Chapter 102: Curtain Tricks

She hated being here. Hated knowing this. Hated being forced into a position where every option made her feel like a terrible friend.

Tell Tessa and potentially destroy what should have been one of the happiest periods of her life. Say nothing and risk becoming part of the lie.

Neither option sat right.

"So I came here to tell you that I am going to be watching you closely. If I find that this stupid affair continues..."

"I promise you. I promise you," Jordan repeated quickly. "The woman meant nothing to me. It was just a temporary lapse in judgement. I swear to you."

Naomi felt her stomach turn.

The woman meant nothing.

That was supposed to make it better? Betraying your wife was acceptable if the person you betrayed her with wasn’t emotionally significant.

"I don’t care about what you say. I liked you because Tessa loves you." Naomi’s voice remained calm, but the disappointment behind it was sharper than shouting. "I placed you just as high as she did. I respected you. Consider that respect in the trash." She turned toward the door. She had said what she came to say.

Now she needed to leave before Jordan somehow found another sentence beginning with I love my wife.

Her hand was almost at the door when movement caught her attention. Her eyes shifted toward the curtain and her gaze locked onto the shoe behind the curtain.

Behind the curtain, Sabrina had made a decision. She was done hiding. She had deliberately shifted just enough for one shoe to show.

If Naomi noticed, well... what a terrible little accident. Sabrina kept her face carefully blank, even though satisfaction curled beneath it.

Out in the office, Naomi’s head turned slowly back toward Jordan. Fury flashed across her face.

"Who is there?"

Jordan’s stomach dropped. "No one." He shook his head too quickly. "Naomi, there is no— Naomi!" He rushed after her.

She ignored him and marched straight toward the curtain. "Naomi!" he yelled again, reaching for her arm.

He was too slow. Naomi grabbed the curtain and yanked it back. Sabrina stood there. Not exactly looking horrified.

Naomi turned toward Jordan. "You’re still sleeping with her?!"

Jordan’s face drained. "No! Naomi! Please! Believe me! This is not— Please. Just listen to me."

Naomi snatched herself away from him. She stormed toward the door.

"Naomi!" He followed, panic climbing into his voice. She flung the office door open and walked straight out. Jordan stopped just long enough to turn back toward Sabrina. "What have you done?"

Sabrina blinked innocently. "What? I hid just like you told me to." she shrugged. "I don’t know what else you wanted." She was trying very hard to keep the smile off her face.

Unfortunately, now was not the time to argue. Naomi was leaving. And if Naomi was leaving angry, there was only one person Jordan could think of who would be getting a visit next.

His pregnant wife. "Fuck." He ran out of the office and hurried through the hotel lobby.

By the time he reached the entrance, Naomi was already outside. Jordan pushed through the doors.

He spotted her car just as it pulled away. The car turned onto the road. He spun around and rushed back inside.

Employees glanced at him as he crossed the lobby again at nearly twice the speed he had left it. Jordan grabbed his keys and hurried toward the door again.

All he could do now was pray.

Pray hard.

Pray quickly.

Pray Naomi Bennett wasn’t headed to see his wife.

The last time Jordan had raced home with the speed of the Flash, he had been extremely grateful to discover that Naomi had neither called nor visited his wife.

For over a week, he had treated that as a miracle. He was fairly certain miracles did not repeat themselves when you got caught hiding the same woman.

By the time Jordan finally caught up with Naomi, she was already getting out of her vehicle in the parking lot of Tessa’s office complex.

"Naomi!"

She slammed the car door and started walking. Jordan hurried after her.

"Naomi! I swear to God, it isn’t what you think it is."

She didn’t even turn around.

"I was trying to break things off!"

That made her stop.

"It’s been over a week! You know what?" She raised one hand. "I’m not even going to stand here and let you justify yourself."

"Naomi, please."

She turned away again. Jordan’s panic climbed. He could practically see his marriage collapsing in front of him.

"Don’t ruin us, please."

"Leave me the fuck alone!" She started toward the building again.

Then fear made him stupid.

"You tell her, I tell the world about your fake marriage."

Naomi stopped.

"You’ll never get that money."

She closed her eyes then she turned around. "I’m not even mad that Tessa told you. No." She nodded slowly. "She knows what love is, and clearly, of course, she wouldn’t want to keep anything from you. What I find particularly interesting is that you think I will choose money over her."

Jordan rubbed both hands over his face. "I was ending it."

"What’s going on?" Tessa’s voice came from behind them.

Naomi turned. Tessa stood several feet away, handbag on one shoulder, looking between the two of them with confusion written plainly across her face.

Jordan recovered first. He hurried toward her. "Nothing." He forced a smile. "I ran into her here."

The ease with which the lie came out made Naomi even angrier. Jordan reached Tessa and immediately shifted his attention toward her.

"Are you leaving for your doctor’s appointment?" he asked.

"Yes, but I thought you would be busy at work today," Tessa replied.

"I changed my mind."

Tessa looked past him toward Naomi. "Naomi?"

Naomi’s face was too tense. Her eyes were too bright.

"Are you alright?"

Naomi looked at Jordan. He gave her the smallest warning look. That did it. Every ounce of guilt, fear and indecision she had been carrying for the past two weeks snapped at once. "You know what? Fuck it."