by K. C. Crowne
I groaned. “Do I have to go?”
“Yes,” Molly said sternly. “You ditched me last month. You said you’d make it up to me by buying me a pitcher.”
“But—”
“You pinky promised, Viv. I won’t take no for an answer.” Molly grabbed my purse out of the bottom drawer of my desk and gave it to me. “Come on. Up you go. It’s Friday! You need to learn to relax a little. I swear to God you’d live at work if you could.”
I sighed, reluctantly getting up to pull on my jacket. “Alright, alright. I’m going.”
Molly winked at me. “I’ll meet you there.”
“You better not change my desktop background again,” I said over my shoulder as I left for the day.
“No promises!” she replied with a giggle.
Chapter 2
Jesse
Ava showed me yet another picture of her daughter on her phone. Don’t get me wrong. Cassie was cute as far as babies went, but this was officially the second straight hour of show-and-tell and I was, quite frankly, over it.
“We’re thinking of enrolling her into baby swimming lessons,” Theo said with a hint of pride.
“Isn’t two a little young?” I asked flatly. I may or may not have checked out of the conversation two beers ago. I was now nursing my third, but it still didn’t give me enough of a buzz to safely endure the evening.
I loved my niece very much, but this was supposed to be our big night out, a chance to let loose. Cory and Cassie were over at a friend’s house being babysat, which gave us adults the rare opportunity to catch up, especially now that Theo worked from home as a security consultant. I tried to give him an office at Pegasus Star Security, but he wouldn’t bite. Mentioned something about wanting to spend more time with the family, yada yada yada…
“She’s got a lot of energy,” Ava continued, smiling at the picture of her daughter. “It might help to tucker her out so things are easier when we get home.”
I chuckled. “I’m glad my kid’s all grown up.”
“How is Wally?” Theo asked. “I haven’t heard you complain about him in forever.”
“I don’t complain.”
“When is he going to hurry up and move out?” Theo mocked. “I should start charging him rent. All he does is play videogames all day.”
I sniffed. “I don’t sound like that.”
“Yes, you do,” Ava mumbled quietly, sipping her pretty pink cocktail.
I finished my third beer and pushed my glass away. When the waitress eyed it questioningly, I shook my head and sent her on her way. It might have been a Friday, but I still had to get to the office first thing tomorrow morning. I knew my limit.
“Doesn’t he have to take the MCAT soon?” Theo asked.
I nodded stiffly. “Yeah, but he hasn’t been making use of the tutor I hired him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sit down and study.”
“How are his grades?” Ava asked cautiously.
“Let’s just say I don’t know how he hasn’t flunked out yet. Wally needs to start applying himself or…” I trailed off, running a hand through my hair.
My son was a good kid. I knew he was smart. He was top of his class in high school. I couldn’t be prouder when he graduated with all those scholarships and bursaries. Whatever his scholarships didn’t cover, I’d foot the rest of the bill provided he kept his grades up and got into a good pre-med college program. Now we were in his fourth and final year, but with the way things were going, I was genuinely worried that he was dropping the ball.
“What does Melissa have to say about it?” Theo asked.
I glared at him. My ex-wife was a touchy subject. If he were anyone else, I would have told him to fuck right off. But Theo and I went way back. We served together, worked together. He was the closest thing to a brother I had, apart from my actual brother, Devin, but the metaphor still stood.
“Everything out of that woman’s mouth is a jab at me,” I retorted. “She thinks I’m being too hard on him, but what does she know? She skipped off to Florida with that son of a bitch when Wallace was eleven and left me to do all the parenting. What she has to say holds no weight.”
Theo smirked. “Need another drink, bud?”
“No.”
He gave me a knowing look.
“Fuck it, fine,” I grumbled and waved down the waitress. One more beer wouldn’t kill me.
Ava smiled gently. “I’m sure everything will work out. Maybe he’s doing all his studying at school?”
“Doubt it. He’s been skipping classes lately.”
“Aren’t you at work all the time?” Theo asked. “How would you know? You’re not having one of the boys tail him, are you?”
“I don’t use my employees to keep tabs on my son. That’s ridiculous.” My fresh beer arrived, and I took a heavy swig. I could sense the faintest trace of a buzz coming on. I hated that I’d built up such a heavy tolerance over the years. What I wouldn’t give to be twenty-one and a lightweight again, just for the night. Just for this conversation.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.”
“I can just tell,” I said. “When I ask him how his day is, he avoids eye contact.”
“That could mean a lot of things.”
“I know my boy. He’s hiding something, and I think it’s that he’s been ditching class. He’s always home by the time I get back, and I know for a fact that his last class is a three-hour lecture that should end at ten in the evening.”
“Maybe his professor’s been letting them go early?” Ava suggested.
“Every class for a whole semester?”
Her brow furrowed. “Okay, you might have a point.”
I gave a little bow. “Thank you.”
