Dale would be a lot more helpful if he answered his phone. Obviously, Junior has already done her homework on me. I need to find out a little more about her. He said he would call as soon as he heard from the private investigator. Then again, if he isn't answering my calls, who's to say if he is answering the detective's call either.
Until I did hear back from Dale, I decided to do a little digging of my own. The weekend security guard, Mike, said her name was Jessica Rider. JR. That's where the nickname came from. Other than that, he proceeded to read me the riot act about how I better be nice to her. Turns out Mike is also a fan of Junior's and not so much a fan of mine.
She doesn't have a social media presence. Which is odd. Most people her age have several accounts. Then again, if I was dating a married man, I would want to be discrete too. Her employee file didn't give away much. She had degrees from some obscure college in Georgia and her emergency contact is a friend named Missy Davis. So, obviously no family nearby. Other than that, I got zilch.
Well, not zilch exactly. I did have a text from my father ordering me to give her a lift to the party. It could give me the chance to find out more. Figure out what her game is.
The small conference room that doubled as her temporary office is at the end of the hall across from the breakroom. Unlike the large conference room with its floor to ceiling glass walls, this one is closed off from the rest of the offices. Even the door doesn't have a window. Probably to add more privacy. She did say it was set up for teleconferencing, so outside noise would be a distraction.
It was surprisingly roomy given its lack of interior windows. A large oval table occupied the center of the room with eight leather office chairs around it. Files and sticky notes covered most of the oak surface. A flat screen tv hung on the wall at the head of the table. A few portable white boards were pushed to the corner. Presumably for use during presentations. A couple reclining chairs on either side of a small round coffee table created an intimate sitting area in front of the wall of windows with a great view of the city.
Junior was sitting on the floor with her back against the window. She had pulled her hair up into a loose bun secured by a couple pencils. Her suit jacket was gone and her soft pink blouse was unbuttoned just enough to tease with the curve of her breasts. She had on reading glasses and was chewing on her bottom lip in concentration studying the file on her lap. I wonder if she went for the naughty librarian look on purpose.
I can see why my father is drawn to her. Beauty and brains considering all the business degrees she holds. She also works for one of the top agencies around. They had a reputation of only working with the best. So, how did she end up working with my dad? An agency like Executive Specialties would have canned her if they knew she was sleeping with a client.
One thing I do know is that my dad was a smart businessman. Sure, he was a crook and a cheat, but he was smart. He would have had to ask for her specifically to head the merger. Then to somehow be given the option to take over herself. That makes her a lot smarter than she looks or was she that good in bed? Of course, with a body like that, we might not make it to the bed.
Her skirt had slid up, revealing her creamy thighs. A man could explore those legs for days and never get bored. I would start just below her left knee. Then the other. Slowly following my hands up her thighs leaving a trail of wet kisses until my mouth caressed her wet panties. I could breathe her in with her legs over my shoulders right there in front of the window for the world to see.
Is she a moaner or a screamer?
"Joshua? Can I help you with something?"
Can she help me with something?! An image of her bent over the board room table flashed in my head. Her skirt up around her hips, my hands tangled in her hair as I was buried deep inside her. Crap. Just that image had me hard enough to pound concrete. Thank God for tailored suit jackets.
Is that how she does it? She purposely turns guys on with her act? Well, I'm not falling for it like my father. No matter what the rest of my anatomy thinks.
"I came to see if you were ready to go."
One second he is looking at me like I'm his favorite meal, then the next, stone cold. I must have imagined it. Then why do I feel like I need a cold shower?
Maybe Elle is right. I need to start dating again. Or start dating in general. I haven't dated since, well, my first year of law school. I had run into an old friend from high school, Richie. Though, I wouldn't exactly call what we did dating. More like friends hanging out. Eventually we got married. When he died four years ago, I was certain I would never date again. Especially after seeing Flynn again. Love, relationships, happily ever after are not in the cards for me. I know that.
