by Staci Hart
“I sure am sorry about this, Jerome. Real sorry.” She touched his back and slid her hand down, laying the bug under the inside of his suit coat. She kissed his cheek and whispered, “Good luck,” into his ear.
Jon huffed and tugged at her arm. “Christ almighty, Sharon. I’m standin’ right here!”
She slapped his bicep with her lip curled. “Damn you, Cletus!”
They turned to go, but Jon looked back over his shoulder at the very confused Frenchman. “Women. Am I right?”
‘Jerome’ let out an awkward chuckle and raised his glass.
Jon guided Josie toward the door by her arm. “Cletus? Seriously?” She could hear his smile as he whispered into her hair, and a chill ran through her.
She shrugged. “We didn’t decide your name, and Cletus just kind of felt right. Know what I mean?”
Anne laughed in their ears. “Way to go, Jo. Did you bug him?”
Josie touched her earpiece. “Tagged and bagged.”
“Perfect. The video was even better than I’d hoped for. If nothing else, I can blackmail you with it.”
“Ha, ha.”
Anne laughed. “Wait out front, I’ll be right there to pick you up.”
They stepped out of the lobby and into the cool night. He’d let go of her arm to open the door, and she was almost more sad he’d let her go than annoyed he was touching her in the first place. She kept her eyes on the street, scanning for Anne. “Thanks for your help tonight, Jon. Sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned beard.”
“Happy I could oblige in all of your beard needs, Jo.”
She looked up at him as they waited under the canopy over the sidewalk. His eyes were soft, his hair hanging around his face, and something in his voice said more than his words did. She realized she was holding her breath.
“Are you cold, Josie? You’re shivering.” He touched her arm, and another shudder worked through her.
“Nah, I’m fine.” She took a step back, and his hand dropped. “It’s not real cold. It’s fake cold.”
“Fake cold?”
She looked back to the street, smiling. “Yeah, you know, when you just think it’s cold, but what is it, sixty-five degrees out here? That’s nothing. It’s not like real cold. It’s all in my head.”
“Well, Jerome in there says chivalry’s not dead. Think he’d give you his coat for a cool five Gs?”
“Ha, I’m sure he’d give me more than that.”
Anne pulled up to the curb, and Jon moved in front of her to open her door. “My mama would never forgive me if I didn’t open the door up for a lady, particularly one as beautiful as you.”
Josie took a breath as she brushed past him. It was impossible. He was unavailable. And he was a jerk for flirting with her in his state of unavailableness.
She did her best to turn it into a joke. “Why, thank you kindly, Mister Landreaux,” she said in her best Scarlet O’Hara.
He nodded. “My pleasure, Miss Josie.”
She slipped into the car with her eyes forward, not wanting to look at Anne any more than Jon. Their eyes on her weighed a hundred pounds.
Anne leaned over the steering wheel to address Jon through the open window. “Need a ride?”
Josie’s fingers tightened around her clutch. Please say no. Please say no.
He smiled at her and ducked down to look at Anne. “Nah. Thanks, though.” The harsh street light cast shadows against his cheekbone and lips, pronouncing the strong line of his jaw. He was close enough to catch his scent, like soap and citrus. “I’ll catch a cab back.”
Relief and regret slipped over her. She smiled at him. “Thanks again, Jon.”
“Anytime,” he said with his eyes locked on hers.
Josie’s cheeks heated up, and she turned to Anne, who stifled a smile.
“Bye, Jon,” Anne called. “See you next time.”
He cocked that half-smile of his and turned to walk away. Josie watched him for a long moment as he passed under the lights of the awning and then into the dark. She sighed as she leaned back in her seat with her eyes on the dashboard, not really focused on anything.
Anne pulled away from the curb, smiling. “You look like you dropped your lollipop in the dirt.”
Josie rolled her eyes. “Ugh, shut up.”
Anne just smirked. “Jon looked good tonight, huh?”
“Seriously, you’re the worst.”
