Page 19 of Is It Casual Now?

nineteen

Siena arrived early at the cafe.

The lunch crowd was still in full flow. The noise of muttered conversation, the clatter of ceramic dishware and flatware, mixed with the hiss and churn of the espresso machine. Taking a deep breath, Siena let the bustle of the cafe wash over her. It calmed a fluttering in her stomach that made absolutely no sense at all.

Especially considering what she planned to discuss with Jamie, outside of the interview questions, if such a conversation came up at all. The phone call with Jamie had been terse, and she had been grateful when it was over.

She tried to convince herself that showing up early was simply the professional thing to do. But her time had always been important and expensive. She rarely showed up early for anything. On time, definitely, but her work life rarely allowed her the luxury of waiting for an appointment. Especially one outside of her office.

But professionalism was the theme of the day, and that was why she’d shown up early—the only reason she’d shown up early. It had nothing to do with her needing to seat herself before she saw Jamie again or why she had to choose the table farthest from the door in the hopes of getting to watch Jamie’s sashay one more time.

No. None of that mattered. They were just perks of being a consummate professional.

She regretted that her seating meant the cafe clock taunted her, being directly in her line of sight, but she refused to get up and move again.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered to herself as she finished her first cup of coffee. It really should have been her only cup, but she still had ten minutes before she expected Jamie to show up, and she just couldn’t concentrate on the work she’d intended on doing while she waited.

After ordering a second cup of coffee and pulling out her calendar to go through next week’s meetings she needed to prepare for, her nerves settled. Siena looked up when she felt eyes roaming over her. She was halfway through her second cup and had worked out her schedule for next week within an inch of its life. Jamie smiled and gave a small nod when Siena’s eyes met her own.

Siena watched as Jamie eased her way through the cafe crowd, and for a moment, Siena forgot how to breathe.

Jamie truly was exquisite.

Her curves were perfectly wrapped with a long pants jumpsuit with a neckline that dipped down into a deep V. But it was so much more than just her clothes. The way she walked, hips swaying from side to side, radiated a confidence that Siena hadn’t dared to dream of having ten years ago.

And the sparkle in Jamie’s eyes as she drew closer told Siena that Jamie knew damn well just what effect she had on the crowd. At least this crowd of one. Plum purple had never been a color Siena had ever appreciated on anyone before. She couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone wearing it to be fair. But she wouldn’t forget it now. Her appreciation had skyrocketed .

“Damn it,” Siena muttered under her breath. Jamie wasn’t even in range to speak to yet and already she was proving to be a complete distraction.

She had definitely decided on the right course of action. Her work had suffered since the two had met. Siena had been spending less time in the office and had found herself fantasizing about all kinds of things during slow times at work. And each and every one of the fantasies starred Jamie in a leading role. Even Bunny and Piper had noticed. Siena had screwed up their contract renewal and had to run interference with that.

She’d sworn she sent Bunny a copy of it, but she hadn’t been able to find it. Not that she’d thought Bunny had even read it or the highlighted changes that Piper wanted.

“Ms. Frazee.” Jamie’s smile was wide, and as she sat in her chair, she leaned forward. There was no doubt in Siena’s mind that the full view she got of Jamie’s extensive cleavage was intentional.

“Ms. Kettlehouse.” Siena could do this. Curse her body for reacting, and her mind from flashing memories of holding those breasts in her hands and worshipping them the way they truly deserved. The only way they should be treated, with respect and awe.

But she could keep her reactions to herself, and the wetness that coated her underwear could be dealt with later.

“Thank you for meeting me. We need to get these questions sorted out today. It’s taking up too much of my time, and I’ll have to cancel the interview if we don’t come to some sort of conclusion.”

“Considering I’m not the one holding up the interview, I can’t see a problem with that.” Jamie scraped back her chair as she stood. “But right now, I need coffee and some lunch. Would you like anything?”

“What?” Siena had been shocked by the question and looked up, blinking to see Jamie as she looked down at her. Her face soft and gentle, the mask of indifference had slipped away, and all Siena saw was the woman who had picked her up in the tapas bar and tasted like the rest of the world was on fire and she was the last breath of fresh air.

“No.” Siena shook her head and looked down. What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn’t the sentimental romantic type. Not truly. And yet the thoughts in her mind made her own head spin.

“Fine. Here are my questions. I’ll be back shortly.” Jamie placed a folder on the table in front of Siena before she walked away.

