“Thanks.” I turn and make my way through the house. When I finally spot Eric, I notice that Matt wasn’t lying. He has three chicks hanging off his arm. I inwardly groan, knowing they’re probably saving one for me.
“Jet, my man, you fucking made it,” Eric hollers.
“Yep. I’m here, but I can’t stay long.”
One of the girls on Eric’s arm turns and wraps her arm around mine. “Hi, Jet,” she purrs into my ear, causing my nose to turn up.
Trying my best not to be rude, I pull my arm out of her grip. “Thanks, sweetheart, but I’m not looking for company tonight.”
The girl was attempting to look sexy, but once she processes my words, her face turns up in anger. Unfortunately, I don’t have it in me to care. I have a rule that I’ve yet to break: I don’t have sex with females that I don’t trust.
In second grade, I fell in love with Megan Wells. I announced to everyone I knew that I was going to marry her as soon as my dad let me, then Megan transformed from my sweet, happy-go-lucky girl and soon-to-be-wife to a demanding female. She informed me that her Barbie house was no longer nice enough, that she wanted a Barbie mansion because, after all, that’s what her parents told her we’d live in one day. That was my first dose of experience concerning how my father’s money felt more like a curse than a blessing when it came to females.
My second slap of reality came my sophomore year of high school when I overheard two girls talking about how getting pregnant as a teenager wouldn’t suck as long as it was with someone like me...someone rich that would set them up for life. I swear my balls wanted to shrivel up and fall off at that point, but thankfully, they didn’t.
“I thought you said he’d be looking for a little fun?” the chick who was just hanging off my arm asks Matt.
He tosses his smoke out and walks toward us. “I said you’ll have to work a little harder if you want to have fun with him.” Matt shakes his head at whoever the hell this woman is.
“Whatever, I’m going back inside for another drink.”
“Dude, I can find my own women,” I mumble to Matt when I’m positive the chick is gone. Instead of answering, he just gives me a shitty smirk.
I take a slow sip of the beer Eric shoved in my hand as I start listening to the four of them talk. One beer turns into a few, at least for Eric and Matt. I nursed the same beer for as long as I could before Matt gave me shit. A solid hour passes before I decide I’m more than ready to leave.
“How are you guys getting home?”
“We’re crashing here,” Eric proudly states.
I’m not about to ask them how they managed that—if they managed to actually be invited to stay, that is. “Okay, call me if you need me, and I’ll come get you, but I’m heading out.”
“Okay, Dad,” Matt barks as he wraps his arm around the woman next to him. I flip him off before I head back through the house.
I haven’t been here that long, but the amount of partiers seems to have tripled. Every few steps someone stops me to say hello. After what seems like forever, I make my way out the front door and down the sidewalk.
My eyes scan the front yard on my way toward my car when I spot the woman I can’t seem to forget. Immediately, I stop and walk in her direction.
She’s turned away from me, but even without seeing her face, I am able to spot her beautiful body, which is a little unnerving.
I’m not opposed to dating or even being in a semi-serious relationship as long as I can trust the person I’m with, but that’s yet to happen.
“Hey,” I say once I am standing directly beside her.
Rachel’s hand reaches up as she tucks her long black hair behind her ear. When her eyes lock on mine, her face lights up. “Hey, yourself. Jet, right?” Her voice is soft, verging on shy.
“Yep.” For some strange reason, I have a shit-eating grin sketched on my face. “Leaving?” I ask, hoping to start a conversation. “Yeah, I was meeting a friend here, but she didn’t show.”
I look around to see who or what she’s waiting on when it dawns on me. “You’re not waiting on a cab, are you?” A taxi to Thousand Oaks will either never show even after they guarantee to come or will take forever and would cost a dime.
Rachel blushes but nods her head yes. “I’ll take you home. You’ll be lucky if your cab ever makes it here, and I can’t stomach the idea of leaving you here by yourself.”
