"No, you're right." On my dad, and on Annette. Jamie glanced up at the waitress. "I'll take a double shot of jack with a spritz of coke."
"Apple Martini for me, please." Gina turned her attention back on Jamie. "And the situation with Mark... please. That's easy to clean up and most likely just Alex having issues with his past. But the pregnant chick? Damn."
"Right? I think the worst part about all of it is that I think we were just starting to move toward being in a solid relationship." She glanced down, focusing on the straw that she rolled between her fingers. "That’s not going to happen now."
"What?”
“There is way too much baggage here.”
“Did Alex say who it was?”
“You guessed it before. Annette.”
“Fuck! She is such a skank bitch!” Gina punched the table. “Alex needs to make sure the bitch is actually pregnant with his baby.”
Jamie stared at her friend. “Why would someone make that up?” That was beyond crazy.
“To try and keep billionaire Alex Reid in her clutches!”
“I don’t think she’d lie about that.”
Gina shook her head. “Fine. Then she’s pregnant. Don't tell me that a tough girl like you is scared of kids." She reached out and squeezed Jamie's arm.
"This isn’t about me. It's about Alex." Jamie sighed. "He's trying to decide if he needs to get back with Annette and work things out. I don’t think he wants to be a dad from afar."
"What? Oh hell no. Annette is the worst thing in the world. She's a man-eater. A rich bitch with three chips on her shoulder." Gina's voice grew loud as she let her emotions fly.
"It’s not for me to decide. If Alex wants to try to make things work out with her for the sake of the kid, then what say do I really have in anything? I can’t stop a man from stepping up to the plate and being responsible." Jamie pulled the snack menu toward her, but decided against it seeing that her dinner with Nicholas was only a few hours away.
"He's making a mistake if he comes to that conclusion. Being with her would be so much worse for the kid than being raised in two households, Jamie. They did nothing but fight when they were together. I don't even think Alex has a clue of what a good, wholesome relationship looks like." She moved back as the drinks were delivered, taking hers and testing it.
It seemed to Jamie that since her and Alex had been together, all they did was argue as well. She defended him though, the fault was not all his. She was equally responsible. "He's been pissy lately due to the stuff with Mark, which isn't really stuff at all, but this thing with Annette has him over the edge. I keep trying to figure out what my part is in the drama. I want to support him and help however he'll let me, but I'm almost positive he's going to slam the door shut."
"He's a damn idiot if he does. You're the best thing that’ll ever happen to a man like him. You're his humility, his reminder to be authentic. Alex is a good man, but he has the potential to be a great man. A really great one. He just needs the right woman with him."
"I hope that's me." Jamie took a long drink of her liquor and sunk down into the idea of him turning his back on her. What would she do? Move? Quit her job?
It wasn't just a relationship that would be lost. All of it belonged to Alex, and where he would be benevolent in the event of them breaking up, she wasn't sure she would be. Making a clean break would be her only option.
Please don't let it come down to that.
"Jamie. Thanks for meeting me." Nicholas stood as she approached his table, his attire completely different from the morning. He had on a pair of Khaki slacks and a green polo shirt, which brought out the hint of green in his steely grey eyes.
"Of course. I'm appreciative of all you’re doing for the firm. Alex is as well. He sends his appreciation." She blushed as he moved behind her, pulling out her chair and helping her get seated.
"Does he?" Nicholas laughed and subsequently held up his hands. "Okay. I'll behave. I'm glad he's okay with us having dinner. He's got a great product and he needs to start looking for a partner. I'm not interested, but a couple of these financial moguls I'm golfing with next week might be. They're all multi-billionaires and incredible smart where finances and investments are concerned."
"Make sure you bring that up with him next week. I've no intention of sharing Alex's future plans today, but I'm sure he would be thrilled to work through any opportunity." She moved down to pull out a few files. "I brought some of the investor information you asked for. The rest we had to order, but I have a few packets coming overnight to your office. They should be there on Monday."