“What, there have been so many boyfriends over the years that they don’t even matter? Does Zane know that? He’s only one in a long line of dominoes to fall for your charms?” He was still teasing, but part of him was insatiably curious. How many boyfriends had Jenna had?
“I’m not answering that question,” she said huffily. “Do you want to hear my memory about Andie or not?”
“Sure,” he relented. He did want to learn about Jenna’s sister. And hey, if he learned a little more about Jenna’s romantic history, all the better.
“So one afternoon Alexei and I had gone for a walk in the park on base. I thought it was so romantic. We were holding hands and walking through the trees—though Alexei was probably just thinking about the next VR game level he wanted to beat,” Jenna explained. “I didn’t notice. You know how it is at fifteen.” Jimmy nodded, though he doubted Alexei had been thinking about virtual reality games while holding a pretty girl’s hand. He had been fifteen once too, after all.
“Anyway,” Jenna continued, “there we were, walking along, and my head was in the clouds in the throes of my first love, and then next thing I knew, splat! A huge, juicy berry smashed right smack into my chest. My white shirt had a huge purple mess right in the middle of it. I was mortified! Next, Alexei got hit in the head. I can still remember the purple juice trickling down his face. Then we were just getting pelted with the things—we couldn’t figure out where they were coming from. We both took off running. I found out later that Andie and her friend Casey had climbed into a tree and shot the berries at us with slingshots. We were both a purple mess. I thought I would die of embarrassment. I’m not sure Alexei ever did fully forgive me for the insult to his manhood.”
Jimmy tried to keep a straight face, but the laughter bubbled up anyway. “OK, now that is a first-class date nightmare, right there!”
“I know, right? Our dinner reminded me—with your purple fingers and all,” Jenna chuckled. Jimmy groaned. That was a fair hit.
The rest of their dinner passed with memories shared between them, first about Jenna’s sister, followed by some about her brother, Erik, and then Jimmy told her some stories about his mother. They laughed and teared up on occasion, and on the whole they enjoyed reminiscing.
It was too bad it couldn’t last.
Just before they were about to leave, Jimmy got a comm from Zane. “Where are you?” he demanded. “I can’t find you anywhere in the building, and Grier’s here, so I know you’re out without protection.”
“I’m having dinner,” Jimmy answered, his tone exasperated. “In that same place on the Avenue that you took me to a few weeks ago. Are you saying that it’s not safe now?”
“We had bodyguards nearby the whole time,” Zane explained patiently. “You are not going to be attacked on my watch.”
“Oh, all right. We’re just leaving,” Jimmy grumbled. He snapped his flipcom shut and called up the table screen so he could pay the bill.
“Was that Zane?” Jenna asked incredulously as they rose to leave. “He sounds even more overprotective of you than he is of me.”
“Yeah, well, Zane has a higher opinion of your intelligence, I guess. I’m a stranger here, remember? He thinks I’m going to blunder right into the path of violent criminals and not even notice that I’m on the bad side of town.”
Jenna giggled. “It doesn’t help that we live on the bad side of town.”
“Yeah, there’s that,” Jimmy agreed.
When their taxi pulled up to the door of Quintan Tower, Grier was waiting out front for them.
“Ms. Donnell, Mr. James,” he greeted gravely, holding a hand out to help Jenna out of the transport. If he was surprised to see them together, he didn’t show it. Jimmy was glad for that. If there was anything to love about Grier, it was that he seemed to be extremely closemouthed. Discretion was something Jimmy highly valued, especially where Jenna was concerned. He didn’t want Zane to get the wrong idea.
The wrong idea seemed inescapable, though. Zane was waiting in the lobby, and he visibly did a double take when Jenna followed Jimmy in the doors. Jimmy cringed at the stormy look on Zane’s face. However, he seemed to contain whatever negative feelings he had as he crossed the room and took Jenna’s hands.