“I...” Rachel stops and seems to be thinking about my offer. “I don’t know...taking a ride from a stranger doesn’t seem like a great idea, either.”
“And jumping in a cab with a sweaty old man who’s dying to get a young girl like you in a cab out in the woods alone sounds better?” Rachel’s eyes go wide at my comment.
“I tell you what. Call a friend—anyone you want—and tell them Jet McKenzie is taking you home. That way, if you never arrive, they know who to come looking for.” I grab my wallet and shove my ID toward her.
She takes it from me and looks it over. After a long, frustrated sigh, she pulls out her cell phone and dials someone. “I didn’t have a ride home from that party in the Hills. Jet McKenzie is taking me home. If I end up butchered and tossed in the woods somewhere, you know who killed me.” After she hangs up, she rewards me with a beautiful smile.
“We good to go?” I ask with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “All good. You’re going to be splashed all over channel nine news if I end up missing.” Rachel tried hard, but she failed to make her words sound harsh.
“This way. Who did you call, by the way?”
“My brother. He’ll personally come after you if I go missing. Fair warning, I live in Canago Park. Is that out of your way?”
I’m already shaking my head no. It’s not on my way home by any means, but it’s not that far out of the way. “Once I drop you off, I can jump on 27 and head straight home. No big deal.”
Rachel looks up and down the street as if she’s expecting her taxi to magically appear out of thin air. With a deep sigh, she finally starts to follow me to my car.
“This is mine.” I point to my bright yellow Camaro, which fortunately is still in the same condition I left her in.
“Nice car. This is a big upgrade from my Honda Civic.”
“Why didn’t you drive here if you have a car?”
Rachel climbs into the front seat and slides her hands along the interior in awe. “I rode here with my brother, but he left with some girl. I told him I would be fine because my friend promised to meet me.”
My eyes narrow in disbelief. “Sounds like you have a shitty friend and a foolish brother.” Rachel’s mouth drops open as anger takes over her beautiful features. Inwardly, I groan knowing I’ve already managed to piss her off. “I only meant if I had a sister there’s no way in hell that I would have left her back at a party like that.” I look over at Rachel while I’m driving down the interstate, but she’s staring out the window.
“I get what you mean,” she finally says, still without a glance in my direction.
The next few minutes pass without a word spoken. I clear my throat, attempting to break the silence. “Where do you go to school?”
Without taking her eyes off the window, she answers, “I go to UCSB.” Another awkward silence falls between us and I want to kick my own ass.
“Rachel, I’m sorry. I don’t know your brother. Therefore, that was a crappy thing to say.”
Slowly, she turns her head toward me. “I have two brothers. One’s an asshole like my father, and the other one is my best friend. Your comment hit a nerve, that’s all.” Apparently, the good brother is the one who left her.
“Do you have any sisters?”
Rachel pauses momentarily before answering, “No, but most of the time my mother acts like my sister. She’s a little out there, but I blame the years of dealing with my dad and Calvin.”
“I don’t have any siblings. I always wanted one, but my mom died when I was two, and my dad never remarried.” Rachel’s shoulders relax, and it feels like th
e tension I created is finally draining.
“I don’t know how it is for everyone, but when it comes to Russ, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I would more than likely run Calvin over with my car before I got out of it to even ask him what he’s doing.” She laughs as she says the last part, but at the same time, I get the feeling that she wasn’t joking.
“Russ is the good brother and Calvin is the evil one?” I ask.
“That sums the two of them up perfectly. My dad is a real asshole, so it runs in the family. Russ and I have always considered ourselves lucky that we didn’t inherit the same gene that allows those two to walk over everyone in their path.”
Rachel appears lost in her own thoughts when she suddenly notices that we’re in Canoga Park. “Take a left up here. My apartment is on the right.” I pull up in front of a decent looking apartment building, and Rachel already has her hand on the door handle. “Thanks for bringing me home and not chopping me into little pieces,” she says, fighting a smile.
