Page 28 of Lesbian CEO

“I can see how it would get to you. There were a lot of people and a lot of questions. Plus, we were out in the heat all day. Do you come to a lot of these?”

“As many as I can,” I admit. “Ever since I adopted Max, I’ve been trying to find ways to give back to the community. He helped me through a really hard time.” I pause, suddenly embarrassed that I’ve revealed more about myself than I planned on revealing. Jessica doesn’t need to know that our breakup was so hard on me. She doesn’t need to know that I was in pain after she left or that I’m sorry for pushing her away.

I don’t want her to know – at least not yet – that I’m aware that my behavior was atrocious. I should have just reached out to her after my mom and dad died. I should have tried harder. I didn’t. I let her down. I blamed her for a long time for not fighting harder for me, but the truth is that I pushed her away and she respected that enough to stay away. Maybe I should be thanking her. At the very least, she gave me room to grieve on my own.

“I’m glad he was there for you,” she says gently. Relief washes over me. She’s not calling me out even though she totally could right now. I’d deserve it, I know.

“He was. I know people always say this about dogs – cats, too – but having someone waiting for me when I get home who isn’t going to judge me or ask too many questions is just really, really nice.”

“I’m happy for you,” she admits.

And I believe her.

That’s the problem with Jessica. I don’t think she’s as deceptive as I want to believe she is. I know that Mark is convinced she’s going to try to take over my company or force me to sell somehow. Obviously, other people in the world feel the same way, but I don’t believe that. Not really. Not anymore. The fact that she was so willing to meet with Piper and me says a lot, I think. More importantly, it means a lot.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Any pets?”

“None at all. Unless you can count my assistant, Patrick.”

I laugh. “I don’t think assistants can reasonably count as pets.”

“He’s awesome, though,” she tells me. “I can’t thank him enough for sending us to Piper.”

“Me too,” I agree. I think we’re really lucky to have found her. Without her guidance, I wouldn’t have known what to say or what to do after the media picked up that random Tweet. “I still want to know who started that rumor, though.” It’s so strange. I can see how there could be people who think Jessica’s purchase of her company was strange, but I’m not sure who would make the link between us. Jessica hasn’t gone crazy buying up little companies. Yes, Northington Tech has acquired other brands, but it’s not a regular thing. She’s hardly the shark Mark accused her of being.

“The Tweet that started it all.” Jessica rolls her eyes. “It’s annoying, isn’t it?”

“That’s one word.”

“Unprofessional.”

“There’s another.”

We smile at each other as we lean against the tree. It’s still kind of hard to believe that we just spent an entire morning and the first part of the afternoon together. We did it without fighting or bickering or breaking down. I don’t want to get my hopes up that Jessica and I can pick up where we left off, but it’s starting to feel like maybe we can.

Would it be crazy to think that maybe there’s still a spark between us?

I think about her all of the time. I know that she’s single right now. I am, too. Does she ever think of me? Does she miss me? She’s looking at me right now like she misses me, at least a little bit.

At least sometimes.

“Are you excited about tonight?” I ask, breaking the silence between us. It feels strange to speak, but far too intimate to stay silent.

“More than I thought I’d be.” She smiles at me like she’s got a secret. What’s going through that pretty head of hers?

I don’t get to wonder, though, because we’re interrupted.

“Hey, a little help, please!” We both turn to see one of the shelter employees, Anya, trying to fold down the portable fencing we used for the dog pen. She’s obviously struggling to break it all down. Before I can even move, Jessica leaps up and scurries over, anxious to help.

And that’s the kind of person she is, I realize.

The media gets her wrong, but I do, too. She spent the whole day here helping and even though I didn’t see a single reporter show up to provide proof that the two of us are friends and not enemies, she stayed. She could have taken off at any point, but she didn’t.

She wanted to be here, and she was here.