Siena wanted to stop her, wanted to call out and explain she had been answering her own desire for Jamie. But that would do the exact opposite of what she needed. Instead, after watching Jamie saunter off and stand in line at the counter, she opened the folder and looked at the questions.

Damn it. They’re good.

It wasn’t going to take very long at all. The last two questions Siena had problems with were reworked and now far stronger and more worth Bunny and Piper’s time. She had made a few notes on the pages by the time Jamie returned.

“It’s a rather busy time to be meeting here,” Jamie said as she slid back into her chair. She didn’t lean forward this time, and Siena found she missed the enticing view she had been granted earlier.

“It was the time I had free to get this done.”

To get this over and done with. No matter how much she enjoyed looking at Jamie. She needed to put some distance between them, because she had to keep this as a one-night stand and nothing more.

“Funny.” Jamie smirked as she leaned back further in her chair.

“What’s funny?” Siena asked, frustrated at Jamie for still playing games. And more frustrated with herself for wanting to know what Jamie was thinking and saying.

“It’s funny how your timetable can fluctuate so quickly when it’s something you want versus something you’re annoyed with.”

Something or someone?

That was the unstated part of that sentence, wasn’t it?

Raising her eyebrow, Siena knew she shouldn’t follow this line of conversation, she knew Jamie would take it away from the reason they were here. But again, she didn’t really want the meeting to be over. Even if Jamie was the worst person she could possibly become fixated with. Her hours helping Ingrid put out fires made that abundantly clear.

“One day you have seemingly endless free time… say for an entire afternoon and evening, to do precisely what you want.” Jamie smiled, and Siena’s body betrayed her by reacting to the movement of her tongue as it darted out and licked her lips. “And you’re so suddenly busy that all you’re able to carve out for a work meeting is the busy rush of lunch and you can’t even have the decency of small talk.”

Siena opened her mouth to answer, but a waitress appeared and placed a coffee and toasted sandwich in front of Jamie. The woman left after Jamie thanked her. She lifted the coffee to her lips and took a sip.

Siena took a deep breath. It was now or never, and she needed it to be now.

No matter how she had felt with Jamie that afternoon. This wasn’t the woman for her to fixate on. Jamie leaned back in her chair, eyes on the folder that still remained on Siena’s side of the table.

“My workday can fluctuate at a moment’s notice. It’s what being a professional in the entertainment business is all about. It’s affected by the people I work for, the people who work for me, and it’s affected strongly by the media and what ridiculous things they come up with next.”

“Right.” Jamie’s tone made it obvious she understood the pointed comment all too well. “And here you are making sure I’m getting all the right lessons about being censored in the entertainment business.”

“It’s not censoring,” Siena hissed in reply. “It is protecting my clients.”

“So you do this with everyone who interviews your precious Bunny and Piper?” Jamie took one finger and ran it around the rim of her coffee mug.

“I don’t need to,” Siena snapped back. “When Bunny and Piper typically book interviews, it’s with people who have a far greater understanding of how this industry runs.”

“And that right there is the problem.” Jamie shook her head. “You and your manager friends have such a strong hold on your clients, the artists don’t even get a real say about how they want to connect to their audience.”

“Here we go again.” Siena rolled her eyes. “You love to take everything that doesn’t cater to you and turn it into some twisted conspiracy. Like I’m controlling absolutely everything that’s out there about Bunny and Piper, like I’m fabricating these people who don’t exist. But they are people.”

“Is that how you justify what you do?” Jamie scrunched her nose, but she didn’t take her gaze from Siena’s face.

“I’m not the one needing to justify my position.” Siena was trying not to get worked up, but Jamie was just so damn good at it. And she knew all the right buttons to push.

“There are far more fun positions then sitting here being scolded like a schoolgirl.” Jamie hummed, her eyes lighting up at Siena’s reaction.

Heat flashed over Siena’s cheeks and raced down her body. No doubt exactly what Jamie had intended by her words .

“Then again, maybe being spanked over my knee is exactly what you want.”

Siena ignored her. “If you’re willing to take my suggestions on these last questions, then we can schedule an interview date.” Despite Siena’s physical reaction, she had to keep her words at the very least focused on the reason they were actually there. And she had to figure out exactly how she was going to intervene during the interview when Jamie no doubt pushed the boundaries. This was definitely one that she was going to insist on being present for.

“That’s it?” Jamie’s eyes furrowed even before she looked down at the folder she now held open in her hands. “No comment at all about what position you like the best?”

“No.” Siena leaned forward.

She knew it was the right thing to do, to end anything but professionalism between them. So why did she keep balking at saying that? Why were the words thick and hard to force out of her mouth?

