Chapter 9
NINE
ACE
Last night was exhausting. Morgan and I pulled an all-nighter to get a jump start on this huge job. We started out with background checks for Jensen Samuels and the list he gave Denny of the other potential members. So far, all of the background checks have been squeaky clean, but we assumed that would be the case. These men all come from wealthy families and have influential positions—whether it be within the government or well-established corporations. I’m sure if they've gotten into trouble, Mommy and Daddy or their rich grandpa would have had enough connections or money to wipe shit under the rug or make it disappear.
Today we worked on creating profiles on the private server that only Denny, Morgan, myself, and Wally have access to. The profiles are generic so far, showing the first round of cleared background checks. We have all of their bank accounts, tax documents, and family history listed. Next task will be hacking into their systems to find any red flags. We will be looking for offshore bank accounts, and any lump sum payouts to parties that wouldn’t make sense within their families or businesses. This is where the job gets fun. Morgan and I love pushing the limits to what our hacking skills can accomplish.
By late afternoon, we've been going at it for a solid twenty-four hours.
“Alright bro, I’m calling it. I need a shower, and you need to brush your teeth. I can smell your rank breath from here.” I throw a small couch pillow at him, then stretch my arms out, yawning. The only time we’ve gotten off this couch is to piss or answer the door for takeout.
“I agree. I’m fucking wiped, and classes start tomorrow. We're in for a hectic semester, and I doubt this job will be over any time soon. Denny is making moves for something big.” He brushes his hand behind the back of his head, yawning right along with me.
“Knowing the details of Denny's plans is well above our pay grade. As long as he continues to treat us well and pay us even better, we don't ask questions.” It’s true. I really don’t care to know the details of Denny's business dealings. He doesn’t pay us to get involved in any of that, he pays us to get dirt on the men and women applying to his club.
“Right. Better we not know what that man has brewing for the future.” He laughs, shaking his head at me as we head to our rooms. We made sure when picking out our apartment that both bedrooms had their own bathroom. Then we have a half-bath downstairs for guests. There's no way I can share a bathroom with Morgan. We are both very clean for men, and a housekeeper comes once a week to clean all of the things we don’t have time for. It’s mostly because we’re always on the same schedule so we typically need the bathroom at the same time.
“What’re your plans this evening?” I ask as nonchalantly as I can. He gets a little shifty.
“Um. Uh…I don’t know, dude, maybe grab a bite to eat and hit up the club for some late-night pussy to start the semester off right.” He grabs the back of his head again, looking a little uneasy. He's lying. “What about you?”
Now I'm shifting uneasily. I should’ve known asking would drive him to ask me the same thing.
“I think I’m going to hang here. Might go to the gym for a bit, but keep it low-key tonight.” It’s a lie, and we don’t lie to each other. I feel less guilty knowing he’s hiding something, too. There's no way I'm telling him I plan to pick Ains up to have a conversation about what caused me to grind my rock-hard dick against her cunt like I did.
“Sounds good, dude. I’ll see you in the morning”
“Yeah, morning,” I agree.
I take a longer shower, coming up with a plan for how I want this conversation to go. I want her to tell me why she ghosted me over the summer. When Morgan would FaceTime her, she would be chatty until he turned the phone on me. Then she'd go quiet, and find some excuse to get off the phone. I won't lie and say it didn’t sting, and Morgan was just as confused as I was. Before she left last summer, I thought we were good. We texted and FaceTimed a couple times a week. Then Morgan and I came home from school, and she barely said two words to me. The week before, she couldn't stop saying how much she missed us.
I thought maybe she got a boyfriend, and that's why she was being evasive. The thought of her with anyone made me uneasy. She had never shown interest in boys before, so I never thought to worry about that. But no, no boyfriend or fling that any of us knew of. So the reason for her sudden attitude change toward me was a mystery to us all.
As I get out of the shower, I hear Morgan’s bike start up and ride off, so I know the coast is clear for me to leave. I put on a pair of black running shorts and a dark gray t-shirt, and pull on some white Nike Air Maxes. It’s not cold, but could get chilly if we're outside. And if she wears anything like what she wore to the party, I will need a hoodie. This is my typical weekend ‘fit, unless I plan to go to the club. Then it’s black slacks, dress shoes, and a button-up.
Walking past the mirror, I do a double take to make sure I look okay. Not sure why—I've never cared before. I know I'm a good-looking guy, so I typically just throw whatever on and go with it. This meetup with Ainsley has me trippin’. What if we don’t come to an understanding, and she truly doesn’t want to be friends anymore? The thought of her not in my life makes my stomach turn. I don't want to lose her, she's important to me.
I park in her dorm parking lot and shoot her a text to come outside. I’m not a total asshole and would have gone up to get her, but when I texted her that I was on my way, she said to wait for her outside.
Ten minutes later, she's walking to my car. Her hair is in a high messy bun, and she’s wearing short black biker shorts and an oversized Led Zeppelin t-shirt. If her tee wasn’t bunched up, it would look like she didn’t have anything on underneath. The dirty white Converses tell me some things don’t change.
