Putting two and two together, he didn’t like what it added up to.
“Okay,” Carly replied. “You do that.”
She’d let Short Shit take care of whatever this was for now. But she made a note to check up on this colleague of Jemma’s, Frank Reynolds. Angel had dealt with him tonight, but she knew both Jemma and Angel, they were friends, and this was her community. She wouldn’t be doing her job if she didn’t dig a bit deeper here. Frank seemed shady as shit, and she sure as hell did not like shady people in her community. There was enough shit going down as it was.
Chapter 18
“You are incredibly naïve!” Angel yelled. He’d never been angrier in his life. Well, not that he could remember. “I can’t believe you kept this from me. If someone hits on a woman who is spoken for, then her man has a right to know.”
His words only served to make her furious. “What? Why?”
“It’s my job to protect you, and if you can’t understand that!” Angel threw his hands up in the air. He’d tried to reason with her, but she’d had the nerve to admonish him for trying to intervene in a matter she’d handled.
“Angel, I don’t need you coming to my rescue. I am no damsel in distress!” Her eyes snapped with blue fire.
“Handled!” He couldn’t believe his ears.
“Yes, I handled it. Please, Angel. Stop yelling at me. One of my students could walk out any minute.”
He saw red. He gripped his jaw in his hand and scanned the area. There were a few students headed to or from their vehicles. “Fine. But this conversation is far from over.”
He sauntered away toward the gym and swung the doors wide open. Jemma quickly followed him inside so he didn’t make a scene.
Cassie, who’d been startled by the sudden entrance of the huge firefighter, stared at them.
“He’s with me,” Jemma explained. “My date.”
“Oh, okay.” Cassie Flores’ eyes were wide with worry, but she didn’t ask questions, thankfully, just added, “Marsha left the ballot boxes on the table. You ready to start counting them?”
“Yes,” Jemma pronounced quickly and turned her back on the fuming Angel.
Jemma went back to her seat as the PE coaches pulled up chairs next to hers. She was surprised when Angel joined them. He sat abruptly and gave her a menacing glare as he reached his hand into the ballot box and pulled out a handful of tiny slips of paper. Without asking, he began counting the ballots along with the coaches. His stern face revealed nothing, and he said little as they worked, so Jemma did the same, also fuming beneath a deceptively calm demeanor.
At Cassie’s worried expression, Jemma just shook her head and mouthed, “It’s fine.”
After the prom, Angel followed Jemma to her house. Still incredibly angry, he wanted answers. Damn the girl. She needed to understand that when a man hit on his woman, a taken woman, there were consequences. This was Texas, for God’s sake. This wasn’t something to be ignored. And she was going to talk. He wanted to know how long this had been going on and how many times she’d asked the guy to back off. At a light, he shot her a quick text message.
Angel: As soon as we get home, we are talking about this!
When Jemma saw the first text from Angel, fury swept through her. How dare he lecture her when he was texting and driving? When she got to the corner, she texted back.
Jemma: Stop texting and driving.
His reply came fast.
Angel: I was at a light and now I’m using speech to text.
Jemma snorted. Excuses. Four more messages came through when she hit the next intersection.
Angel: Why didn’t you tell me this guy was bothering you?
Angel: What did he say to you before I came? You looked upset. Angry.
Angel: Have you told your boss you’re being harassed? Is he harassing you?
And then lastly,
Angel: Why did you keep this from me?
As each question scrolled across her notifications, Jemma began to deflate a bit. Angel’s reaction was way over the top, but she was beginning to see that there might be cause for concern. She hated to admit it, but she may have been a little naïve when it came to Frank. But she was handling it as best as she could.
At the last of the stop signs before she made the long drive down a stretch of highway, she managed to type Angel a quick message.
Jemma: We’ll talk when we get home. I’m sorry.
She hoped it would diffuse his anger somewhat to take the initiative and apologize, but it didn’t.
His response came fast.
Angel: Damn straight we will.
His reply shocked Jemma. She had never seen him so angry and hoped he’d calm down by the time they reached her home. To her, his reaction was definitely over the top. And she would let him know, but for now, they had a long drive and she hoped like hell they both could calmly talk this out.
He didn’t. Calm down, that is. If anything, the long drive had only made him angrier.
And they didn’t talk either. Instead they both did a whole lot of yelling.
As soon as the door closed behind him, he demanded, “Tell me everything, Jemma.”
Drawing in a deep breath, Jemma told Angel how Frank had been hinting at dates for years. How he’d asked her out several times this year, but she’d politely turned them down, and how their relationship had never gone beyond colleagues and friendship.
“So, you never saw him socially? Gave him any kind of encouragement?”
“No, absolutely not.” How dare he think she would have encouraged his pursuit of her!
“Then why is he still bothering you?” He paced before her and ran his hands through his short-cropped hair.
“I don’t know. At first I really didn’t see it as a problem.”
“Obviously it was. So, what finally clued you in?” Exasperation colored his tone. He couldn’t believe she could be this naïve.
