Not Quite Dating (Not Quite #1)(23)
Author: Catherine Bybee

Although she knew she probably should tell him it felt wrong, Jessie knew he’d see right through her, call her out on a blatant lie. His kiss had been amazing. She-couldn’t-fall-asleep-for-hours-after-going-to-bed amazing. “It can’t happen again.”

Jessie met his eyes long enough to see the smirk on his face. “This isn’t funny, Jack. I told you before I can’t date you.”

“Right, and why is that again?”

“You know perfectly well why. You’re a dreamer, Jack. You have great plans for a bright future, and something tells me you’ll make all those lofty goals a reality…someday. But right now, you’re still dreaming. Maybe if it was just me, if Danny…” She shot a glance over her shoulder to make certain Danny didn’t hear her. He played on the other end of the playground, oblivious to her and Jack. “If I didn’t have to consider my son, then maybe you and I could have dated, seen if we were good for each other. When you’re a parent, and all your decisions affect another human being, you have to be smart about who you date.”

The smirk faded from Jack’s face. His brows pitched together briefly. “What is it you’re afraid of, Jessie?” he asked softly.

“My mom said once, don’t date anyone you don’t see yourself falling in love with. I didn’t listen to her advice when I was a teenager, and Danny is the result. I love him more than anything on this earth, wouldn’t change him in my life for the world. But I can’t do it again. It wouldn’t be fair to him, or me. You’re a great guy, Jack, but we need to just be friends. Friends who don’t kiss. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be.” So why did saying the words hurt already?

Jack leaned his elbows on the table and placed his head in his palms. “Nothing I can say will change your mind?”

“No. Please understand. I’d like to still be friends.”

Rubbing his jaw, Jack let himself smile again. “I can’t say I like it, but I understand.”

She sighed. “So we’re good?”

A hint of mischief sparkled in his eyes when he said, “Darlin’, we’re better than good. I’ve got to go, but I’ll be in touch.”

“I should have the dress ready to go back by Tuesday. I can drop it off at the hotel.”

He waved a hand and said, “That isn’t necessary. I’ll stop by the diner. You said you worked on Tuesday, right?”

“Right.”

He unfolded from the bench. “I’ll come by. If something comes up, I’ll call you.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Jack looked as if he wanted to say something else, but decided against it. “Have a nice day off, Jessie.”

“Thanks, you too.”

Then he was gone. Jessie watched his cute, denim-clad ass walking in the opposite direction. No argument, no counterpoints for trying to talk her into dating him. Nothing.

She should have been happy with how quickly he agreed to a platonic relationship, but somehow she wasn’t. Maybe the kiss had affected only her in a profound You’ll never find another guy to kiss you like that way.

Maybe Jack wasn’t all that into her.

Jessie forced her gaze to fall on her son and to stop staring at the retreating man. Before she could turn in her seat, Jack glanced over his shoulder and caught her staring at him.

Without a doubt, there would be a smirk, hidden in the shadow cast by his hat, all over his face.

Chapter Seven

Jack sat in meetings most of Monday and half of Tuesday. Eric Richardson, his marketing manager of the Southern California region, ran with the suggestion of renaming Jack’s new chain of hotels.

When Jack asked Eric why he didn’t speak up earlier about his reservations, Eric told him he didn’t want to step on Jack’s ego since the new hotels had his name in the title.

“Step on it next time,” Jack told him. “We pay you to know how to market what we come up with. If the name will keep people from coming, then these hotels will never get off the ground.”

Eric sat opposite Jack in one of the conference rooms on the main floor. Eric was much younger than Jack and was probably worried about his job if he became too disagreeable. Jack had had to deal with those emotions from employees for years. It usually took some time and effort to help them relax and feel safe enough in their jobs to offer what they really felt.

“I’ll remind you about this conversation next time,” Eric promised.

“As you should. Have you considered a different name?”

Eric shrugged. “I haven’t given it much thought. I’ll put picking a new name for the hotel at the top of my list.”

Jack thought of Jessie and her ideas. “What about the Morrison East?”

Eric wrinkled his nose. “Well, that might be confusing to our guests here out west.”

“Jack’s Place.”

“Almost too casual, but I like that direction more. Oh.” Eric shot up in his chair. “How about the Morrison Family Inn?”

Jack smoothed his suit jacket against his chest as he considered the title. “I like that. Gives people the Morrison name, a name associated with quality and leaders in the hotel business across the nation, but puts in the family twist. I think that will work.”

“Shall I pencil that in?”

“Do it, but let’s run a few market tests to determine if the public will see this the way we do.”

Eric nodded. “I’ll have my assistant get on this when I get back to my office.”

“Get back to me next week on the results.”

Eric stood and folded his papers before shoving them into his briefcase. “If there isn’t anything else you need, I’ll go ahead and return to San Francisco and meet with you before Christmas for the board meeting.”

Jack stood and shook the other man’s hand. “We’ll see you then. Thanks for coming all the way down here.”

“My pleasure.”

“And Eric?”

He turned toward Jack.

“In the future, speak up. I’m not going to can you if your ideas differ from mine.”

Eric nodded. “With the economy the way it’s been, everyone fears for their jobs.”

Jack understood his concerns. The hotels had gone through a couple of rounds of layoffs since the recession. The budget-minded hotel idea had bloomed because of the bad economy.

“The Morrison hotels are riding the storm. I don’t foresee any more layoffs.” It was the best Jack could do. He couldn’t promise the man he’d always have a job, but he wanted him at ease enough to offer insightful ideas on something as important as the name of a hotel.