Open At Your Own Risk Chapter 04
The conference room door swung open.
Leo. Ridiculously good-looking, with way too much effort in his hair because he was obviously showing off.
Every junior designer at the table looked up.
Chloe was hot on his heels. “Jen, I tried to stop him, but he said he was—”
Leo finished for her, breezy: “The boss’s boyfriend.”
Then he gave me his crinkly-eyed smile. “Babe, I came to find you.”
The room went silent for a full three seconds.
Riley dropped her pen. It clattered on the table.
Sean’s face changed color in real time. He looked at Leo, then at me. “Jenna. What did he just call you?”
Leo blinked innocently and edged closer to me. “Babe. Is that not allowed?”
Sean shot to his feet. “Who are you?”
Leo introduced himself like a golden retriever at a dinner party. “Leo Hart. Twenty-four. Jenna’s boyfriend.”
Zoe stared at me, betrayed. “Jenna, you were also—”
I cut her off. “Watch your framing. Open relationship was Sean’s idea.”
Sean laughed, furious. “Jenna, you’re using this guy to get back at me?”
Leo tilted his head. “This guy? What kind of guy?” He counted on his fingers. “Young? Sweet?”
A vein moved in Sean’s temple. “This is a workspace. Not just anyone gets to walk in.”
Leo immediately turned toward Zoe. “Then why is she here?”
She clutched her notebook. “I’m an intern.”
“Oh.” Leo turned back to me, eyes glittering. “Babe, then I want to be an intern too. I’ll even bring you an iced latte every morning. On me.”
Riley was shaking with silent laughter.
Sean glared her down. The room went quiet again.
He clenched his jaw. “Jenna. Start talking. When did you start seeing someone behind my back?”
I leaned back in my chair.
“Three years ago.”
Sean’s face went slack. “What did you just say?”
Calm. “Three years ago.”
I thought about it and added, “Not long after you said we needed to cool things off.”
Three years ago, Sean stayed out all night for the first time. He came back with no explanation. Just said we were burned out. Needed space.
I asked him, So are we breaking up?
He said, Don’t say things like that. The studio is finally taking off. Don’t rock the boat.
Standing there, I felt genuinely grateful.
“Honestly, thank you. If you hadn’t asked for ‘space’ back then — and if you hadn’t gone and proposed an open relationship yesterday — Leo would still be a secret.”
Leo nodded earnestly. “Yeah. Thanks, man.”
Sean was purple. “I said space, not go find another guy!”
“Why are you upset? Wasn’t it your idea to open things up?”
He blurted, “That’s different!”
“How is it different?”
He couldn’t answer.
Leo drooped his head, playing wounded. “Babe, maybe I should go. I’ve upset Sean.”
I almost cracked up. I hooked my finger through his sleeve. “Sit down.”
Leo lit up. “Okay.”
Watching this, Sean’s face fell.
Zoe, of course, decided to add gasoline. Red-eyed, she whispered, “Sean, don’t blame Jenna. She’s probably just so angry that she found someone to hurt you with.”
Sean grabbed the lifeline. He stared at me. “Exactly. Jen, you’re jealous. There’s no way you actually like him.”
I sighed. Did this man understand English?
Leo raised his hand. “She actually does like me. She was gonna come over last night.”
Sean slammed the table. “Leo.”
Leo pouted and nudged me. “Babe, say something.”