Chapter 13
“ T hanks for changing the reservation to four people,” Jenna told Mark as they maneuvered through the streets of downtown San Francisco. “I know it’s last minute, but Chloe was just super down. I couldn’t leave her alone tonight.”
“I think it’s great. You get to meet my best friend and I get to meet yours,” Mark told her. He reached over and rested his hand on her knee as he drove. “I’m sorry Chloe is in a bad spot though.”
“Yeah, I never got to meet Simon but he sounds like a jerk.”
“Does Chloe know about… us?” Mark glanced over at her.
“I told her I moved in with you, yeah. I didn’t tell her any of the details yet.”
“You didn’t tell her that I threatened to take you over my knee if you didn’t come live with daddy like a good little girl?” Mark teased, and Jenna couldn’t help squirming in her seat.
“No, I did not,” she said indignantly. “I wouldn’t want to ruin her first impression of you.”
Mark moved his hand to the hem of Jenna’s dress and slid it underneath, then up her thigh to the pair of satin black panties she was wearing.
“I might have to make you take these off for me at dinner,” he said gruffly.
Jenna swallowed hard, squirming in her seat. Then she pushed his hand away. “Mark! I need to focus on being a supportive friend tonight, and also making a good first impression on Scott. That’s plenty to think about without any extra distractions.”
Mark chuckled, withdrawing his hand and placing it back on the steering wheel.
His Tesla glided to a stop in front of Carluccio’s , an upscale Italian restaurant downtown.
A valet dressed in a crisp uniform hurried to open Jenna’s door, and she stepped out, smoothing the skirt of her dress.
Mark came around the car and put a hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the entrance.
The hostess, a mature woman of understated beauty, greeted them warmly. “Good evening, Dr. Peterson, your table is ready. Please follow me.”
Jenna was still getting used to Mark being known everywhere he went. It was hot in a way, but sometimes it made her feel a bit… invisible.
They were led through the large, dimly lit dining room, passing tables with real candles on them until they reached a quiet corner where a man she assumed to be Scott was already seated. The neighboring tables were unoccupied, perhaps by design.
Jenna felt instantly intimidated, which she hadn’t been expecting.
It didn’t help that Scott was just as strikingly handsome as Mark, though in a different way.
He had thick, chestnut hair, his face was angular with a chiseled jawline, and he had deep-set dark eyes.
His build was athletic, with broad shoulders and muscular arms similar to Mark’s, though when he stood she guessed he was an inch or two shorter.
“Scott, good to see you,” Mark said as they approached the table. The two men shook hands while Jenna gave Scott a polite smile.
“Jenna, lovely to meet you,” Scott said, shaking her hand. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Jenna slid into the upholstered chair across from Scott. A waiter appeared and began pouring sparkling water into crystal stemware. Mark settled in next to Jenna and picked up his menu.
“The osso buco here is excellent,” Scott remarked. “But you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.”
“Sounds amazing,” Jenna said. She looked around, finally relaxing enough to take in the aroma of garlic and herbs and the soft classical music playing from hidden speakers. The waiter came by with a basket of warm bread and a plate of what looked like pesto mixed with olive oil.
“So who’s the extra guest?” Scott asked, nodding to the empty chair beside him.
“Oh, my friend Chloe. She’s had a bit of a rough few days, so I invited her along. Thanks for being so flexible about that.” Jenna smiled at Scott.
“No problem, the more the merrier,” Scott replied. “We should get some wine, right?” He flagged down the waiter who was carrying a basket of bread to another table.
“You need to be drunk to put up with us, huh?” Mark teased.
“Nah, it’s a celebration!” Scott looked at Jenna. “You’re the first girl Mark has actually introduced me to in years. It’s like he’s embarrassed of me or something.”
“Well, I’m hoping she’ll be around for a while,” Mark said, reaching to hold Jenna’s hand under the table. “So don’t scare her off.”
Scott chuckled and shook his head.
The waiter arrived and Scott began talking wine-speak at him, pointing to the drink menu and going on about oakiness and whatnot. Mark squeezed Jenna’s hand, and she gave him a small smile. Scott was easy to talk to, at least. She settled back in her seat and reached for a piece of bread.
The hostess made her way back over to their table, and Jenna glanced up to see Chloe straggling along behind her, looking like a shadow of her typical vibrant self. There was a rawness to her expression, a hint of redness around her eyes that suggested recent tears.
Jenna’s chest tightened with concern as she watched her friend take a deep breath and plaster on a brave smile. Chloe gave a small wave, her hand trembling slightly, as she walked over to their table. She greeted everyone with, “Sorry I’m late, guys,” and slid into the seat next to Scott.
“Hey, Chlo,” Jenna said softly, trying to catch her friend’s eye, but Chloe was already turning her attention to Mark and Scott, making small talk as if nothing were amiss.
Jenna forced a smile, knowing she could get Chloe to open up later, away from prying eyes.
For now, she tried to focus on the easy banter flowing around the table.
“So who was the more outgoing one in high school?” Mark asked, and Jenna snorted.
