CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE JESS #2
I clipped my head to the vehicles. “Which one is yours?”
He led the way to an SUV, and as he got into the driver’s seat, I got into the passenger side. I was pulling my phone out as he started the engine.
“Who are you calling?”
Kelly picked up just as he was asking. I raised my voice, trying to talk over him. “Hey!”
He grimaced but pushed down the accelerator as we sped off.
“Where are you?” Kelly dropped her voice to a whisper.
“Okay, can I tell you how freaked I am right now? Justin is amazing and all, but this family of his is terrifying. They’re terrifying.
I did this already with my ex, and you see how that ended up.
He cheated on me with seventeen women. I mean, yeah.
My ex doesn’t have the family connections that Justin does, but they were still well off, and they had expectations.
I don’t like families that have expectations.
I’m a no-expectation girlfriend from now on, or I’d like to be, but ugh.
Jess. It’s Justin! Why does he have to be so amazing?
Also, where are you? They have free martinis here, and they’re free!
Did I already say that they’re free? I’ve had two already.
I’m going to be drunk before Justin gets around to introducing me to his aunt, and then what’ll happen after that?
She’ll not be impressed. I’m sloppy and sad when I drink martinis. Where are you?!”
“Um.” That was a lot to digest. I shared a look with Trace, who I was seeing was on his phone too. “I’m—uh—I got a call, and I have to head back to the city.”
“What?! What’s wrong? You need to leave? I can grab Justin.”
“No, no, no. I’m, uh, I’m already leaving. I got a car and I’m going back.” So, lying. Me. To my best friend in the whole world.
I was going to hell.
“You got a car?”
“Someone came in with an Uber, and I grabbed it when they were leaving. It worked out perfectly.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“Yeah. So. I’ll see you later then?”
“I think Justin really is going to ask our boss if we can have the night off, so it might not be till tomorrow. Please tell me you’re going bowling on Sunday? You’ve missed too much. They’re missing you.”
The whole concave sensation in my chest was happening again, this time from guilt. “I’ll be there. You’ll be with Justin until then?” I sensed Trace watching me and knew he’d overheard the last part of my conversation.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen after, so yeah. Just in case. If anything we’ll go back to his place. We have a lot to talk about.”
I softened my voice. “Are you going to be okay?”
She sighed. “I think so. It’s just scary. Falling for someone always is.”
“Yeah.” I glanced at Trace, pain slicing through my insides. “Whether we want it to happen or not.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up.
“Your friend is okay?”
I pressed my lips together first before answering. “They’re going to ask Ashton for the night off from work.”
Trace snorted. “He’ll give it to them. He’ll get a kick out of it if they ask him in front of Viv.”
“You know Viv?”
“I know of Viv. She’s been after Ashton since college. He’ll enjoy the show of it. I’m betting that your friend Justin won’t be working at Katya long anyways, and I’m guessing he won’t want his girl working there if he isn’t.”
I tensed. “Why are you saying that?”
“Because he’ll have figured out by the end of the night, if he hasn’t already, that Ashton gave him the job because of his family connections, and also because he saw us leave together.”
“What?”
He frowned at me. “He’s aware of who we are, who our family is.
It’s why he’s working there. His brother put him up to it.
He’s eyes on us. Or I’m guessing that’s the situation.
He can work, get paid, get his tips, meet a nice girl, and if he happens to hear something or see something, he’ll pass it along.
But nothing like where he’s going to search out for something to report.
Your friend is too smart for that, and his brother wouldn’t want to needlessly endanger Justin.
And also they don’t really think they’ll get anything, or there’s no way his brother would sign off on letting your friend work in one of my businesses. ”
I was feeling gut punched but pissed at how I hadn’t figured any of that out, and I should’ve.
“He told me his brother was a detective too.”
Trace glanced at me. “You’ve been distracted.”
Still. I was disappointed with myself. I should’ve known. “He saw us leave together?”
“He did, but Ashton is the only one who knows anything, and he won’t say a word.”
“Kelly knows.”
“What?”
“She saw you at Easter Lanes. I told her about the hockey stairway guy and let it slip that it was you. If she saw you, she knows. She might say something.”
We drove for a bit in silence.
“My guess is that she didn’t see or she would’ve said something on the phone, and Justin won’t bring it up. Who would when he’s hoping to introduce his new girlfriend to his family? Guys like Justin don’t say anything unless they have to.”
He was right. Justin would wait, ask me about the situation. He’d feel me out first before deciding how to handle it. I nodded, settling back into the seat. “I’ll make something up, cover.”
“I think that’s smart.”
That was all sorted out, and so now I had at least an hour to sit in the same vehicle with Trace.
The understanding was dawning on me as I looked at him, and he met my look before needing to watch the street. A whole hour or more depending on traffic.
This would be fine.
All fine.
My body wouldn’t react to him.
I wouldn’t think about kissing, or touching, or ... yeah. It would be all good.
Why wasn’t I believing in myself?
“Viv said you weren’t there when we arrived. When did you come?”
He grimaced before answering. “I had a family thing not far away. Ashton texted when he saw you show up, and I considered not coming. I thought about respecting your wishes, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
I closed my eyes. “Why did you decide to come?”
He didn’t answer at first.
He didn’t answer in the next minute, or the next five.
Ten.
It was a full thirty minutes later. His voice was hoarse when he finally answered. “Because when it comes to you, I have absolutely no fucking control over myself.”
I wished I hadn’t asked.
But I was glad I had.