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their table.
"Who was that again?" she asked Jessa.
"Rita Maxwell, the owner of Jezebel."
"Oh." Faye realised why the woman looked familiar. Jezebel was a chain of stores selling
stylish accessories for women. She had seen her picture before in a magazine. In Ray's Lifestyle by
Design, in fact. She was even on the front cover because she won an award - Businesswoman of the
Year, or something. What's Ray doing here with her?
"She's one of your clients, huh?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Yes, we've written an article on her. She's also now a regular advertiser," Jessa replied. "I'm
surprised Ray took her here. He usually takes clients to a swankier place."
Victor winced. "I'm responsible for that. Ray and I have a meeting with Alison Costa to
discuss graphics and photography at one-thirty. He asked me this morning for a good restaurant that
had really fast service and since we all love this place, I suggested it. I didn't know he was taking
Rita Maxwell to lunch. I hope they enjoy it here."
"I doubt Rita would mind much where they're eating," Clarise mumbled in a low voice.
"Why do you say that?"
"She's interested in Ray."
Jessa and Victor nodded in agreement.
"Really? How do you know?" Faye was deadly curious now.
"It's pretty obvious. If you watch, you'll notice the way she flirts with him."
She did watch Rita Maxwell. Yes, she did notice the touching of his arm here, the batting of
her eyelashes there, the seductive look as she talked to him, the girly giggles when he said something.
At that moment, smart and pretty Rita had all of Ray's attention. And she didn't like it one bit.
Suddenly, she had an overwhelming desire to walk up to Ray, sit on his lap and kiss him
senseless just to remind him what it was like between the two of them. And to show Miss
Businesswoman of the Year that Ray wasn't available anymore.
She shook her head to rid herself of her wayward thoughts. Wasn't she just saying she didn't
want commitment yet? Didn't she just tell her friends that she and Ray - err, John - were still free to
see other people and were therefore not together?
"What, Faye?" Victor asked, dragging her out of her brainwork.
"Beg your pardon?"
"You were shaking your head."
"Oh." Shit. "I was just thinking that if I was Rita, I would sit on Ray's lap and kiss him
already," she said in a joking tone.
Her friends laughed.
"You think she's being too subtle, don't you?" Clarise remarked, buying her line. "Trust me.
She can be, and has been, pretty obvious about her interest in Ray. But so far, Ray hasn't taken the
bait."
"Well, Rita would be far from happy if she knew Ray couldn't have a long lunch with her
because he's seeing an old flame in an hour," Victor commented dryly.
"What do you mean?" Faye asked impassively, although she was anything but.
"Alison Costa, whom Ray and I are meeting with after lunch, used to be our main contract
photographer for the magazine. She also used to be Ray's girlfriend. After they broke up sometime last
year, she stopped working for us but now it looks like she will be back on board again."
"Really? Why?"
Victor shrugged. "I didn't question Ray about his reasons. She's an excellent photographer,
though, and great to work with. And she was much better than her replacement. I think that's why Ray
wants her back."
"Well, it's been more than a year since they broke up," Jessa quipped. "Actually, it probably
was around the time he asked you out, Faye."
"What? He meant for me to be his rebound girl?"
The three laughed.
"Come on, he did have a crush on you back then, Faye, and you know it," Clarise replied.
"Anyway, Ray doesn't exactly divulge his love life to us, so we don't know why he and Alison broke
up. But I think they're both professional enough to be able to work together again."
"Maybe he now has plans to date Rita," Jessa whispered loudly.
"Hmm, maybe you're right, Jess," Clarise said. "Although I still don't see him acting interested
in her."
"Maybe he's just not into Rita Maxwell at all," Faye said rather unkindly.
"I think you're right, Faye," Victor agreed. "Girls, don't forget Ray mentioned dating someone
named Jane a few days ago," he reminded Jessa and Clarise.
"Ah, that's right. I forgot about that," Clarise exclaimed. "In fact, I think he really likes this
Jane person. She rang him on his mobile the other day when we were in the kitchen. You should have
seen his huge smile and the way his face lit up when he was talking to her."
"There you go," Faye said with a delighted smile. "That's why he's ignoring Miss
Businesswoman of the Year. He prefers Jane."
Suddenly, Faye felt a little bit sorry for Rita. It could be totally disheartening to want someone
who didn't want you back.
What about Alison Costa? a nasty voice inside her head whispered. She decided to ignore it,
preferring to embrace the fact that Ray had split up with the photographer a long time ago.
*******
Ray tried with all his might not to keep glancing at Faye. Of all the restaurants he could have
suggested, why on earth did Victor mention this one? He silently scolded himself for not realising this
was the place Faye and her friends went to on Mondays. He just assumed they still went to the place
they frequented when he used to join them all those months ago. Obviously, they'd changed location
since then.
He knew he should have taken Rita Maxwell to a more upmarket place but the last thing he
wanted to do was for her to think he was trying to impress her. He didn't want her entertaining
thoughts that he was starting to be attracted to her. She hadn't exactly hidden her interest in him every
time they had a business meeting.
Besides, he genuinely did need to be back at the office shortly for a meeting and Victor
promised this place offered fast service, no matter how busy they got.
Rita gave him another one of her flirtatious smiles and he groaned silently. For an intelligent
woman, he couldn't understand why she still hadn't gotten the fact that he wasn't attracted to her. He
didn't know what else to do to make her accept his lack of interest, short of saying something to her.
But he didn't want to have to embarrass her by saying it out loud.
He just hoped that if Faye was watching them, she'd pick up on the fact that he wasn't returning
Rita's come-ons. He didn't want to give Faye any reason to be jealous of anyone.
He shot his secret girlfriend a quick look. She was laughing with her friends. She didn't look
bothered at all.
He relaxed slightly. Earlier on, he thought she looked surprised, even put out, to see him here
with another woman.
"I really like your watch, Ray," Rita said as she lightly touched his wrist to get a closer look
at his timepiece.
He forced his attention back to Rita. Was it his imagination or was she starting to be a little
bit bolder? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]