15
Wayne
This time, when the police come to my door, I’m not surprised. Alesha told me the DA petitioned to revoke my bail once their test results came back. She was going to court this morning to argue that house arrest was enough, but neither of us had high hopes for me being able to stay here. I call her as soon as I let them in the gate, and I’m standing in the open doorway when they pull up.
We decided I shouldn’t look too polished, or ready, when I’m led back inside the jail, so I’m just in jeans and a t-shirt. I threw on Chucks and sunglasses, but it really doesn’t matter what I wear. I’m dressing for the press, but I’ll be back in a prisoner’s outfit soon. Good thing I look good in blue.
And yeah, I’m making light of all of this to try and get myself through it. I told Reina I’d be okay with going back to jail, because this time I have no doubt she’ll get me out, but honestly, it still freaks me out. That cell and I weren’t exactly friends, and I never wanted to see it again.
“Mr. Preston, the judge has revoked your bail. You need to come with us.”
“My lawyer has informed me already. Do you need to handcuff me?”
“Yes.”
I hold out my hands, and send a thank you up to God for officers who aren’t dicks this time around. The guys who grabbed me last time are the ones who make their fellow officers look bad. Slamming people into walls, and threatening princesses, just isn’t cool.
The drive down to the jail is uneventful, but I see the press out in full force when we get closer. “You can crouch down if you want to,” one of the men says to me from the front seat.
“It’s okay. They’re just pictures, and it’s no secret I’m going back to jail.”
“My daughter has a poster of you on her wall. I have to tell you; I’m going to insist she take it down now.”
“I understand, but once I’m cleared, I’ll be happy to sign that poster.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
I go back in the same door I went into last time, but they don’t need my fingerprints, or my photo this time. The cavity search is still necessary, and just as unenjoyable as the first time. I’m given my blues, and then I’m back in the same cell. They probably weren’t holding it for me, and it was probably used while I was at the house, but for a moment I think that it was waiting for me, because they knew I’d be back.
I take some deep breaths, knowing I need to stop thinking like that, even for a minute. I’m going to be in here, no matter what I think about it, and driving myself crazy is not the way to go. I want to be sane when I walk out the door again. Sane, and ready to get on with my life.
I don’t know what that life is going to look like, but I know I have decisions to make. Decisions about the band, because Marv presented us some options that looked pretty good, and if they’re still on the table when I get out, we’re probably going to take one of them. I also need to decide about Jenysis. Over the last couple of days, I’ve tried to put myself in her shoes, and that was harder than I thought. Not the introspection, but what I found when I saw it the way she did.
I’m almost positive I would’ve reacted the same way. Even taking the consent issue from the night before out of it, I would’ve gone to her, and questioned her. She did what she should’ve done—she came to me instead of just shutting down, and walking away. What I said to her was out of line. I knew it then, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I realize what an ass I am. Tegan was right about me doubting her just as much as I accused her of doubting me. I don’t know what I’m going to do about it, because knowing I was wrong doesn’t make it hurt any less. She didn’t set out to hurt me, but she did. I, on the other hand, hurt her on purpose.
I rationally know I was wrong, but it’s my heart I’m thinking of right now, and not my head. Can I live with someone who doubted me? Can she live with someone who not only doubted her, but intentionally hurt her? I just don’t know. I don’t want us to be one of those love stories where love isn’t enough, but right now I’m really afraid it isn’t.
Jenysis
“They found him,” Ellie practically yells, looking out at all of us in her class with a smile on her face. I would wonder how she knew, but I know all of the Society members, and a few of my recruit friends, have implants and other things that allow them to communicate with each other.
I stand up, and run from the room. I know I should’ve said something to Ellie, but I need to get to Stella. She said she’d go to bat for me with Reina, and I need her to do that now. Not later, but right bloody now.
I run into her office, and right past Kevin who tries to call out to me. “Stell,” I yell as I open her door, and then stop.
Reina is sitting in front of her desk, and she raises an eyebrow when she sees me run in. “I didn’t know princesses ran through hallways.”
“She’s like me, not your average princess,” Darcy says from behind me, and I turn to see her lounging on one of Stella’s couches.
“Jen is here to make sure I honor my promise to her, Reina. She wants to go undercover with Chad, and I stand behind her.”
“You think she’s ready to do this?” Reina asks, turning serious.
“Yes. I tested her a few weeks ago. Her friends didn’t know who she was.”
“Which friends?” Darcy asks, and then her eyes widen. “Were you Ann? Oh my God, you were totally Ann, weren’t you? How did I not see that?”
“She fooled you, Darce?” Reina asks.
“Yeah, plus Bray and Noah. None of us knew.”
“Wayne knew,” I tell them.
“That was part of the test. I got him permission for dinner, telling the court he needed to see visiting dignitaries, and that I’d take responsibility, because I wanted to know if he’d figure it out. I was actually happy that he did, and didn’t let on to anyone. We may need her to go places where he’ll be, and I had to make sure he wouldn’t give her away.”
