Page 34

Reddington

“You might want to take those out. We’re almost at the table.”

We were a few feet away from the long, farm-style table on the balcony of the hotel for the farewell brunch, but Jade still had earbuds in. She’d had them in since I’d opened my eyes this morning.

The most I’d gotten from her was a measly morning greeting.

She took them out and turned to put them in her purse.

“I told you. I have some podcasts Maria asked me to listen to,” she said with a wad of gum in her mouth that I sincerely hoped she planned on getting rid of before we sat down.

“They’re about the latest trend predictions based on market research. ”

“I know you told me.” The last time I’d brought it up. If only she could take those things out and tune into the world around her.

She nodded and finally swallowed her gum. Thankfully. “Then you should know that just because I’m on this trip with you doesn’t mean I’m putting your career over mine.”

What I heard— just because we slept together doesn’t mean this is going anywhere besides back to the way things were before this fake shit started. Oh, and I’m still going to pretend nothing at all happened last night .

“I respect that, but I don’t want Sherrilyn or Mark getting the wrong idea.” That was the last thing I needed.

“You mean that there’s trouble in paradise?” she asked as if challenging me.

I didn’t answer. There was no use. I didn’t really know what to say to her. She was clearly in her head about us sleeping together, and I doubted very much there was anything I could do or say to change that.

Then she surprised me by bringing up the whole moving in together thing. “How do you want to handle moving in together? If it’s too difficult, maybe we should hit pause on that. It probably doesn’t matter—”

“It does. It’s not too difficult. In fact, I already have it figured out.”

“Oh,” she breathed and looked down at her feet. “When we’re back home—”

I shook my head. “It’s been arranged. My people are working on it right now. It’ll be done by the time we get home.”

“ Your people? ” she asked, her attitude fully raging again. “Don’t you think I kind of, you know, need to move my own stuff?”

I’d seen the way Jade operated. I think it was safe to say she had no clue how to pack. “No. They know what they’re doing.”

“What the—”

“Red. Jade,” Mark greeted us first as we approached the table, giving me a clap on the back and her a chaste kiss on the cheek as he did.

I wasn’t a huge fan of that, and had it been anyone but Mark, he wouldn’t be walking back to his chair, he’d be fucking limping.

“Have a seat. The food should be out soon. It’s family-style today. ”

“Thanks,” I said, pulling a chair out for Jade, then taking my own seat next to her.

A few of the guys I’d been introduced to were already seated with their wives and girlfriends, and knowing how Jade wasn’t in the chatty mood with me, I turned to get into conversation with one of them.

Meanwhile, I wasn’t deaf, so I found it ironic how she had no problem talking it up with some of the women on her other side.

I supposed I should’ve been glad that she could turn it on and off like that. This was the home stretch, and we were so close to not raising any red flags this weekend.