Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
This was exactly what I’d feared. That Jax’s professional life would spill over into mine. That jealousy would wrap around my heart and squeeze until I popped.
“Cherry—” Jax growled.
“You dropped your phone, see?” She dug a cell out of her pocket and held it out to him, chewing noisily on her gum. “I tried yelling at you but you didn’t hear. Who’s this?” She looked over at me. “Is she gonna be the new girl?”
Oh. My. God.
“No,” I said, quickly. “I’m just a dance instructor. I’m Riley.”
“Cherry Vanilla,” the stripper replied, and gave me the once-over. The look one girl gave to another that weighed them from head-to-toe, measuring whether they were worth time or jealousy. Her eyes narrowed. “Riley, huh?” She flicked her gaze to Jax.
What was the weird tension in the air? Were Cherry and Jax involved?
I couldn’t picture him with her. Scratch that, I didn’t want to.
“Riley,” Jax said, and looked back at me. “I’ll meet you out at the car. I’ll handle this. Apologies for the interruption.”
“No apologies necessary. It’s business, right?” I kept my tone totally even, though I’d have killed to add in a snarky comment at the end.
Jax walked toward the stripper and took the phone from her, then gestured to the door. He didn’t touch her. He didn’t place his hand in the small of her back. He didn’t even look happy to see her. But she visibly swooned at the sight of him, and that jealous beast in my chest roared like crazy.
This was bad. It was so bad.
He had strippers, and I had nothing. Except plans. What was that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men?
I turned my back on them, grabbed my handbag, and then made for the exit. I checked that each of the studio’s doors were locked, my office included, and hurried outside into the early evening. It was balmy tonight, and Jax waited beside his car, still in conversation with the stripper.
She was in tears.
He dismissed her with a flick of his fingers.
Cherry Vanilla tottered off to a little red Mazda that matched her hair to a T, then got in and started the engine. She glared at me as she drove off.
“Ready to go get some French food? Croissants or brioche?” Jax leveled that sexy smile at me again, and I shook my head.
“No thanks. I don’t have an appetite tonight. In fact, I’m super tired. I just want to get home and sleep.”
“Fair enough.” Jax opened the car door for me.
“I’ll catch a cab,” I said. “I don’t want to put you off any plans you might have.”
“I don’t have any plans, Riley. Except for having dinner with you.”
No plans? I had too many. And none of them included him.
“Get in the car, Miss Robinson,” he said.
“No thanks. There’s a cabstand on the corner.” I cut the sentences short and walked past him, down the sidewalk and away. He didn’t call after me, thank god. I’d have turned back if he did.
Two hours later, I was in my room, changed into my comfy cotton pj shorts and shirt, with my documents in my lap. All the medical records I needed to give to my chosen doctor, to the clinic, as well as my identification, and the information I’d pulled from the internet on artificial insemination.
Fertility shouldn’t be the problem. It was just the sperm donor and the process, and damn, being able to afford to do this and to have a baby.
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, and I swallowed.
I couldn’t responsibly have a child without the money to support it.
All my plans dwindled. All my dreams.
I rose from the bed in Jax’s guest room and walked to the desk in the corner. I slid the top drawer open and placed the documents inside, on top of my journal, then shut it and choked back another wave of sadness.
Ridiculous. You’re not a little girl anymore. You want this, Riley. You want this baby so bad it’s killing you inside, so do it. Find a way and do it. Forget about Jax. Forget about everything else.
The tears came thick and fast, regardless. I’d never been the type of girl to feel sorry for herself, but I couldn’t help it now. The outlook wasn’t just dreary, it was pitch black. Nothing had gone as I’d expected, and we still hadn’t booked any extra students in our classes.
I didn’t have the cash to spend on advertising, and it was only a matter of weeks until I owed a payment on the studio. How many more days?
I’d have to divvy up my remaining two thousand dollars into different budget areas. One for the loan repayment, another for rent on a new place so I could get away from Jax and his temptation, and another for food. Maybe I’d be able to afford some form of advertising then, even if it was just printing out flyers and pasting them up all over the place.