I'll Do Anything

by Danielle Bourdon

“Good.” Jasper grunted the word.

  Because I'd known him so long, I could tell that Jasper was still angry about the confrontation with Adrian. It was written all over his face and obvious in the white knuckled grip he had on the wheel. Whatever had passed between them must have been ugly indeed. I held my breath and stared out the window. I needed a quick subject change. Something to take the conversation away from Adrian and Olympus.

  “You look weird. What's wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Finley...”

  “What?”

  “What happened?”

  Damn. Just like I knew Jasper too well, he also knew me equally well. It was impossible to keep anything from him. With such a direct question, I felt I had no choice but to answer honestly. “I talked to Adrian. About Asia.”

  Jasper shot me a look at the next red light. “About me or—what about Asia?”

  I didn't think it would benefit anyone to recite Adrian's first few comments. “I wanted to talk to Ramsey, but since he was gone I had intended to wait until he got back. But Adrian knew something was up and kept asking why I wanted to see Ramsey, so I told him that I knew a girl and that she needed a job. I mentioned that I wanted to get Asia an interview at Olympus.”

  “Dammit, Finley. Why did you do that? She doesn't need to work there.” Jasper stomped the gas. The tires squealed and we shot forward through the intersection. Taking the back roads, Jasper avoided much of the busier traffic on the Strip.

  “She needs a job above all else, Jasper.”

  “You don't think I know that? But we both work there--”

  “I work there,” I reminded Jasper. He shot another glare at me across the car, which I ignored.

  “You know what Adrian will do to her. He'll decimate her just like he decimates everyone else.”

  “Maybe not. I told him she lost her job and that she has a child. He said that he's not a monster, and that if she really needs it, he'll have a talk with her.”

  “Jesus, Finley. I can't believe you fell for that line. He's going to make her life hell now.”

  Frowning, I looked at Jasper. “It's a shot at a job, Jasper. I couldn't help it that Ramsey wasn't there. Adrian said he'd take it seriously. Maybe, this once, he will.”

  Jasper snorted. He draped his hand over the top of the steering wheel like he was wont to and muttered under his breath.

  “What did you say?” I asked, not about to let him get away with that.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don't tell me nothing. I did what I thought was best at the time. What did you do tonight?” I asked, feeling my temper rise.

  “I did what I said I was going to do. I worked on Asia's car and turned the papers over to her.”

  “So they're all signed and that's it?”

  “That's it. It's over. Well, as soon as she sends in the papers. I gave her the money for the whole thing, too.”

  I studied Jasper's features, looking for something other than his discontent with our current situation. “Then why are you still so grumpy? You don't work at Olympus anymore, so you won't be running into Asia all the time.”

  “What do you think, Finley? And no, I'm not happy that Asia will be exposed to Adrian at all. He's playing you, or whatever's going on, and it's gonna backfire on both of you.” Jasper slowed to take a turn, the wipers slashing rain off the windshield.

  “I don't know, Jasper. Everything changed when I found out about Asia. I haven't even had time to really process it all, or figure out where we are with it, before another crisis hits.”

  “That's it exactly. You want to know why I'm cranky? That's why. I have no idea where your head is with all this. You're sleeping in another room, you're distant, we don't kiss or touch or anything. I'm expecting to come home to find you packed and ready to go.” He gripped the wheel, then turned into our driveway. This time, he used the remote to lift the garage door and parked inside the first garage. The sound of rain abruptly stopped pinging on the roof of the Camaro.

  “It's not like we've had a lot of time to figure it out, Jasper. Honestly, I don't know how I feel. I know I don't want to leave. We've been best friends for longer than I can remember, so this isn't just about our relationship, either. There's more here.” Unbuckling the belt, I dragged a leg up, knee bent sharply, and hugged an arm around my shin. Jasper slouched against his door, elbow braced on the sill, watching me across the car. The ends of his hair tickled his eyelids and I itched to reach over and whisk it away.