“No problem. I wouldn’t want to risk getting blood on my leather seats.” Rachel tilts her head back and laughs, catching me off guard. She finally looks relaxed and carefree, and when our eyes meet, I feel a jolt of lust shoot straight through my body.
“Yeah, I hate when that happens.” She opens the door and steps out. With the door barely open, she leans in. “Thank you. Seriously, I probably would have waited all night on a cab.”
“Wait. Can I have your number? Maybe you’d like to go out sometime?”
“We seem to be doing a good job of running into each other. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” Rachel closes the door and dances her way up to her apartment, leaving me with the desperate need to see her again.
JET
RACHEL WAS WRONG. IN THE last month, our paths haven’t crossed once. I even went out of my way in hopes that I’d run into her.
I stopped for coffee almost every day, sometimes even twice. I even returned to the same restaurant I had that horrible date with Julie—Jill, or whatever the hell her name was—but I never saw Rachel. I keep telling myself this is for the best because the last thing I need in my life is to add the stress a relationship is sure to cause.
For some strange reason, though, I can’t get this girl out of my head. My mind starts to space off during class as I attempt to remember every detail of the last time I saw her. When I close my eyes at night, I see her haunting blue eyes and the fear I saw sketched on her face the night I met her. I’m captivated in a way I’ve never felt before, but clearly, the feeling isn’t mutual.
“Hey, bud.” I turn from looking out the window when I hear my dad’s voice. Like every day for the last few weeks, he’s wearing a somber, dare I even say heartbroken expression. But, I know I have to be reading him wrong. My dad hasn’t dated anyone in years, and he wouldn’t keep a relationship important enough to upset him a secret from me. Whatever is going on, he’s distant and unfocused, which is very unlike him.
“Is everything okay at work?” I ask, hoping to pry something out of him.
“Everything is fine.”
I’m trying my best to read between the lines. Nick McKenzie is a man of few words, but he’s always been dialed into life, until recently, that is.
“Henry called. He’s pleased with your work.”
Dad’s comment causes me to smile with a great deal of pride. “I think this is going to be huge for Kenner and for us.”
“I agree, but don’t get so caught up in this launch that you forget about school.”
“I won’t. I promise.” I hesitate for a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting...different lately.”
Dad’s shoulders sag as a dejected expression takes over. “Life can be a daily struggle when it comes to making choices, Jet. I’m at a point in my life where a choice I made is affecting me profusely. However, no matter what I do, I can’t come up with a different answer.”
I raise an eyebrow at his cryptic statement. I know in my heart that whatever is bothering him is something he’s not ready to share with me. “When you’re ready to talk about it, remember I’m here for you.”
Dad casts his sad eyes my way. “Thanks, bud.”
My gaze falls to the table where my books are lying, reminding me I need to head to class. “I gotta go.”
“Have a good day, bud.” I barely get the chance to nod before he’s walking down the hall.
* * * *
“Jet, this launch is not only going to change the way the world can access the internet, but it will single handedly make Kenner Technology one of the most important companies in the world.” I watch the pure joy and excitement in Henry’s face as he talks about the transponder he’s invented.
If all goes well, Kenner Technology plans to sell the specs Henry invented to NASA.
“Jet, this will completely change the uplink and downlink frequency offered to everyday internet users, not to mention how it can impact our government.”
In high school, I was on the swim team, but other than that, I spent my free time messing around with computers. My dad was always bringing home the latest gadget, and I would spend hours figuring out what made them tick, so to speak. I guess that was one of the perks of growing up with money.
That’s how I found Henry. He was offering an internship for high school students, and I happily applied, which is also how I discovered that Henry Kenner was only a few short years away from bankruptcy. Henry grew on me, and I think he managed to grow on my dad, which in turn is the reason dad bought the company from Henry but allowed him to still run the everyday operations. What turned out as a simple gesture of good faith could easily make my already rich dad even wealthier.