Still, seeing my friends dating and having fun, makes me think about it. Seriously, if I'm going to be having this kind of reaction around a man, I should really consider taking my friends up on a few casual dates. Nothing serious. But then it just didn't seem right. After all, how do you explain that your whole life is a made up story and you are somebody else entirely? Ok, maybe not. Add another chapter to Witness Protection for Dummies.
"Go?" I ask.
"Yes, to the house. Mom is expecting us by six." He said impatiently.
I looked at my watch, "Oh, is it already that late. I'll call for a car." It was almost six already. Where had the time gone?
"No need. I'll drive you. Dad wants me to make sure you get there." His smile didn't hide the fact that he wasn't too happy about that.
"Um, sure. Give me a couple minutes to pack this up and I'll be ready. Do you want to meet me in the lobby?" I grabbed the pad of sticky notes hoping he would say yes. I was pretty sure my leg had gone numb from sitting on the floor and I didn't want to try to fix that with him watching.
"No, I'll wait." He said then he leaned against the door jam. So much for avoiding awkwardly getting up with an audience.
Maybe if I wiggle my foot a little the circulation will return.
I took my time writing a few notes and closing the files around me. My efforts to wake my leg back up wasn't exactly going as planned. And the way he was watching me wasn't helping my predicament. There is seriously no graceful way to get up off the floor with a numb leg.
Finally, I gave up and stacked the folders to the side then used the chair next to me to hoist myself up. Which almost worked except that the needles started in my leg as soon as the blood started flowing causing me to go back down. I would have landed on my butt except for the strong arms that helped me to my feet.
I wrapped my arms around his neck to steady myself. Joshua's spice scent enveloped me. I was mistaken earlier. His eyes were salted caramel with a dusting of gold flakes not chocolate. And I had that strange urge to lick the underside of his jaw again. I definitely need to get out more.
"Sorry," I took a step back and steadied myself with one of the chairs. "I must have sat still too long. Let me grab my shoes and we can get going. Don't want the guest of honor to be late for his own party."
I put on my jacket and slipped on my shoes. The tingling in my leg had mostly subsided, so I wasn't going to fall over like an idiot. Before I could grab my overnight bag, Joshua had it and was waiting by the door for me.
We walked in silence to the elevator. Which was probably a good thing. After all, the last conversation we had I basically told him to get over himself and make up with his dad. Like I'm the person to give out advice on parents.
The elevator ride was just as awkward. That stone glare and tight jaw were back. I wanted to snatch my bag from him but thought better of it. He obviously has some anger issues. If I didn't know any better, I would take it personally. Though, it probably has more to do with his ongoing feud with his dad. I wish I knew why he hasn't talked to Carlos in almost eight years. Not my business, I know. But Carlos and Luanna are the closest thing to family I have and seeing them hurting is difficult.
Joshua tossed my bag into the backseat of his black Trailblazer and climbed into the driver seat. So much for Texas manners. At least I won't be close enough to be tempted to lick him again. I opened the passenger door and slid in. I buckled my seatbelt and stared out the window. If he wanted to do silence, I was fine with that.
Despite the grumpy company, it was still nice to not have to drive. The sun had already set and driving at night was not on my list of things I wanted to do any time soon. The security guard nodded to us as we pulled out of the garage into the Houston traffic.
I have to admit, the city itself has grown on me. On this side of the city, there were less tall buildings and more open spaces. The local shops had a small town, main street feel. It was still early on a Saturday night, so the night clubs weren't open yet. A few couples walked down the sidewalk peeking in shop windows and ducking into favorite eateries. Yep, after four years, Houston was starting to feel as much like home as Belmont.
Would Belmont even feel like home once I get back? Richie was dead. He had family back there, but we were both too busy with our careers to spend more than an occasional holiday with them. My mom passed last year. I didn't even get to say goodbye. Lisa and Bobby were dead. I still wake in the middle of the night and swear I can smell smoke. The car bomb had been meant for all of us, but Abby and I had stayed behind to plan our birthday bash.
