Chapter 51 Lexi
LEXI
We arrived at the North Cove Marina, and I could see the yacht waiting at the dock, illuminated against the night sky. The yacht was stunning, with polished white fiberglass and gleaming dark teak, on grey-blue water. I never thought I’d step foot on something like this in my life.
As I walked across the deck, my white dress swaying around my legs, I noticed other men glancing my way. Then I felt Jonah’s arm wrap around my slender frame, pulling me closer to him. There was something possessive in the gesture, a silent message to the other men watching.
Despite the earlier tension I’d sensed from Jonah, I felt him relax a little as he introduced me to some of the people he knew.
There was something nice about being here with him, seeing how the people he knew responded to me.
I enjoyed the way he took my hand in his while people watched, which was different from how we had to hide in public usually.
In the distance, I noticed an older man turn from his conversation with a friend, his attention caught by something behind me.
The man’s face lit up with happiness when he spotted Jonah, and he beckoned him closer with a warm gesture. “Jonah,” his man said, extending his arms as he clasped Jonah’s hands. “I’m glad to see you here.”
“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Lexi Haley,” Jonah said, pulling me closer. “She’s someone very special to me,” Jonah held my gaze as he spoke, the warmth in them undeniable. “Lexi, this is Ed Walkers.”
His father smiled at me, his gray eyes resting on me briefly. He gave me a curious look, possibly wondering if he should recognize me from somewhere. But he seemed to decide against it because he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lexi. Do we have you to thank for getting Jonah out to meet us?”
I smiled. “I think the credit is completely his,” I said.
His dad laughed. “Well, perhaps Jonah is finally interested in his old dad after all,” he said.
I frowned. Jonah was always interested in spending time with his dad.
I turned and caught a look of disappointment on Jonah’s face before he covered it up.
Before I could say anything, I saw someone who made my heart skip a beat.
Cora stood near the bar in a deep blue silk dress, holding a champagne flute elegantly in her manicured fingers, while she spoke to another older man. Her eyes strayed to us and they froze on Jonah.
I felt him go rigid beside me.
“Jonah.” Cora’s smile was brief as she and the other gentleman walked up to us, her gaze sliding from him to me and back again. “What a lovely surprise. And you brought a guest from the office, how... thoughtful.”
She emphasized those last words just enough. Ed was deep in conversation with the other gentleman and didn’t hear. I had no doubt Cora would let him know later tonight.
“Cora.” Jonah’s voice was barely controlled. “I was told you wouldn’t be attending.”
From the way his voice changed, I knew he was thinking through the ramifications of what would happen after tonight. God. I didn’t want him to regret anything about this evening.
“Plans change, darling.” She took a sip of champagne, her eyes glittering. “Ed asked me to come at the last minute. You know how he hates disappointing people.” Her gaze landed on me, assessing.
“Lexi, you’ve met Cora before,” Jonah said curtly.
“Nice to see you again,” I said, extending my hand, but Cora ignored my outstretched hand completely. Next to me, I felt Jonah stiffen.
“Shake her hand, Cora,” he muttered, moving closer to me. His voice had an icy edge to it.
Cora kept her gaze on him, evaluating his mood, and perhaps her own appetite for confrontation, before she finally took my hand in hers. The handshake was brief, with her fingers barely grazing mine. She showed no sign of remorse.
She let go just as Ed turned back to Jonah, who still hadn’t taken his furious eyes off Cora.
Ed clapped Jonah on the back and turned him around to look at the view. The lights of New York City twinkled in the background, as the yacht glided over the Hudson River, cutting through the water effortlessly.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Ed asked. “Makes me wish I were younger and could go back to the good old days of scuba diving again. Remember how you used to love it?”
I watched Jonah for a second while he answered.
“Carrying all that gear?” Jonah responded. “I hated it. I preferred free diving, remember?”
But his dad had already moved on. “Come, son. There are some people I want you to meet. One of them is very curious about that VC firm you used to run with your friend, Alfred; Lead Capital Group, wasn’t it?”
I hadn’t missed the quick conversation change to work.
“Yes, with Alex,” Jonah corrected, tension creeping into his voice despite his hand remaining steady in mine. “Alex, Desmond, and Sean. And yes, going back there is definitely still on my radar.”
We followed his dad as he led the way.