“I don’t like your tone. But I guess the first time I noticed it was a problem was the night we met. I think he may have followed me to the bar that night.”
He turned to her, his eyes lit with an inner fire. “Followed you? And you didn’t report this? Jemma, come on!”
“Well, it might have been a coincidence. I don’t know.”
“And you didn’t think to ask? Did you tell Callie of your suspicions?”
“No. Why would I?” She was a grown woman. She’d been dealing with Frank for some time.
“Because you are a young, beautiful woman who lives alone. You should have at least mentioned that. Jemma, this is unacceptable. Now is there anything else you’re not telling me? Leaving out?” He gripped her arms, and she pulled out of his grasp.
She rolled her eyes, but then confessed, “Well, he tried to kiss me at the fair, but…”
Angel screamed, “What the fuck! The day we got back together he tried to kiss you, and you didn’t think I had a right to know! Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me that?”
Probably because you would act like you’re acting now, Jemma thought to herself but didn’t say aloud. Instead she said, “If you recall, we had other things on our minds. Frankly, I forgot about it.”
“Forgot about it. No, I don’t buy that for a minute.” His face contorted, but not with anger anymore. It looked more like fear and frustration. Again, he began to pace and run his hands through his hair. He stopped and stood in front of her, arms out in supplication as if begging her to understand. “Listen, Jemma, you don’t just forget something like that. Another man tries to kiss you, I want to know about it. I have the right to know about it.”
She put a hand on her hip. “Why? You don’t own me.”
“The hell I do!”
That shut her up, and she stood back looking aghast. He continued, “What I mean is, I don’t own you, but you’re mine and I’m yours. That’s how a relationship works. If some girl hit on me, I’d tell you.”
“To make me jealous?”
“No. Of course not. It’s about
respect. No one has the right, or shouldn’t have the right, to hit on a woman OR a man who is with someone else. Frank disrespected me by hitting on you, and he sure as hell disrespected you after you repeatedly told him that you were with me.”
“What are you going to do? Beat him up?” she yelled back at him. He was acting like a teenaged boy.
“If I have to. Yes, I damn well might introduce my fist to his face.” His answer shocked Jemma.
She paced the room several times, trying to think of a way to diffuse Angel. She stopped abruptly in front of him. “Fine. I get that. The whole respect thing, but I definitely don’t condone fighting, Angel.”
Her hands were on her hips, and he could tell she still didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. He needed her to see reason, so he softened his tone. “It’s not like I would look for a fight, Jemma, but I’d make damn clear that if he tried something again, that it would come to that. And that is my prerogative.”
Jemma didn’t want to argue anymore. She went to the kitchen with him at her heels. She sat at the kitchen table. The evening and the argument drained her. “I did tell him I was taken and to back off. I told him we would never be more than friends and colleagues.”
Seeing how tired she appeared, Angel wanted to put an end to the argument, but he still wanted to make one more thing clear. “Honey, Jemma, please don’t keep stuff like this from me. I promise I won’t blow my top. But no secrets. We promised.”
She looked at him and realized she’d been doing just that. The truth of it hit her. Keeping secrets from him. Secrets of omission, like he had done to her. She’d been so hurt by that, and now she understood why he was so angry. He’d been worried about the danger she may have put herself in by not sharing Frank’s obsession with her with him, Calliope, and her principal.
“I didn’t think of it that way. I’m sorry. I thought I was handling it.”
Angel kneeled before her and took her hand in his. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, baby. I love you so I have to say, you weren’t handling it. Not very well at least, or else he would have backed the fuck off. I need to have a talk with him, and make it clear he’s to stay away from you.”
“Please don’t.” She didn’t want to make the situation worse.
“Sorry, baby. No can do. This is a non-negotiable.”
She looked into his steely eyes. He wouldn’t budge on that account, and she guessed she couldn’t blame him. If another woman hit on him, she’d probably want to give the woman a piece of her mind, too.
“Jemma, he crossed a line with you. Several lines. I’m simply defending your honor here. I do this because I love you.”
Jemma felt sick that it had come to this. But, perhaps, it was the next logical step. If Angel spoke with him, surely Frank would leave her alone, and she wouldn’t have to tell her boss.
“Fine, but don’t hurt him.” She’d never seen Angel so irate.
Angel got up and pulled her out of her seat. “I don’t plan to. I think talking it out should suffice, but I plan on letting him know if he tries anything again like last night, he may lose a few teeth for it. And…” he paused for emphasis, “you need to report this to your principal.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to hurt his career.”
“Jemma, I’m not asking. I’m telling you. He could do this to another woman. There has to be a record of this. These types of situations need to be by the book. You tell your boss what is happening. You call him tomorrow or I will.”
Jemma blew out her breath and threw her hands up in the air. He was right. Marsha had tried to tell her the same thing earlier. “Fine, I’ll call Mr. Boone in the morning.” She made her way past Angel and stomped through the living room. At the foot of the stairs, she turned on her heel and asked, “Are you coming, or what?”
“Where?” he replied, once again confused.
“Upstairs.”
