“What the hell did he want?” She snatched the phone, but Lexi immediately grabbed it back and slipped it into her purse.
“I have no idea. He never left a message. I’ll find out when I get there.” Lexi pushed herself up from the table and slipped the strap of her purse up and over her arm. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.” Hope followed her to the door and walked across the hall to her place. “Oh, and no making out in the elevator over there at Hunter. Tell Vincent to keep his lips to himself.” She snickered as she disappeared into her apartment.
“It’s not funny, Hope!” Lexi yelled at the closed door. She had to smile when she heard her friend’s muffled voice from behind the door.
“Yes it is!” The door opened a crack, revealing a smiling Hope. “You can either laugh or cry. You did all your crying yesterday. It’s time to move on to laughing. Go to work and call me when you get home.”
Lexi took a deep breath as she stepped into the elevator at the Barrington Building. The muffin she had eaten on her way into work was not sitting well. When the door opened and she finally saw Leigh’s smiling face, she felt better.
“Lexi! How are you feeling?” Leigh came around her desk to give her a hug. “Was it the flu or something? We missed you yesterday.”
“Thanks, I’m fine,” Lexi said softly as she avoided Leigh’s question and glanced over at the desk. “Does he have any messages this morning?”
Leigh made a face and shook her head. “Actually, he already got them. He came in early today, and I should warn you, he’s on the war path.”
“Fantastic.” Lexi’s shoulders slumped. “I better go see what crawled up his behind today.”
“Oh, that’s easy. Jade’s with him.”
Lexi froze in middle of the hall, now really wishing he had either left her a message or that she had picked up the phone when he had called. For all she knew, she could be walking into a hornet’s nest. “Jade’s back?” She tried to sound casual, but her pale complexion gave away her shock.
“Yeah, her broomstick landed early this morning. He must have picked her up at the airport and brought her here.”
“Wonderful. Well, off to my execution. It was nice knowing you, Leigh.”
“Wait. Something’s up. What’s going on with you and Jade?” Leigh eyed her suspiciously and waited, but when Lexi didn’t answer, she continued.
“Well, whatever it is, I got my money on you.” She winked at Lexi, making her smile. “I suggest a long flight of stairs with alligators waiting at the bottom. Just give her a little push. Oh, and make sure you get a good shot in for me, preferably in the face.”
“You’re so bad,” Lexi laughed as she walked down the hall, feeling much better than she had a few minutes ago.
“If you need your fists wrapped, I’m your corner girl!” Leigh called after her.
“I’m surrounded by crazy women.” Lexi laughed to herself as she rounded the corner, but what she found at her desk made her hiss. “Speaking of which …”
“Well, well, well, look who it is. Come here to moon over my boyfriend some more?”
Jade’s feet were propped up on the desk as she flipped through a stack of folders. She didn’t even flinch when Lexi stalked over and tugged the file out of her hand.
“Good morning, Jade. How was your trip?” Lexi tried to be polite, but was unable to unclench her jaw to speak to the woman.
“You didn’t answer my question. Here to ogle Vincent?” Jade sneered.
Screw polite, Lexi thought. She just wanted her to go away. “Actually, I came here to work, Jade. That’s what most people do. We can’t all be jetsetting supermodels.” She waved her hand at the desk. “Do you mind?”
Jade rolled her eyes and swung her legs off the desk, but stayed in Lexi’s chair, her arms folded tightly across her surgically-enhanced chest. “As a matter of fact, I do.” She placed her hands flat on Lexi’s desk, her posture letting Lexi know things were about to get ugly. Her voice had a steel edge to it. “Let me tell you something. Vincent will never want you, so give it up. You can chase him all you want. I don’t even care. Just remember, I’m the one he comes home to, it’s my body he touches at night, and it’s my name he calls out when we’re making love, so don’t think for one single second that he’s even going to notice you exist, Lexi. You’re insignificant, at best.”
Remaining stoic, Lexi took Jade’s insults in stride, feeling in a way that she deserved them. She did harbor romantic feelings for Vincent when he was already in a relationship, and she did kiss another woman’s boyfriend, even if that woman was the wretched Jade. Both of those sins alone made her deserving of this tongue lashing and more. She stood by and let Jade seethe in the chair a moment longer before attempting to respond.
“I’m not after Vincent.” Her voice was strong and steady.
Jade snorted in disbelief at Lexi’s blatant lie. She stood up and perched herself on the edge of the desk, looking down her nose at Lexi. “Yes, you are. Don’t lie to me and don’t play games. Much better women than you have thrown themselves at him, and he hasn’t given them a second glance.
You don’t stand a chance.”
Something inside Lexi snapped. “If I really don’t stand a chance, then why all the posturing, Jade? You must be feeling at least a little threatened to be reading me the riot act like this.” Lexi’s calmness seemed to infuriate Jade even more.
She pushed off the desk and stood toe-to-toe with Lexi. “Just to be clear, I told Vincent everything that happened with Stone, and he’s not happy with the way things were handled. Not happy at all. And don’t think I’ve forgotten a single word that you said.”
“Well, neither have I. What exactly were you doing calling Julian? Do you often call Vincent’s clients trying to get a job? I thought people were knocking down your door trying to get you to model for them.”
“You need to stop talking now.” Jade’s eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at Lexi. “Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me this way?”
Lexi glanced at Vincent’s closed door, a flicker of self-doubt washing over her. She could hear him talking in a raised voice. Jade just snickered as his voice grew louder.
“Are you insane?” Vincent shouted. “No, that’s not acceptable. She’s been here a few weeks and you think she’s ready for that? Absolutely not. i won’t allow it.”