13. Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Blake
M uch to my disappointment, AJ waiting for me when I walked out the door Tuesday morning. He looked relaxed, leaning against the side of the car, but his eyes never stopped moving.
Until he heard the door slam.
Then his intense dark eyes focused on me as he closed the distance to the bottom of the porch steps so he could escort me to the car. Like I need help walking a few lousy feet.
He opened the rear passenger door before I reached it.
“I’m not helpless, you know. I can open my own doors.” It was bitchy, and not who I believed myself to be, but I hated when men treated women like they were helpless.
“Just doing my job, Ms. Davenport.” He grinned, pissing me off even more.
“Whatever.” I got in the car and tried to slam the door, but he held it until I gave up. He made a production out of closing it softly.
Big, stupid, jerk with his big muscles trying to intimidate me.
I glared as he walked around the front of the car, willing him to notice me, but he was looking left and right. When he finally got in and glanced at me in the review mirror, I scowled.
He fucking smiled, causing his dimples to crease like crescent moons in his cheeks.
“Which lot do we need to park in today?” he asked calmly.
“The same one as yesterday.” I barked at him, then looked away from his stupid face. It was like he was trying to piss me off by being polite. Who fucking does that ?
“Buckle up.” After a short pause, he added, “Please.”
I buckled up. Not because he wanted me to, but because it was the law.
“I’m meeting some friends for lunch today. Can you try not to attack them for no reason?” I didn’t think of myself as a rude person, but AJ incited my snarky side.
“Sure, just make sure they know not to sneak up on you.” At least he was looking ahead now, so he couldn’t see me roll my eyes. Is twenty-four too old to roll your eyes? I didn’t care.
“They know. And no hovering over me. I need my space,” I huffed at him.
Logically, I understood he was just doing his job, but it didn’t matter. I gave him attitude anyway. His smugness irritated me, and I hated needing a bodyguard.
“I’ll stay as close as necessary to do my job.” He made eye contact in the mirror. “I’ll give you privacy, but not at the risk of your safety.”
How the fuck am I supposed to argue with that?
I couldn’t, so I mumbled, “Fine. Whatever.” Acting more like a bratty pre-teen than a woman who was about to graduate from law school.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I said, “I’m sure you can protect me from a distance.”
“Not if I have to take a bullet for you.”
I jerked my head up. Seeing the commitment in his dark, piercing eyes crushed the fight out of me.
But it’s not real . It couldn’t be. It’s just a prank . If I repeated it enough, I’d believe it again. I had to. Because things like this didn’t happen in real life, at least not to me.
“Wait for me to open the door, please,” AJ said as he parked and cut the engine.
I waited, but ignored his proffered hand. My nerves were on edge as I looked around, expecting someone to charge at me from every direction.
“No one will hurt you, Blake. I promise.”
I don’t know if it was because he used my name for the first time, or the conviction behind his promise, but it short-circuited my brain. I tried to find a smartass response, but failed.
Not wanting to look weak or scared, I squared my shoulders and held my head high before nodding and walking away.
Knowing AJ stayed a few steps behind me should have been a comfort, but it wasn’t. His presence forced me to accept the reality I’d been doing my damnedest to ignore.
My life is in danger .
I tried to blame my rudeness on my exhaustion, but knew deep down it was because I no longer believed the note was a prank. And it scared me. Surely, the person who left it would have said something by now. Plus, my father’s acting weird. Not to mention the constant reminder of the tall, hulking bodyguard hovering all day.
The nightmare keeping me up all night was just the icing on the cake.
Unable to concentrate during class, I looked around. I kept expecting someone to jump out at me at any second. About thirty minutes into the lecture, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
Concern written all over his face, AJ leaned in—close enough for me to feel his warm breath on my neck—and whispered, “Are you okay?”
You’re not supposed to be nice! “I’m fine,” I huffed as much as I could while whispering.
He nodded as he leaned back. I faced forward and forced myself to focus on the lecture. Fuck my life .
When class was over, I stayed in my seat until most of the students had cleared out. It wasn’t because I was nervous, I just didn’t feel like getting jostled in the rush.
I’m not even good at lying to myself anymore .
My favorite pub, where I was meeting Paige and Danny, was only a few blocks away from campus, so I usually walked.
But AJ insisted on driving, for my safety. Too tired to argue, I gave him the silent treatment instead.
I need a drink . Thankfully, I was done with my only class for the day, and was thinking I’d have more than one. Why shouldn’t I? It’s not like I’m driving .