Abby. Abby was leading a double life I never knew about. She is the one who sent Flynn to rescue me. When he showed up at Richie's funeral, I almost didn't recognize him. The last time I had seen him he was yelling at me in a drunken rage to stay out of his life. The next thing I heard was he had deployed again and that was it. I never heard from him again. Until the funeral.
"Do you always bring an overnight bag to work?" Joshua's voice startled me. So much for the silent treatment.
"Only when I know I'm going to need it," I shrugged. "Sorry again about making you late for your own party."
"I'm sure my dad will forgive you," he said.
"It's not your dad I'm worried about. Your mom probably has everything planned down to the minute and I know better than to mess with one of her parties," I chuckled. Luanna was a force of nature wrapped in a tiny, colorful, Pacific Islander bow. I hope I have half her energy and good looks when I'm her age.
"So, you've been to one of my mom's parties before?"
"One or two," I said sarcastically. The woman lived to throw a party.
"Of course. You've worked with my father before. I'm just surprised he invited you out to the house," he said bitterly.
"Why does that bother you so much?" I turned to look at him. The streetlights gave his face a tighter appearance. I could see his jaw clenching. It didn't make sense to me. Unless he was somehow jealous of my relationship to Carlos.
"You know, you could have come home anytime. I'm not,"
"Whether or not I come home is none of your business," he snapped.
"Well, I'm making it my business," I snapped back. "Your dad needs you in his life and your mom,"
"You leave my mom out of this!"
"Obviously you have. Otherwise, you would care that it breaks her heart," I wanted to slap him or hit him over the head with something. The jerk.
"Ha! Like you care about my mother's feelings," he growled.
He slammed the car into park and got out.
That went well.
"There you are!" My mom shouted from the porch as I came up the walk. My parents had bought the mansion in River Oak when I was in middle school. It reminded me of the large plantation houses of the South with its large pillars and double oak doors that swung open to reveal a large foyer. It never really felt like home. Probably because I was spending most of my time at boarding school by then.
"I was worried something happened. You should call if you're going to be late." My mother wrapped her arms around me and gave me a tight hug. She hadn't changed a bit. She was five foot nothing of pure energy. Her long black hair had been pulled back into some fancy updo held in place by a large white flower.
I kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry, ran into a bit of a delay but I'm here now."
"Yes, you are." She straightened my tie and looked up at me with watery eyes. God, I hate how guilty I feel not telling her. I just can't be the one to break her heart. Not that avoiding her was any better. Maybe Junior was right. On that count anyway.
"You don't have time to change. Good thing you are so handsome." She patted my chest and smiled. "Now go mingle with your guests."
"My Jessie! You're here." Mom ran down the walkway and pulled Junior into a tight hug almost knocking her over. Then she grabbed Junior's bag and handed it off to one of the staff.
"I told you I would be here." Junior looped her arm through mom's and walked with her back towards the house.
"Always late. You remind me of Carlos with the hours you keep. You really need to take better care of yourself."
"I'm working on it. Sorry I made the guest of honor late." She nodded in my direction. "I completely lost track of time."
"Forgiven." Mom held Junior at arm's length and smiled, "My Jessie is home in one piece. You'll have to tell me all about the resort. How long can you stay?"
"Just til after breakfast." Junior gave my mom a quick hug and kissed her on the cheek, "We'll catch up later. Don't you have a party to run."
My mom spun around and saw me standing there watching. "What are you still doing out here? Go mingle. Both of you."
Junior shook her head, "I'll be there in a minute. I need to go freshen up."
"Of course. Take your time." Mom patted Junior on her arm then turned to me, "What are you doing still standing there? You have guests waiting."
