hunting.
“Was it something I did?” he asked. When she hesitated to answer, he went on. “Because I thought we were perfect together. I mean, we want the same things.”
Destiny lowered her gaze and asked him an important question. “Jefferson, are you in love with me?”
The lengthy silence forced her to look at him again. His Adam’s apple bobbed incessantly as he struggled for the right response.
“We’d agreed that our pairing was based on mutual respect. I mean, we complement one another—our ambitions, our lifestyles,” he finally said.
She nodded and even managed to smile. “I know that’s what we said, but that’s not enough for me anymore. I need—I deserve more than that.”
He swallowed and looked as if he still had a hard time processing everything. “When did all of this change—
yesterday or last year?”
It was a loaded question and she knew it. “I don’t know.”
“I see.” He closed his hand around the ring and slipped it into his pocket. “Well, I guess I should leave, then.”
She should say something else, but she feared it would only make matters worse.
He turned and she followed him demurely to the door. It was possibly the last time she’d see him and a sudden sense of loss engulfed her.
They exchanged awkward smiles. When she closed the door behind him, Destiny slumped against it and ignored the sting of fresh tears. Was this some kind of midlife crisis she was going through? She shook her head. That didn’t make any sense, she wasn’t in the middle of her life; she was still young and vibrant. “Oh, who am I kidding?”
She pushed away from the door and shuffled back toward the bedroom. Maybe this was early menopause; maybe tomorrow she’d wake up and realize she’d made a terrible mistake.
Her heart skipped a beat and she stopped in her tracks as a ball of anxiety rolled heavily in the pit of her stomach. Jefferson was right. Their relationship had never been based on love; it had been based on a commonality. They were both career driven and motivated.
“Dear God. What have I done?” Destiny pivoted, rushed back to the door and then jerked it open. “Jefferson!” she shouted down the hall.
He was gone.
She raced to the elevator bay and frantically stabbed the down button. If she hurried she could catch him in the lobby or at least before he left the parking deck.
An elevator arrived and she jumped in.
* * *
Seconds later, Lu Jin returned to the fourteenth floor in a different elevator. “I must have left my keys on the bed,” she mumbled under her breath. When she reached Destiny’s door, she made a quick knock, and then entered. “Hello, it’s just me.” Silence greeted her. With no sight of either Destiny or Jefferson, Lu Jin hesitated to move toward the bedroom.
She smiled. Apparently, they had patched up their differences. “Hey, Destiny, it’s me,” she called out. “I think I left my keys in your bedroom.” She waited and frowned when she didn’t receive a response.
She eased toward the bedroom. “Hey, you two lovebirds. I hate to interrupt, but I need my keys.” She knocked on the door, anticipating an awkward moment when Destiny opened it.
When no one came, she pressed her ear against the door, and then frowned when she heard no sound. She pushed it open. “Destiny?”
Nothing.
“I can’t believe she actually left and didn’t lock up.” Lu Jin moved into the room, found her keys on the edge of the bed and waltzed out. “Sometimes I swear that girl isn’t playing with a full deck,” she mumbled as she dashed out the front door, locking it behind her. “She can thank me later.”
* * *
Destiny hadn’t reached the lobby before she came to her senses, not to mention realizing that she was still in her pajamas and sporting a Scary Spice hairdo. Jefferson was gone, out of her life, and it was for the best. What she needed to do right now was get back in bed and curl up with what was left of her ice cream. After all,
“Was it something I did?” he asked. When she hesitated to answer, he went on. “Because I thought we were perfect together. I mean, we want the same things.”
Destiny lowered her gaze and asked him an important question. “Jefferson, are you in love with me?”
The lengthy silence forced her to look at him again. His Adam’s apple bobbed incessantly as he struggled for the right response.
“We’d agreed that our pairing was based on mutual respect. I mean, we complement one another—our ambitions, our lifestyles,” he finally said.
She nodded and even managed to smile. “I know that’s what we said, but that’s not enough for me anymore. I need—I deserve more than that.”
He swallowed and looked as if he still had a hard time processing everything. “When did all of this change—
yesterday or last year?”
It was a loaded question and she knew it. “I don’t know.”
“I see.” He closed his hand around the ring and slipped it into his pocket. “Well, I guess I should leave, then.”
She should say something else, but she feared it would only make matters worse.
He turned and she followed him demurely to the door. It was possibly the last time she’d see him and a sudden sense of loss engulfed her.
They exchanged awkward smiles. When she closed the door behind him, Destiny slumped against it and ignored the sting of fresh tears. Was this some kind of midlife crisis she was going through? She shook her head. That didn’t make any sense, she wasn’t in the middle of her life; she was still young and vibrant. “Oh, who am I kidding?”
She pushed away from the door and shuffled back toward the bedroom. Maybe this was early menopause; maybe tomorrow she’d wake up and realize she’d made a terrible mistake.
Her heart skipped a beat and she stopped in her tracks as a ball of anxiety rolled heavily in the pit of her stomach. Jefferson was right. Their relationship had never been based on love; it had been based on a commonality. They were both career driven and motivated.
“Dear God. What have I done?” Destiny pivoted, rushed back to the door and then jerked it open. “Jefferson!” she shouted down the hall.
He was gone.
She raced to the elevator bay and frantically stabbed the down button. If she hurried she could catch him in the lobby or at least before he left the parking deck.
An elevator arrived and she jumped in.
* * *
Seconds later, Lu Jin returned to the fourteenth floor in a different elevator. “I must have left my keys on the bed,” she mumbled under her breath. When she reached Destiny’s door, she made a quick knock, and then entered. “Hello, it’s just me.” Silence greeted her. With no sight of either Destiny or Jefferson, Lu Jin hesitated to move toward the bedroom.
She smiled. Apparently, they had patched up their differences. “Hey, Destiny, it’s me,” she called out. “I think I left my keys in your bedroom.” She waited and frowned when she didn’t receive a response.
She eased toward the bedroom. “Hey, you two lovebirds. I hate to interrupt, but I need my keys.” She knocked on the door, anticipating an awkward moment when Destiny opened it.
When no one came, she pressed her ear against the door, and then frowned when she heard no sound. She pushed it open. “Destiny?”
Nothing.
“I can’t believe she actually left and didn’t lock up.” Lu Jin moved into the room, found her keys on the edge of the bed and waltzed out. “Sometimes I swear that girl isn’t playing with a full deck,” she mumbled as she dashed out the front door, locking it behind her. “She can thank me later.”
* * *
Destiny hadn’t reached the lobby before she came to her senses, not to mention realizing that she was still in her pajamas and sporting a Scary Spice hairdo. Jefferson was gone, out of her life, and it was for the best. What she needed to do right now was get back in bed and curl up with what was left of her ice cream. After all,
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