No Longer Be your Luna (Jane and Xander) novel Chapter 9

*Jane*

My mind kept going back to my late–night phone call with Aaron.

He’d somehow managed to single handedly fix my mood with

just one phone call. For once in the past few months, I felt happy,

really happy.

The smile was still on my face as I pushed through the heavy glass doors of Blackwood Company.

Kate, the receptionist, looked up as I approached. Her fingers froze over her keyboard. She dropped her gaze. “Good morning,

Luna Jane.

“Morning, Kate.“I replied, smiling back.

I saw the surprise in her eyes. Maybe I didn’t usually smile this

much. I know I didn’t smile that much. “Have a nice day,” I said,

finally smiling at her and moving on.

As I rounded the corner toward

Marketing, I felt the shift in the

atmosphere. Conversations paused mid–sentence, people

abandoned their work stations and the whispers quickly began. I‘

d expected the strange looks they were throwing my way. The

last time they saw me, I’d been trying to convince my drunk

Chapter 9: New Jant.

husband to stop flirting with his Beta and go home with me.

Not a very good look.

“Luna Jane” I heard one of the employees murmur. Everyone

called me that here. It was because of that title that they wouldn’t dare voice their ‘opinions‘ boldly.

It was a title I used to love. But now, it dawned on me that for too long I’d been defined as Xander Blackwood’s wife, as the Chief Marketing Officer of his company, but never as myself. I was trying to redefine myself, to get people to see me as just Jane.

I walked past the Marketing team and toward the elevator. The employees waiting there parted like water as I approached.

The doors slid open and as usual, the employees hesitated, giving me space to ride the elevator alone. But I didn’t want that.

I gestured with an open palm, “Join me.”

They all exchanged looks, considering the invitation. I could hear

their racing hearts and smell their confusion, but I decided to

wait for them to decide.

Then, two brave souls stepped forward, giving the three

employees left enough courage to join us. They scurried out the

moment the elevator doors opened up. Still, I counted it as

Chapter 9. New Jane

progress.

I kept moving until I got to the conference room. Everyone went

silent when I walked in. wight heads turned in unison, staring at

me in shock.

I smiled at them, setting my laptop down. “Good morning

everyone.”

There was no response. I let my smile widen despite the cold

reception. No one at the company knew quite what to do when

Luna Jane was happy.

Damn, even I wasn’t used to the lightness in my chest. Their

collective unease made me realize how much of a Debbie

Downer I used to be.

Still, I maintained the smile on my face. “What happened?” I

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