“I’ll be there.”
“With your boyfriend?”
“No. He’s working tonight.”
“Next time, then.”
“Yes. Do you need me to bring anything?”
“With Faith in the kitchen, and Caleb on the grill? Nope, we’ve got it covered.”
“Jenysis knows I’m coming, right?”
“Yes, she knows.”
“How mad is she at me?”
I chuckle before answering. “She’s not mad at all. She knows you were doing your job. Even if you weren’t, she’s well aware that she has nothing to worry about with you or any other woman.”
She’s quiet for a moment, but then she sighs and answers. “So if I told you not everything was about my job, there wouldn’t even be a small chance.”
“No. I’d tell you I’m sorry, but I’m not. From the moment I met her at the palace, I’ve never even considered anyone else.”
“Well then, let’s just go with it all being about my job, then.”
“Good idea. See you later.”
I hang up as Kace smirks at me. “So, the hitting on you was real?”
“Maybe? That was a weird conversation.”
“I could tell that even just from your side of things. Tread carefully man, or find a new lawyer. There’s something off about that chick.”
“She’s friends with your wife.”
“We all know that friendship can’t always save us from the crazy.”
“Truth.”
We used to be a quartet, until our “friend” betrayed us all. Well, he mostly betrayed Kace, but Brett and I stood by him. There wasn’t even a question that I’d have Kace’s back, and I know he has mine right now. I’ll heed his warning, and keep a close eye on what’s going on with Alesha. I don’t have a choice at this point, with my future hanging in the balance.
7
Jenysis
“Are you trying to make my Johnson stand up and say hello all night?” Wayne asks, moving behind me as I adjust my bathing suit, making sure nothing has popped out of the covered parts into the sheer sections.
“Do I have to do anything to make that happen? I thought it was a normal occurrence when I was around.”
He laughs into my shoulder. “Cheeky girl.”
“Ah, someone’s picking up my language.”
“I’d rather pick you up and toss you on our bed, but the guests will be arriving soon.”
I turn in his arms and kiss him. “Later.”
“Count on it,” he tells me, and then kisses me again as he squeezes my bum.
I step back with a smirk, reaching for my denim shorts, and pulling them on. “You should probably go stand in the freezer door for a few minutes,” I say, gesturing to where he’s tenting his shorts.
“You said they want to talk to me, so I’ll just keep a towel on my lap.”
“Because that’s not obvious.”
“Who says I don’t want it to be obvious? If everyone here doesn’t know how hot I am for my girl, then I’m doing something wrong.”
“I love you, Wayne.”
“Love you too, Jeny girl.”
“I should go and see if I can help Faith.”
“Make sure to tell me what you cook, so I can have extra.”
I blow him a kiss as I walk out to the kitchen. Cooking isn’t part of our official Society training, but Faith and her husband, Gavin, still give lessons to any of us who are interested. I’m very interested. I never cooked my own meals growing up, but I like the idea of making food for myself—and Wayne.
“What can I make?” I ask Faith. She’s got her long hair pulled back at the nape of neck, and is sweating from the heat of all the things boiling and baking, but she still looks stunning.
“You can wrap the shrimp in cheese and bacon. They’re marinating in that bowl. The cheese mixture is over there, with the bacon. Once they’re wrapped, you can toss them in the top oven. It’s pre-heated already.”
“Will do.”
I wash my hands, and start in on this small part of our dinner. Multiples entrees, sides, and desserts would be daunting for anyone else, but this is what Faith loves. I know her husband, Gavin, will be joining her soon. Caleb is already firing up the grill for most of the meats. We are definitely going to feast tonight.
I don’t know how much time has passed, when Alesha enters the kitchen carrying a box from Drago Sisters Bakery. “Hi, Jenysis. I picked up some treats. Wayne said everyone likes this bakery.”
“We do. Thanks.”
“Do you need any help in here?”
“Sure,” Faith says at the same time I say, “no.”
Awkward doesn’t even begin to describe this situation. “I think we have things covered, but thanks for offering,” Faith tells her with a smile.
She sets the box down, and walks out. I turn to find Faith looking at me with one of her eyebrows raised. “I’m trying to like her.”
“You should never have to try to like someone. You either do, or you don’t.”
“She’s Wayne’s lawyer.”
“Doesn’t mean you have to like her. She has a job to do, period.”
“She was hitting on him, and then said she was just testing his loyalty to me.”
“You’re not buying that?”
“Honestly? No.”
“Go with your instincts, Jen. Don’t act like some crazy, jealous bitch, but definitely keep your guard up. We’ve got your back.”
“She’s friends with Stella and Tegan.”
“Who’s friends with us?” Tegan asks, opening the Drago box to peek inside.
“Alesha.”
“Oh. I would say more of an acquaintance than a friend. We’ve helped each other out, but we don’t hang out or anything. Why, what’s up?”
“Jen thinks she’s after her man.”
“I think she’s right. But, I also think you have nothing to worry about, Jen. She may be interested, but Wayne isn’t. That man is all yours. Trust me on that.”
