Chapter 90

**Chapter 90**

**Judy’s POV**

“He kissed you?!” Nan shouted into the phone the next afternoon. I quickly pulled the phone away from my ear because her voice was so loud.

“Yes,” I told her. “It was unexpected.”

The Uber driver parked outside Gavin’s villa. I thanked him and handed him his tip before getting out of the car.

“Nan, I have to go,” I said.

“I just got to work,” I said, hurrying her off the phone as I walked up the steps to the front door.

“Okay, but you have to call me later. I need all the details,” she replied.

“Will do,” I promised her before hanging up the phone.

To be honest, there weren’t many details to share. The kiss was nice, but it wasn’t anything special. It was just a kiss, not something I felt was worth bragging about.

It didn’t spark my passion or leave me breathless. In fact, it didn’t even make my legs weak. It was nothing like the kisses I had shared with Gavin before.

Just thinking about those kisses made my cheeks warm.

Why was Gavin suddenly on my mind?

Why do I always think about moments like these? I shouldn’t be thinking about Gavin or his kisses right now. That’s the last thing I need on my mind. But even during my date with Walter last night, I found myself unable to stop wondering about Gavin.

I often think about what it would be like to be with Gavin. Imagine having his arms wrapped around me while we danced under the moonlight to beautiful jazz music. It feels magical to picture his lips pressed against mine, especially in those warm, tender moments.

I felt a strong passion knowing that I was the only one he wanted to be with.

But I had to get a grip on myself because those thoughts seemed silly. I told myself that those things could never happen. He was my boss, and that was all there was to it.

Just because we almost had sex that one time doesn’t mean he has any feelings for me. In fact, it seemed like he felt the opposite. He saw me as just a showgirl, someone he could have a one-night stand with and then forget about.

The thought made my chest feel tight and uneasy.

Adam stood in the doorway, wearing an indifferent expression. I could tell he was still upset with me for making him look foolish in front of his boss.

He wasn’t even allowed to speak in front of Gavin. It wasn’t my fault; Adam was the one trying to get me fired as soon as I started my job. I still didn’t understand why he was acting that way.

Adam was the one who encouraged me to apply for this job in the first place.

“Master Matthew is waiting for you in the parlor,” he told me. “He’s already started his homework, so I think you should hurry.”

“I’m excited to spar this evening,” Adam said.

I smiled at the thought.

“Thanks, Adam,” I replied, trying to be polite.

—

Chapter 90

I didn’t want any bad feelings between us, but I also…

He nodded, and I continued on my way to the back parlor. There, I found Mathew deeply focused on his book, taking notes in his notebook. I smiled at the sight, but my smile quickly faded when I noticed who was with him.

Judy was sitting on the loveseat across the room, scrolling through her phone.

When I walked in, she looked up and gave me a sly smile.

“Hello, Judy,” she said, her voice sounding a bit sad.

“Hey,” I replied, feeling a little uncertain.

“Irene,” I replied, trying not to sound too annoyed by her presence. At least she was alone this time. I wanted to ask her where her fiancé was, but I sensed that her sour mood might have something to do with him.

Maybe she didn’t like that he had dragged her to the gallery last night. Walter told me they had been fighting a lot recently, and she didn’t want to go out at all. So, I was surprised when I saw them together.

When we got back from our walk, I saw Ethan and another person standing there. I expected Ethan to try to talk to me at some point during the evening, but to my surprise, he kept his distance.

Maybe he was finally starting to understand that I needed space.

I wanted nothing to do with him. Or maybe he just didn’t want his precious Irene to feel insecure and worried that his thoughts were elsewhere.

“Is it okay if I sit with you while you tutor?” she asked. “I just thought it might be nice.”

“I need to get my mind off things,” I said.

I glanced at Matt, who was still busy with his homework. Then, I turned back to Irene.

“I don’t mind,” I told her.

She looked relieved and settled back into the loveseat, looking more relaxed.

I went over to Matt and sat next to him. We spent the next hour finishing his homework and reviewing what he had already done. Once we were done, we headed out back to practice combat and defense. As we walked outside,

Outside, I was surprised to see that Irene was following us. She had her nose buried in her phone and was barely paying attention to where she was walking. Still, she kept trailing behind us.

Once we reached our destination, Irene…

I sat in one of the lounge chairs, watching her as she typed away on her phone. I frowned at her, hoping to get her attention, but she didn’t notice me at all.

“Her and Ethan got into another fight,” Matt whispered to me. “It’s getting really bad.”

She’s been sulking all day.