“Jenna, darling! When you told me you were busy this evening, why didn’t you say you were going out to dinner with Jimmy? I could have made sure you both had a driver. I would have rescheduled my plans so that I could come with you two,” he lamented. Jenna’s face was unreadable as she accepted Zane’s kiss. So she hadn’t told Zane what she was really doing tonight? Why not? Did she not feel comfortable sharing such a personal part of her life with Zane?
Even though she hadn’t minded sharing it with Jimmy?
Jenna pleaded exhaustion and quickly bade good night to both of them, making her escape before Zane could ask any more questions. Jimmy’s gaze lingered on her as she made her way into the lift. He turned to catch Zane staring at him suspiciously.
“What?” he asked defensively.
“Are you trying to steal my girl?” Zane asked bluntly.
Jimmy laughed half-heartedly. “I’m just friends with her, Zane. You know Jenna, she’s way out of my league. She wouldn’t look twice at me.”
“Keep it that way, will you?” Zane added seriously. “I don’t want to have to hurt you.” The tone in his voice had turned dark and menacing.
Jimmy stared at him in disbelief. “Hurt me? For what, looking at your girlfriend the wrong way?”
Zane shook his head, and the shadow seemed to pass from his countenance. He laughed, easing the tension. “That came out completely wrong. I just don’t want you to be disappointed.” Jimmy forced a smile in return, but he was completely taken aback. He had known that Zane wouldn’t be happy to see Jimmy trying to win over Jenna, but jealous enough to threaten him?
Where had the possessiveness come from? It didn’t seem like Zane at all.
7. Nanospeed
After two months, Jenna’s life had finally settled into a routine in Quintan Tower. On weekdays she got up about the same time that Lilah was coming home from her shift at the resort. The roommates ate breakfast together and chatted about Lilah’s night (she often had some entertaining anecdotes to share), and then Jenna headed off to work, where she spent very long days working on the plans for the new resort. She took a taxi every day now, which was far more expensive than the tube, but walking alone to the nearest tube station through the rundown neighborhood that bordered on the Red Zone made her uneasy. (Zane had offered to send her every day in his personal transport, but Jenna had refused that absolutely.) Inside the Tower, though, everything felt safe and far removed from the world outside. The building was almost luxurious, with a beautifully decorated lobby and reception area, a pool and recreation deck, and a private underground garage for those who had personal transports. In fact, Jenna wasn’t sure when Lilah had last left the Quintan compound at all. She ordered all her groceries and supplies by terminal, traveled to work using the basement tube station, spent all night in the QE resort, and then came home to relax and unwind. Jenna had joined her a few times at the pool, but for the most part their schedules barely matched. Lilah’s busiest work days were the weekend ones, when Jenna was most likely to have a break.
Instead, most of Jenna’s free time was spent with either Jimmy or Zane. Jimmy had quickly become her closest friend other than Lilah. They had never gone out together again, but often he would show up in the evening, and they would spend an hour talking or playing games, or maybe just watching a vid. Sometimes Jimmy would join her while she slaved away in the large gym housed on the second floor of the Tower. He didn’t seem to understand how important it was for her to get exercise when she sat at a desk all day, since he seemed to eat whatever he wanted without any concern at all, but she enjoyed the company. Talking to Jimmy made the time go faster.
She also
faithfully continued to spend time with Zane. At least one night every week, he took her to dinner, and on the weekends she always joined him for his races. She also regularly commed him during work to keep him posted on the progress of the resort design and to accommodate any requests that came from the Quintans. Zane had seemed more attentive than ever lately, and Jenna had been pleasantly surprised by the change. He talked more about what was going on in his life and asked more about hers. He seemed more content to let her set the tone physically, which made it far easier for her to relax and just enjoy spending time with him, rather than constantly worrying about having to fend him off without hurting his pride.
