Page 35 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)

FITZ

I managed to grab the only table with two chairs for Lauren and me to eat our lunch at, hoping it would keep anyone from interrupting us. I’ll take any chance I can get to try and show her I’m not the villain she’s thought me to be for the last few months.

“So are we going to this mixer tonight?” she asks, taking a bite from her chicken wrap. I notice the bit of ranch on her cheek and quickly grab a napkin to dab it away.

“I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I didn’t show up, so yes. We will go, but we don’t have to stay long.”

She shrugs. “I don’t mind.” I watch as she rolls her ankle around beneath the table and wonder how the hell she works every single day in heels that tall. “The last one the firm threw was pretty fun—what I remember of it at least.” My eyes bounce up to hers and she smirks at me.

“I’m not sure I trust your judgment of fun, given just how little of it you remember.” I raise a brow at her, fully expecting an eye roll or glare, but she looks back at me with a twinge of guilt in her eyes.

“I hate that, you know?” She looks around the room and takes a sip of her Diet Coke, setting it back on the table before her eyes meet mine again.

“Not remembering. Any time I think about it I catch myself wishing I could pull a clear memory from that night.” My stomach knots in anticipation.

I never would have guessed that she willingly thinks of that night at all.

Outside of all the times I’ve blatantly reminded her of it.

“I—”

“Fitz!” The styrofoam noise of a voice rings out to my left and I look up to see Jessica Vanderbilt walking up to our table.

That’s it. After today I’m taking Lauren home, locking the door behind us, and silencing our phones so people will stop fucking interrupting us.

I shoot a regretful look Lauren’s way and her brow raises. “Jessica, how are you?” I look up at her but don’t stand, trying to set a boundary that she clearly cannot see. She bends down, breasts practically spilling out of her top as she kisses my cheek, resting her hand on my shoulder.

“I’d be better if I hadn’t spent most of my morning looking for you .” I look at Lauren who is watching in amusement as this whole interaction unfolds. “Who’s this?” Jessica turns to Lauren but Lauren’s eyes are still on me, waiting for me to answer.

“This is Lauren. My girlfriend.”

Jessica’s face immediately turns sour. “ Girlfriend? ”

Lauren reaches her hand out to Jessica with a soft smile on her lips. “Pleasure to meet you.” Jessica returns the gesture with a snarky smile and turns to face me.

“Well, how awkward for her.” Jessica winks at me, then disappears before I can ask what the hell she means by that.

“Friend of yours?” Lauren asks, grabbing her drink from the table.

“Hardly.” I look around the room, expecting to see my dad in the corner somewhere lurking to see how I would handle having Jessica approach us.

“I don’t know, she seemed awfully friendly.” She still has that amused look on her face and it hits me, she wasn’t even a little bit bothered by what just happened. I would have thrown a guy out the window if he’d come up to Lauren acting that way.

“You think this is funny?”

She shrugs and cracks a smile. “I mean…come on. She might as well have sat in your lap and flipped me off. It was a little comical.”

“Unbelievable.” I shake my head.

“So who was that? She looked familiar but I was too blinded by your obvious frustration to look closer.” She picks her wrap back up, taking another bite as I answer.

“Jessica Vanderbilt.” Her mouth pops open, partially chewed chicken wrap on full display.

“The model and hotel empire heiress, Jessica Vanderbilt?”

“I’m amazed I understood any of that, but yes.

” She finishes chewing, washing it down with a drink before sitting back in her chair.

“She is also the person my father has invited on behalf to every single event we’ve hosted the last few months.

” She blinks an unnatural amount of times after hearing that. “You okay there, Sweetheart?”

“Shut up for a second.” She processes a little longer and her expression changes.

“So you mean to tell me the girl you were supposed to bring as your date, or actually date, or whatever the plan was, is a girl meant to inherit an entire chain of hotels. Meanwhile, you’re supposed to inherit the largest real estate company, not only in New York but across the country?

And you thought dating me would cause your parents to let go of that dream? ”

“I thought if they saw me making the decision to settle down for myself; if they saw me running my life the way they think I should, but with someone I chose, they would trust that I’m capable of running a company.”

She stares at me blankly then abruptly pushes away from the table.

“Excuse me.” She’s up and heading down the hall before I can even try to stop her.

The last thing I need is to cause a spectacle with my fake girlfriend at the first event we attend together, so I let her go.

My father would have a field day if that were to happen, and I am sure I would never hear the end of it.

I stand up, slowly following the direction she went in, but she’s nowhere to be found.

How does she move so fast in those shoes?

I check my watch and see that the panel I’m on is starting in ten minutes. She was supposed to be front row for that, same as before, but I’m not so sure that will be happening.

“Lose her already?” My teeth grind together when I hear Jessica’s voice.

“No.” I turn to face her and place my hands on my hips.

She lets out a breathy sigh, taking a step closer and dusting the shoulders of my sports coat.

“Some girls just can’t handle a challenge, Fitz.

You need someone a little tougher than that by your side.

Let’s face it, you’re going to have women fawning all over you for the rest of your life.

You’re smart, sexy, and super successful. I can handle that. But can she?”