“I’m sorry, I think you pronounced ‘amazing’ wrong.”
“Ha, ha,” Josie deadpanned.
“It’s okay to like him, you know.”
Josie folded her arms. “No, it isn’t. He’s been with his girlfriend for years, Anne. Years.”
Anne’s face lit up and she pointed at Josie. “HA. Caught you,” she crowed.
“No, you didn’t,” Josie said reasonably. “I didn’t say I liked him. I said it isn’t okay to like him.”
“It was implied. Just admit it, Jo.”
“I will not.”
Anne mad-dogged her with an eyebrow up. “I’m not dumb, you know.”
Josie stared out the window. “I know.”
“And as great as you are at pulling off a con, you can’t fool me. Admit it. You like him.”
Josie slumped in her seat, resigned. “What good would it do?”
Anne was such a great friend that she let the confession slide, didn’t even rub it in. Her face went soft, the mockery turned down to around a two. “I don’t know.”
“I mean, you saw him. Am I imagining this? He’s driving me crazy, and I can’t even tell him.”
“Well, you could…”
Josie gaped at Anne. “I’m not about to be a homewrecker. Plus, it’s not like he’s exactly boyfriend material. Why would he point his laser fuck-me eyes at me when he has a girlfriend? I mean, what a dog.” She shook her head.
“I don’t know if anyone would refer to Jon as a dog. He’s not making a move on you or anything, right?”
She toyed with the hem of her dress. “No, not really. He hasn’t crossed any lines other than making me uncomfortable.”
“Does that bum you out?” Anne teased.
“No,” she lied.
Anne shook her head. “I can’t really blame you for liking him. He’s one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen in real life. I don’t know if it’s just his sense of humor that cranks the hotness to a twelve or what, but damn.”
“Don’t remind me. When he puts his hair in that little ponytail?”
Anne giggled. “Goddammit. And his lips. They’re so … I don’t know a masculine way to say it. Plump? But, like, without being girly. They have an edge to them, but chiseled is wrong too.”
Josie laughed. “No, I know what you mean. They’re pretty, but somehow retain undeniable manliness.”
Anne pointed at her. “Yes. That.”
Josie sighed again, and her smile slipped away. “It’s annoying.”
“It’s hilarious.”
“Shut up.” She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “It’s unfair is what it is. I don’t even know if he realizes what he’s doing.”
“Well, I don’t think you’re imagining it.”
“But he flirts with everyone.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same. When he flirts with me, it’s somewhere around fifteen percent serious. With you, it’s closer to ninety-five.”
“Seriously?”
Anne snorted. “Yes. Seriously. That man is into you.”
Anger bubbled up and spilled over with a hiss. “What the fuck, Anne. Why would he stay with her if he was into me? Why? God, it’s so messed up.”
“Maybe he’s conflicted. Maybe he’s not conscious of how obvious he’s being. You weren’t, and he was pointing it right at you. Or maybe things in Tori-land are sour.”
“Or maybe he just wants to fuck around.”
Anne shot her a look. “Jon doesn’t strike me as the type to fuck around. He’s a good guy, Josie.”
“No, he’s stringing
me along. And I know he’s a good guy deep down, but that makes it even worse.”
Anne gave her a sympathetic smile. “Things always work out, Josie. Even when life is impossible and you feel like you’ll never get to a better place, things always work out.”
Josie sighed, not feeling much better even for the revelations. “Thanks, Annie. It would really help me out if you would quit calling him for help, though.”
“What?” she said innocently. “We needed help. And if he happens to see you all slutty and hot, I can’t be blamed.” She pressed a hand to her chest.
Josie snorted.
They rode in silence for a moment as Anne thought and Josie sulked. Anne didn’t speak until she pulled into their parking garage.
“Maybe you should talk to him about it. Just get it out in the open and see what happens.”
Josie huffed and shook her head. “Nuh-uh. No way. I’m not putting him in that position, even if he’s already slinging pheromones at me. I just need to keep it casual.”