  “I'm grumpy, Finley, because I don't want to lose you. Yeah, we're friends. I guess I take that for granted. But I don't want to lose what ground we've made up so far in our relationship, either. I have a feeling that our friendship would take a hit, too, if we broke up. I know you. I know how you operate. When you're done with a guy, you're done. You move on and don't look back,” he said.

  “That's true, but I never cared about any of them the way I care about you. This is different.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. I can't tell what I think you're going to do and it's got me on edge.”

  “I can see that,” I replied in a quiet voice. “But I'm still here, aren't I? I haven't gone anywhere. Yes, I thought about it right at first, when I was still in shock to learn you had a wife. I don't think I'm in shock any longer. Maybe just hurt and vaguely distrustful, which bothers me more than anything if I'm honest. I've based everything I know about us on trust. I count on it. Right now, I don't know whether to let it all go and try to forget about it, or ask if there's something else you need to tell me. Another secret.”

  Jasper held up his hands, palms out. “No. There's nothing else. You know why I didn't tell you about the loan last year, and now you know about Asia. I have no other big secrets or omissions. This is it.”

  I wanted to believe him. My heart ached to forgive, if not forget. “Well, no matter what, I'm not leaving, and we're not going to damage our friendship. Let's give it a few days to die down, to get back to something approaching normal. There's still Asia to see about—I don't want to just turn our backs on her right now, even if it's naïve of me to want to help.”

  “It's not naïve. I'm surprised, considering, but it's not naïve. I respect you for taking charge when I wasn't around, for helping her. I might not love her, I'm not sure I ever really did love her like I should have, but I don't want to see her hurt.”

  “And there's the matter of Kaia,” I said.

  “Yes. There's the matter of Kaia.” Jasper held my gaze. “What do you think now that you've spent time with Asia?”

  “I don't know. I mean, right off the bat, I'd say no way would she ever deny you your daughter. But we don't know everything about her life—where's the father then, her family, why did she leave back east to move here? There are a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe we don't deserve to know the answers, either, at least about other loves in her life or family problems, although I believe it's your right to know if that's your child.”

  “Yeah, I feel the same way about her. Insofar that I just don't see her withholding that kind of information from me. Then there's that niggling doubt, though, because you're right. We don't know everything. I never even met her parents. That's how quick and dirty it was between us.”

  The more Jasper talked, the more his voice warmed up. A faint, familiar rasp entered the words, making a shiver run down my spine. I said, “Then we should ask her. I've still got to tell her about Adrian—and don't get mad all over about that. I can just ask her straight up.”

  “I should probably ask her. It's my job, my duty. That way, if she gets mad, she'll direct it at me.”

  “Either way. Let's make a pact. Tomorrow, one way or another, we'll bring it up.”

  “All right.”

  I stared at Jasper while he stared at me. The draw I felt grew stronger by the second, until I leaned half across the console to offer my mouth for a kiss. He met me in the middle, brushing his lips warmly over mine. We tangled tongues, traded breath. I inhaled the mas
culine, appealing scent of his cologne from his skin. As good as he tasted, I wasn't ready to totally throw in the towel and forget about Asia. I wanted him to know how serious it was, his lapse in telling me something so important. If I forgave everything without consequence, I thought it would send the wrong message.

  “I'll see you in the morning. Thanks for coming to pick me up,” I whispered against his mouth. Then I left his jacket on the console and got out of the car.

  I could feel his gaze following my progress to the connecting door until I was out of sight.

  Chapter Nine

  “This is surreal,” I said the next morning, as Jasper drove us to Asia's apartment. Staring out the window at the sun drenched day, I let my focus go distant. In periphery, I was aware of the giant casinos lining the Strip and the glut of traffic clogging several intersections.

  “It is. I can take you back to the house if you've changed your mind,” Jasper said. He'd dressed in a nicer pair of jeans and a teal button down instead of a tee shirt.

