While the closing was lacking for most women, some had been fortunate enough to have a relationship with Byron. Their opinions were always positive. Byron was the one who got away. However, by the time Jess and Mia had joined the team, these women had moved on with their careers. The secret had come to light before Mia transfered. Many women from the last office had warned Mia not to fall for Byron. He was very charming but very selective of who he had a relationship with.

How Jess had missed all that was a bit puzzling. Jess was very knowledgeable about a lot of things in the office. Jess had maintained her dignity and professional distance from Byron. Part of the strict “no dating” of coworker rule was because the company didn’t like training someone new every time a relationship ended with Byron. Not that there were that many transfers, but high value employees are hard to replace and very costly.

Maybe Jess had taken the appearance of high turn over dating that Byron projected to be reality. Mia needed to have a little chat with Jess and get her to realize the truth. Byron acted the role of a bad boy but was not one.

As Mia left the office for the day, Jess joined her. The pleasantries on the ride down continued into the garage. Before they separated, Mia ventured a daring question.

“By the way, Jess, ever consider being nicer to Byron?” Mia asked with lighthearted fun in her voice.

“Is the big bad Byron feeling awful about being ignored he has to send his friend to speak to me?” Jess shot back.

Mia let that comment slide as she opened the door to her car. The look in Jess’ eyes told a very different story from her words and tone. There was a bit of curiosity wrapped with pain. Jess may not have fallen for Byron, but he was on her mind.

“Why do you care about Byron then?” Mia shifted the conversation with a more serious but friendly tone.

“I don’t” Jess said a little forcefully.

“Oh. OK. Good then” Mia deflected.

Jess took the bait. Her posture relaxed.

“If you want to date him, please, by all means. Have at him” Jess advised. “You definitely have his attention and affection”

“You really think he was serious about asking your help to get me to fall for him?” Mia inquired

Watching the gears turn as Jess’ jaw dropped was priceless. The feelings were thawing out too. Jess wanted to believe that Byron was a changed man. If only she knew… Mia mused.

Friends are great evangelists

Byron was sitting in the diner by himself nursing a cup of coffee. Working late was not fun. Hopes for winning Jess’ heart was starting to fade. The checkered image Byron had cultivated was now biting him in the rear.

Jess needed a gentleman and Byron had built up a bad boy image that could not be shaken. Time had passed, the expectations of a flashy date on his arms were gone. A lot of errors he was making, Mia had pointed out to him. Byron felt very silly and dumb for having made such classic rookie mistakes.

It was one thing to get women to appear interested when there was something in the transaction for them. Mistakenly, Byron had thought that by appearing super high in demand, Jess would feel the need to grab his attention before another woman did.

That kind of game worked great on men. Byron now understood that the very trick that made men march to a different beat actually repelled women and turned them off. Men wanted a woman who had options. They wanted the challenge. They enjoyed beating their competitors to gain her hand. Having all these former contacts swing by the office and act all entranced by him to make Jess jealous had turned her off to him.

Now. The door was closed. All his heroics to be her knight in shining armor had failed because, according to Mia, Jess was reading them from the lens of being prey.

The very word ‘prey’ bothered Byron. It was true, he enjoyed the chase, but to have a woman feel uncomfortable because she was a target, was wrong on so many levels.

Byron was glad that no one knew how many tears of regret he had shed upon realizing his errors. Whomever gave him a chance at romance, well, they would get the new reformed and improved Byron.

Part of the recovery road had involved tracking down some of the women he had wronged and apologizing. There were a few women he had dated in hopes of motivating Jess to like him. They had not deserved to be wronged like that. Byron was grateful that most did not slam the door in his face. The conversations were painful, the lessons necessary. While the opportunity to reach them all was still there, Byron also realized that bringing up the past to someone who had already moved on was very selfish of him and ego serving. With this understanding, Byron stopped himself from getting back to all five women he had dated and hurt. The illusion of having had more than five seemed to be the most common grievance levied against him.

The bad boy player image might have been the coolest thing to do in the early days, now Byron wished he had known better.

His phone lit up. Taking a look, it was a text from one of his buddies. Seems like a few of the guys wanted to have a chat with Jess about giving Byron a second chance, and they wanted his blessings.

The outreach was touching. It was heart felt, but Byron felt he had lost his chance and politely declined from involving his friends. Little did he know that Mia had gone ahead and set up a chain of events to open up Jess’ eyes.

A Pitch. An Elevator.

Jess could not believe the book she had read. It was a comedic short read about the lessons a reformed player was passing on to a younger group of aspiring players. The rules of the game were well explained, the wisdom was sound, the examples hilarious. Whoever had written this had learned some painful lessons about love lost. The book had been recommended by a girlfriend.

There was a scene that made Jess laugh. The author wanted the young readers to believe that once a woman’s libido was aroused, it was hard to turn it off. Pure nonsense. Jess thought of Byron in that passage. Byron thought that his charm was all he needed to win any woman over. The author, rightfully, dispelled that myth after the comedy was played out in the chapter.

There was one part that did stay with Jess, however. The main character had taken his time to deliver intense foreplay, the kind that made Jess blush. Something about how the main character caressed the leading lady’s neck, how the scent of his perfume was best enjoyed with an exposed nape.

The words, though comical, touched a chord with Jess. While reading, she found herself touching her neck and wondering why no man had ever touched her so. The part when the player held his date’s hands behind her back as he whispered softly touching words in her ears had Jess wondering what kind of words Byron used to make women giggle and swoon so easily.

With annoyance, Jess had to place the book down and regain her composure. The writer understood what women wanted. The book was to help younger men act less like boys and more like men, but the tone made Jess feel as if the author knew her needs. Why couldn’t men be strong yet soft. Fierce yet compassionate. Taking charge but listening intently to their charge. Supporting and encouraging while admonishing and correcting.

Was this too much to ask?

After reading the book, Jess was happy to accept the invitation of her girlfriend to a play put on by the writer of the book. Not that Jess needed to meet anyone, it would not hurt to find out if the author was single. His understanding of woman was far more than most men she knew.

The Play

Jess was surprised to find the set of the play resembling an office. It felt familiar. The acting was amazing. The scenes flowed. The romance was present. The tension was believable.

The audience were on the edge of their seat waiting for the moment when the leading lady and the leading man would finally accept each other and live happily ever after.

Towards the end, there was an appearance of Mia on stage. Jess was pleasantly surprised. Mia had never mentioned acting or preparing for a play. The part was short. The message was interesting. Something about not writing off a book by it’s rough cover.

The audience clapped and cheered as Mia did a very sultry interpretation of the role she delivered.