Fake It Till You Bake It(63)

She lifted her right shoulder in a shrug. “Yep. I’m working here.”

“That’s great. The last month has been kind of a whirlwind for me with interviews and TV appearances.” He didn’t seem fazed by the incessant clicks of the cameras in the room behind them. She wished she could say the same. It took everything in her not to flinch at every click.

“You look wonderful,” he continued, scanning her figure.

Jada blinked. “Oh. Thanks. You look great, too.” Maybe the hammer was coming down now. There hadn’t been much time to talk after the rejection. Producers whisked her away for an interview, and she hadn’t sought him out. Why would he want to talk to the woman who dumped him on camera, in front of millions? As far as she knew, he hadn’t asked producers to see her either.

John straightened to his full height. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“Not now. I’m the only one watching the store.” But the cameras were still clicking, so maybe they should.

Over his shoulder, Jada saw Donovan coming around the corner. He came to a halt when he spotted everyone with their cameras up, all pointing in the same direction, not trying at all to be subtle. His gaze swung her way. His eyes narrowed, then widened as he spotted John. His strides were purposeful as he made his way to them.

He rounded the counter and wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned into the embrace, letting his strength seep into her. Seeing John had knocked her off-kilter. Donovan inclined his head, with his natural regality, toward John. “Funny seeing you here.”

Such a Donovan statement. He wasn’t one to hide behind bullshit and pretend he didn’t know who her ex-almost-fiancé was.

John, for his part, showed no sign of intimidation. No one ever said no to him. He always got what he wanted. She’d picked up on that aspect of his personality early on, and the producers had only continued to cater to him during filming. “Hey, how you doing man? I’m John.” He held out his hand for a handshake. Donovan made no move to take it. John cleared his throat. “I came to see Jada. Check on her.”

Jada broke Donovan’s hold and turned to face him. “Do you mind watching the counter for a few minutes?”

Donovan’s expression didn’t change. He studied her face for a few seconds. His voice remained steady. Steadfast. “Of course. Take your time.”

Without another word, Jada led John toward the door to an accompaniment of camera clicks. No doubt someone was live tweeting the whole encounter and/or contacting TMZ as she walked. But there was nothing to do about that. She hadn’t done anything wrong, except unexpectedly dumping the star of a reality TV show during the season finale and then lying about having a significant other at home, but other than that, she was perfectly innocent.

Once outside the store, Jada turned in a circle. She needed to get him away from the windowed walls of the storefront. She spotted a bench farther up the block and headed that way. John fell into step beside her. He seemed to understand she wanted a modicum of privacy before resuming their conversation. Thankfully, they didn’t pass any other people, and the bakery’s customers had all stayed inside. Or maybe they had telephoto lenses and didn’t need to be within twenty feet to get decent photos. After all, everyone was an amateur paparazzo these days.

She arrived at the bench and dropped unceremoniously onto the wooden seat. Closing her eyes, she lifted her face to the sky, where the sun shone high and bright, and let the rays soak into her and give her strength. It was a lovely day, nothing to indicate that her world had been turned upside down less than ten minutes ago.

The bench shifted slightly. John had sat next to her. Her eyes drifted open. He watched her with curious and—if she were full of herself—keen interest. Okay, this wasn’t a time to be modest. She knew what a man’s interest looked like, and John was definitely giving off the vibes. But maybe not. Hopefully not. When they’d had time together on the show, tingles of attraction had filled her belly. Now that space was reserved for nerves. It felt nothing like when she was near …

Jada shook her head. “What are you doing here, John?” Her voice came out craggier than she would have liked, but that was a small price to pay. She needed to take control of the situation.

His lips, full and sensual, curled into an amused smile. She’d first been attracted to his smile. When he turned up the full voltage, it could be devastating. But then she’d noticed he employed it on everyone from cast to crew whenever he wanted his way.

“I came to see you,” he said with his smooth, baritone voice.

She couldn’t help but compare it to Donovan’s drawl, with its rough edges. She found it lacking in authenticity, if she was being honest with herself.

“Why, though?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “That’s why. I missed your particular brand of brutally honest communication.”

“Glad I could oblige. How have you been?” She really wanted to know. Reaching out to him in the aftermath never seemed right. Why would he want to hear from her? Hey, it’s me, the woman who rejected you on national TV. Seen any good movies lately? Yeah, no.

“I’m good.” He laid a hand over his heart. “Truly.”

“Have you kept in contact with the My One and Only team?”

He nodded. “Yes. Lila has checked on me a few times, making sure I’m okay.”