“Good luck with that.”
“I’ve been evading him for what feels like ages. I’ve developed a system.”
Anne side-eyed her. “It seems really effective.”
Josie gave the look right back. “Oh my God. Seriously, stop.”
She shook her head as she pulled into their spot. “I can’t believe you told me.”
“Me neither,” Josie mumbled.
“Hey.” The word was quiet, comforting, and Anne turned to meet Josie’s eyes. “Don’t do that. I already knew, pretty much since the second you two first laid eyes on each other.”
“But what am I supposed to do? We’re friends, and I don’t know if I want to give that up. The thing is that I don’t know if I can keep going. Maybe a break will be enough to … I don’t know. Reset me. Refill my willpower tank. Because right now, I’m running on empty.”
“What if that makes it worse?”
“Then I’m screwed,” she said with a laugh. “I miss the days in the beginning. When getting coffee or spending hours researching wasn’t tainted by sexual tension. In the last few months, it’s gotten unbearable.”
“I still think you should talk to him about it.”
“I can’t do that, Anne. I just can’t. I just want to be friends.”
Anne sighed. “Well, if that’s enough for you, then right on,” she said as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.
Josie did the same, marching through the garage to the echoing sound of her heels against concrete. There was no choice to be made, no matter what Anne thought she knew. Being friends with Jon had to be enough, because friends was better than nothing.
———— Olympus ————
Dita shook her head as she turned off the small flat screen that hung behind her. She picked up her phone and switched on music before turning back to the mirror in her bathroom and reaching for her eyeliner. The counter looked like the Neiman Marcus cosmetic case blew up all over it. Pots of shadows and tubes of lipstick lay across the surface, which was also scattered with brushes and Q-tips, eyeshadow palettes and powders. Piles of dresses and shoes had been tossed in lieu of the slinky party dresses they settled on. The excitement apparently had worn out Bisoux, who made a bed out of a designer dress and lay snoring softly.
Perry leaned toward the mirror with her lips stretched into an ‘o’ and chin up, looking down her nose as she worked on her cat eye. She blinked at herself when she finished the first. “Man, you should just get Jon and Josie together already.”
Dita ran a kohl pencil along her bottom lid. “I really should. They’re a perfect match.”
“How come you haven’t already?”
Dita lined her top lid, not able to answer without jacking up her delicate work. She inspected her reflection. “They weren’t ready. Both of them had growing to do before the timing was right. It hasn’t been easy keeping them off each other though. Do you know how hard it is to stop a love match once they meet?”
“I’ve seen you in action, so yes.”
“I’ve had a little magic on Jon. He’s been mostly clueless about his feelings.”
“Well, he’s a man, so duh.”
Dita chuckled. “Maybe I should go ahead and unleash the fury.”
“Do it.” Perry giggled as she peered in the mirror again to work on her other eye.
“I have something planned for Tori with a guy she waits tables with. He’s not her forever guy, but they’ll be good together until she meets her match, and it could help free up Jon.”
“I love a two-for-one.”
“Such a steal.”
“Think anyone will mess with them?”
Dita lined her other eye and picked up her blending brush. “Not sure,” she said as she ran the brush under her eye to smoke it. “There’s always a chance that Hera will throw a wrench in things. She hates breakups and has zero understanding of compatibility. I mean, she was rooting for Ike and Tina for fuck’s sake.”
Perry snorted.
“Josie’s a pet of Artemis, and you know she’s not down for any ‘distractions,’ as she’d call them. But I think as long as it doesn’t interfere with Josie’s work or skills, Artemis should leave her alone.”
“Good.” Perry turned her head to make sure her winged liner matched and shimmied her black dress down her thighs. “So, how much babysitting are you going to need at Dionysus’ party tonight?”
Dita thought about it as she applied her lipstick and pressed her lips together. “Depends on if Ares is there. If he is, I’ll probably get very drunk.”