Angel’s face relaxed. He gave her a little smirk. “You want me to come upstairs?” He’d been madder than hell, and expected her to tell him to leave. That she wanted to be alone tonight.
Jemma nodded. “Yes, I need you to help me with the zipper on this dress.”
“Is that all?” His grin grew wider.
“No. I thought make up sex might be in order.”
He laughed and his anger dissipated. “I’m right behind you, Beauty,” Angel told her as he stalked her up the stairs and appreciated how nice the dress looked over her perfectly shaped ass. “The dress is gorgeous, by the way. Sorry, I didn’t say so earlier.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at the belated compliment though he couldn’t see her.
He cleared his throat and then said one last thing before they finished the climb. “But I can’t wait to get you out of it.”
Jemma turned at the top of stairs and waited. He immediately swept her up into his arms to cross the hall to her room.
“You looked very handsome in your suit this evening, too, but like you, I prefer you with your clothes off,” Jemma teased.
No longer angry, Jemma was more than pleased that they managed to get through this fight without splitting up. She had been naïve. Angel was right. And if not for nothing, Jemma could admit when she was wrong. Angel allowed her to slide down his body to the floor, and he turned her away from him.
She had to make things right with Angel, and with Frank, she thought, as she felt Angel’s hands at her back. Felt him move her hair to the side. Felt him kiss the back of her neck.
All thoughts of how wrong she’d been evaporated from her mind like mist when Angel made her feel so right. He planted soft kisses along her spine inch by tortuous inch as he unzipped the gown.
“God, woman. I want you more and more every time I see you.” He turned her to him as the dress slid down her body and lay in a golden pool at her feet.
Jemma stepped out it. “I want you, too,” she murmured, full of longing. “I love you.”
Chapter 19
As she’d promised, Jemma spoke to Mr. Boone, who called Frank in to speak with him. Mr. Boone served Frank with a written reprimand to be placed in his file, ordered him to take an in-service workshop about sexual harassment and what it constitutes, and removed him from his position of department chair. Frank could return to work in the middle of September after a two-week unpaid suspension if he chose to remain at Medina High. The punishment was severe, Jemma thought, but Angel said it was necessary. This type of behavior at work wasn’t permissible and had to be documented in his file to protect other female employees.
Mr. Boone also called her to offer the position of department chair, but she politely declined. She did not want to be in a position of power or influence over Frank, just as Mr. Boone did not want him to be in a position of power or influence over any female employee. With the note in Frank’s file, he would never be allowed to oversee other employees. It was a tough lesson, but one Angel reminded her was important that he learn.
Jemma hoped he looked elsewhere for a job over the summer or possibly decide to return to California. Whoever was hired for the empty positions would also be given the option of becoming the new chair. Jemma hoped Calliope would come on board. She had put in her application with the district to start the ball rolling. She wasn’t definite yet, but was seriously considering taking the next step.
As promised, Angel went to Frank’s home and let him know, man to man, that Jemma and he were together. And that he, Angel, was in it for the long haul. It was a committed relationship. The confrontation ended with his stern warning to Frank to back off. He didn’t tell Jemma word for word what happened, but the man, he confessed, had been clearly upset and terrified of him. Frank had apologized and promised to leave Jemma alone. Angel had ended the conversation with a clear threat that if he did, he would be back.
“Don’t go to her house, don’t say hi to her in the grocery store, don’t happen to be where she is, and if you find yourself anywhere near her someplace outside of work, you remember that you’ve got somewh
ere else to be. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, perfectly,” the disgruntled man managed to get out before he closed the door in Angel’s face.
It hadn’t gone as well as Angel had hoped. But knowing that shortly after he left the man’s house, the principal had called Frank to come to the school on a Saturday to discuss the matter further had been enough for him. He was satisfied that the man would ruin his career if he tried anything further, and then Angel would, of course, ruin his face. But just in case the man was going to be a dick about it and hold a grudge, Angel used his connections with law enforcement to have the school resource officer keep an eye on the guy while Jemma was at work. Both he and Jemma hoped the guy would get over this in time.
The final two weeks of school flew by quickly. Jemma felt relieved to be away from school for the next two months. Summer in Texas arrived in unbearable heat waves. Glad to be focusing on the interior of the house, Jemma painted the living room first and tackled her study next. Angel spent more and more time at her place. He helped her paint all of the bedrooms upstairs and replaced some dry wall and rot in two of them. Each night her legs and arms ached from the painting, but Angel massaged her and worked out the knots before making love to her on the nights he stayed with her. Jemma loved it when he did. She made him breakfast and saw him off to work. The domesticity of it greatly appealed to her.
After they finished painting the master suite, Angel put the lid on the paint can and turned to the woman beside him. She was adorable with her hair tied in a kerchief and little spots dotting her nose of the grey paint she’d chosen for her bedroom. He kissed her for no reason.
“Hey, what was that for?”
“Just because.”
“I like just because kisses.”
She smiled and went back to cleaning up for the day. They planned to grab a quick bite in town and then sleep at his house that evening to avoid the paint fumes.
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