“I prefer logical and compartmentalized,” she teased gently. “Seriously, though. If things had been fizzling out for a long time, it’s not such a big surprise that you’re notthatupset. It might even just feel more like a relief.”
I felt a surprised smile form on my lips. “How did you know that?”
“I might have a bit of experience with relationships not working out. It doesn’t always have to end with a bang, sister.Sometimes, it’s over with a whisper and that’s okay too.” She shrugged, returning my smile as she finally leaned back in the chair and slid her elbows casually to the armrests. “So, is it true that you’re dating Jesse Westwood now?”
Oh. Oh no.I blinked at her rapidly, knowing that there were several ways this could go and at least half of them ended with me unemployed.
“Am I about to get in trouble?” I asked cautiously.
Miranda’s eyebrows pulled together. “For dating someone?”
“For dating aWestwood,” I clarified, lowering my voice likethey—whoever that was—might somehow hear me through the walls.
She stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing. “No. You’re not in trouble. Why would you be?”
I shrugged but blew out a breath of relief when some of the tension eased deep inside my being. “They’re clients. I just thought that maybe you’d be uncomfortable with it, or worse, that there’d be a rule against it.”
“Nah.” She waved me off, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “We don’t handle any of Jesse’s personal affairs and we’ll make sure to keep you off of any W&S matters where he might be involved. He’s operations, right?”
I nodded. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Well, then. It shouldn’t be a problem. His brother, Will, held that position for years and we very rarely had anything to do with him professionally. It’s mostly Alex and Nate, the CEO and CFO, that we deal with. You still haven’t answered my question, though. Are you dating him, and should I be impressed or concerned?”
“Why would you be concerned?”
“Because anyone with an internet connection knows you were in Hawaii with him, looking pretty cozy on the beach, I might add. Now suddenly, you’re back early and not lookingparticularly happy about it. Plus, Jesse Westwood has a bit of a reputation.”
“We’re not dating.” I shook my head. “It’s complicated.”
She groaned. “It always is when those boys are involved, but for what it’s worth, they’re good people. Don’t be fooled by the money and the fame, Jacque. I’ve spent a fair amount of time, with Alex in particular since he’s married to a friend, but I’ve met them all and their hearts have always seemed to be in the right place.”
I almost scoffed. “Really?”
She nodded, smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world. “They have a reputation, obviously, but they take care of their own. They’re loyal. Strategic. A little intense, sure, but they’re not what people make them out to be.”
Well, that doesn’t match my personal views of them at all. Except the taking care of their own bit.All my life, I’d been told they were basically the devil, but now here she was, talking about them like they were saints instead.
“That’s funny,” I said. “From what I’ve heard, they’re power-hungry, ruthless, and entitled.”
Miranda’s lips twitched. “Every powerful family gets that label at some point.”
“Yes, but in their case, I’ve experienced it.”
She tilted her head. “With your mom?”
I nodded.
She considered it for a moment before she shrugged lightly. “Obviously, I’ve never met the Westwoods that you’re part of, on the other side of the pond, but around here, they’re really not that bad.”
“Perhaps.”
She grinned. “Besides, family dynamics are never objective, but that’s especially true when distance and time are involved.”
I leaned back again, thinking about how different a picture she was painting from what I’d been raised to believe. And if they weren’t the villains I’d always imagined, then what, exactly, had I been holding on to all this time?
Dropping my gaze to my desk, I picked up a pen and started tapping it absently against the surface. “I think I might’ve fumbled the ball.”
She didn’t miss a beat. “With Jesse?”