  “No, I don't want to go back. I want to tell her about Adrian. The sooner the better. She needs time to prepare herself and find a sitter. I just hope Kaia is well enough to stay with one while she goes on an interview.” I didn't know what to think of Jasper 'dressing up' a little more than usual to see Asia. I told myself that he didn't want to look scroungy and greasy, and that was all it was. I had on an old pair of jeans myself, with a faded tee shirt that had once been blue but was now gray from too many washings. I hadn't gone to any great lengths to wear anything other than what I normally wore.

  “We'll see.” Jasper turned into the apartment complex some minutes later and parked next to Asia's now fixed Monte Carlo. “That car is a piece of work, that's what I know. She needs to find something smaller. Something that guzzles less gas.”

  “I'm sure she'll get that when she has enough money,” I said to Jasper. On the way to Asia's apartment, I brushed my hand against his. He glanced sidelong, the corner of his mouth twitching into a half smile. I got hung up on the smile, on his eyes, on how handsome I thought he looked with his rakishly styled hair and shoulders that filled out every inch of his shirt.

  “You're staring,” he said as we climbed the stairs.

  “I can't help it.” It wasn't like me to get mushy and girly.

  He lifted a brow, pausing on the landing before Asia's apartment. “Does that mean I get a kiss this morning?”

  “Not right here in front of your wife's door, no.” I regretted the truth the second it spilled past my lips. I could have worded that better. The cooling in Jasper's eyes suggested he thought I might have been more tactful.

  Before Jasper knocked, the door opened with a rush and Asia appeared. She had Kaia in her arms, the car seat hanging from a hand, and her purse falling off her shoulder. The most striking thing was the utterly terrified expression on Asia's face. Tears made tracks down her smooth cheeks, her eyes void of make up as they'd been yesterday for the doctor's office.

  Instantly alert, I frowned. Jasper stepped forward to take the car seat and catch the door.

  “Hey, what's wrong?” Jasper said even as Asia spoke.

  “I'm sorry. I know we're supposed to meet up. I have to go to the hospital.” Asia's hands shook as she snatched the diaper bag strap from the floor and stepped onto the landing. Her clothes—peach linen slacks, white capped shirt—looked hastily pulled on.

  “The hospital? What's wrong?” I asked, reaching over to take the diaper bag from Asia while Jasper closed the door and took the keys from Asia's shaking fingers. We automatically worked in tandem, anxious to help.

  “She...her fever got worse over night and she had a small seizure a few minutes ago. I called the doctor and he said to go straight to the emergency room.” Even Asia's voice shook. She cupped the back of Kaia's head and carefully descended the stairs.

  Jasper locked the door and followed us down.

  Shocked at the news, I glanced back and met Jasper's eyes. I could tell what he was thinking without having to exchange a word. We were going to help. Had to help. Asia was in no condition to drive.

  Jasper stepped past and broke into a jog, taking the car seat and the diaper bag ahead to the Camaro.

  “Where is he going--”

  “Don't worry, Asia. We'll drive you. He's going to put the car seat in our car.”

  “Are you sure? I--”

  “Really. Don't worry about anything except the baby.”

  Deft and agile, Jasper had the car seat installed and the diaper bag stowed by the time we arrived. An impressive feat, I thought, since he hadn't had much experience with babies or car seats before this.

  “Here, let me.” Jasper eased Kaia from Asia's arms and leaned into the back seat, rumbling a quiet coo to the baby while he settled her in. His actions were smooth, controlled, as if he'd done this a hundred times.

  “Come on, let's get you in the other side,” I said to Asia. I guided her around the car and helped her squeeze into the back. There wasn't a lot of room.

  Then Jasper and I climbed in and he started the car.

  In the back, Asia muffled a sob into her palm.

  Strangely heartbroken over the scenario, I buckled my seatbelt and checked for traffic as Jasper pulled onto the street. He was driving a little too fast but I wouldn't suggest he go slower. Once or twice, I caught Jasper's gaze. I knew he was as worried as I was, doubly so because we still had questions about Kaia's paternal bloodline.

  Pulling up right in front of the emergency room doors, Jasper got out first and, with the same skill and ease, maneuvered Kaia out of the seat and into his arms. He didn't wait while I fought with the front seat—sometimes it stuck—so Asia could get out.

