24. Balancing Act

24

BALANCING ACT

“ W hen were you going to tell me you were dating someone?”

Laken flopped down on the couch in her living room. She supposed it took longer than she thought for her mother to get the news.

“I’ve been busy,” she said.

“Not too busy to send me a text at the very least,” her mother said, tsking her tongue.

“You would have never wanted to get that information via a text.”

“No,” her mother said.

“How did you find out?” she asked. “Who ratted me out? I doubt it was West. You talk to Abby more and she’d never say anything.”

“It wasn’t Abby. How is it working with your future sister-in-law?”

“It’s great. I trust her completely. One hundred percent. She and West don’t seem to be having an issue with it.”

“There shouldn’t be one. What she does for you shouldn’t interfere with him, right?”

Not that her mother knew what they all did exactly. “Other than he is everyone’s boss,” she said.

“It won’t be an issue,” her mother said.

“No. It’s not. Abby is in the office one to two days a week. I don’t always see her since I’m not in the office.”

“I’m glad West and Abby are making it work. I know Abby isn’t fond of the city.”

“She’s not, but she said it’s not that bad. She goes into the office with West, so she’s not navigating all that traffic or people. If he has to work late, West’s driver brings her home. But she keeps him from overdoing it too.”

“Which is what you need in your life too,” her mother said. “And now that you’ve got a boyfriend, you should start thinking more along those lines.”

“Trust me when I say it’s been on my mind,” she said. “Having Abby is a huge help. She’s a fast learner and is taking over things I’d have to deal with with this new project. She has a lot of HR experience and she and Nelson are doing great getting staffing set up.”

“So Nelson is working out well?” her mother asked.

“I think he is. He has a lot to learn, but he listens. He’s not West and never will be. He’s not cutthroat even though he tries. I think he should just be who he is and it will work out. There are times his lips are too loose.” It then hit her. “Nelson told you about Jamie, didn’t he?”

“He did,” her mother said, laughing. “Those loose lips.”

“How did it come about? Might as well fill me in so I can make his ears bleed.”

Her mother was still laughing on the other end. “You’ll do no such thing or I’ll make yours bleed for not saying something sooner. Even West and Braylon didn’t keep it this much of a secret with me.”

She knew that and wasn’t surprised it was brought up. “It’s not a secret. They know.”

“But I didn’t,” her mother said. “I thought we were close enough that you’d tell me those things if it was important enough to tell them.”

She hated the shame she felt there, but her mother was right.

“I’m not sure if I’m coming or going anymore, Mom. I’ve always thrived in that type of situation, but now it’s a bigger balancing act.”

“Because not only are you dealing with a work balance and a personal life, but that personal life needs a balancing act too?” her mother asked. “Finding time for Jamie. Jamie trying to introduce his daughter into your life. Then knowing you won’t be first in a guy’s life when maybe you want him first in yours?”

She wasn’t surprised her mother figured this out.

“That about sums it up,” she said. “Oh, let’s add in the fact that I’d rather not have to be dodging cameras and people wanting autographs when I do get to spend a little time with Jamie.”

“West is used to it. Abby is getting there, but West still protects her the best he can. You can’t always be protected and I’m surprised you want to be.”

“It’s not protected,” she said. “It’s just being private. What is wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” her mother said. “But you work for one of the wealthiest men in America. Not just work for him, but are his sister. Talia, Rowan and Elias don’t have to deal with it as much as you. Not even Foster. But you, Braylon and Nelson are right by his side. You knew that going in. You wanted it.”

“I did,” she said. “I don’t even mind my picture with West.”

“Because it’s work. But your private life you always wanted separate. That is what happened with you and Alex. We know.”

Why was his name being brought up so much lately? “Alex was immature and liked the attention. I didn’t. He knew it and still made sure he got his way.”

“And when you found everything out, you ended things.”

“Which only caused him to talk even more,” she said. “I don’t want to go through that again but don’t think it’d happen with Jamie. Though he has a lot of eyes on him, he’s spent the last two years making sure it was only him.”

“It won’t be that way much longer,” her mother said.

“No. And he will let very little about his daughter out. We are working on that still.”

Today she’d spent a few hours at Jamie’s. She played with Penelope. She laughed and she had a great time.

She almost didn’t want to leave but did when Penelope went down for her nap after their early lunch.

Janelle had the day to herself until Jamie left, so she and Jamie snuck into his bedroom, locked the door and had an hour together before she kissed him and walked out the door.

“There are two people in your life that are used to this. I’d think Jamie would do right by you the best he could because he’s going to do the same for his daughter.”

“Which is why I’m not too concerned about it.” She decided to tell her mother how Jamie asked about them being out in the open when Penelope was introduced. “I told him to keep them separate. It’s the way it needs to be.”

“Hmm,” her mother said.

“What was that for? You’ve got an idea about something. Are you going to share?”

“I want to, but then the other part of me isn’t so sure it’s a good idea,” her mother said.

“Now you’re only saying that for me to beg you to share.”

She heard more laughter on the other line. Her mother was good at manipulating to get her way. Gently doing it.

“That wasn’t my intent, but I don’t want to cause problems with you and your new boyfriend.”

“I’m not sure you can do that,” she said.

“I could be putting ideas in your head and I don’t want to do that, but it’s something that popped into mine.”

“Tell me,” she said. “I’m too tired for games.”

“You need an assistant,” her mother said.

“Don’t change the subject.” No reason to admit she’d figured that out on her own and would be meeting with West this week about her idea there. The next step would be Braylon.

“Fine,” her mother said. “You would know that I had to do some digging on Jamie myself.”

“Of course you have,” she said. Which was why she wasn’t volunteering too much information. The fact that her mother knew about Penelope meant that Nelson slipped and their mother had a way of getting him to talk more.

“There is nothing out there about him dating women in the past few years.”

“No,” she said. “He keeps a low profile. When he has to attend any events he goes solo.”

She knew that too. He was asked a lot to attend charity functions. One in March that he’d mentioned.She wondered if it was a hint that she’d offer to go too.

“That’s right,” her mother said. “But if at the same time news of his daughter is out and then shortly after news of a girlfriend, it might detract from his daughter and focus more on you. People know you more. They can find out about you.”

She ground her teeth. “A diversion?” She didn’t want to think Jamie was using her this way.

Was it possible this whole relationship was one to ease his daughter’s existence into the world?

“I don’t know,” her mother said. “And I can tell by your tone I just put something in your mind that hasn’t been there before and now you’re pissed.”

“If I find out that is part of what he is doing, I’m going to be.”

Her mother sighed. “Now you know where Nelson gets his loose lips. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You pushed for it to be said though,” she said.

“I did and I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think he’s using you. He’s not Alex. He might not even be doing that. It’s the first thing that came to me when he mentioned both parts of his life coming out at once. But maybe it’s more that he doesn’t like to just run around in secret anymore. He could want to shout to the world he has a girlfriend and have that freedom. Secrets are tiring,” her mother said. “You know that.”

She did. West had said it more than once.

“I don’t know what to think. None of this has ever been in my mind before now.”

“I’m sorry I put it there,” her mother said. “I’d like to meet Jamie. I probably should apologize to him.”

“For what?” she asked.

“For the fight that I might have just started.”