Mom grabbed me by the arm and pulled me toward the house. By the time I looked back, Junior was rounding the corner of the building. I didn't see her again until later when she was standing with a few of my father's business associates laughing about some anecdote one of her admirers had said. She had changed her clothes to a black cocktail dress. The effect was definitely not lost on the men chatting with her.
I had been trapped into a conversation with some association president. I had no idea what the short balding guy was rambling on about. After being sucked into the vortex of business associates, political figures, and old classmates my brain had tuned most of the conversations out. The way my mom had greeted Junior kept playing over in my head. They were friends.
"Then she insisted on building the playground herself," the bald guy said in disbelief. "Can you believe it?"
"Sounds interesting," I answered automatically. I had no idea what he was talking about and didn't care. "If you will excuse me, I need to catch up with an old friend."
Bald guy turned to see who I was looking at. "Junior? I heard about her accident. Good to see she is back."
My gut sank. "What accident?"
"Drunk driver totaled her car right after Thanksgiving. I saw pictures of the car. She was lucky." Bald guy took a sip of his drink. "I figured you would know more about it than me. From what I remember, your mom and her friends practically took over the hospital."
"Right," I said. Now I know why it was bothering me. "Excuse me."
The problem with being the guest of honor at one of my mother's parties, is that everyone wants to talk to you. Every time I thought I was closing the gap between Junior and I, someone would stop me. By the time I had reached the other side of the patio, she was standing next to the small stage in deep conversation with my father. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it looked serious. Then he squeezed her hand and headed to center stage.
"Good evening." My father cleared his throat. "Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming out. My wife has asked me to say a few words and you know what that means." The crowd laughed. "Yep, I have no choice. Don't worry, I'll try to keep it brief."
"As many of you know, our son, Joshua, has been off blazing his own trail in Atlanta. Though, his mother wishes he would have visited more often, we couldn't be more proud of him." He paused and raised his glass. "Welcome home, son. We hope you will consider sticking around for a while." There were a few cheers and pats on my back as some of the guests joined in on the toast.
My father took a sip of his drink, then cleared his throat again. "I thought I would take this chance to clear up a few rumors." He winked at Junior and smiled. "Yes, I'm considering stepping away from the day to day business of the Carmen Company and Joshua might be part of that move. However, it is too early to say what is going to happen or how my retirement is going to look. All I can say is it is being discussed. I know that's not what some people want to hear. If it were up to Luanna, I would have retired years ago." That got a few laughs from the crowd.
"Seriously, the Carmen Company is more than just a business, it's family. We want to make sure that any changes will be what is best for that family. That means not rushing and doing it right. As we make decisions on the changes, we will be letting everyone in the Carmen family know. Until then, rest assured that the company will continue to grow and be there for generations to come."
He took another sip of his drink. "Now, before any of you go jumping to conclusions, this has nothing to do with my health. I'm happy to report that I am still cancer free." There were some cheers from the crowd. I felt like I was punched in the gut. Cancer? And he didn't even bother to call?
"The truth is, my bout with colon cancer made me realize a couple things. First, don't argue with my wife. She saved my life by making me take time to see a doctor. Early detection was why I made such a quick recovery. Second, don't take the people in your life for granted. I've spent so many years working to give my family a better life, that I missed out on the things that make life worth living. I'll never get that time back, but I'm hoping to make more time in the future. Starting with a dance with my wife." He winked at mom. "Now enjoy the music."
The band started back up as I caught up to my mom and dad at the corner of the stage. "Cancer? You never told me he had cancer."
"We didn't want to worry you." My mom reached for my hand but I pulled away.
"I'm not twelve, mom. You could have told me."
"Don't talk to you mother like that." My dad said angrily.
"Like you are one to talk." I bit back. "Is that the only reason you have been trying to get me back home? Because you are sick?"
"No. Full remission. I just thought,"
"You thought what. That you could buy me back into your life?" I yelled.
"I never told you to leave in the first place. That's on you." Dad poked me in the chest.
I clenched my fists. "You didn't have to. I knew I wasn't wanted around here."