Normally, I loved having lunch with Danny and Paige. Today, I dreaded seeing them, knowing they’d be upset I couldn’t ditch AJ.
Part of me wanted to avoid them. No. That’s not who I am. I could do this. I could put on a smile and get through the rest of the day. Who knows, maybe they wouldn’t say anything, and I’d enjoy having a beer with my friends. Something I desperately needed.
Paige and Danny waited for me at a high top. Danny leaned back and dropped his arms to his sides, staring at AJ as we approached. I checked to see if AJ was offended, half hoping he would be. Nope, he was shaking his head back and forth, looking amused, as he read Danny’s t-shirt: Violence is never the answer.
Paige’s rainbow hoodie, with the words Make Love not War, painted across the front, was more subtle.
“I’ll be right over there.” AJ said as he pointed to the bar.
“Okay.” Then, because I didn’t want to appear rude in public, I added, “Thanks.”
“Why are you being nice to him?” Danny whined.
“I wasn’t being nice.” I just wasn’t being rude.
“Are you getting your usual?” Paige asked, quickly changing the subject.
“I think I’ll try something different today.”
We ordered a round of beers to start, then looked at the menu. “Anyone want to share some nachos?” I asked.
“Only if we get them without meat,” Danny replied.
Ugh. I wanted meat on mine. “Paige?”
She looked torn. Unlike Danny, she ate meat, but she didn’t want to upset him. Neither of us usually opposed Danny when he was in a mood, often choosing vegetarian options when he was with us. “I’m fine with nachos without meat,” she said while playing with a napkin.
“Fine,” When I ordered, I asked the server to put the meat on the side. Then I ordered a burger with bacon and fries, instead of my usual Greek salad, reveling in the look of disgust on Danny’s face. Apparently, I had the maturity of a nine-year-old today.
“What’s gotten into you?” Danny huffed after chugging a third of his beer. The table wobbling as he set the pint glass down with a thud. Danny was a big boy, and often used more force than was necessary to do things. He wasn’t muscular or strong, he just wanted everyone to think he was.
I looked over towards the bar in time to see AJ push up his sleeves. His forearms weren’t fat. Hell, I bet he doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him . Not that I cared. I wasn’t attracted to guys just because they were tall, dark, and gorgeous. Or because they had sexy, muscular forearms. Being smart, caring, and kind were way more important than being tall, sexy, and covered in muscles.
“Sorry, I’m just tired. I had a really bad nightmare last night.”
Paige said sorry, but I barely heard it over Danny saying, “Well, you’re awake now. I bet you’ll forget all about it after a beer or two.”
Maybe he was right, and all I needed to shake off the lingering fear was an afternoon with friends, food, and a few beers.
I raised my glass and took a generous swig of the cool amber liquid; the bubbles tickled my nose and making me laugh. Yeah, this is exactly what I need . I glanced over at AJ, who was looking around the room.
I was adjusting to his presence, though I wished he’d leave his gun in the car. I asked him to do so, but got a hard no in reply. He claimed it was necessary to do his job, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
God, I miss my mom . She’d know how to help me deal with all of this. I missed her every day, but on hard days like this, her loss hit me harder.
Our server interrupted my pity party when she delivered our nachos and my side of seasoned ground beef. We kept the conversation light, talking about classes and our upcoming midterms, while we ate. I prided myself on working hard and earning good grades, and was worried all this stress and disruption would interfere with my studying time.
What if I fail?
I didn’t have time to freak out because Stan Lancaster the Fourth walked over. We weren’t friends, but we had acquaintances in common. He was a snob and his ego rubbed me the wrong way. He’d asked me out a few times, but I’d always said no.
Every so often, he’d try again. I thought it was because he wasn’t used to hearing no. Paige thought it was because he was interested in my father’s political connections.
He wouldn’t be the first.
“Hi Blake,” Stan greeted me, but no one else. Rude . I glanced up and saw AJ’s back stiffen. “Mind if I join you?” Stan asked as he pulled out the fourth chair. He hadn’t bothered to look, and the sudden movement caused Danny’s bag to fall off.
“Dude, be careful,” Danny yelled, before getting up to pick up his bag.
AJ stood up, facing us.
Stan didn’t bother looking at Danny as he said sorry, his tone confirming my suspicion he wasn’t.
God, he can be an obnoxious ass. Refusing to create a scene that would get AJ’s attention, I plastered a fake smile on my face.