“That’s not an issue now,” I remind her.
“Hush. He’ll come to his senses.”
“Regardless, I want to do this, Rei. Let me bring Chad down.”
“You’ll need an implant, and someone will be monitoring you 24/7. You do not take any chances you don’t need to, do you understand? I am not going to risk you, Jen.”
“I’m totally on board with that, because I don’t want to be risked,” I answer honestly.
“Let’s go into the conference room. Everyone should be gathered there by now.”
Sure enough, when we walk in, everyone is there. All of the Society, including the original five. Matt, Nate, Aiden, and Theo are also present, and I know it’s partly because their military experience will help us execute our plans, but mostly because everyone in this building is under their protection. Matt may be the CEO, but he put his friends in place as the heads of C&C security, because he wanted them here, standing by his side, and keeping his people safe. No one else in this building knows what we do, but that doesn’t matter. They’ll always be safe as long as those four have a breath left in their bodies.
“Hi everyone,” Reina says, stopping to kiss Matt as he rubs her baby belly. She’s in her middle trimester, and pregnancy looks good on her. “I intended to tell you Darcy was going undercover now that we’ve found Chad, but there’s been a change of plans. Jen is the one going undercover. Stella assures me she’s ready, and that she fooled her best friends while in disguise, so I’m going to allow this. However, we all need to support her, and be ready to grab her if things go south.”
“That’s a given,” Jade tells her.
“It is,” Reina agrees. “Now, I’ll give the floor to Ainsley.”
“Okay, so this is what we know. Chad is in a house near Primm. The place is pretty secluded, so there’s no way to sneak up to him. He also has people there almost all of the time. They’re partying, so we think they wouldn’t be a problem if we had to go in, but we’re not entirely sure. He goes into the casinos on an almost nightly basis, loo
king for tourists from California who might be willing to take him back to their rooms. From what we’ve gathered, he’s not playing on his Storyside past, and with his prison muscles, tattoos, and full mustache and beard, most wouldn’t recognize him anyway.”
“He doesn’t take them back to his place?” Isa asks.
“He does, but very rarely. Surveillance footage from the hotels shows him leaving with maybe one out of every twenty women he sleeps with. He may be asking more, but we don’t know for sure. We do know he has a security detail near him at all times when he’s out.”
“I have to make sure he invites me back there without sleeping with him.” I can’t sleep with him.
“It would be great if you could get him to somehow confess while you’re at the casino, but yeah, you’re probably going to have to go to his place. He’ll feel more comfortable there, knowing he controls that environment.”
“We can’t have anyone there, and he knows many of us in the Society, although thankfully he doesn’t know who we really are. We could disguise ourselves, but I’d like to ask if three or four of the recruits would be willing to stay in Primm, and help us with Jen’s backup,” Reina says, and the room goes silent for a moment as everyone processes this. A few of the girls have gone on personal missions, but no one’s been asked to do it officially.
“I’m in,” Kali says.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Theo says, looking worried.
“Then it’s a good thing it’s not your choice, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Reina agrees, glaring at him. “She can do this.”
“I want to go, too,” Rose says.
“I can help,” Waverly tells her.
“Last but not least,” Nev says with a smile.
Reina shakes her head. “I know you could do it, Nev, but you’re too high profile for this.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot I’m still news. I can help from here.”
“Definitely.”
“I’ll go,” Matisse says.
“Great. Once we’re done here, we’ll get everyone set up. I’m going to have all of the remaining recruits without an implant get one, since almost all of you would have one after this anyway. I have no doubt you’re all going to pass, and this will make things easier all around.”
I don’t doubt that either. As I look around at my friends, I know we’re all going to make it through the challenges we’re presented with. Some of them have already overcome the things that were hardest for him, and I’m about to do the same. We can all do it, and we will.
16
Wayne
“Look who’s back,” the guard who harassed me last time says, leaning casually against the wall across from my cell.
“Not for long.”
“Your girlfriend doesn’t seem to think so, but I called that, didn’t I?”
I don’t believe him. No matter what’s going on with us, Jenysis would never tell the press she thinks I’m guilty. Especially since the Society believes in my innocence.
He realizes he’s not going to get the reaction he wants from me, so he takes out his phone and pulls something up. “Look,” he says, moving over to show me the screen through the bars.
Jeny is on the screen, wearing a sleeveless dress that’s slightly shorter in front. It’s mostly black and white, but has some colored flowers here and there. Classic Jenysis. The reporters are badgering her, thrusting microphones in her face as she leaves Zaba’s with Stella.
“No comment,” she says in answer to all of their questions, and while I’d love for her to be saying I’m innocent like she did before, she’s in no way acknowledging my guilt.
I roll my eyes, and give the guard my best bored look. “She said she had ‘no comment’.”
“You’re going to lose that arrogance real quick once they put you in with the other inmates. I heard a few are really interested in meeting you.”
