Chapter 11
Jason
Gemma’s sultry smile and revealing black number, does nothing to ease the tightening in my pants as we wait in line at the movies for our tickets.
She spent the entire drive to the cinema purposefully teasing me, her fingertips lightly grazing my arms, while warm, wet kisses trailed along my neck and jaw.
There were moments I honestly thought we’d never get here on time, half-expecting to turn back and drive to her place to finish what she intentionally started. But thankfully I managed to hold back with just enough self-control, knowing we’d have the whole night ahead to savour one another.
It’s our second official date, and this time Gemma insisted on something more low-key with a lot less walking after the first date left her with sore, blistered feet. We just finished dinner at an Italian restaurant, and now we’re about to watch a movie together.
“You’ve got a choice of horror or action,” I say to her, hoping she’ll go for the latter.
She glances up at the monitor, squinting at the movie times for the evening, and lets out a sigh. “Hmm… I don’t recognise any of these new releases, so I’ll let you decide.”
After settling on the latest Marvel movie, I quickly pay for our tickets, along with some snacks and drinks, before heading towards the usher.
A gangly young man with ginger hair scans our tickets and points us to the direction of our cinema.
Taking Gemma’s hand with my free one, I guide us towards Cinema Five, relieved that we’ll be watching the movie on the larger screen.
“Jason?” a sweet, velvety female voice suddenly calls out from behind me.
I whip around and, to my astonishment, it’s Mila, looking jaw-dropping in a sky-blue strapless dress that perfectly hugs all her curves. But she’s not alone.
Next to her stands a tall, blond man, sharply dressed and seemingly around her age, studying me with a curious expression.
I take a quick moment to size him up, my eyes immediately catching his hand holding tightly onto Mila’s.
Undeniably he’s a handsome guy with a preppy vibe that screams money, a type I can’t help but think Gemma would be better suited for.
“Mila? What a surprise to see you here!” I exclaim, my face alight with a genuine smile.
Without thinking, I release Gemma’s hand and pull Mila into a tight hug, ignoring the glare from the man beside her.
He doesn’t let go of her hand—instead, his grip tightens, like he’s holding her on a leash. Possessive much?!
She giggles and gives me a little squeeze before pulling away. “Yeah, we wanted to watch the new Marvel movie that came out this week.”
“No way, what a coincidence. We’re watching it too.” I chuckle.
Gemma clears her throat, snapping me back to reality, and I realise I’d momentarily forgotten she was beside me.
“Mila, this is Gemma, my date. Gemma, this is my friend Mila. We’ve known each other for years. Her sister’s a good friend of mine.”
Mila gives a small wave and a closed lip smile. “Nice to finally meet you, Gemma.
Jason’s mentioned so much about you.”
“Oh? I hope they’re all good things.” Gemma grins at me as our eyes meet.
“Of course! Nothing but the sweetest things.”
I glance over at the other guy, noticing he’s still quietly watching me. Deciding to break the ice first, I offer my hand to his. “Hey, I’m Jason.”
He stares at my hand for a moment, hesitation flickering in his eyes, before finally shaking it.
“I’m Dean, Mila’s date,” he announces in a deep, confident voice, sliding an arm around her waist as if staking his claim.
I don’t know what it is, but the gesture sparks a fierce urge in me to yank his arm away.
She’s not yours, Jason, she’s not yours!
“Jase is my boss actually. I babysit his son every second week,” she informs Dean.
“He’s my boss too! I’m his newest bartender,” Gemma adds.
I’m about to chime in, when I hear Dean scoff like an immature, arrogant little prick.
“So what they’re essentially implying is that you only hire young, attractive women, hey old man?” he quips, fixing me with a self-satisfied look.
What the fuck did he just say? “Dean,” Mila warns, her gaze sharp and her brow furrowed.
Meanwhile, my jaw tightens and every muscle in me goes taut at his subtle jab. As much as I crave wiping that smug expression from his face, I remind myself he isn’t worth a stint behind bars.
Shrugging off his feeble insult, I keep my voice even.