"Stop it!" Mom whisper yelled at both of us. "Stop it right now, both of you. I'm done. Whatever it is with you two, you better figure it out." She said through gritted teeth. "Right now you have party guests," She pointed and glared at both of us in turn, "and you will be civilized."
She walked away leaving the two of us standing there glaring at each other. I dared him to say something else. All I needed was one reason to punch him in the face. If it wouldn't cause my mom so much pain, I would have. Instead, I turned to leave the party. It was more for them than me anyway. Like pretty much everything else in my life.
It looked like Junior had the same idea. She was sneaking off to the garden with a man. I couldn't tell who it was because he had his back turned to me. I decided to follow. What was it with her and these old guys?
So, Carlos still had his doubts about Joshua. Otherwise, he would have announced the merger. On one hand I could see it. Joshua did have some serious anger issues to work out. On the other hand, my gut was telling me he was a lot like his dad under neath. Way under. But still, he would step up once he saw the full picture.
I had told Carlos as much just before he made his speech. He said he was glad I thought that and that he wanted to be the one to tell Joshua about the other half of the business. Which I get. After all, how do you tell your son that you have been secretly working with a security company to hide victims, bring down bad guys, and generally help where regular channels can't. Oh, by the way, if we get caught, some of those grey areas could land us in prison or worse.
Given my current situation, I get why he wanted to protect his son. The problem is that the bad guys don't care if he knows or not. They don't even care if innocent bystanders get hurt. Three other people died when that car bomb killed Lisa and Bobby. Abby and I should have been in that car. We would have been if she hadn't insisted on one more drink.
We had been out at Murry's Pub having a few drinks and appetizers. Richie had been on duty that night, so it was just the four of us. We were talking about mine and Abby's annual birthday bash. We had celebrated our joint birthday together since, well, since I was old enough to hide out at Abby's house to avoid my mom's boyfriends.
We met Bobby and Lisa when I was in law school. Bobby was always destined to carry the VanBuren name into political fame. Lisa was always destined to be the ultimate politician's wife. Everyone knew they were well on their way to the Governor's mansion. With a stopover in Congress. Abby already had her second Doctorate by the time I made law school, but the four of us became inseparable. Even when our respective careers took off, we found time for each other.
Lisa had wanted to talk about the corruption case I was working on. Not only because she was a busy body, but because the case all started with her overhearing one of Bobby's assistants talking about crooked cops, taking out a local official and blaming a low-level drug dealer named JT. Lisa told me and Bobby. I told Abby and Richie.
Of course, Richie said to leave it alone until he had a chance to check it out. Like that would happen. Abby and I started our own digging. After all I was an assistant DA and she was a genius. Bobby told Lisa she must be mistaken, but the woman was determined to make sure Bobby's name didn't get associated with some scandal. She joined Abby and I in our snooping. We were like the Three Musketeers on a mission to bring down the bad guys and clear her husband's name.
I found out later that Bobby confronted one of the suspects to get the story. That's when things started taking a turn for the worse. Evidence disappeared. Witnesses came up dead. We knew we were close but couldn't prove anything. Death threats disguised as helpful advice came from some surprising sources. Including my boss. Stubbornly, I kept at it.
Especially after that night. That night I hugged my two friends and watched them run across the street through the January slush laughing and holding hands. Abby linked her arm with mine as we turned toward the warmth of the patio heaters. Then, BOOM! We were knocked to the ground.
My ears were ringing. I pulled myself up and watched in horror as my friends burned in their car. People were running everywhere. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Someone pulled Abby and I away to safety. From there it was all a haze of police, EMTs, and doctors. I had sustained a concussion in the blast. I didn't even know about the other victims until days later.
There are nights when I wake up to the smell of rancid smoke and my head pounding.
"Hey, Junior, you have a minute?" Roberto asked, jolting me out of the memory. "Take a walk with me."
"What?" Then it dawned on me what he had said. "Sure."