This particular evening was a race date. Jenna had been expecting to have a quick dinner with Zane before heading over to the track. The QE held its competitive races once a week, and usually the racers were regulars who competed for points to win a season championship. Occasionally an outsider would show up—an offworlder or somebody celebrating with a one-nighter at the QE—and win the race, but for the most part it was the same seven participants. Jenna even had names in her head for all of them, though she didn’t know them personally. The races were intense and highly competitive. Occasionally they were even dangerous. It was one of the riskier activities offered at the QE. At least five of the regulars used nanospeed for the races, hoping to get that extra competitive edge. They needed it; most of the drivers used rocket sledges that were part of the QE’s stock inventory. A couple—including Zane, of course—used their own custom-built rocket sledges.
Zane had designed his rocket sledge himself, though he didn’t actually build it. (He’d had the sense to leave that part to the pros.) He was absolutely passionate when he talked about it; it was the one thing in his life that he didn’t approach calmly or rationally. Jenna didn’t understand much of it, but she enjoyed listening to him describe all the features and benefits that made his rocket sledge superior because he was so enthusiastic.
Watching the actual races was less exciting, though. There was a lot of prep time, and then watching them go around and around and around the track was just mind-numbing. It was a little exciting at the end when there was some doubt about who would win (often Zane did, but not always), and occasionally there would be the nanospeed-fueled fight to liven things up after the drivers got out of their sledges. Other than that, Jenna tried not to doze. She could always have gotten out her flipcom and played a game or two, but she couldn’t quite do that. That was beyond rude, and Jenna had social politeness intertwined with her DNA. The good part was that the seats in the spectator stand were large and comfortable, like fancy theater seats.
When Zane came to pick her up for this week’s race, he was almost exuberant. It surprised her. He had been having a more difficult time winning races lately; a newcomer from Critias had joined the season with his own semicustom Tabanid rocket sledge (apparently the fastest kind ever built), and he was proving himself to be very tough competition. But Zane’s optimism this night was almost infectious; she found herself smiling and anticipating a night of enjoyment.
She didn’t know just how wrong that would be.
Instead of taking her for a quick prerace meal at the Seafood Stop like usual (how could he eat seafood before a race? The thought made her queasy, but Zane insisted it was good luck), he led her to the arboretum, where the amazingly tall trees and the glass roof tried to give the impression that one stood in the middle of the woods. The whole room was absolutely empty—and nearly dark, with only scattered globes lighting the edges—which surprised Jenna. Zane had brought her here once before while giving her a tour of his favorite spots in the QE, and it had been a hive of activity then. It housed a number of outdoor sports, like rock climbing and a ropes and rappelling course. There was even a zip line. But tonight it was almost eerily silent.
“What are we doing here, Zane?” she asked, puzzled. “I thought we were getting something to eat before the race?”
“I have something else in mind,” he said, his voice buzzing with excitement. “I hope you’ll forgive me. We can get dinner after the race.”
“OK,” she answered, intrigued. She wasn’t that hungry anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal if they skipped the seafood, but she knew how seriously Zane took his good-luck meal. What was so important that it mattered more than his prerace traditions?
When they reached the center of the biggest grove of trees, Zane stopped and looked up toward the roof. The moon was huge and positioned nearly right over them, a softly glowing beacon shining through the glass and casting miniature, faint shadows with the giant trees. Jenna stared at it for a moment, feeling a longing for something that she couldn’t name. It was almost perfectly still in here. No people, no noise from the resort filtering through the distant walls, and no hum of machinery. Also, no wind in the trees or insects chirping or owls hooting as there might have been outdoors. Silence, except for Zane’s soft breathing beside her. She felt that in the stillness something tried to call out to her. Something she was familiar with but had forgotten. Some secret that would lead her to the peace that her life so sorely lacked. Like there was someone there, a tiny whisper in her mind.
Then Zane spoke, shattering the stillness.
“Jenna, I brought you here tonight because I wanted to ask you something important. You have been the anchor of my life ever since we first met,” he said. “You are a guiding light, like the moon is tonight,” he continued, with a pointed glance up at the moon, “always inspiring me and comforting me. I love you. Will you marry me?”
