Jena threw Caleb an incensed look look. As far as she was concerned that was ancient history. Melanie and Tony, her cousin, had parted company. As to be expected, given Melanie had set her sight on another victim.
Jena glared. "Not only are you an idiot, " he nearly laughed at her pique, "and I know you knew I did not offer me as a substitute!" She wasn't sure why she had told him, "Not that it matters to you, but Tony and Melanie split up." It wasn't his business. He might have been the cause, though in reality he was probably just the catalyst that brought the matter to an early end. Tony had, as far as Jena was concerned, had a lucky escape.
"Figured." Caleb said brusquely.
"What?"
"Their engagement was your imagination!" He reminded her. "And I knew you knew Melanie was happy to date me while supposedly engaged to your cousin! That does not sound like a long-term arrangement in the making, does it?" Caleb watched the sparks erupting in her eyes. "And can I remind you, I told you I asked Melanie, if she was engaged to your cousin and you told me this fictional engagement was not in the public arena! According to her, you had a vendetta with her!"
"Really, if I had a vendetta with her, why was she staying with me? Honestly. Men are stupid!" Jena snapped, "Or ruled by their dick!" Caleb snorted. Jena continued. "Melanie latched onto you because you were gullible!"
Caleb growled, "You are calling me gullible? Really? Just because I offered to show her our town's sights?"
"Not sure my idea of our sights is shared by you! She reeled you in! Or would you prefer the word, 'foolish'?" She snapped. When Tony had informed her that he and Melanie had split up, Jena was secretly relieved. Melanie did not deserve her cousin!
"I accepted she tried to reeled me in." Caleb tacked on, "But, a, she did not land her catch, and, b, if she was really engaged to your cousin, and no offence to your cousin, but I'd say she latched on to me. She just switched from fresh to salty fish!"
If he knew that, why did he go out with Melanie? "You are unbelievable. If you knew that, why take her out? Twice! And in my opinion, I think she had a passing infatuation with you!" Hopefully like my condition! "And if you hadn't pursued her, she and Tony would be fine." Jena wished she sounded more sure. In any case, Jena was pleased that Tony did not entertain any future with Melanie. "You are an arrogant, and a hypocrite." She pointed out with a snort.
Caleb quirked a brow, "You surprise me," and he decided to rip off her rose tinted glasses. "I'd have put money on the fact that loyalty, meant something to you?" He remembered the article starring her. Caleb was tempted to mention that the only hypocrite around was her. But that would no doubt ruin his chance of her company on board for Sophie's wedding.
Jena poured herself another mug of coffee. And automatically, with ingrained good manners, she asked almost in the same breath, "Would you like a top up?"
He handed her his mug. It was all rather odd. Sitting here, arguing with her, and enjoying their spat. She seemed totally unfazed by his status, was completely immune to his reputation in a personal and business sense, and arguing with him did not faze her at all. She was unconcerned about his fingers and scars. Apart from calling him by his surname, she talked to him with no deference. No special treatment. No fawning. No deference at all. His lips twitched. Definitely no deference.
For a few seconds, Caleb pondered, Jena could be the woman he was looking for. A genuine, kind, beautiful personal partner. That thought was dispatched with haste. The last thing he wanted was a woman who thought an affair is acceptable. The article he read confirmed she had no scruples.
Fortunately for Jena she was not aware of his thoughts. If she knew about his fleeting thoughts that she met his criteria for his partner, she would faint! And if she knew about his thoughts about the article, she would run in the opposite direction or throw something at him.
Jena handed him his coffee.
Automatically he said, "Thanks."
Jena resumed her seat, and picked up the reins to their conversation, "You dated Melanie because you wanted to!"
He snorted. "And that comes as a revelation to you?" He questioned with irony in his tone. "Can I remind you, people who go on dates because they want to! That is normal practice."
She rolled her eyes, "Dating her, was just your whim! You get what you want. Look at this cake situation. I told you weeks ago, we could not do this. Instead you and your PA pestered! And we repeatedly told you, no option or leeway here. But here you are!"
"I am told perseverance is a good trait." He grinned. At least their argument had lost the fury and exasperation.
Jena again rolled her eyes. "Perseverance followed by the fact you think all you have to do is throw money at it, and it is yours, is a fallacy."
He chuckled, "What is the point of money if you can't use it to help your family?"
"I run a small business, with four employees, we make enough to cover our wages and make a small profit. I'm not interested in growing much bigger. I enjoy what I do. So I do not need your money, Mr Harland."
"You love your job and your company and your colleagues. I get that. But money will always be useful to all."
She sighed, "You impressed Melanie with your lifestyle. She wanted to date a celebrity! Get access to the high life. Of course she wanted that and you threw money at her in the form of your lavish dates. Unfortunately for you and Tony, Melanie wanted the type of life you offered! She wanted to be pampered. And you catered for that. Because you have heaps of money and have no concerns when you splash it all over the place! She loved that."
He nearly said, but you don't. He pulled himself up, and found himself speaking without thinking, "I dated Melanie because I was looking for a wife." Jena's accusation that he'd dated Melanie on a whim rankled. More so when it conveyed the impression that had it not been for his celebrity he'd secure little notice.
That stopped her in her tracks. She was taken by surprise for two reasons, first him telling her that he was looking for a wife, and second, the fact he was looking for a wife! "A wife?" He identified Melanie as a candidate for the position as his wife? Jena kept that thought in her mind. He can't be that gullible.
He shrugged, while colour stained his neck and cheeks, and was not sure why he was explaining his situation to a relative stranger, "I'm thirty-one. Time to settled down." He ran his tongue around his lips, before saying, "Time for family. A mother for my future kids. Someone who appreciates family values." He said again, "I'm looking for a wife." He told her, as if telling a stranger his thoughts and wishes. And Jena was practically a stranger. They had met a handful of times, and most were not constructive, so why explain his thoughts to her? And while that thought ran amok in his brain, his mouth was in action, "A wife with scruples."