“What’s it to you?” Justin said. “She’s a nice person.”
“But I’m not,” Jessica snapped.
“I think that’s why I broke up with you,” Justine said good-naturedly.
Her eyes widened and her jaw clenched. “No one breaks up with me—”
“I already did. Six months ago. Did you suffer from short term memory loss or something?”
She wanted to scream, he knew it. She wanted to be the diva that everyone knew she was. Jessica Kendrick had a vicious temper, but fashion houses still hired her, and events wanted her because she had a gorgeous face, that, unfortunately, he no longer found appealing.
To him, she was just another pretty face in the crowd and he could date just about anyone that had a pretty face. He was Justin Henderson, anyway. Not that he had an ego. He had a huge ego. His position did that to him.
Jessica’s face was red; she was thinking of something vicious to say. She had a sharp tongue, which was one of the reasons why he broke up with her. He had a few solid reasons. But the best one was that she was bat-shit crazy.
He smiled at her. “Shall I have a car bring you somewhere?”
“You think you’re the best thing that’s happened to me, right?” Jessica began. “You think you’re the greatest person to walk the face of the earth?”
“You and I only dated because we both have huge egos and we thought we’d be suitable for each other,” Justin told her matter-of-factly. “Did you just come here to show photos of me dating your friend?”
“She is not my friend,” she seethed. “You’re doing this on purpose, dating people I know, and dating other models.”
“There is no law against that, last I heard.”
“You’re doing this on purpose,” Jessica insisted.
“So what if I am?” he responded. “I’m a single man enjoying his single life. I see no crime with making anyone feel bad just because I think they deserve it.”
“You think I deserve it?” she gasped.
He nodded, unfeeling. “Of course I do. You’re a little pocket of bitchiness and I didn’t want any more of it.”
“I loved you.”
“I did too, but things change. Like how I feel for you, which actually borders on derision.”
She was shaking her head, on the verge of tears, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction that he had won. He was an asshole, she had known this the moment she dated him, but he was a fun asshole, and he was well oiled. She had gone three months without significant income a year ago and he didn’t question her independence. He provided her with everything she wanted and needed, even paid for her rent until the industry found something for her again.
She didn’t want to lose that source of assurance in her life. He really was generous and that was what she missed about their relationship. And the sex, my god the sex. He was tireless and she hadn’t found anyone that could match his libido, even if she did not lack in men who were interested in her and what was in between her thighs.
She spun around, unable to say anything, the harshness of Justin Henderson had stung her again. She would not cry in front of him, she would not. So she took a deep breath, gave a smile that bordered on psychotic 1950s housewife and walked away.
“Do you need a car?” he asked her.
She paused and took another deep breath, her hand on the door. “No,” she replied refusing to look at him.
Justin said nothing more and watched her walk out again, the second time she had done that in the six months that they had broken up. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time he would see her. He couldn’t even talk to his mother or sisters because Jessica would get jealous over the attention he gave them.
He would continue dating others, people she probably knew, and that would cause her to spiral out of control again and act like the woman that she was and always will be. Some sadistic part of him surfaced; he had wanted to see her cry. She had given him enough stress and he thought he deserved to make her cry, no matter how childish it seemed. She had never cried in front of him. He only loved a few women in his life and that included the women in his immediate family.
He shrugged to himself and went back to his desk, knowing the day was going to be much better.
Chapter2
“And I am on my way,” Lynne told her over the phone. “Sorry, I’m running a little bit late.”
“Weren’t you supposed to borrow my dress?” Mikaela asked, laughing. “You’ve got forty minutes before your event starts.”