Jenna stared at him, dumbfounded. She struggled to get her composure, but she was seriously rattled. How could Zane propose to her? They barely knew each other! She had been dating him less than a year, never officially as his girlfriend, and they had never talked anything about the future.
And she still felt no physical attraction to him whatsoever.
Jenna was aghast. How did she get into this situation? She’d had no idea that Zane felt so seriously about her. That was the only thing that had eased her conscience every time it pricked when she thought of her orders from Mr. Carter. She wasn’t dating Zane only to keep her job. After all, she liked him well enough, and he clearly liked her too, but it had seemed almost as casual for him as it was for her.
Apparently, Jenna had been dead wrong. Worse, in this instant she knew she could never marry him. It was one thing to enjoy hanging out with him and in that way “dating” him, but she was not in love with him, and she didn’t think she ever would be. But Zane was looking at her so expectantly (almost confidently, she realized with a start, like he had no doubt that she felt the same way) that she stammered, “You really want to marry me?” with none of her usual verbal smoothness.
“Of course! We could do amazing things together, Jenna,” he said.
“I . . . um . . . I’ll have to think about it,” Jenna finally managed, sounding as desperately awkward as she felt. Inside, she cursed herself. Just tell him! a part of her shouted mentally. Tell him that you can’t marry him!
Zane stared at her, his eyes immediately dimming with disappointment.
“You just took me by surprise,” Jenna rushed to explain. “We’ve never even talked about long-term plans or our relationship like that. Give me some time to think about it? Marriage wasn’t even on my horizon.” Zane’s eyes darkened, but he forced a smile.
“Of course, Jenna. I’m sorry, I know I should have given you some warning of my intentions. However, from the first time that I met you, the most beautiful woman on all of Zenith, I knew we had a future together. Will you please consider my offer? I can offer you so much as a life partner. I move in the first circles socially here in Omphalos, and my father has ties throughout the galaxy,” he listed, as if outlining a business proposal. “Money will never be an object, and I promise to always work hard to support us. Our children will have every opportunity that money or influence can provide,” Zane added proudly.
Instead, she took a deep breath. “I’ll consider it. Thank you, Zane.”
*
The walk to the racetrack was silent and awkward on Jenna’s side and completely normal on Zane’s. He enthusiastically described his plan for outwitting his competitors without the slightest indication that he had just proposed to her. At first Jenna was grateful that he wasn’t going to be angry with her, but as time went on and Zane kept talking, she grew more and more irritated. Did Zane even really know her? Did he notice her at all? How could he act like nothing had happened? She was completely unsettled by his oblivious behavior. Or was he just arrogantly assuming that she would, after noting all the pros to marrying him, accept him, because why wouldn’t she?
Zane had always been extremely self-confident, but he’d never been arrogant before. There was an edge to him that she had never seen, a hint that he wouldn’t be pleasant if she didn’t agree with him. What was she going to do? Either she was going to have to turn Zane down flat, or she was going to have to string him along endlessly. Keeping Zane waiting indefinitely for an answer probably wouldn’t work, but when she turned him down, what would happen to her job? Would they even be able to stay in their apartment? In the best-case scenario, it would be awkward to live in the same building as a rejected suitor, and in the worst-case scenario Zane would just throw them out.
The alternative was to marry him. Two problems solved, a million more created.
By the time he left her at the spectator stands and headed for the participant changing rooms, she had worked herself into quite a state.
Jenna stomped up into one of the top rows and thumped down into a seat next to Jimmy, who was already waiting for the race. She was furious. Furious at Zane for assuming there was more to their relationship than there was, annoyed with Lilah for pressuring her to accept Zane’s ridiculous gift of an apartment in Quintan Tower, and most of all beyond irate at her boss for manipulating her into this impossible situation in the first place.
The Quintan Edge (Roran Curse Book 2) Page 7