by Mary Smith
“Yes,” Joy quickly added. “You have to give her some time.”
“I’m not the most patient man on the planet.”
“Who is?” Joy quipped. “But if she’s the one you want then man up, big boy.” She slapped his shoulder, moving forward in line.
“Sound advice, sis,” he muttered with sarcasm. “You should put that shit on a T-shirt.”
“Hey,” she barked poking the middle of his chest. “I didn’t get you into this mess. You did. Stop trying to gain instant gratification because it’s a fairy tale.”
Joy was right, but he kept his mouth shut.
Instead, he stood in this line, in an apartment building, waiting to order a burger. A few people began to stare at Jarvis. Mostly females, who were flashing a seductive smile at him. He’d give a polite one back but diverted his eyes down or away from them. He needed to prove to Mikayla he only wanted her. Yes, he wanted it at this very moment, but she wasn’t the type to just forgive and forget all he had done.
When it was their turn to finally place their order, a young brunette took it at the door, and Jarvis watched her briskly walk toward the kitchen. They walked into the apartment, which appeared to be someone’s actual home. A young man with a blue beard and a shaved head popped his head out of the kitchen. When Blue Beard began to walk toward him, Joy leaned in and whispered the guy was the chef.
“Jarvis Richter.” The guy held out his hand. “I’m a big fan.”
“Thank you.” Jarvis shook his hand but had no clue his name. “This is my sister Joy.” He introduced her.
“The Chef.” He nodded at her. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Jarvis couldn’t believe this was his name. Obviously, it was a nickname of sorts.
“I’m a big fan of yours.” Her words sounded rush. Jarvis knew she was nervous to meet The Chef.
“Thanks. Please come into our VIP section.” He led the way further into the apartment to a small dining room table.
Jarvis caught Joy’s excitement on her face. He wanted to leave, but instead he followed him. As they both sat down, he glanced into the kitchen and saw two other cooks preparing the food.
“Do you go to a lot of undergrounds?” The Chef asked.
“No, this is my first. Apparently, my sister thought it’d be good to expose me to some new adventures,” he admitted.
“Wow.” The Chef was in awe. “You’re my first sports celebrity.”
“Really?” He tried not to be sarcastic, but he couldn’t imagine he had a large following of A-listers.
“A few movie stars, couple big-time chefs, pop singers. Not much more than my peeps.” He smirked.
“Seems you’re doing well.” He had no clue what else to say.
“Not bad. My food trucks bring in the bacon. Undergrounds and pop-ups are the cheese.” The Chef and Joy laughed, but Jarvis didn’t get the joke.
“Your food.” The brunette brought two brown bags. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” Jarvis stood.
“Could we grab a selfie?” The Chef asked.
Jarvis figured the question was coming. Joy nodded at him, giving him the silent stamp of approval. “Sure.”
The Chef grabbed his phone that sat on the table and quickly took a picture. When Jarvis tried to pay The Chef waved it off.
“Please take it. If nothing else think of it as a tip.” Jarvis pushed the large bill into his hand.
Jarvis and Joy managed to get out before The Chef could keep them any longer. When they made it outside, Jarvis followed Joy to a small bench. She opened her bag and pulled out the burger that was wrapped in what he thought was newspaper. Jarvis could feel his face turn up in disgust.
“What?” she questioned with her cheek full of food.
“Ink rubs off.” He nodded to the burger.
“You’re so strange.” She continued to chew her burger. “It’s wax paper with news printed on it. Not real newspapers. See?” She held it closer to him for inspection. “It’s fine.”
“Oh.” He sighed and reached into his bag. After taking one bite, he actually moaned from the burst of garlic and spicy mayo exploding in his mouth. “Shit.”
“Told you.” Joy giggled, taking another bite of hers.
“This has to be the greatest thing I ever put in my mouth. Well, food-wise, I mean.” He winked at her.
“Gross. Stop talking about sex for two seconds and enjoy this,” she ordered.