“No?” Jamie’s smirk wavered a little on her lips, and Siena felt sick seeing this mighty woman doubting herself. She never wanted Jamie to have self-doubt or shame over what they’d experienced together. Because it had been amazing. Siena would never deny that.

“Those…” Siena emphasized the word, “… positions you’re so keen to talk about are a conflict of interest to our jobs.”

“So now you’re going to tell me you didn’t enjoy them?”

“Of course I enjoyed it.” Siena’s mouth spoke before her mind could re-engage and shut her up.

Jamie’s smile grew wider, more satisfied.

Pushing forward, Siena continued, “Our times together have been extremely pleasurable. But had I known who you were when you first approached me, none of that would have happened. ”

“You knew who I was at my apartment. You knew who I was at the Halloween party.”

“Yes.” Siena rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. “And I enjoyed it. However…”

“However?” Jamie nudged as Siena’s silence lingered in the loud ding of customers and cutlery.

“However, as I said, it’s a conflict of interest. And I’m not going to risk or give up my career for a good fuck.”

“And you really think we can’t do both?”

“Yes.” Siena pushed her shoulders back and steeled herself. This was the right thing to do. It didn’t matter how Jamie made her feel. Not that she allowed herself to fully examine exactly how she did feel. But it didn’t matter.

She was happy with her life.

“I don’t agree.” A shadow passed over Jamie’s eyes. Those gorgeous baby blues that were so damn expressive and would no doubt be Siena’s undoing.

Siena’s own doubt reflected back at her, and while it was somewhat a relief to know that beyond the flirting, Jamie had thought about the reality of it all. She bit back a smile, because Siena had no doubt that Jamie had thought this through. She thought everything through. And Jamie wasn’t innocent or stupid, despite the sunshine that radiated from her, the confident swagger of her presence, and the brain people often didn’t see beyond it that was incredible and amazing. Most people would take her as a girl next door when they first looked at her.

But Jamie was anything but that.

And damn, Siena desperately wanted more. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wished Jamie could be the right person. The one that she’d thought Tori was. The one who wasn’t just a one—or two—night stand.

But it was impossible. There were too many things stacked against them .

“The conflict is too high, and I suggest we move forward in a solely professional manner—at least through this interview.” Siena pursed her lips, hating herself for saying those words. But there was no way she could see that they’d work out. Not right now. Not when Jamie needed her to keep her job and not while Siena kept trying to control every single thing that Jamie published about Bunny and Piper.

“And the great Ms. Frazee has spoken.” Jamie’s lips pulled up into a light sneer.

“Don’t be petulant.”

Jamie let out a guffaw as she picked up the second half of her sandwich. “Calling things how they are isn’t petulance.”

“I’m not interested in anything more.” That’s a lie! Siena’s heart screamed at her, but she shut it up quickly.

“Sorry?” Jamie asked, the sandwich returned to her plate, uneaten.

“I’m not looking for a relationship.”

“And why would you assume I am?” Jamie looked genuinely confused now.

Siena had misread this entire situation. She’d put all of her pent-up feelings and desires onto Jamie. Which was exactly what she’d done with Tori all those years ago. Fuck, she was making the same mistakes again. Siena opened her mouth and closed it again. “I suppose I did.”

“Careful, that almost sounded close to an apology.” Jamie smiled, and for a moment, the face that looked at her pulled at Siena’s heart.

She was doing the right thing. Jamie was amazing, but she wasn’t the right person for Siena.

“Apologies would imply I’m just human after all.”

“And we couldn’t have that.” Jamie chuckled.

Siena watched as Jamie scanned the notes she had made on the questions, the plate with her sandwich pushed to the side.

“All right.” Jamie looked up, and the face that had pulled at Siena’s chest had been replaced by the mask of the professional Siena had said she wanted.

“All right?” Siena asked.

“I can work with these suggestions.” Jamie nodded as she looked at the papers again and closed the folder.

“Great.” For the first time with Jamie, Siena felt a loss as an awkward silence settled between them.

“So can we set a time and date for the interview now?”

“I’ll have to talk to Piper and Bunny. I’ll send through some potential times for you this week.”

“Fine.” Jamie nodded and pushed back her chair. “Nice doing business with you, Ms. Frazee.”

“And you as well, Ms. Kettlehouse.”

Jamie walked away, that confident swagger she’d entered with vanished. Siena had done the right thing. She knew that. So why did it feel like she had just punched herself in the gut?