erin a couple of weeks ago, and we've been sleeping together since."

"Ah," Jess said, her tone not betraying her feelings. The shadows obscuring her face helped keep her emotions a mystery.

"A few days later, she introduced me to Danni. This was the first house we looked at, and I bought it on the spot. We ended up having a foursome in the pool."

"Wow," Jess said, her voice a little thicker with emotion. "Who was the fourth? Another guy?"

"Helen," I said. I considered keeping her out of the conversation, but she had already told Jess her name when they briefly spoke on the phone before I left for Vegas, so it wasn't a secret.

"The lawyer?"

"Yep," I said.

"You've been busy," Jess said, looking at the lamp just behind us; her chair was turned enough to be at her four o'clock. As she stared at it, I examined her fully illuminated face. Her skin was so fair and free of blemishes that it almost glowed in the lamplight like the moon; it gave her an angelic quality.

I felt the stirrings of lust and a longing to touch her, similar to what I'd felt for Natalie, but, unlike with Nat, there were no feelings of love attached to it. It was just an attraction to her flawless skin, crimson lips, and the generous cleavage that boidly proclaimed through the window in the front of her dress.

"I guess I can't be surprised, though," she said, looking back down at me. She must have caught me staring at her displayed cleavage because I saw enough of her face to make out the effects of a knowing smile.

"Why do you say that?"

"You're a catch," she said.

"Then, why did you cheat on me?"

Jessica didn't answer immediately, but I could see her back and shoulders stiffen a little under the weight of the question. Finally, she said, "The distance-"

"The distance wasn't a problem anymore. You were moving out here in a matter of weeks."

Again, she took her time to formulate a response. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I made a mistake. I realized that as soon as I got home."

"You sure you didn't realize it when you found out that I'd inherited billions?"

"I didn't-"

"Don't lie," I cut her off again. "You broke up with him the day I went live on air with Channel Seven and called me the next day."

I could see the confusion on her face despite the lighting. "How would.."