He chuckled and refrained from any more sexual innuendos. Together, they sat on the bench, watching people stroll by, and continued to eat in comfortable silence. When they finished eating, Joy summoned another Uber and they went back to the hotel.
As they stepped off the elevator, all Jarvis looked forward to was crawling into his bed and catching some sleep before another photoshoot tomorrow. Joy came to an abrupt stop, almost causing Jarvis to run into her. In front of their door stood…
Jackson Plumley.
“What. The. Fuck.” Jarvis’s blood instantly boiled as he rushed toward him.
“Wait. Wait.” Jackson held up his hands defensively. “I came to speak with Joy. I’m not here to cause any trouble.” His words came out in a rush while he tried to explain his presence.
“You need to stay away from me and most definitely away from Joy.” Then reality hit him. “How the hell did you even find us? Are you adding stalking to your resume of criminal offenses?”
“You’re not hard to find, Jarvis. Fans stalk you and put it online. A simple Google search is all it takes to figure out where you are,” he explained.
Jarvis knew it wasn’t farfetched. More than one person had told him the same thing many times before. “You know what, I don’t care. Just get away from us.”
“What did you come to say?” Joy walked in between them, ignoring her brother.
“Could we speak privately?” Jackson asked.
“Fuck no,” Jarvis answered for Joy.
“I just meant inside the room. I don’t want to do this in the hallway.” His eyes were still on Joy.
Opening his mouth to tell him where he could stick it, he was shut down by Joy’s answer.
“Come in.” She moved away from Jarvis and used her keycard to unlock the door. Holding it open, Jackson cautiously walked in.
Following them both, Jarvis could feel the rage roaring through him. This guy hurt Joy by blasting his mouth about her abortion to one of the highest-rated podcasters. Sure, Jackson didn’t say it was him. However, when he and Jackson got into a fight at practice one day, it came out.
Joy took a seat at the end of the bed. Jackson stood in front of her, and Jarvis sat on his bed. He wanted to watch every move Jackson made. If he stepped one toe out of line, he’d smash his face in and would enjoy every second of it.
“Okay. Talk.”
She sounded confident, but Jarvis knew her well enough to know she was a wreck on the inside.
Jackson nervously cleared his throat looking all around the room but at her or Jarvis.
“On with it, Plumley,” he barked. Jackson needed to say what he came to say and leave.
He raised his eyes to look at Joy. “I’m sorry. I did go through Jarvis’s phone and saw the messages. I did tell Robin, which is how Cannon got it. I have no excuse, but please know, I am sorry.”
“That’s possibly the worst apology I ever heard.” Jarvis glared at him.
“Do you know why I had an abortion?” Joy asked Jackson, ignoring Jarvis.
“I do not,” Jackson answered in a shaky voice.
“Do you have an assumption on why?” she continued with her questioning.
He said nothing.
“Go ahead and take a guess,” she pushed.
“I have no clue.” He shook his head.
“I was going to college in Boston. Had a lot of friends, attended amazing classes, was getting great grades. It was a full out blast.” She paused, and her tone lowered. “One night a girl I knew, someone I considered a friend, invited me to a party. Obviously, I went. I had two dri
nks then got a horrific headache. Some guy took me to one of the bedrooms, and I laid down.” She stopped her story.
Jarvis’s heart broke just like the first time he heard the story then anger replaced it.
“I woke up the next day. My shirt was buttoned incorrectly. My pants were opened and unzipped, and my underwear was missing. I knew what happened the second I sat up and felt …” A single tear slid down her cheek. “I rushed to the hospital, and the police were called, but what could I say? I remembered nothing. To this day, I still don’t. A rape kit was done, but I have no memories to help catch the sick bastard.” Tears rolled down her face faster.
“Then I got sick. I thought it was the flu…until a doctor told me I was pregnant.”
Jarvis saw Jackson drop his head into his hands. Everyone sat there, in silence, as Joy’s story hung in the room.
“I…am…so sorry.” Jackson lifted his head. “I have no excuse. I just…hate New Hampshire and wanted to do anything to get out.”