“I hope none of these people are board members,” Jonah said quietly, a wry edge to his tone as we approached the group. “The last thing I need is to look like I’m campaigning for CEO votes.”
“Thankfully, none of the people here are from the board,” Ed said, stopping in front of a group of people.
After the introductions were made and the men began discussing business, Cora gave me an interested look.
“I met you just outside the company bathroom, didn’t I?” Cora asked in a low voice, recalling that incident perfectly.
I gave a small laugh, hoping I didn’t look too nervous. “Yes.”
Her brow arched, and her eyes drifted toward Jonah, who was shaking hands and making polite conversation with the surfer gentleman and two other party guests.
Cora turned slightly toward me, her voice so low that it was almost lost beneath the music and conversation around us. “You should know, Jonah doesn’t bring women to events like this. If you’re here, it’s deliberate.”
“I know,” I said. My fingers tightened slightly into a fist.
She studied me for a long moment, and I had the sense I was being weighed, but not in a cruel way.
“And are you prepared for what comes with it?” she asked softly.
I swallowed, but didn’t flinch. “I am.”
Cora gave a faint smile then, the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Good. Nice meeting you, Lucy,” she said, walking away.
“It’s—” I began and then stopped myself. Why did I even bother?
I looked over at Jonah, who stood, talking to a few of his father’s friends, all of them older than him.
I loved watching Jonah interact with others and getting to observe him.
But that night, the more I saw, the more concerned I felt.
I’d seen him with his family, and I’d seen him around me.
I could tell the difference in Jonah’s behavior.
He wasn’t completely himself here. His smile was stiffer, his body and shoulders tense.
His words and voice were clipped while he spoke.
He turned to catch my gaze, and his expression softened. In a minute, he excused himself and came over to me.
“Find some new investors?” I asked, realizing that I was talking about it like one might ask if someone got a good head of vegetables at the market that day.
He nodded. “Kevin Stiles, my dad’s old colleague, is interested. I’ll have to set up a meeting with him sometime. But I’d much rather be here with you,” he said.
I smiled as I held his gaze, and he kept looking at me. My cheeks felt warm, and I wondered what Jonah was reading on me and my behavior tonight. It was blatantly obvious how different I was from his family and his type of people.
“So that was your dad,” I said as Jonah and I grabbed drinks.
“Yes, I hope he doesn’t scare you off.”
“Scared of your dad?” I shook my head. “If I wasn’t scared of you, why would I be scared of him? You have the same look on you,” I said. “That look of stern determination whenever you want something.”
He laughed. “Did you see it on me when I pursued you?” he asked, drawing me to him.
“You? Pursue me?” I laughed and shook my head.
“That did happen,” he said, breaking my laughter with a kiss that was sweet and soft. “I’ve got you here, haven’t I?”
I grinned. But I was glad I had gotten to meet his family. “You told me a while ago that your dad was important to you, and I see it now.”
“Well,” he muttered out of the side of his mouth, “he’s the only person in my family who likes me. When he has the time for me, that is.” His voice faltered. “His health hasn’t been so great, so they live in Wyoming now instead of his New York apartment like he used to.”
My gaze rested on Cora, who looked our way briefly before turning away. Jonah followed my gaze.
“She’s a piece of work,” I breathed out.
“I apologize for the way she behaved, Lexi,” he said immediately. “I saw how she ignored you.”
I turned around to see Cora talking to her companions easily while Jonah’s breath was on my ear.
“It just seems strange,” I muttered. “The way she speaks to you so dismissively.”
He drew a deep breath before nodding. “My father’s wife and I have a tacit understanding to stay out of each other’s way whenever possible.
My dad is pretty oblivious to it. Or if he knows, he doesn’t want to deal with the drama.
But I wish she would stop trying to separate my dad and me.
It … it hurts since he is the only family I have left. ”
I could understand. It was the way I felt about my mom. Misguided and addicted though she was, I had a daily struggle of wishing she had been a better mom to me and a reliable grandparent to Evie. I still hadn’t sent her the money she’d been badgering for… and perhaps that was a good thing.
His expression was disturbed. “I don’t want you to worry about this, Lexi.”
I couldn’t help it. Especially since it concerned him. The fact that people with power over him would emotionally torment him like this upset me.