I swallow hard, deciding how I want to answer. Tegan knows him better than anyone besides Kace and Brett, but the reasons why give me pause. He thought he was in love with the woman before me, and while they’ll never be together because she loves Caleb, I still feel insecure sometimes. Like I can’t measure up, or that I won’t ever mean what she still does to him.
“Okay,” is what I finally settle on.
Her eyes narrow, and she takes my hand. “Your husband was pulling up behind me, so I’m stealing your helper here, Faith.”
“Sure. Thanks for your help, Jen,” Faith says.
I guess I don’t have a choice in this, but then again, this had to happen sometime. I need to get past this jealousy and insecurity I have about her and Wayne. Sometimes, it doesn’t bother me at all, but other times, it nearly eats me alive. I’ve told him I love him, and want to be with him forever, but if I don’t come to terms with their past as lovers, and their present as friends, it’s going to eventually tear us apart.
She leads me outside, past the pool, and into one of the unoccupied cabanas. I turn on the light as she closes the door, and prepare to be scolded. As usual, she surprises me.
“It bothers me that you worry about my relationship with Wayne. I know it’s partly my fault, because I used to throw it in your face when I thought you weren’t serious about him, but it’s your fault, too. You have to know how much he loves you.”
“I do know he loves me, but I feel like he’ll always wonder what would’ve happened between the two of you if Caleb hadn’t come back into your life. I’m his second choice, and it hurts.”
“No. Oh my God, just no. Even if Cal hadn’t entered the picture again, I wasn’t going to be serious with Wayne. I had sex with him to help Stella out with her mission. He was a good fuck, so I did it a few more times, but that’s it.” I can’t help flinching, just thinking about her riding Wayne, or him taking her from behind. She sees my reaction, and reaches out to take my hand. “You’re not seco
nd choice, Jen. Not to me. You know he chose you over me when you came onboard with us. He’s never loved me.”
“He loves you.”
“Okay, he loves me, but he was never really in love with me. He was 21 when we met, and he mixed up lust with love until I set him straight, but that was it between us. Lust.”
“But what if I can’t please him like you did?”
“Um, well, I’m not going to go into details about what we did or didn’t do, and I won’t put myself down to make you feel better. All I can say is that if you weren’t satisfying him sexually, I think you’d know.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s happy with me.” I bite my lip, because there’s more.
“Spit it out. Like, seriously. I don’t want to keep rehashing this, so get out everything right now.”
She’s right. I know she’s right. “I know he chose me over you that day, but every other day, he chooses you. When he comes backstage after a concert, if you’re there, you get a hug first. When he walks into a C&C event, it’s you he approaches before anyone else. Even when he comes with Kace or Brett to the building, if we’re in the same room, you get a greeting before I do.”
Her eyes go wide, and her jaw drops. “I-I never thought about it. I just always see him wrapped up in you.”
“He gets to me eventually.”
“Why does he do that?”
“I wish I knew.”
“It doesn’t mean anything. It can’t mean anything, because I know he’s in love with you.”
“It means something—he wouldn’t do it every bloody time if it didn’t mean something.”
I start to cry, then. I didn’t want to cry over Wayne again, but I’ve been holding this in for a very long time, and finally getting it out seems to have pushed my tears out as well. Tegan’s arms go around me, and she holds me tight as I sob into her shoulder. It’s several minutes before I can finally compose myself enough to step back.
“Thank you.”
“Always, Jen. You call me or come to me any time you need me. As long as I’m not having sex with my husband, or one of my kids needs me at the same time, I’m yours,” she tells me with a smile.
“I don’t deserve that after I’ve been so bitchy to you.”
“I haven’t exactly been pleasant to you at all times, so let’s just call it even, and walk out of here being okay with each other.”
“Deal.”
Wayne
I’m hanging out by the pool with Joel Cruz and Dylan Gallagher, when I see Jenysis and Tegan come out of one of the cabanas. Jeny is wiping her eyes, while Tegan looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world. What the fuck?
When Jenysis goes inside, and Tegan hangs back, I jump out of my seat and storm over to her. “What was that? Why was she crying?”
“Oh my God. She’s right.” Tegan says, shaking her head, and ignoring my questions.
“Right about what?”
“Why didn’t you go after her, and ask her what’s wrong?”
“I’m asking you.”
“Do you even know that you do it? Come to me before her all the time?”
“What are you even talking about?” I know exactly what she’s talking about, but I don’t want to tell her.
“She’s upset because she still thinks she’s second best. She said you always approach me first everywhere. I never thought about it before, but she’s right. And then, you just did it now.”
Okay, well, apparently she’s not going to let it go. It’s Tegan, so I should already know that. “Fine. I do it, and yes, it’s intentional. I just…I just know that you’ll always welcome me with open arms. For so long, she kept me at bay, acting like we were just fuck buddies. I didn’t want to go to her first, and have her push me away. Not in front of everyone.”
“Oh, Wayne, she wouldn’t have done that. Has she ever done that?”
“No. Even when she was fighting me mentally, she never denied me physically—in public or in private.”
“From now on, I’m going to deny you if you come to me first.”
That won’t be a problem. “I’m not going to ever come to you first again.”