“What?” Jarvis jumped to his feet. “You hate New Hampshire so you’re making everyone’s life miserable. Why? Why?”
Joy stood up between them. “Stop, Jarvis.” She turned to Jackson. “What is it that you want?”
Again, Jackson dropped his head.
“I think you’re here for more than an apology,” Joy called him out.
Slowly, he raised his head. “I’m going to be blackballed if I don’t receive everyone’s forgiveness.”
Tossing his hands up in the air, Jarvis said, “There’s no way in hell I am—”
“Shut up.” Joy glared at him before facing Jackson. “Tell me about why you hate New Hampshire. You’re New Hampshire’s golden boy, so why do you hate it?”
Jarvis watched Jackson turn as white as a sheet and stiff as a board. He almost appeared to be a scared kid standing in front of them.
“I told you my story. It’s only fair,” Joy pushed again for him to explain.
“It is,” he answered in a small voice.
“If you’re afraid of anyone finding out, I give you my word Jarvis nor I will tell anyone.”
Jackson closed his eyes as if he were in pain. “I hate my parents.”
“Who doesn’t, Jackson?” Jarvis almost snorted at his confession.
“They’re evil.” Jackson continued. “Since I’ve been back, they’ve been hounding Robin and me. I can’t hide from them when I’m in New Hampshire.”
“Wait, Robin? Why her?” Joy questioned.
Jackson cussed under his breath. Jarvis and Joy glanced at each other and he realized something. He’d never seen it before, but he knew the truth.
“Robin’s your sister.” Jarvis didn’t need to phrase it as a question. He figured why—and how—Robin was able to get insider information and report it back to Cannon’s podcast.
“Is she?” Joy needed confirmation.
“We’re fraternal twins,” he said truthfully. “I protect her as well.” He finally looked at Jarvis.
There was silence in the room for several seconds before Joy finally said, “You have my forgiveness.” She held out her hand to him.
“Really?”
Jarvis thought Jackson would burst into tears at any second.
“Yes. I promise,” Joy vowed.
“Thank you. Thank you.” He shook her hand, repeating those words over and over.
“You can leave now,” Jarvis growled. He wouldn’t have given Jackson anything, but this was Joy’s choice. Not his.
Jackson nodded to them both and rushed out the door faster than lightning striking a tower. Stepping closer to Joy, Jarvis reached out to her, but she moved from his touch.
“I need to be alone.” Her voice cracked.
“Okay.” Jarvis knew to do as she said and left her in the hotel room and made his way to the hotel bar.
He ordered a scotch and soda and sipped on it as a baseball game played on the TV screen above the bar. Normally, he wouldn’t drink since all the Bears’ players had taken a pledge for Bas Zorn, but he wanted one now. Staring at the TV screen, he watched several innings and had another drink. When he finished he knew Joy had enough alone time.
As the elevator took him to his floor, he wished he could take her pain away by finding the bastard who hurt her and kill him. Not figuratively either. He could do it, and he knew it. When he unlocked the door, he heard nothing but the TV. Moving further into the room, Joy was curled up on her side fast asleep. Then his eyes moved to the second person in the bed who was sitting up against the headboard.
Mikayla.
His mouth dropped.
His body went into shock.
“Hello,” she greeted him softly.
“What—”
She ssshhed him with a finger up to her lips and pointed to a sleeping Joy next to her. Easing herself off the bed, she stood in front of him and nodded toward the bathroom. He followed her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked when they got in and shut the door.
“I had a small epiphany yesterday. I called Joy this morning. We spoke, and I decided to come up. I arrived a little while ago, and Joy was a hysterical mess. I calmed her down until she fell asleep,” she explained.
“Fucking Jackson,” he huffed.
“Yep and if I ever see him, I’ll kick him in the balls,” she told him and Jarvis knew she would do it too.
“What was your epiphany?” As much as he was worried about Joy, he was torn as well. His curiosity was piqued as to why Mikayla came here.
“I’m not telling you.” She crossed her arms and glared. “I’m here though.”
This made him smile. “I’m glad, whatever the reason is.”