He nodded toward the garden path off the back patio. A private talk in the garden and he wasn't even trying to sound chipper. This was not going to be good. My stomach was already tied in knots and he hadn't said a thing.
We walked to the edge of the garden. Far enough away from the party that no one could overhear but close enough the lights and music still made it to where we were. Roberto looked around and motioned for me to have a seat on one of the benches.
"No, thank you," I said quietly. Resigned to hearing more bad news. "It's been a long day, so, just tell me."
Four years.
"I wanted to let you know that the accident was just that, an accident. Turns out the guy had been out celebrating a little too much." This implied that he had been worried that it was no accident.
Roberto did a lot of legal work for Archangel, so he knew my story and was the one keeping me up to date on the case. Being in the legal field, he was able to get access to some information without drawing suspicion.
"I already know he was driving on a suspended license with no insurance. So, that's not the reason you wanted to talk. Out with it," I said.
"Even though the accident had nothing to do with your case, you need to be careful." He looks around to make sure no one is listening then leans in closer. "Peter Sarducci was killed a week ago in a prison fight."
Peter Sarducci was known as Repeat Pete by most everybody. He was known in the neighborhood as the guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy. Anything you want, he could put out the feelers for the right price. He was also known for getting caught for petty theft and drug possession. Most times he bargained his way to a lessor charge by sharing information. It was no surprise Pete had gotten himself killed.
"Ok," I said slowly. "So, what is the rest of the story? Pete wasn't exactly a popular guy."
"Before Pete went, he gave up a name, Arthur Makenzie. The rumor was he was the person you call to do your house cleaning. They think he is the one who tried to clean your house." Roberto waited a minute for it to register. Makenzie was the hit man that killed Lisa and Bobby and was supposed to kill Abby and myself.
"Well, that is good news. They don't need Pete if they have the cleaner," I said hopefully. Maybe they were making progress.
"That was what they thought too. Until he gave the guys the slip." Roberto gently grabbed my hand. "He was found yesterday with a couple extra holes in him. That means,"
"That means that whoever put the hit out on me, might know someone is on to them," I interrupted.
"Or worse. They may know he screwed up and you are still alive." He paused, rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Archangel is looking into it to see if you're safe. Until then I don't suppose you would consider going back on vacation." He said the last part hopefully.
Roberto was a really sweet guy. I know he really cares about my safety. I also know that he was aware that I wasn't leaving. Not when we are this close. Plus, I had the business issues with Carlos. That merger going sideways could cause problems for other Archangel clients or their guys in the field. That could get other people killed. I couldn't sacrifice them for me.
"Look, I know you mean well. But let's face it, the guys really haven't been having much success when it comes to my case. It's been four years since, since. Since that day. Maybe this is a good thing. If they do know where I'm at, maybe it will draw them out. Make them screw up." Then I could go home.
Except Lisa, Bobby and Richie wouldn't be there. My fault.
"That's too risky. You could get hurt." He whispered, looking around to see if anyone heard.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take. Living in limbo is worse than the alternatives at this point."
"I thought you were starting to like it here. You know you would miss me." He gave me his most charming smile. At least he knew when not to argue.
"I am starting to like it here. That's the problem. I'm living a lie. That lie could get my new friends killed and I can't even warn them. I couldn't take that again."
"Look, just hang tight for a few days. OK?" He patted my hand. "I'll know more soon."
I nodded. What was a couple more days in the grand scheme right? It's fine. Everything is fine.
"Good. I'll see what I can do." Roberto gave me a quick hug. "I know it's tough. I've got your back. Hang in there. Come on, I'll get you another drink."
"No. I just need a minute. You go on back to the party." I gestured with my head to the music and laughter on the patio. "I saw your wife in the crowd. I'm sure she would rather dance than let you talk business all night."
"You sure?" He looked at me concerned.
"Yah." I smile like the trooper I am. A few more days. "I'm fine. Just a little tired. I think I'll call it a night."
