Tease (Dark Odyssey Club Fantasies 3)

Jia

“I’m so mad,” I scuff.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I practically throw myself down on the sofa.

Rachel and Giselle both exchange glances as they sit on the double seater opposite me.

Once again, I feel like the shitty friend for putting a damper on the evening. We’re at Rachel’s house. She and her husband, Dante, invited us for dinner.

Giselle is here with her husband, Josh, and I’m here by my lonesome as the fifth wheel who’s harping on about her tales of woe, starring Paul Conway.

Thank God Dante and Josh left us girls to talk. They probably preempted I’d be coming with shit so arranged the evening so they’d be out back doing whatever guy stuff they do, and it would take up the rest of the time.

“Jia, please don’t hate me, but this might not be such a bad thing,” Rachel says with a nod as she shuffles to get comfortable on the sofa. She’s six months pregnant and looks like she’s gotten a lot bigger than just last week.

“I agree,” Giselle chimes in. “You just have to talk to him about what you’re going to do with the building.”

“I know,” I answer. I know I have to do that. What I don’t want is the disagreement that will come after. “He’s not going to want to keep the building as a spa. I know him. He’s like Dad. He’ll want to sell it or change it into something he thinks will be more lucrative.”

“Okay, let’s say he does, which he might… that’s not bad either,” Rachel points out. “You still get money either way, and you can still follow through with your plans for a day spa.”

I straighten up and focus on the thing I’m holding on to. It’s the building. When I saw it, I knew it was the place. It felt like mine.

“You know when you have your heart set on something?” I begin, and they both nod. “That’s how I feel about the building.”

I didn’t even know Dad owned it until I checked it out. It wasn’t that much of a surprise, though, because he buys up a lot of old buildings and sells them on. To his credit, when I first approached him, he mentioned Paul’s interest in the property, but that was all he said. It was just a mention and nothing more, and when I spoke of renting the building, he acted like he was seriously considering my proposal. That’s why I was shocked to shit when I overheard him talking about giving it to Paul.

“Well, maybe Paul might see the potential of a day spa,” Giselle offers with a little shrug. “Maybe he’ll want to make peace with you and agree to a business venture that would be profitable. I think a day spa near the city center would bring in some serious cash.”

“It will. I believe it will too. I wanted it to be my thing though. I don’t want to work with him in any way and have more contact than I need to.”

It was Rachel I spilled the beans to first about my relationship with Paul. Then I ended up telling Giselle when the worry of what was going to happen with the building started to make me crazy.

I was never going to mention it to anyone. I never planned to because there’s another part of the pain I went through when Paul broke up with me that no one knows except me.

Giselle moves over to sit next to me. “Jia, listen to me… This is the situation now, so if you want that building, you’re going to have to find some compromise, but at the same time you might have to accept that it might not happen. The focus is the spa. That’s what you want to do. That part isn’t going to change. Don’t allow past emotions to get in the way of getting what you want.”

It’s good advice. I nod. “Okay, you’re right. I’m just being a big wuss.” They’d understand more if I told them the whole story. Focusing on the goal does help though.

I avoided Paul today, but I’m gonna have to talk to him at some point.

As difficult as it will be, it’s in my best interest to know where I stand.

* * *

The opportunity to talk presents itself much sooner than I expected when I pull up on my drive and see him sitting on the porch waiting for me.

I stifle a groan and grip the steering wheel hard.

It’s nearly ten. No one else would visit at this hour, but he thinks he should.

I get out of the car and make my way up to the porch.

He rises to his feet and smiles at me like we’re old friends getting together for a chat.

“What are you doing here at this hour?” I ask.

“Hello to you too, Jia,” he answers and tips his head to the side. “Since you avoided me all day, I figured this was my last resort.”