“I’ll sleep in bed with Joy.” She tried to move past him.
“What? You don’t want to sleep in my bed.” He flashed his sexiest smile.
“No, I don’t want to.” She walked out of the bathroom door.
Jarvis’s heart raced because she was here. He almost felt as if things were falling into place for them.
Jarvis opened his eyes to see Joy and Mikayla giggling and whispering to each other in the bed. He stretched and sat up.
“What time is it?” He rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up.
“Time for you to hit the gym,” Joy informed him as she and Mikayla got off the bed.
When he was more awake, he noticed they were in workout gear.
“We’re heading down now,” Mikayla told him. “Let’s go, Richter,” she barked as they began to head out the door.
When he was alone, he quickly got ready and made his way to the hotel gym. Normally, there were nothing more than a few treadmills. However, this gym had been one of the better ones he’d seen. Walking in, he saw Joy and then Mikayla’s jaw-dropping thighs and ass. Her breasts moved up and down as she pushed herself to go faster.
He loved every inch of her body.
“Weights, Jarvis,” Joy called out to him, shaking him out of his trance.
He nodded and strolled over to a rack of free weights. Since his photoshoot today would be of his upper body, he needed to wake up his tired muscles. Grabbing two fifty pound weights, he started with some warm-up curls. Although he kept his back to the girls, he still could see them in the mirror. They were talking and giggling. He wished Mikayla was alone, but then again, his sister needed Mikayla more than he needed to stick his dick in her friend.
He spent time on the weights and felt pretty good. The girls spent time on the bike and then went back to the hotel room to get ready. When he reached the hotel room, he knocked on the door. Even though he wouldn’t mind seeing Mikayla’s sexy body, he didn’t want to see Joy’s.
“Hello.” Mikayla smiled greeting him. “Someone appears to need a shower.”
“Wanna join?” He winked as he strolled in.
“I would’ve, but I already took one.” She flirted back.
This made him stop mid-stride. “What? Really?”
She laughed while moving past him.
�
�Jarvis, you need to shower and get dressed,” Joy ordered him. “Hurry up. We’re not going to be late.”
“I’d do it too. She’s mean,” Mikayla added.
“Are you going with us?” he asked, pulling off his sweaty T-shirt.
“Yes, I am. So, hurry the hell up. I want to meet some hot models at this shoot.”
Joy giggled as Jarvis growled at her comment. Instead of making a crude comment, he went into the bathroom and started to get ready. When he came out the two girls were packed up and waiting for him.
“The car is waiting,” Joy informed him, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. Mikayla was on her heels. Jarvis couldn’t argue and dutifully followed her.
When they all piled in the car, Mikayla sat next to him, and Joy sat in the front. Jarvis mainly answered Mikayla’s questions about today’s shoot. This sport clothing company wanted him to be in Central Park working out. It sounded simple enough. However, he knew it was the furthest thing from the truth. The ones that seemed easy always took the longest.
As the driver pulled up to the curb, he explained the shoot was fifty yards ahead in the clearing. The three of them got out of the car and followed the driver’s instructions.
He was right.
When they arrived at the clearing, there were at least twenty people running around deciding on lighting and which directions to shoot the photos. Jarvis rolled his eyes because this appeared to be a disaster in the making.
“All right, go make some money.” Joy pushed on his back causing him to move toward the mess of people.
They all turned around to face him as if they felt his aura or something. Now, they all rushed to him. Jarvis took a deep breath and realized the sooner he started, the quicker he’d be finished, and he’d be back with Mikayla.
The photographer began shouting orders to the staff. One girl grabbed Jarvis’s arm and pulled him toward the clothes in a makeshift changing room, which mainly appeared to be a port-a-potty with no toilet.
For the next six hours in the heat and sun, and thankfully no humidity, Jarvis continually changed workout outfits, posed as they told him, and kept his brooding face the entire time. He and the photographer glanced through what seemed to be a million photos. Jarvis even asked Mikayla’s and Joy’s opinion of the images. He trusted their input more than anyone else, knowing neither would lie.