“Why?” Alexandra asked.
“What do you mean, why?” Janie replied. “Because I don’t date, remember? At least not seriously. And Jackson isn’t a casual sort of guy.”
“Janie, it’s not like he’s asked you to marry him,” Alexandra said, raising an eyebrow.
“I know that, but what’s the point in getting his hopes up?”
Alexandra was quiet for a moment, considering.
“Listen, do what you want.” She shrugged. “But I think you’ll regret it someday.”
“Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of my life?” Janie asked with a smirk.
“Alright, smartass,” Alexandra sighed. “Get back to work.”
Janie stood and retreated to her desk, happy to escape any further awkward conversation. She settled into her chair, took a fortifying sip of coffee and was about to press send when her screen lit up with an incoming call.
She read the caller ID and immediately had to bite back her rising panic. Her father. He normally called once or twice a month to check in. Short, superficial conversations that felt more like a chore. They’d never had a meaningful conversation in her life.
She immediately began to imagine the worst as she accepted the call.
“Dad?” Janie asked, apprehensive.
“Hi, Pumpkin,” her father replied in his usual distracted manner.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Oh, no. Nothing’s wrong. We’re here. In the city,” her father replied. She heard a muffled sound and some indistinct chatter, as though he’d covered the phone with his hand while speaking to someone.
The first thing that registered was the word “here.” He was here? In New York? She hadn’t seen her father since she’d moved to the east coast five years ago.
The second word that registered was “we.”
Oh, shit.
We meant Nancy. If Nancy was here, so was Makenna. Her whole damn family was in town and her father no doubt expected her to welcome them with open arms, show them the sights, have dinner with them, all the normal visiting family shit.
But they weren’t a normal family and she had no interest in playing host to these people. They were practically strangers.
“What are you doing here?” Janie asked before she could think better of it.
“Kenna has some auditions,” her father explained, as if it should be obvious.
“Of course,” Janie replied flatly. She didn’t know why she was surprised. Makenna had always gotten the best of the best. No community college for the perfect daughter. Nancy’s little darling was going to be a star, even if her father had to put a second mortgage on the house and the store.
As long as Janie could remember, Nancy had been pushing Mackenna into pageants and competitions and modeling jobs, ever since she was in diapers. Nancy was convinced that her daughter would be famous one day. Janie was sure that if it meant Nancy could make some money in the process, she’d do just about anything to make it happen. Proving Makenna was the better daughter in every way would just be the icing on the cake.
“We just got here, and we’re still settling in at the hotel, but we’d love to meet you for dinner somewhere. Our treat, of course,” her father said, interrupting her wayward thoughts.
“Oh. Um, I can’t tonight, actually. I have plans,” Janie said a little too quickly. “I mean if I’d known you were coming…”
“I know, Pumpkin. I should’ve called you to let you know, but it was a bit last minute and you know how I am.”
“I know,” Janie replied.
She did know. All too well. Distracted, inattentive, oblivious. It was a wonder he hadn’t run the store into the ground years ago. He couldn’t seem to keep a thought in his head for longer than a minute. And God forbid he have to deal with any kind of drama. Then he’d just shut down entirely.
“Maybe tomorrow?” her father asked. Despite all her frustration and anger, she couldn’t help the tug on her heart when she heard the hopefulness in his voice.
“Sure,” Janie agreed. “I’ll call you later. I have to get back to work.”
“Oh, sure,” her father said cheerfully. “Don’t want to keep you. We’ll talk later.”
“Bye, Dad.”
“Bye, Pumpkin.”
Janie hung up the call and took a deep breath, rubbing her forehead. She stared at the phone in her hand, and at the text message she’d been about to send. Sighing to herself, she deleted it before she could change her mind.
Sure, she could still cancel the date. It’s not like her father would know. But if there was anything she could use tonight it was a few free drinks and a distraction. She’d just have to be sure it didn’t go any further than a friendly dinner.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Just a friendly dinner.
Jackson repeated that to himself like a mantra as he drove across town to pick up Janie. He’d nearly gone too far yesterday. He needed to reign it in tonight. Take her to dinner, swap stories, have a few laughs. Take her home. That’s it.
Jackson pulled up outside the townhouse and hopped out. As he started up the stairs, the door opened and Angel rushed out in pink scrubs and sneakers, her dark hair pulled high into a ponytail.
“Hey,” Jackson smiled. “Working nights?”
“Huh? Oh, hi. Yeah,” Angel replied, digging in her purse. She pulled out her keys with a triumphant “ha!” “Sorry. I’m running late,” she apologized, shooting him a tired smile. “Your hand alright?” she asked as she moved past him down the steps.
“Yup. No worries.” Jackson waved her off, not wanting to delay her any more.
“Good. Let me know if you have any trouble,” she called over her shoulder as she climbed into the sleek new compact parked at the curb in front of his SUV.
Jackson smiled to himself and shook his head as he rang the bell. That girl was all heart and no self preservation. If she didn’t slow down, she was going to run herself into the ground.
