Page 53 of One Bad Idea

"The thing you ordered. Chicken salad. It's a sandwich."

I shook my head. "No."

He nodded. "Yeah, comes on a croissant."

Heat flooded my face. "Oh." Coming from Nashville, I was well versed in the uses of chicken salad. And yet, I hadn't even thought to ask – or check the menu, for that matter.

I was definitely off my game. Of course, it didn't help that the whole "blowjob under the desk" thing was still hanging out there, like undies on a clothes line.

As I mentally reeled them back in, I waffled between demanding to know what he meant by "extras" or praying that he'd just drop the matter entirely.

My gaze shifted to the tattered remnants of my job description.What on Earth had he meant?

I was still staring at the torn pieces of paper when he said, "And just for the record, that's not the way I work."

I looked up. "Sorry, what?"

"Extras," he said. "And the thing with the desk." His expression grew serious. "That's not in the description, written or otherwise."

"Oh."I was saying that a lot lately, wasn't I?But he made me feel so stupidly tongue-tied.

"And," he continued, "if anyone gives you that kind of trouble, you tell me. I'll handle it."

I looked at him for a long moment, waiting for the punchline.

None came.

In fact, he looked deadly serious.

Before I could stop myself, I'd already said, "You mean like you handled Stuart?"

"Him?" Jaden scoffed. "No. The guy's a douche."

Yes. He was.But I so didn't want to admit it. "Well, we're broken up now, so…" I didn't bother finishing the sentence.

Jaden gave me a penetrating look. "Doesheknow that?"

"Sorry, what?"

"Stuart – does he know you're broken up?"

What kind of question was that?"Of course he knows."

Again, Jaden leaned back in his seat. "Uh-huh."

What did that mean?

I said, "Why do you ask?"

"It seems to me, he forgot."

"Forgot what? That we're not together?"

"Yeah. That."

This whole conversation had gone way off-track. Really, this was none of his business, and I was tempted to tell him so. But I didn't, because it was a topic that I'd been hoping to bring up myself.

I shifted nervously in my seat.No time like the present, right?