“So I’ll be either convincing you not to talk to him, prying you off of him, or carrying you to your room?” Perry ticked the points off on her fingers, and Dita smiled at her in the mirror.
“Let’s just hope it’s not all three.”
Honey Pot
JON TOOK ANOTHER BITE OF his turkey sandwich and set it on the plate in front of him. He checked his phone as he had a million times that day, but the clock seemed to tick slower than usual, and the minutes crept by as they counted down to the time when he’d pick up Josie.
It had been two days since he’d seen her at the hotel, and when he got the call to pick up a bail jumper, he’d only had one thought.
Honey trap.
The ruse was simple: Have a pretty girl lure the skip out of his house. Once he was outside, he was fair game to nab. It wasn’t just because he wanted to see Josie. It’s that she was perfect for the job, which was something he reminded himself of when guilt crept in. To set the trap, he needed a pretty girl. It was as simple as that.
Except that it wasn’t.
Josie was more than just a pretty face. She was clever and quick, with long red hair and big brown eyes, a fox if he’d ever seen one. Sometimes she’d look at him in a way that made him feel like a glorified version of himself, a giant. A genius. Just more than he was. But they were friends. It was clear that was what she wanted, but he flirted with her anyway, finding safety in the belief that she didn’t care about him, not like that at least.
When she’d walked into that bar, a strong breeze could have knocked him out of his chair. Her hair was like fire, skin like porcelain. Bottomless eyes made bigger by dark liner and shadow, big enough to be about the only thing he could see. And that dress … He sucked in a breath even at the memory, and guilt snaked through him.
He’d almost said something that night, but didn’t know what he even wanted to say. Watching the Frenchman touch her, watching her touch him, the whole thing affected him in a way he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. But he didn’t know what to do, or if there was anything to do. It was confusing, like he was missing a piece of the puzzle. He had no rights to her, no claim to stake. She didn’t want him, and he had Tori. But the flash of jealousy wasn’t something he could easily ignore.
Jon shook his head, smelling roses as he took another bite of his sandwich, but the bread was like cardboard in his mouth. He shouldn’t feel the way he did about Josie and
wondered, not for the first time, what Tori would think if she knew. Hell, he wasn’t even sure how he felt about her, and the thought of explaining the whole thing to Tori made his skin crawl.
Confrontation wasn’t something he was comfortable with, either.
Tori was his best friend. They lived together, shared everything, even bank accounts and cell phone bills. They were happy enough and had been for years. He could even say with all honesty that he loved her, but he’d begun to realize that his love had changed into something … different. Not bad, not good. Just not what it was before. He wondered if she felt the same.
Ultimately, though, didn’t want to leave her for someone else. It seemed flighty, as if he were upgrading. If he left, it would be because he was sure that she wasn’t the one for him. But he wasn’t convinced either way.
Wanting Josie could just be attraction, an instinct driven by hormones. He didn’t know how to be sure it was more or less than that. It could have been that he was bored, or maybe it was just a phase. Maybe he’d snap out of it, and he and Tori would be like they were in the beginning. That they’d find some spark that had burned out long before.
But as he stared down at his plate, he knew that wasn’t possible. Relationships don’t move backwards.
Jon heard keys in the door and the deadbolt unlock, and seconds later, Tori opened the door only to immediately trip over his boots.
“Jesus Christ!” Her arms flailed, and she grabbed the low bookcase near the door to keep herself from eating shit.
He busted out laughing, and she shot him reaper eyes from under her shaggy blond bangs.
“I’m sorry,” he said between chuckles, “but that was the funniest thing I’ve seen all day.”
She dropped her purse on the ground and hung a hand on her hip. “Real glad I could deliver.” There was enough bite in her tone that his smile fell.
“You all right, Tori?”
She smoothed her face as she pulled off her jacket and hung it on a hook behind the door. “Yeah, sorry. The kitchen crashed today, and my tables were not amused. Like, at all.” She gave him a weak smile. “How about you?”