I don’t take his bait, because Alesha has already told me that everyone on both sides of the trial believes I should be kept away from everyone else here. We stare at each other for a few minutes, and then he walks away, cursing at his inability to rattle me. I won that round, but I don’t know if I could go a full ten with him. I really need to get out of here.
A few hours later, different guards come to lead me to a room where Alesha is waiting for me. Like before, we wait until they leave before talking. “I hate seeing you in here.”
“It’s only temporary.”
“Reina won’t tell me what she knows. I’m pretty sure she gave at least some of what she has to the police, but they’re keeping it from the DA for now, too. Something about it being too sensitive to release until more information is gathered.”
“I trust the Society, and you should, too.”
“I do trust them, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with being kept in the dark. Or that I’m not annoyed with all of the ‘no comments’ Jenysis is sending out. She’s seriously not helping your popularity ratings right now.”
“Jenysis has done nothing wrong.”
“You broke up with her because she didn’t believe you were innocent. How is that not wrong?”
“I’m not going to discuss her with you. I told you we broke up, in case it came up in the media. It hasn’t, and I’m pretty sure that’s because she knows it will look bad for me, and regardless of what happened between us, she won’t hurt my case. So back off.”
“You want to get back with her, don’t you?”
“Again, not discussing that with you.”
“I just don’t get it. Does she have a magic vagina?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widen, and her mouth opens and closes. I don’t know why I said it, even though it’s true. Jeny’s pussy was made for me. That may not make it magical, but at least I got my point across.
“We should talk about the jury selection tomorrow.”
“Let’s do that.”
We go over the questions she’ll ask, and what she’ll look for. She asks me to watch for body language and facial expressions as well, because she can’t look at everyone at once. I don’t believe my life depends on this jury, but I’m taking the choosing of these people seriously. Since the judge has liked making an example of me so far, he may not dismiss the case, even with the evidence Reina finds. I think there’s a slim chance of that, and so does Alesha, but I’d rather have a good jury in place.
I don’t necessarily feel better when I go back to my cell later, but I do feel more prepared for what’s to come. At least with the trial. Life seems to never go as planned, so I’m not even going to try and guess what’s going to happen next, or who will be by my side when it happens.
Jenysis
I can’t be Ann again, because who knows if Chad had someone watching Wayne all this time, or if he was even personally doing the watching. Stella is currently walking around me, trying to decide what hair color is going to work best. I’m used to being looked at, so it doesn’t bother me, but I feel bad for anyone else who has to be scrutinized so thoroughly.
“We could go with my platinum blonde, because that boy did try to fuck me once, but I don’t know. Honey blonde would be too close to your natural red, and we can’t do brown again. Black, maybe?”
“If I have a vote, I say platinum. I don’t think anyone would expect that from me.”
She nods. “I agree. Platinum hair, green eyes, a new nose and teeth, and a dress that looks painted on.”
“Teeth?”
“We have flippers that can slide over your teeth. Chin prosthetics are good, but different teeth will look even better. And maybe a new skin color. How do you feel about a nice, bronze, spray tan?”
“Does it really matter what I think?”
“Yes. Always. I would never send someone out if they weren’t comfortable with how they look. You have to feel like you’re the person I’m transforming you into. You did a great job with Ann, and I have no doubt you’ll do even better with Beverly.”
“
Beverly?”
“Yep, Beverly.”
“How many different identities do you have for us?”
“Enough,” she says, confirming my earlier suspicion about our fake identities already being set up for us. Just a picture of what we look like in disguise, and we’re good to go.
“Enough what? Tegan asks, walking in.
“Fake identities for me.”
“Oh yeah. You’ll learn about those soon.”
“I feel like I’ll never learn it all.”
“You don’t need to. We still learn something new about this group at least once a year. Decades of secrets are hard to keep up with. You may never know them all.”
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
“That’s what I’m here for—encouragement, country music, and alcohol. Not necessarily in that order.”
Stella shudders. “I still can’t believe my best friend loves country music.”
“Woman up, Stell. Cowboys in tight jeans…just yeah.”
“I’ll stick with pop stars in tight jeans, thank you very much.”
“Whatever. Now tell me what you’re doing to my protégé here.”
“You’re late to the party, and we don’t have a lot of time, so you’ll just have to watch and see.”
“Can I at least do her nails?”
“Fine, do her nails, but stay out of my way. Right now she needs a tan.”
She takes me into a connecting room, and tells me to strip. We’ve all changed in front of each other so often that I don’t feel self-conscious heeding her command. Once I’m naked with a shower cap on my head, I close my eyes and wait for the spray down to begin.
“Bloody hell!” I yell as the cold spray hits me.
“It’ll warm up in a minute.”
It does warm up, and then she’s wiping all the excess off of me with towels. I finally open my eyes, and look down. “It’s a nice bronze.”
“Well, duh. Did you really think I’d make you look like Trump?”
Society Girls: Jenysis Page 11