  Inside, we caught up to Jasper just as a nurse led him to a side door and opened it. He carried Kaia into a long hallway with rooms situated off each side for patients.

  Asia explained Kaia's condition to the nurse. Kaia's fever had worsened overnight, and although Asia had followed the doctor's instructions to a tee, nothing had helped. Early this morning, the baby had suffered a seizure.

  “Are you the father?” the nurse asked Jasper while he laid Kaia onto a special bed made for babies and toddlers. It was smaller than most gurneys, with solid sides to prevent the child from rolling out.

  The question brought sudden silence to the room. I glanced at Asia. Then to Jasper, and back to Asia again.

  The nurse looked up as she began to remove Kaia's little shirt.

  “No, he's a friend. Not the father,” Asia finally said.

  “All right. If we can have only immediate family in here, that would make things easier. Thank you.” The nurse bustled around, preparing Kaia for the doctor.

  It wasn't a request so much as an order.

  Jasper squeezed Asia's shoulder when he passed by. “We'll be in the waiting room if you need us, all right?”

  Asia hugged Jasper. I experienced a strange twinge when he hugged Asia back. Not that he would do any less in this instance. Then Asia came for me and though I'm not usually a hugger like that, I echoed Jasper's sentiment, hugged her back, and departed the room.

  “I feel like we're abandoning her and the baby or something,” Jasper said, raking his hair back from his forehead.

  “I know. But we're not. We're here and we'll stay here as long as we can. I hope the baby'll be all right.” Above and beyond everything else, I was concerned about Kaia. I couldn't imagine being in Asia's shoes right now.

  “Yeah.” That was all Jasper said about Kaia.

  The spoken word was a front for much deeper emotion. I could sense it welling beneath the surface in Jasper, barely contained. How things had changed in just a few short days.

  “Crap, I need to call Adrian, too. She won't be able to make the interview.” I pulled my cell phone from my pocket when we got to the waiting room. Jasper dragged a touch down my spine, causing a resulting shiver to follow in its wake. Taking initiative, I stepped up to Jasper and pressed a warm kiss right
on his mouth. I needed the contact and comfort, and I knew he did, too.

  “I'll be here,” he said afterward.

  “Be right back.” Taking the phone, I stepped outside to make the call.

  *

  I stood in the sun while Adrian's secretary put me through to his private line.

  “Yes?” answered a curt voice.

  “Adrian, it's Finley.”

  “Don't tell me. Your friend can't make it. What is it, car trouble? Lost a shoe? Doesn't have the right color lipstick?”

  Sobered by Kaia's seizures and Asia's tears, I let Adrian's condescending retort roll off like water from a duck's wings. I said, “We're at the emergency room. Her daughter had a seizure this morning.”

  Silence followed. After a full minute, Adrian asked, “How bad is it?”

  “We don't know yet. They just took her in.” I heard a sound like a pen tapping the desk in the background.

  “All right. Thanks for letting me know,” Adrian finally said.

  “You're welcome.” I ended the call and tucked the phone into my pocket. At least he'd been mostly civil after the initial snark. That was a start. I considered the idea, as the sun seared its way across the cityscape, that perhaps Adrian was as jaded as he was because of the people he'd dealt with his whole life. People who always wanted something of him or from him. Those who used him to climb the proverbial ladder. Yet Ramsey, his cousin, was in the same position and hadn't turned out nearly as cynical.

  Through the tall, broad windows, I caught sight of Jasper pacing the waiting area. He had his hands in his pockets, eyes on the scenery beyond a different section of windows. His jaw was set in a hard line, his expression showing a healthy amount of concern that he didn't try to hide. In that moment, I felt a surge of love and longing so intense that it scared me. Entering through the ER doors, I angled across the waiting room until I stood at his side.

  “Okay, that's done. He was mostly civil, surprisingly,” I said.

  Jasper snorted. He was still looking out the windows. “Won't last. I'll see what strings I can pull at my old job. Maybe I can get Asia an interview there.”