I watch his back as he disappears into the crowd of party goers. Could it really be over soon? I could go home. My stomach felt empty at the thought. About as empty as my old life. Other than Abby and a handful of people that deserved the truth, there wasn't much of that life left. I would be getting justice. I could go back to being a prosecutor. Maybe make District Attorney. All these years. Could I walk back into that life? And what about my friends here? How are they going to feel knowing my life was a lie?
The man Junior was talking to was Roberto Perez. He has been the family lawyer for years. He and my father had grown up in the same neighborhood. I don't think they knew each other back then. Roberto was a few years younger. But dad had always brought up the fact that he and Roberto had gotten out of the hood. That was probably one of the reasons he hired him. My father was all about giving people a chance if they were trying to get out.
Of course, he was also a good lawyer. Which made me question what those two were talking about. Either she really had something for old guys or it was about the company. Maybe both. Would Roberto sell out my dad for a pair of nice legs? He didn't seem the type but then again, I've seen grown men do a lot worse for a beautiful woman.
Whatever it was, it must not have been something she wanted to hear. I watched to see if she would follow him back to the party. Instead, she stood there looking lost. That was the best way to describe it. Lost. Not angry. Not Sad. Just lost.
I should go back to the house and leave her to her thoughts. Except, one thing had been rolling around in my head since we arrived at the party.
"My Jessie." I said as I came closer.
She jumped at the sound of my voice, "What?" Junior blinked a few times. "I don't think we know each other that well."
"No, you're 'My Jessie'. That's what my mom calls you."
Junior waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, yes, she is the only one in my life who calls me that. Ok, almost the only one. I have a few friends who thankfully don't call me Junior."
That lost look flashed across her face for an instant then was replaced by that big cheerleader smile.
"So, you're 'my Jessie'?" I used air quotes for emphasis.
"Yes, we established that," she chuckled.
"Sorry, it's just taking a minute to register that you are the same person my mom talks about"
"On your Tuesday morning calls?" She asked. "I didn't know. Though I'm not surprised. I'm sure she talks about all of us."
"You know about the calls?" I ask.
She nodded, "Every Tuesday morning like clockwork. At first it irked me. I thought you were one of those guys who was too busy to think about his mom so you had to schedule her in like a dentist appointment. Then I realized it was at the same time as Carlos's weekly meeting. You were just trying to avoid your dad. Which is almost just as bad but not quite."
There she goes again taking my father's side. She has no idea what kind of guy he is. Either that or she just doesn't care. Then to be 'My Jessie'. The person my mom goes on and on about. Heck, I'm surprised mom hasn't given her my old room. That's how much my mom adores this woman and she's conspiring with my dad.
"Does she know your secret?" I ask.
"What?!" Her voice went up an octave and she looked surprised that I knew.
"It's ok. I won't tell her if you do something for me." I whisper in her ear.
She eyed me suspiciously, "What is it? And please nothing creepy, I'm really trying to like you for your father's sake."
I let that last part slide, "Tell me what you and Roberto were talking about just now."
"Roberto?" she laughed uneasily, "He's my lawyer. We had a little bit of a setback, but I'm sure it will all work out."
Setback like not getting her hands on dad's company? "Hope it's nothing serious," I tried to look concerned. "You looked a bit upset."
She waved it off, "It's nothing. I'm just tired. It's been a long day and the news brought back some bad memories."
"Bad memories?"
"From the crash," she rushed.
I could tell she was hiding something. That meeting was definitely not about the crash. "Right, the crash. The guy isn't suing you, is he?"
She shook her head, "Nothing like that. Turns out he is a repeat offender with no insurance."
"So, there is nothing else I should know?"
"Well, there was a bit of troubling news." Junior paused to study me. Like she was trying to read my mind. See how much she wanted to tell me.
"What was that?" I prodded.
"He told me Peter was dead."