“Chloe by far. She was pretty much the only one I talked to. Actually, that’s still the case,” she said, smiling at Chloe.
Chloe was avoiding eye contact with her, though, and Jenna couldn’t help but notice her forced smiles were becoming fewer and farther between.
Maybe inviting her to dinner with two men she didn’t know had been a bad idea.
It was clear she was still hurting. She had probably needed a girls’ night, and Jenna had royally screwed that up. It was too late now, though.
Luckily, both men appeared completely oblivious to the rising tension at the table, and Mark began recounting a humorous anecdote from his last trip to Europe. Jenna and Scott laughed along with him, but then Chloe’s voice cut through the laughter, sharp as broken glass.
“Must be nice,” she said, her tone laced with bitterness. “Not all of us can jet off to Europe on a whim. Some of us have to work for a living.”
Mark blinked, clearly taken aback. “Uh, yeah, I guess I’m lucky to have that freedom,” he replied diplomatically.
Chloe didn’t let up. “Freedom,” she snorted, taking a sip of her wine. “More like a license to be shallow. Meeting women on a sugar daddy website? Seems pretty superficial to me. You’ll want Jenna for a month or so and then you’ll move on to greener grass.”
Jenna’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
She knew Mark had told Scott how they met, but Chloe didn’t know Scott knew, and even if she did this was still the rudest possible way to bring it up.
“Chlo, what’s going on?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm, but Chloe ignored her.
Mark shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t exactly plan on meeting someone that way. Jenna and I just… connected.”
“Connected?” Chloe shot back, her blue eyes flashing with disdain. “I’m sure it had nothing to do with your bank account.”
Jenna felt a pang of frustration and worry. This wasn’t like Chloe at all.
“Chloe, stop it,” Jenna said firmly, reaching out to touch Chloe’s arm. “This doesn’t seem like it’s really about Mark or me. If you have something on your mind, let’s talk about it later, okay?”
Chloe’s eyes flickered with a mixture of defiance and exhaustion. She opened her mouth, ready to retort, but then closed it, her shoulders slumping. She downed the rest of her wine and mumbled, “Whatever. I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.”
“It isn’t like that, Chloe. Our feelings for each other are genuine. Mark has been nothing but kind and generous, and he’s treated me well,” Jenna felt her voice begin to quiver, and Mark moved his hand to her knee, squeezing it gently.
“Jenna, it’s okay,” Mark told her.
Scott shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable with the tension that had descended over the dinner. “Let’s just all take a deep breath,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re here to have a good time, right?”
Chloe turned to look daggers at Scott. “Sure. That’s all you men ever want is a good time. Forget about who gets hurt in the process. As long as your dick gets wet?—”
“Hey,” Scott said, in a tone firm enough that all three of them quieted and looked at him. His gaze was on Chloe. “That’s enough,” he told her. His eyes were gentle, but his voice was hard, and Chloe immediately blushed bright crimson.
Jenna had never seen her react like that. She seemed taken aback by Scott’s response, but there was something else in her expression too. Had Scott impressed her?
Reaching for her bag, Chloe quickly stood up. “I can see I’m ruining everyone’s good time tonight, so I’ll leave you all to have your dinner.”
Jenna could tell she was still trying to sound confident, but her earlier bravado had vanished, replaced by a shadow of vulnerability.
“Chloe!” Jenna called out, but her friend was already hurrying toward the exit.
Jenna began to push her chair back, but Mark touched her arm. “Just give her some space, baby. You can call her later.”
Jenna nodded. She knew he was right, although her heart was aching seeing Chloe like that. It felt wrong not to follow her.
“I’m sorry about that,” Jenna said to Scott. “She just went through a really hard breakup. That’s not how she usually is.”
“I completely get it,” Scott said, looking cool as a cucumber and like he hadn’t just witnessed a scene straight out of a soap opera. “Breakups are tough. I went through one myself a few months ago. I’d been with her for three years.”
“Yeah. Carly,” Mark chimed in. “What a shame that breakup was.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
“Mark never liked her,” Scott said, shaking his head.
“She acted like your mom. We’d go out for a drink, and she’d Facetime you every twenty minutes.”
“He’s exaggerating,” Scott said. “Anyway, I get how Chloe feels. Tell her there’s no hard feelings and we should all get dinner together soon.”
“I will,” Jenna said.
The waiter wandered tentatively over to their table, refilling their glasses with wine. He had obviously witnessed Chloe’s breakdown and had waited until everything looked settled to reappear.
“Will your guest be re-joining us?” he asked.
“No,” Jenna said somberly.
“Why don’t we order the charcuterie, and we’ll have another bottle,” Mark gestured to the wine on the table. “We can save a longer dinner for another time.”
“That sounds great to me,” Scott agreed, and the waiter nodded, hurrying away.
Jenna sighed in relief. She was grateful Mark was cutting the dinner short. He knew she would be distracted all evening thinking about Chloe, and the fact that he made that call for them was insanely attractive to Jenna. She would have to thank him for that later tonight.