Tell Me Everything

“I don’t want to rush into something before he knows all the facts,” I say softly. “Imagine if we’d gone back to a hotel room together, or his place… and then he found out.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, Penny. Just because he’s a celebrity. Just because he’s older than you. It doesn’t mean…”

I cringe, anger flaring inside of me. My first instinct is to snap at her to mind her own business, which is insanely unfair. She doesn’t know about the need swirling around inside me every single moment, how my thoughts stray relentlessly toward him, how it never stops.

“I know that,” I say quietly. “I do want to take things further. Last night was amazing… while it lasted. We didn’t just have fun. We talked about real stuff. I even talked about my dad. I never do that. And he told me a little about his childhood.”

I remember the dark look that came into his eyes when he spoke about his dad, but events spiraled before I had a chance to follow up.

“So what are you going to do?” Juliana asks. “Do you want another date?”

“He said we were going to have one. But that was before I dropped the V-bomb. Maybe it’s changed his mind. And that would be for the best, right? That would mean I know, at least. I mean, heck, the idea is ridiculous. Me and Preston Pack—”

“What?”

Juliana and I turn to find Lena standing there, her hands on her hips. She glares at me like her eyes are about to burst from her head and stab me.

Stalking over, she looms over our table.

“What did you just say?” she snaps.

“I…” Suddenly, my throat is dry, no words forthcoming. “It’s not…”

“It’s not what?”

She’s got me. There’s nothing I can say to that. It’s not like I can tell her the truth, that her ex-boyfriend contacted me the same day they had that exchange in the elevator.

But they were together almost ten years ago. It shouldn’t matter what Preston does now, with me.

But of course, my mind has to play devil's advocate, thinking of Lena and Preston together, their limbs intertwined, their lips fused. I’m a virgin, but Preston isn’t… he’s been with Lena, at least, and probably other women.

My heart thunders at the thought, jealousy coiling around me like a snake, gripping me hard.

“It’s not any of your business,” I snap after a long pause, my words even surprising me. “You and Preston were together a lifetime ago. Plus, it’s not your place to tell your employees who to date. You don’t get to do that.”

“How dare you,” she snaps. “Who do you think you are? You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know the sort of person Preston really is.”

I jump to my feet. My instincts flare at the idea that anybody could slander my man. Even if he isn’t really my man. Even if he hasn’t contacted me since I revealed my tenderest truth.

“What are you saying?” I hiss.

“He’s not Mr. Nice Guy. He hurt me.”

Her words hit me like a train. I can’t imagine Preston inflicting pain on a woman or anyone who doesn’t deserve it. But then I think about how he looked yesterday in the alleyway, staring down that douche, the rage marking his every twitching move.

“How?” I snap. “You can’t just say things like that.”

Lena’s expression hardens, her eyes narrowing. “It’s none of your business. But if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from him. He’s a cruel, cruel man.”

Lena spins on her heel and walks quickly away from the break room. I stare after her, blinking as tears sting my eyes and slide down my cheeks. My thoughts are traitors as they pick up speed with her words, a cynical part of me wondering what Preston did to her…

It must’ve been bad, to make her so angry after all these years.

“Are you okay?” Juliana asks.

I turn, nod and paw at my cheeks. “I’m fine. I should’ve kept my freaking mouth shut. Now I can say goodbye to this job, which means we’ll miss rent, which means we’re screwed. I’ve failed Casey.”

Juliana walks over to me, squeezing softly onto my shoulders. “You’re not losing your job because you went on a date. That’s straight-up illegal.”

“She’ll find an excuse. You know she will.”

“Then you need to work your damn butt off, Penny. That’s your only option. Make it impossible for her to fire you without revealing the true reason.”

I nod, forcing away my tears.

“What do you think she meant?” I ask.

“About Preston?” Juliana bites her lip for a moment. “I honestly don’t know. It could be anything. It could be nothing.”

“It didn’t sound like nothing.”

“No, it didn’t. But there are two sides to every story,” she says.

Juliana’s right. Maybe it’s time I got the truth out of Preston.