The way she looked at me. It was like I was supposed to know who this Peter was. Since I don't, I'll have to add that to the information to give to the private investigator. Maybe this Peter guy was an old friend. Or accomplice.
"Was he a friend?" I asked.
"No," she shook her head, "just someone he thought would help with my case."
She touched her head. "Look, I'm sorry. It's been a long day and my head is starting to hurt."
"Why don't I walk you back to the guest house. I'll tell mom you needed some rest."
Junior looked like she was going to argue but changed her mind with a sigh, "Thank you."
The way she said it. Like the weight of the world was on her shoulders and she was exhausted. Which didn't make sense. Actually, a lot of it didn't make sense. How could she be my mom's Jessie and be my dad's mistress? That would take a cold-hearted woman. Except my gut was telling me she wasn't cold-hearted. Trust me, I've dealt with enough cold-hearted women to know one when I see one.
She was definitely hiding something and lying about it. There was definitely something going on with her and my dad. Whatever Roberto had to say was part of it. And, whatever was going on wasn't good. Especially for me.
The weird thing was I had this overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms and hold her until whatever was bothering her was over. I blame my mother's stories about Jessie for that.
Still, the only way to find out what was going on and keep my father's company was through her. As long as she didn't trust me, that was going to be a problem.
"I'm sorry I was such a jerk earlier today. This coming home thing. Well, all of it. I haven't really been." I ran my hands through my hair. Frustrated.
"Are you trying to say you're an ass when you're under a lot of stress? Most guys are. I don't take it personally." She patted me on the arm. When I covered her hand with mine and held it to my forearm, she didn't pull away. Progress?
I chuckled. "I guess you deal with a lot with your job."
"It doesn't help when the guys all introduce me as Junior," she shook her head. "It tends to annoy the poor schmuck who isn't in on the joke. Though, you might want to take it down a notch around your mom. I can see it worries her."
My gut churned when she mentioned my mom. Could she be sleeping with my father and pretending to be my mom's friend? "She told me about the accident. How are you doing?"
We stopped in the doorway of the guest house. "Better. Mostly healed." She tapped her temple. "Looks like I'll only get a small scar out of it. Guess I was lucky."
I couldn't resist lifting her chin to look at her face. I moved her hair to the side and lightly traced the cut on her temple. Maybe she was telling the truth about Roberto. Maybe what was going on with her and my dad wasn't what I thought. Maybe. Whatever she was, she was definitely beautiful.
There was a slight tremble then she leaned into my touch sending electricity to my lower half. I don't know her story or the secrets she is keeping. She might be out to destroy my whole world for all I know. Somehow that made me want her more.
"Jessie." Her name sounded good on my lips.
Her tongue darted across her lips and I couldn't resist just a little taste. I wanted to hear that soft sigh again, so I pulled her closer. I knew I was playing with fire. I didn't care. When she wrapped her arms around my neck and presser her body against mine, I was gone. Her tongue met mine stroke for stroke. I plunged my hands into her hair, pulling her closer.
The sound of people heading for their cars pulled me out of the spell. I rested my forehead to hers and worked to catch my breath. I smiled at the fact that her breathing was just as heavy as mine. Whatever was game she was playing, it was going to be fun to find out.
"Joshua, I," she pushed back away from me.
"Jessie?" I wanted to pull her back into my arms, but the moment was gone.
"Joshua," she stammered and reached for the doorknob behind her. "I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened. We work together."
I took a step back. More to keep myself from trying to convince her otherwise, than for her. She was right, though. My dad's company was at stake and I wasn't going to get distracted by a pair of blue-green eyes. Isn't it funny how this morning I couldn't care less about that damn company and now I'm looking forward to fighting for it.
I put my hands in my pocket and took another step back. "Goodnight, Jessie."
I stood there staring at the closed door after she went inside. I didn't want to go back to the party. I didn't want to go to the rented apartment. Going through the door in front of me would be a huge mistake. So, I went for a drive.