Read Online Anything But Mine by Barbara Justice - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Justice
Ads: Link
and said, “Well, you picked an odd line of work to go into, didn’t you?”
After a beat, Jen joined him in his laughter, helping break the tension. “I really never thought of it that way. It’s just that I’m a little shy, I guess. Social anxiety is what my parents call it. But when it comes to work, it feels like more of a performance, like it isn’t really me out there. Being a model is just what I do, it’s not who I am. I like to think of it that way, anyway. It makes it much easier.”
While they ate their dessert, Vince asked, “So, how did you deal with the overnight fame? Was it hard to remain grounded when you became a celebrity so quickly?”
Jen thought about his questions for a moment, before explaining, “I really don’t think of myself as a celebrity, Vince. I just go to work, and do my job. Like I said before, being a model is what I do for a living, it’s not who I am. I’m a little shy, and maybe even a little anxious, in social situations. I never set out to become famous, it just happened to me. I’m pretty much a ‘homebody’, and I’m very close to my parents, my family, and my small circle of good friends. It’s important to me that I remain true to the person I’ve always been.”
So she really is shy, Vince thought. That’s interesting, and refreshing, after all the gold diggers I’ve dated in the past. She’s the real deal. He touched his napkin to his lips to buy a moment of time, before asking, “So why did you agree to be auctioned off for a date? That had to be terribly uncomfortable for you.”
“It was – it was enormously uncomfortable,” she replied, before explaining the deal she had made to make personal appearances in exchange for securing a job for Chris.
“Was that the guy you were with at the charity auction? The one who would have won the date with you if I hadn’t bid on you?” The tall, handsome guy who held your hand and never took his eyes off of you, Vince remembered.
“No, that was my friend Drew. Chris was there, though. He was one of the other guys who bid on me.”
“Why was it so important to you that they hire Chris? I don’t get it.”
Jen sighed. “At the time I agreed to be auctioned off, Chris was my boyfriend. He and I were living together back then, and I wanted to help him. We had broken up by the time of the fundraising auction, but I had already made a commitment to the charity and didn’t want to break that commitment.”
“You’re a good person, Jennifer. It couldn’t have been an easy night for you.” He paused and watched as Jen nodded, before asking, “Why did you and Chris break up?”
“I came home from a photo shoot in Europe, and found him in my bed with another woman.”
Vince was unable to hide his shock, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “I can’t imagine anyone doing that to you,” he said. “So what about the other guy, the one you were with the night of the auction?” The one you were holding hands with, the one who had his arm around you.
“That was Drew.”
Vince sat back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest, thinking back to the night of the charity auction. “Boyfriend?”
How do I explain this without going into too much detail? “He was a college classmate of mine, and a good friend. He’s since moved back home to California.”
He assessed her answer, trying to determine whether she was being truthful with him. But I watched him kiss you, and I saw the way he looked at you. It didn’t look like he was just your friend. “Any other boyfriends?”
“No, I never really dated much,” Jen said, causing Vince to raise his eyebrows in surprise once again. “I’ve only had two serious relationships in my life. I met my first boyfriend, Taylor, when I went away to college, and he broke up with me when I decided finish school in New York. And then, well, you just heard about Chris.” Changing the subject to
After a beat, Jen joined him in his laughter, helping break the tension. “I really never thought of it that way. It’s just that I’m a little shy, I guess. Social anxiety is what my parents call it. But when it comes to work, it feels like more of a performance, like it isn’t really me out there. Being a model is just what I do, it’s not who I am. I like to think of it that way, anyway. It makes it much easier.”
While they ate their dessert, Vince asked, “So, how did you deal with the overnight fame? Was it hard to remain grounded when you became a celebrity so quickly?”
Jen thought about his questions for a moment, before explaining, “I really don’t think of myself as a celebrity, Vince. I just go to work, and do my job. Like I said before, being a model is what I do for a living, it’s not who I am. I’m a little shy, and maybe even a little anxious, in social situations. I never set out to become famous, it just happened to me. I’m pretty much a ‘homebody’, and I’m very close to my parents, my family, and my small circle of good friends. It’s important to me that I remain true to the person I’ve always been.”
So she really is shy, Vince thought. That’s interesting, and refreshing, after all the gold diggers I’ve dated in the past. She’s the real deal. He touched his napkin to his lips to buy a moment of time, before asking, “So why did you agree to be auctioned off for a date? That had to be terribly uncomfortable for you.”
“It was – it was enormously uncomfortable,” she replied, before explaining the deal she had made to make personal appearances in exchange for securing a job for Chris.
“Was that the guy you were with at the charity auction? The one who would have won the date with you if I hadn’t bid on you?” The tall, handsome guy who held your hand and never took his eyes off of you, Vince remembered.
“No, that was my friend Drew. Chris was there, though. He was one of the other guys who bid on me.”
“Why was it so important to you that they hire Chris? I don’t get it.”
Jen sighed. “At the time I agreed to be auctioned off, Chris was my boyfriend. He and I were living together back then, and I wanted to help him. We had broken up by the time of the fundraising auction, but I had already made a commitment to the charity and didn’t want to break that commitment.”
“You’re a good person, Jennifer. It couldn’t have been an easy night for you.” He paused and watched as Jen nodded, before asking, “Why did you and Chris break up?”
“I came home from a photo shoot in Europe, and found him in my bed with another woman.”
Vince was unable to hide his shock, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “I can’t imagine anyone doing that to you,” he said. “So what about the other guy, the one you were with the night of the auction?” The one you were holding hands with, the one who had his arm around you.
“That was Drew.”
Vince sat back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest, thinking back to the night of the charity auction. “Boyfriend?”
How do I explain this without going into too much detail? “He was a college classmate of mine, and a good friend. He’s since moved back home to California.”
He assessed her answer, trying to determine whether she was being truthful with him. But I watched him kiss you, and I saw the way he looked at you. It didn’t look like he was just your friend. “Any other boyfriends?”
“No, I never really dated much,” Jen said, causing Vince to raise his eyebrows in surprise once again. “I’ve only had two serious relationships in my life. I met my first boyfriend, Taylor, when I went away to college, and he broke up with me when I decided finish school in New York. And then, well, you just heard about Chris.” Changing the subject to
Similar Books