“Good. Now go kiss the hell out of your woman. Preferably in front of Alesha.”
“I think I will do just that.”
I kiss her on the top of the head, and go look for Jenysis. I find her sitting in the family room, hanging out on one of the couches with Tegan’s son, Ethan. He’s a cool kid, and has a wicked crush on her, which I don’t blame him for one bit. I have a crush on her, too.
I curb the urge to kiss her, because that wouldn’t be cool in front of him, and instead settle into the couch next to her. I fist bump my young friend, and then rub some of her hair between my fingers as she swats at me. “Behave.”
“I didn’t kiss the fuck out of you like I wanted to, precisely because I am behaving for E’s sake,” I whisper in her ear. That gets me a genuine smile.
“Were you and my mom arguing out there?”
“She was handing me my ass, E.”
“She’s good at that.”
“Truth.”
“Did you make Jen cry?” he blurts out, and my admiration for him grows.
“I’m afraid I did.”
“Then she could do better than you.”
“Whoa, E,” she says, as I laugh. God, this kid.
“It’s true. You’re awesome, and I’m not just saying that because you’re teaching me to ride English style, or because you tell me all the British slang for cussing, and insulting people.”
“Jenysis is the most awesomest woman who ever walked this Earth, dude. Believe me, I know that.”
“You’re laying it on a little thick,” she tells me with a smirk.
“Just telling it like it is.”
“Maybe you are good enough for her,” Ethan tells me.
“I’m really trying to be.”
“Good. I didn’t want to have to kick your ass.”
8
Wayne
Dinner passes by in a blur of Jeny’s shrimp, stolen kisses between bites of everything, and conversation that skates all around the real reason everyone is here. My close friends are trying hard to pretend everything is normal, while the others who work for the Society women are looking at me like they think they can somehow figure me out. I’m a pretty open book, but it’s still unnerving.
“So, who am I talking to first?” I ask, throwing it right out there.
An uncomfortable silence starts to descend, but Scott Griffin breaks it. “I’ll go first. I want to get back to Yas and the kids.”
“Of course,” I tell him, nodding. His kids both have strep throat, and Yasmin stayed home to take care of them. “Let’s go into the library.”
Six people join us, including Jeny’s friends, Sierra and Rhieve. We get settled in on the chairs and couches, and after I agree to have the conversation taped so they don’t miss anything, Scott gets us started.
“You need to know that the security footage from the hotel is damaged. Ainsley and I are both working on it, and we’re sharing that part of things, because we both need it, but right now, we have nothing.”
“Isn’t that a little suspicious?” I ask.
“More than a little, and the police have got to be investigating whether you did it somehow.”
“Me? I couldn’t hack into my own computer, let alone a hotel security system.”
“No, but you have the money to hire someone. I don’t believe you did, but they have to be looking.”
“Because Reina’s looking.”
“Yeah. I mean, they haven’t come out and said it, but it’s common sense. We can’t worry about them, though.”
“I’m not. Worried, I mean. I know I didn’t do this.”
“I know you didn’t, too, but we can’t just rest on that knowledge. The burden of proof may technically be on the prosecution, but it’s your life on the line.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
Scott nods, pleased with my answer. “Let’s start with your timeline for the night.”
“Okay, well we had rehearsal earlier in the day. After that, the guys and I split up. Jeny was with Darcy in L.A., attending a charity fashion show as a representative of her country, so I headed to the hotel while Kace went home, and Brett went to be with Kevin. I wasn’t really tired, so I decided to check out one of the bars.”
“That’s where you saw the victim?”
“Yes. She was at the bar when I walked in, and there was just something off about her. She called me over for a picture, and I did it, but I had to pretty much hold her up. I spoke to the bartender, and told him she needed to be cut off, and he said he’d keep an eye out for her. I stayed a little longer, but then it was time for me to Skype with Jeny, so I went upstairs.”
“Was Sonia still in the bar?”
“Yeah. I saw her before I got mobbed outside the elevators. Security came to rescue me, but I’d already lost my favorite hat by then.”
“Were you on with Jen the rest of the night?”
“No. About an hour, but then we said goodnight.” I’m not going to tell them what we did during that hour unless I have to, and right now I don’t think I have to.
“Did you go to sleep?”
I shake my head. “I was hungry, and I didn’t feel like room service. I ran down to the 24-hour café, and had some late night breakfast. I got noticed, so I ate pretty fast, and then looked into the bar to make sure the girl wasn’t still drinking, before going back to my room. Then, I went to sleep.”
“Wait, you went back to check on her?” Sierra asks. “Really?”
“I told you she didn’t seem okay. I thought I would call her a cab or something if I saw her, but she wasn’t there.”
“But other people saw you?” Rhieve asks.
“Maybe, but I kind of kept to the shadows in the doorway. I didn’t really want to be recognized again.”
“Did you stop anywhere else? A slot machine, the tables, anywhere?” Scott asks me.
“No. I just wanted to get upstairs and sleep.”
“I’m guessing since you haven’t mentioned times, you don’t remember them.”
Society Girls: Jenysis Page 6