“I agree. This is going to be a monumental change.”
“Exactly!” Henry says as he points his hand in my direction. “People are attempting to breach our firewalls every day. Heck, every hour. Whatever you do, Jet, don’t discuss this project with anyone other than your father.”
“I won’t, Henry. I promise.” This is Henry’s baby, but I’ve been here since the early stages, and I wouldn’t do anything to damage his success.
“I know, Jet, I know. I’m just acting paranoid. A lot of people would love to get their hands on this patent.” Henry is almost out the door when he adds, “Go take a break and relax, kid. You’re about to put in a lot of hours.”
* * * *
I decide to take Henry’s advice and left for my afternoon dose of caffeine. My mind is once again on the woman I can’t seem to forget when I suddenly notice a black haired raven in line before me.
I pause, hoping it’s her, but not expecting that to be the case when finally she turns around. My heart starts to race when I discover my mind isn’t playing a trick on me. It’s actually Rachel.
Her blue eyes move around the room until they land on me. I’m suddenly clueless about what to say or do until she gives me a breathtaking smile.
“Wow, Jet, it’s been a while,” she cheerfully states after she walks up next to me.
“If I recall correctly, I asked you for your phone number, but you assured me I would see you around.” Rachel’s name is called when her order is ready at the same time I quickly place mine. Afterward, I walk over to the table she’s sitting at.
“Apparently you’re not good at keeping promises because it’s been quite a long time since I’ve seen you.” Without asking, I sit down at the table across from her.
“That’s simply not true. Here we are, seeing each other just like I predicted.” She gives me another smile as her blue eyes lock with mine.
“You knew it would take over a month before we ran into each other?”
Her nose scrunches while she thinks about my question. “No, I can’t say that I knew it would take a month, but what’s the rush? We’re here now. Let’s enjoy each other’s company before I have to go to work,” she counters.
I nod with a smirk on my face. There’s something about this woman that I can’t shake off, and
right now, she seems more alive than the few times I’ve seen her.
“Why don’t you agree to give me your number, so I know I won’t have to go another month before I have the chance to ask you to share a meal with me?” I’m not about to risk losing sight of her again.
“Only if you promise not to get clingy. The last guy I gave my number to was a real clinger, and I had to switch my number.”
I burst out laughing, which in turn causes Rachel to laugh. “I promise. No more than ten calls and fifty texts per day.”
Rachel’s laughter dies as she gives me a serious look. “You better be joking because I’m serious. I’m not one of those girls who wants to know a guy’s every move. I’m busy, and when I have time to relax, then great, but when I don’t, then...” She trails off without finishing her sentence.
I nod my head again, agreeing with everything she said. “Believe me, I’m joking. I usually find time to do things on the weekends but my available stalker time is already being used by school and work, so you’re safe.”
Rachel pulls out her bag and rips a piece of paper off then scribbles something down. “Here, you officially have my number,” she says in a lustful whisper, or maybe it was just a whisper, and my body is trying to read more into it.
“This Saturday, do you want to grab dinner with me?” I ask.
When she doesn’t answer me right away, I glance at the piece of paper she gave me. Next to her number is the word yes.
“Yes? Yes, to what?”
She places her hand over mine. “Yes to going out with you, but only because you’re not a stalker.” I glance down at her hand covering mine as the same strange reaction I had the night I met her returns, stronger than before.
“Good answer. I hate to say this, but I need to get back to work.” I jump to my feet before I convince myself I can blow off Henry’s words and beg Rachel to leave with me.
“I’ll call you, but in the meantime, expect to spend Saturday night with me,” I holler over my shoulder as I walk to the door, leaving behind the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met.
* * * *
The night I first laid eyes on Rachel she was wearing a fancy dress, but every time since, she’s been in casual clothes. Therefore, I went with comfort rather than trying to impress her by acting like someone I’m not. I sent her a text before I left, giving her a twenty-minute heads up.
Damaged Love Page 2