Theo’s phone pinged twice, alerting him to a text message. He reached into his pocket to pull his phone out, squinting at the screen in order to read. “That’s our sitter,” he announced. “Something’s come up. We need to pick Cory and Cassie up early.”
“So you’re already sick of me, huh?”
Ava giggled, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. “Don’t be such a big baby. You’re still coming over for a barbeque next weekend, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Theo was just about to pull out his wallet, but I waved him away. “I’ve got it.”
“You sure?”
“I already gave the waitress my card. Everything’s been put on my tab.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll get the next one.”
“You’d better. Run along and give Cory and Cassie my love.”
Theo slipped an arm around Ava’s waist and kissed the top of her head. “Ready to go, sweetheart?” She nodded, smiling sweetly up at him before they left our booth and disappeared into the crowd.
I only had half a glass left, but I didn’t feel like finishing it. It wasn’t much fun drinking by myself, and the bar’s demographic was slowly shifting from after-hours businessmen to the partying sort. I didn’t feel like being caught in the transition, so I raised an arm to flag down my waitress. As I did so, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.
No, not something.
Someone.
A woman at the bar. She was short —barely five-foot-two— standing up on her tiptoes trying to get the busy bartender’s attention. It wasn’t working.
It was a Friday night, which meant the bar was packed. A younger crowd was taking the place of the early group, all dressed to the nines with the intention of pre-gaming before heading off to the local clubs to dance and mingle and whatever it was kids these days got up to.
I normally wouldn’t pay her any mind, but she stood out like a sore thumb. While all the other young women here wore tight, revealing dresses of brightly colored fabric and sparkly sequins, she was in a… navy blazer?
Her dark black hair was up in a sensible bun, baby hairs loose near the nape of her neck. A practical leather messenger bag was slung over her shoulder. She was facing away, so I couldn’t get the whole picture, but I figured she mus
t have been at least in her mid-thirties.
Was the poor woman lost or something?
I heard her voice before I ever saw her face.
“Please?” she asked, desperation in her voice. “I just need to borrow your phone for two seconds to check on my friend. I swear I’m not going to run off with it or anything.”
Light. Soft. Angelic.
She made my ex-wife sound like an out of tune tuba in comparison.
I’d never heard someone speak with such effortless eloquence before. She wasn’t shy, just soft-spoken. I gravitated toward her without realizing. I wondered if she was as beautiful as she sounded.
A man sidled up to her by the bar, one elbow resting on the edge of the counter. A real slimeball of a character. He was decked out in black, greasy hair styled with way too much gel. “Hey, little lady,” he greeted. “Let me buy you a drink.”
“No, thank you. I’m just looking to borrow a phone.”
“You can borrow my phone if you’d like.”
“Really?”
“Sure. In exchange for your number.”
The woman stepped back. “On second thought, I think I’ll manage.”
“Come on, baby. Don’t be like that.” The slimeball put a hand on her hip and attempted to pull her close.
She shoved him hard. “Piss off!”
He grabbed her wrist. “How’d you know I like ‘em feisty?”
My nostrils flared. I had no idea who this woman was, but I knew I needed to step in.
I closed the distance between us in four long strides, inserting myself between the creep and woman in question. He looked none too pleased, but I wasn’t worried. I had years of de-escalation training under my belt; one of the many perks of being the owner of a personal security firm.
Even if this did escalate to a fight, I could take him. My years serving with the Army taught me how to handle myself in combat. I wouldn’t break a sweat over something as measly as a fistfight in a bar. Hell, we weren’t even in the same weight class. The guy would be an idiot if he thought he could take me.
“What gives, bro?” he sneered. “Can’t you see I was talking to her?”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Last time I checked, bro, no still means no.”
He got right up in my face, puffing his chest out in a laughable attempt to intimidate me. “We gonna have a problem, old man?”
I mirrored his stance, looking down my nose at him. “I don’t know. Are we?”
He tried to stare me down, but I didn’t budge. Just as I expected, he was the first to relent.
“Fucking whatever,” he grumbled, turning away. He slunk off, tail between his legs.
Only once I was certain the coast was clear, I turned to the woman. “Are you okay, miss—”
I stopped when I locked eyes with her dazzling green gaze. Her eyes were like two brilliant emeralds staring up at me. She had a button nose and soft, full lips. Now that I was up close and personal, I could see that she was dressed far more modestly than I first realized, with her high-collared, loose-fitting blouse.
There was something vaguely familiar about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
A flash of recognition washed over her face. “Mr. White?”
I frowned. “Have we met?”
Her cheeks turned bright pink. “Oh, I’m Vivian Jones? We met that one time for Christmas dinner? I’m Wally’s girlfriend. Well, ex-girlfriend, actually. We broke up about a week ago.”
I blinked. There was so much to unpack here and so little time to react.
Vivian Jones. My son’s ex-girlfriend. My son’s super gorgeous ex-girlfriend with the voice of an angel who was nearly half my age. Dear God, I needed to say something and say something fast or it’d look like I was having a stroke.