“Actually,” I say, “if you must know, I only hire the most competent and hardworking people. Their appearance, age, or background doesn’t matter to me.
What does matter are their core values, with respect at the very top—something I’m sure you understand. ”
Dean drops his gaze, a flicker of embarrassment betraying him despite his attempt to conceal it. That’s right you pathetic, disrespectful little fucker!
I glance back at Mila and instantly notice the slight curl of her lips. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s pleased with my response or because I just put her moron of a date in his place.
When Dean looks back at me, the arrogance that was once there is now gone. His lips tighten together, as he offers a small nod. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to come off as disrespectful. It’s just, one would think you’d have a very specific criteria for new employees.”
“I assure you, Dean,’ I retort, my voice sharp and cutting, “my recruitment practices are entirely ethical, and are quite frankly, none of your concern.”
He throws his hands up in surrender. “My mistake, bro. It’s nothing personal.”
Mila’s sharp clap, followed by a nervous laugh, breaks the heavy tension in the air.
“Well, as much fun as this conversation has been, the movie’s about to start, so we should probably head to our seats,” she says, gazing up at Dean with a pleading look. He gives her a soft, reassuring smile and nods, then slips an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the cinema door.
Gemma and I trail quietly behind, and I can tell how unsettled she is from the whole exchange—she hasn’t said a word. This isn’t a side of me I want anyone to witness. I’m usually calm and composed, yet there’s something about Dean that sets my blood boiling.
As we reach the threshold of the cinema, I suddenly remember the question I meant to ask her last Sunday, right before she rushed out of my house.
“Hey, Mila!”
She and Dean spin around to face me, his arm still locked tightly around her shoulders like a vice.
“What’s up?”
“I just realised I forgot to ask you last week—would you like to come to Jake’s preschool graduation next Wednesday?
He really wants you there, but I thought I’d check with you first to make sure it’s okay.
The whole family will be there too—his mum and both grandparents—so it’d be a perfect chance for you to meet everyone. ”
Her face breaks into the most beautiful smile, and she nods eagerly. “Of course I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Great, I’ll text you the details tonight. Jake is going to be thrilled!”
The booming sound of music blares from the speakers, signalling the start of the movie ads. We all wave goodbye to each other and head off in different directions towards our seats.
Mila and Dean sit a couple of rows ahead, close enough for me to see the way he draws her intimately against his side, her head nestling between his neck and shoulder.
A surge of jealousy courses through me, and the impulse to storm over there and rip him off her consumes me.
But I hold myself back. I have no right to behave that way.
She’s here with a date, and so am I. So I need to stop treating her as if I somehow have a claim on her, like some wild, possessive caveman.
I sink back into my chair, searching for a comfortable position.
Gemma leans in, her head coming to rest against my shoulder, and I instinctively wrap an arm around her.
I fix my gaze on the screen, forcing my attention to the ads flickering across it.
Only, I can’t concentrate; even halfway through the movie, my attention hasn’t stopped drifting towards Mila and Dean, cosied up together, laughing and feeding each other popcorn like sappy lovebirds.
Dean’s arm remains tightly around Mila, while she presses in closer, almost as if she’s lying against him.
I’m so caught up in the two of them that I don’t even feel the warm hand rubbing against my groin. It’s only when she calls my name that I quickly snap out of my daze.
“Everything okay, Jason?” Gemma asks.
I glance over at her, catching the faint trace of worry in her eyes.
Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, I meet her gaze and offer a gentle, reassuring smile.
“Everything’s fine, babe. It’s just a little crowded in here and I don’t want anyone to see us.
Let’s just wait until we get to your place, okay? ”
She gives a small nod, though doubt still lingers in her expression. I lean down and kiss her softly on the lips, then slightly adjust my position so she’s tucked comfortably under my arm.
Throughout the movie, my eyes shift between the screen, Mila, and her date. The more I watch them getting closer and more affectionate, the more irritated I feel.
By the time the movie ends and we file out of the cinema, two thoughts ring loud and clear in my mind: 1) Mila deserves so much better; and 2) I absolutely can’t stand that dickhead Dean.