I warded off the lump in my throat. As much as I hated asking for help, I couldn’t do anything else but swallow my pride and take Jake’s offer. I waited outside his office for his conference call to finish. His secretary had told me to wait and that he wouldn’t be long now. I began to doubt her words when the telephone rang. She swiveled around in her chair and spoke in a low volume. I fought the urge to tell her that I didn’t plan on eavesdropping, if that’s what she was worried about.
After a four-minute phone conversation, she gestured for me to follow her and led me to a place I’d never been. I ignored the leggy brunette and sauntered into the office.
Jake sat in a black leather chair and scratched a pen over a legal-sized notepad. “Please take a seat, Chloe,” he instructed while con