All thoughts of Angel flew right out of his head as soon as Janie answered the door. She was dressed down, per his suggestion, and she still looked absolutely perfect. She wore dark washed jeans that hugged her curves until they disappeared into a pair of lace up black boots.
She wore a teal blue, lightweight sweater that drifted off one pale shoulder revealing the strap of a cream lace bra beneath. Her copper hair was down and hung in soft waves past her shoulders.
He’d seen Janie dressed for work and dressed to the nines, and she was always stunning. But after yesterday, and this vision standing in front of him, he could definitely say that he liked her best this way. Casual, relaxed.
He stopped himself before he could imagine how beautiful she’d be completely natural, with not makeup and no clothes and bed-head, and gave her a smile.
“You look beautiful,” he said, leaning up to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you,” Janie said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Let me just grab my coat.”
She returned a moment later with a short, black suede jacket and a small black bag. She locked the door behind her and he opened the passenger door for her while she climbed up into the monster he drove.
“So, can you tell me now?” Janie asked him with a smirk.
Jackson had called earlier in the day to confirm their plans, but he’d refused to tell her where they were going. All he would tell her was to dress casual and be ready by seven.
“Nope.” He shook his head, pulling out into traffic. “You’ve waited this long, surely you can hold on a little longer.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Janie asked with a grin.
Jackson laughed but said nothing. Instead, he reached into the back seat and retrieved the flowers he’d stashed there earlier. He handed them to Janie with a smile.
“These are for you.”
“They’re beautiful,” Janie said, surprised. She held them to her nose and closed her eyes, smelling them.
; He hadn’t thought to ask Alexandra what color she liked, so he’d just gotten the largest bunch of pink and purple that he could find.
“I’m glad you like them,” Jackson replied.
Janie looked at him with eyes narrowed to slits.
“You asked Lex, didn’t you? That’s why she knew about our date.”
“It’s called recon, darlin’.” Jackson winked at her.
“Oh, yeah?” she asked. “So, you know everything about me now?”
“Oh, no,” Jackson said, shaking his head. “There are some things I’m looking forward to finding out for myself.”
“Oh, you’re good,” Janie laughed and Jackson couldn’t help chuckling with her.
The conversation suddenly stuttered to a stop and Janie spent several silent minutes staring out the window into the dark city streets.
Jackson was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t pushed Janie a little too far. She’d avoided him until now and he may have taken advantage of a weak moment when she accepted his invitation. Although she had been an enthusiastic participant in the events that preceded that particular moment.
But if she really didn’t want to be here, she wouldn’t be. Janie wasn’t one to mince words. And if she’d changed her mind she’d had plenty of time to tell him so. Jackson shook his head to clear those thoughts away.
No point in speculating when he could just ask.
“Everything alright?” he asked. “You seem a little distracted.”
“Yeah.” She shrugged and those doubts began creeping back in.
“You sure?” he asked, taking advantage of a red light to examine her more closely. She was biting her lip and a wrinkle had appeared between her eyes.
“Yeah,” Janie said, trying to smile. “I mean, I’m alright being here, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Can I ask you something?” Jackson asked, as the light turned green and he began driving again.
“Shoot.”
“I was convinced you were going to cancel on me,” Jackson said carefully. “Why didn’t you?”
Janie bit her lip again.
“Honestly? I almost did.”
“Ouch,” Jackson sighed.
“Listen,” she replied, setting a hand on his forearm and turning in her seat to face him. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not I like you. I mean, I think I’ve made my opinion about you pretty clear.”
He looked over at her and she gave him that saucy smile.
“But here’s the thing,” she sighed. “I’m not relationship material, and you’re not fuckboy material.”
“Excuse me?” Jackson said with a startled laugh.
“Am I wrong?” Janie asked, tilting her head.
“About me? No. About you? Absolutely,” Jackson replied, looking at her sideways.
“My point is, the odds are pretty heavily against us working out, and things being what they are…” Janie trailed off with a shrug.
Then it dawned on him.
“You’re thinking it’ll be weird for Lex and Connor,” Jackson snorted. “Shit, is that all?”
“All? You don’t think that’s a good enough reason?”
“Hell, no,” he said, shaking his head.
“Why not?” Janie asked, clearly getting annoyed that he wanted to argue the point.
“Listen, Janie,” Jackson said softly. “I know where I stand with Connor. And Lex, for that matter. Chicks before dicks, and all that.”
Janie laughed, as he’d hoped, and he continued.
“If things don’t work out because I'm an asshole, I fully expect to be the one to get cut out of the wedding photos. But I don’t intend to be an asshole, or do anything to hurt you.”
“That doesn’t mean things will work out,” Janie replied. “And what then?”
“Then we act like adults and get over it,” Jackson said with shrug. Not that he wanted to think about that right now. “It’ll be weird for a while, but eventually we’ll both move on and we’ll just be friends.”