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” I muttered dumbly. And then, under my breath, “Wally never tells me anything.”
“It’s okay. We, uh… parted on good terms. We decided we’re better as friends.”
“I see.” I swallowed, unsure why I was suddenly so stiff. “I’m glad to hear it. Very… mature of you two.”
“Thanks. And for —you know— that.” She gestured vaguely at the air around her, referring to the slimeball from before.
“Asshole was lucky I have self-control.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have said anything if you wanted to deck him, either.”
A chuckle escaped my throat. “What are you even doing in a place like this?”
Vivian sighed. “I was supposed to meet a friend here. Drinks after work, you know? She told me to come early so I could save us some good seats, but it’s been—” she checked her watch “—Jesus, over an hour. My phone died, so I was trying to use the bar phone, but the bartender’s too busy.”
“You can use mine, if you want.” I handed her my cell. “You don’t even have to give me your number.”
The corners of her mouth tugged up into a smile. “You heard that, huh?”
“Lamest fucking pickup line ever.”
“I know, right?”
“What ever happened to originality?”
“You’ve got me,” she said, punching in her friend’s number. She held my cell to her ear and waited, only to pull back after a few seconds with a disappointed look. “Weird. She normally always answers.”
“What are you going to do now?”
Vivian clicked her tongue, handing my phone back. “I might just go home. This isn’t really my scene. Mind if I make one more call to get a cab?”
An odd sense of protectiveness churned in the pit of my stomach. It was late and raining. We weren’t exactly in an unsafe part of town, but Chicago was a big place with its fair share of unsavory people. The creep from before was a perfect example. I didn’t like the thought of Vivian waiting out by the curb for a ride from some stranger.
“I’ll give you a lift,” I offered.
Her eyes widened. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”
“It’s not an inconvenience.”
“Are you sure?”
“Wouldn’t have offered otherwise.”
She breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders visibly relaxing. “Thank you, Mr. White.”
“Please. Just call me Jesse.”
Chapter 3
Vivian
“So,” I started carefully, “is Jesse supposed to be short for anything?”
“James,” he answered, voice like rich honey, deep and smooth and mesmerizing.
I laughed nervously. “Isn’t that a syllable shorter?”
He shrugged his massive shoulders. His suit jacket looked like it was struggling to contain him. “That’s just what my mother called me. Somewhere along the line, it stuck.”
We walked alongside each other, a respectable foot and a half or so between us. Even still, I was enveloped in the scent of his cologne. It wasn’t overbearing, but subtle. Sophisticated. Manly. I knew for a fact that Wally still used that cheap Axe body spray, the type that hurt my nose when he used too much of it. Jesse, in contrast, smelled good.
And it was definitely more of a problem than I anticipated it being.
Something inside me was stirring that I couldn’t explain. Every time I glanced at him, the butterflies in my stomach went crazy. A tight, wet heat bloomed deep within my core. My fingers itched to reach out —just once— for the chance to touch him, driven purely by curiosity even though I knew it was wrong.
I couldn’t allow myself to feel… whatever I was feeling. Jesse was my ex-boyfriend’s father. I didn’t want to give in to temptation and become a walking romance novel cliché. Yet my brain shut off every time he so much as looked at me. My breath caught in my throat every time he spoke.
Common sense, go ahead and throw yourself straight out the window.
I’d met Jesse only once before. Wally had invited me to meet his father some time around Christmas at a formal, get-to-know-you sort of shindig. If my calculations were correct —which they always were— we’d been
dating for about two months by that point. It was high time Wally introduced me to his family.
It was alright. Uneventful. A little boring.
At least, that's what I told myself after the fact.
The truth of the matter was, I was so mesmerized by Jesse when I first met him, I could barely bring myself to utter a word. What was I supposed to do? Admit that I couldn't stop thinking about my then-boyfriend’s father?
Yeah, no. Absolutely not.
I didn’t think much of it after that. Once Wally and I broke up, I figured I’d never see Jesse again in such close quarters. Imagine my surprise when he swooped in at the bar to save me from being harassed. What were the chances that out of all the bars in Chicago, we’d end up running into each other?
We walked up to a white Porsche 911 GT3 in the parking lot beside the bar.
“Whoa,” I gawked. “Damn. I wish I could afford a ride like this. It’d take me…” I did the math in my head. “It’d take me twenty-five and a half years to pay it off.”
Jesse raised his eyebrows at me. “That’s some quick calculating.”
“You seriously drive this around? Aren’t you afraid someone might steal it?”
He shook his head. “State of the art security system. Tracker’s built right in. They wouldn’t get far.” He said this so casually that it took me by surprise. The nonchalance, the air of indifference despite the vehicle’s value… must have been nice. I hoped to one day achieve the same level of financial freedom.
He held open the passenger side door for me. “After you.”
A couple of onlookers were gathered on the sidewalk, staring at the two of us as we climbed into the vehicle. I felt simultaneously embarrassed and inexplicably… good? Excited. Important.