“Well, I’m handling you pawing at him when he just told you he was taken, so I think we’ll be just fine.” Lauren slides her hand in mine and wraps her other one around my forearm, making my body immediately relax. Jessica’s eyes watch it happen and she scoffs.

“Being jealous and being able to actually handle women throwing themselves at him are two completely different things.” Lauren takes a step closer to her, with a lethal smile on her face.

“Believe me, I’m not jealous. If Fitz decides he wants to partake in activities with the desperate women throwing themselves at him, then by all means, they can have him.

Jealousy isn’t an issue when you have trust.” Jessica frowns when her eyes meet mine.

“Now, I believe we have a panel to get to, if you’ll excuse us. ”

I clear my throat, trying to compose myself after watching Lauren put Jessica in her place like that.

“You ready?” She nods and we leave, not bothering to say anything else to Jessica.

If she wants to play dirty, then so be it.

Only I don’t think she’s going to like the way we play the game.

Because I have a new partner, and we play very well together.

I thought Lauren might be ready to call it a day before the mixer even started, but she has eased into the night flawlessly.

She’s smiling and talking to associates and attendees alike, every one of them seemingly captivated by every single thing she says.

I get it, I am too. Which is exactly why I want to throw her over my shoulder and take her home.

I already find myself wanting to be greedy with her and I’m not even sorry.

I never have been one to share well. I blame it on only-child syndrome.

“Chapman, Henderson, how are you both doing tonight?” I ask, inserting myself into their conversation.

“I think we can agree our night is going pretty well.” Jefferey Chapman, the absolute scum of New York gives Nico Henderson a suggestive look that has my blood absolutely boiling.

“That is fantastic news. I’m afraid I need to steal my girl away though.

” The frown on both of their faces tells me everything I need to know about why their night was going so well.

“We didn’t know this was your girl, Fitz,” Nico pipes up, and I get the unfamiliar urge to punch him in his smug face.

“Now you do.” I smile, holding out an arm to guide Lauren in the opposite direction.

“Nice talking to you both.” She gives them a smile bigger than any I’ve ever had directed at me, which only pisses me off further. I place my hand on the small of her back and we make our way through the room.

“What the hell was that?” I growl under my breath.

“Um. Talking?” she states as though it should have been obvious.

“Looked a lot like flirting to me.” She stops dead in her tracks and I turn to face her.

“You better be talking about their end of the conversation and not mine.” She looks as angry as I am now.

“I don’t know. Am I?”

She scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. “What do you want from me Fitz? I’m here, aren’t I? I’m playing the girlfriend. I’m marketing for your company, I’m stepping in when a boundary-blind model starts pawing at you, and you’re mad at me ? For what?!”

I can’t tell her. She would laugh in my face. Or think I’m crazy. Or both.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I may have overreacted.”

“May have?” She looks at me with that are you kidding me stare and I grind my teeth.

Running my hand through my hair, I step closer to her, my voice low. “I overreacted, okay? Are you happy?”

Her face hardens. “No.” She turns and walks away, leaving me feeling completely clueless as to how I’m going to fix this. I’m about to go after her and fumble my way through an apology when my father appears beside me.

“I need to speak to you, privately.”

“Now isn’t a good time.” His hand shoots out to stop me when I start to walk away.

“It wasn’t a request.” He nods to a room off the main ballroom and we head that way. When the door latches behind us I feel a cold chill shoot down my spine. “What the hell did you say to Jessica tonight?”

“You invited her, didn’t you?” He puffs his chest, and it’s all the answer I need.

“I told you, twice , that I was bringing someone this weekend. Not just anyone, my girlfriend. Someone I’m actually serious with.

Did you honestly think I would just leave Lauren behind and run off to escort Jessica instead? ”

“You and I both know you’ve never been serious about anyone. I don’t see this ending any differently than the string of women you’ve fooled around with in the past.” The look of disgust on his face has my blood boiling. “She’s got nothing to offer you, son.” I bare my teeth, trying to remain calm.

“And how would you even know that?”

“I ran into her in the hallway earlier while you were speaking with Jessica, the woman you should be here with.” I close my eyes to keep from rolling them.

“I asked her about herself and she told me what she does. She’s a sales agent…

That’s it! She didn’t say much about her parents, got all smiley when she mentioned that all she does in her extra time is hang out with her friends,” he practically spits out the words, a humorless laugh following.

“She’s probably just some gold-digger that will distract you from your work and spend all your money. ”

“She might have just been nervous to talk to you after the way you spoke to her earlier.”

“Well, then you need to find a woman with a backbone, Fitz! You’ll see soon enough; she’s all wrong for you.”

“That’s your opinion.” He gives me a bored look and I fight the urge to shove everything he’s ever given me back in his face. “You don’t even know her. You have no idea what she has to offer me.”

“I know it won’t be enough,” he says confidently.

“You’re never going to accept the choices I make for myself, are you?”

“Maybe when you start making the right ones. Which better be soon, you’re getting promoted in two months. Time to get your shit together, Fitz.” I nod, watching the man I am supposed to look up to most tell me I’m still not good enough.

“You may not let me make many of my own, but Lauren is my choice. Like it or not, she’s not going anywhere. Not if I have anything to say about it.” I walk out of the room and slam the door behind me. Worrying that after the way we left things, I may not have a say in it anymore.