Even as he said it, he wondered who he was trying to convince. Not that it mattered, because Janie didn’t seem to be buying it. But she did seem to be thinking real hard about something. He held his tongue and let her think, hoping in the end she’d decide he made some sense, even though he wasn’t entirely sure he did.
“Well if the plan is to be friends when it’s over, don’t you think we should be friends first?” Janie asked.
“Aren’t we?” Jackson asked.
“Eh, more like acquaintances.” Janie shrugged.
“Acquaintances who occasionally make out?” Jackson added.
“Yes,” she nodded. “The goal should be friends who have occasionally made out in the past.”
“Then what?”
“Then… we’ll see.”
Jackson thought about it for all of a nanosecond before a grin split his face.
“Deal.”
That had pretty much been his plan all along: spend some time getting to know her and hope that once she saw his sparkling personality, she’d be as gaga for him as he was for her. It may not last forever, nothing did, but he knew for damn sure he wanted more than a quick fling. He just had to convince her to want that, too.
✽✽✽
Janie felt a little guilty for what she was about to do. I mean she wasn’t really lying to him. She’d been honest about her reservations, and who knows? Maybe she actually could give this a shot with him. It’s not as if she hadn’t already considered it. But leveraging his interest to her advantage seemed decidedly dishonest.
Janie decided to just take things one step at a time. Get through dinner and then worry about what came next.
Before she realized it, they’d arrived at their destination which happened to be, much to her surprise, a soul food place in Harlem. She looked at Jackson in astonishment and he merely gave her a sly smile and a wink.
Even more surprising, after he’d opened her door and helped her down from the behemoth he drove, he took her hand in his and led her down the sidewalk to the door of the restaurant.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d held a man’s hand. Had she ever?
His grip was firm but relaxed; natural, as if they’d done this every day for years. His hands were large and warm and slightly rough. They engulfed her much smaller, softer hands almost completely.
She looked up from their joined hands to find him staring at her with a curious mixture of emotions she didn’t care to analyze.
The party ahead of them moved aside, led away by a waitress in a black t-shirt and apron toting a stack of menus. The hostess looked up expectantly from the podium and Jackon informed her that he had a reservation.
They were shown to a small table in the corner by a large set of windows facing the street. It was a monday night, so the dining area wasn’t crowded, and their spot in the corner felt secluded and private. She felt an unexpected pang of disappointment as Jackson released her hand to pull out a chair for her.
The waitress handed her a menu and she tried to pay attention to the specials. It was uncommonly difficult to focus when Jackson was standing beside his chair, stripping out of his coat and rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
This shirt looked like it was tailored to fit, and tucked into a pair of dark jeans, there didn’t appear to be a spare inch of fabric anywhere. And those jeans were another thing. No one should look that good in jeans. It was criminal.
When he’d finally taken his seat, Janie realized that even the waitress had become distracted and lost track of what she’d been saying. She recovered quickly and instead asked if they knew what they wanted to drink.
After they’d ordered drinks, sweet teas all around, Janie hid behind her menu to regroup. She had to hand it to him, he’d done his research. Men had taken her out to any number of places around the city; everything from hotdog stands (thanks Billy) to five star restaurants, but nobody had ever thought to take her someplace like this.
Ca
tfish, collared greens, cornbread- it was like a slice of home and it was remarkably bittersweet. More so than she would have expected.
“So, what do you think? What looks good?” Jackson asked, perusing his own menu.
“Everything looks pretty good,” Janie conceded. “How’d you find this place?”
“Research,” he said with a grin. He was still looking over the menu, as he continued, “I was looking for a barbeque place, but I figured that would only start an argument, so I opted for soul food instead, and the reviews all looked good.”
“Why would it start a fight?” Janie asked. She knew damn well why, but she was curious what he thought.
“Let’s just say we both probably have very strong opinions about barbeque.” He winked at her and smiled. “Felt like we might not be ready to have that conversation.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I feel like that’s something we might want to get out in the open from the get go. Might be a deal breaker.” She flashed him a gamine grin before adding, “Me? I personally feel, the more sauce the better.”
He clutched his chest, groaning. “See? You’ve gone and broken my heart already. That’s got to be a new record.”
Janie laughed, but Jackson continued his dramatics.
“What was that? Ten minutes in? Can we get the check? In fact, I think you better call a cab, or an Uber. I’m not sure I want you in my car.”
Janie only laughed harder. So hard, in fact that she snorted. She gasped, covering her face with her hands. And then that only made her laugh harder. Jackson was smiling at her like a kid on Christmas as she laughed herself silly.
She was still laughing when the waitress dropped off their drinks and Jackson politely asked her to give them a few more minutes with the menu. The waitress batted her eyelashes profusely and sashayed away.
That more than anything helped Janie pull herself together. She took a sip of her tea and made an appreciative sound.
Jackson was still smiling at her, but his eyes had grown intense.
“Perfect,” Janie commented, setting her glass down.
Her Defender (MacLachlan Security Group Book 2) Page 7