She opens the passenger door and hops in. “Alright, where to?” Her hands go in front of her, signaling for me to head out.
“I thought we could go somewhere and talk.” I keep my eyes on the road, but I glance sideways to try to read her mood.
“Obviously, Ace, but where?” Her snarky attitude is back— great . Her text replies were short, but I get why. I made it clear she had no say in this conversation happening or not.
“I have a spot, buckle your seat belt.” My voice is soft but commanding.
She does as she’s told without saying a word. I have a place I go when I need a breather. It’s one of Denny’s project buildings. He had me go there once to meet with Wally to grab a file, and I stayed after he left to take a self-guided tour. I went to the roof to find a breathtaking view of downtown Boise. It was a little piece of solitude in this busy life I've acquired.
No one knows I come here. If I were to tell anyone of my secret spot, it would be Ainsley. After losing control with her yesterday, I'm not sure if it’s a good idea to be alone together. I park the car and look at her until she makes eye contact. She's beautiful without an ounce of makeup on. The streetlights shining through the windshield brighten her already ethereal face. If I ever saw myself in a relationship, she would almost be the perfect package. Almost... Aside from the fact she’s my best friend’s little sister, she’s also way too innocent to be with someone like me.
Walking in, I turn on the lights so we don’t trip over construction tools. I hold her hand to guide her up the stairs to the roof, and my skin sparks to life at the touch of our hands. When we get to the roof, I open the door and turn the string lights on. Her face lights up at the sight. It's nice to see that smile again—I've only gotten scowls and eyerolls since she got to campus.
“It’s so pretty here—and wow, you can see all of downtown! How did you find this place?” She leans over the edge with her hands on the ledge.
“Our boss Denny owns the building. I was here for a meeting, then explored a bit and found the rooftop. It's a great place for me to turn my brain off.” I hope she doesn’t ask too many questions about what Morgan and I do for Denny. That's a conversation I’m not ready or willing to have—she’ll only ask more questions.
“Ace, chill. I’m not sure what that was yesterday, either. It’s just—” I cut her off.
“It can’t happen again. That would complicate everything—on top of whatever your fucking brother would decide to do to me.” My words come out more aggressive than I mean them to, but she needs to know we can never go there again. I said the wrong thing, judging by the scowl on her face.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Don’t flatter yourself, Ace. What, did you think I would obsess over you after one intimate moment? Ha, no. I was the one who told you it was a mistake, so don’t come at me like you are drawing lines in the sand.” She saws out a bitter, humorless laugh. Fuck. She’s being a dick. This conversation is taking a turn for the worse already.
She paces the roof, making me nervous that she's going to give me another verbal lashing.
“That’s not what I meant. I mean, it was, but not the way it came out—” Now she cuts me off.
“That’s exactly how you meant it, and it’s fine. I’m not into you like that, and never have been. I grew up and we grew apart. End of story.” My jaw slams shut, while my fists clench at my sides. She's pissing me the fuck off.
“Stop!" I hold my hand up in the hopes she stops talking to let me speak.
"Stop with your Princess Bitch routine. I’ve had enough! Tell me what the fuck happened to us. The week before Morgan and I came home, you’re texting me how excited you are to see me. Then I get home and you can't stand to be around me. You’ve been treating me like shit since I got home that day. Care to share with the class? Because I’m at a loss.” I can’t control the anger raging through me. I know I need to tone it down, but if she keeps provoking me, I can’t control my mouth.
“Princess Bitch routine? How fucking dare you! God, you're such an asshole! Why am I here, Ace? What did you think would happen? All we are doing is yelling at each other. Let’s accept the fact that Morgan is my brother and your best friend, he is the only thing that ties us. I don’t want to start this year with a bunch of drama, so let’s agree to stay out of each other’s way. ‘Kay?” Her mouth is clenched and her hands are formed into fists at her side. She looks like she wants to hit me.
“You want to be done? Fuck it! I have done nothing but care about you and be there for you most of our lives, and this is how you want to leave things? Fine. I don’t have time for this shit.” My chest rises and falls quickly as I try to control my temper.
“Take me home, Ace. Once again, this was a huge mistake.” Her arms lace in front of her chest. I pissed her off, but I don’t give a fuck. She pissed me off, too.
“For the first time since we got here, I agree with you.” My hand goes to my forehead, rubbing circles between my eyebrows. This did not go how I'd hoped.
We climb back into my Bronco and both sigh. She turns away from me, looking out the passenger window. The silence is deafening. I look at her in my peripheral vision; she hasn’t moved an inch since facing away.
To lessen the awkward silence, I turn on the stereo and hit shuffle on a playlist. The music gods are doing me dirty, because “Too Late for Love” by Def Leppard plays through the speakers. I sit back and let the lyrics take over my thoughts. Ainsley is sitting right next to me, but might as well be a million miles away.