by Kitty Berry
Jenny returned looking guilty as sin with her designer bag in hand.
“You going somewhere?” Jordan asked.
“Um, I have something to tell you guys too.”
“Nope,” Jordan stated, pulling rank. “I’m older, me first.”
Feeling like the ignored youngest sister yet again, Jenny sighed and reached for the shot she hadn’t been there for and threw it back like the pro she was becoming before turning twenty, let alone being legal.
“I’m not going back to the city.” Jordan dropped that bomb as she reached into her oversized bag and pulled out more mementoes then tossed them into the flames, manically laughing at the sparks that flew up into the air. “I’m staying here.”
Another crash had sounded through the B and B at that news when Elliot, who had been listening, had fallen backward off his tipped chair.
“They don’t understand the concept of a bed-and-breakfast. Any of them, my wife included. It’s meant to be rented out for money so Adams and I can afford to eat. It’s not a boarding house for her sisters to take over with their makeup and tampons in every fucking bathroom.” Elliot shivers as he groans.
“Okay don’t freak out,” Jenny begged as her bag began barking. “I found a dog today.”
Courtney and Bridget ran to her on the sofa to watch her extract a chihuahua pug mix that apparently suffers from allergies as he sneezed then wiggled his pudgy body.
“Beast,” Jenny soothed. “Calm down.”
“Beast?” Jordan asked.
Jenny shrugged. “It’s my favorite movie. I’ve always wanted a Beast.”
“Dear God!” Jordan scoffed. “What the fuck is he wearing?”
“It’s a suit. Doesn’t he look like one of those book boyfriends you’re always going on about from your romance novels?”
“Holy shit!” Bridget laughed. “She’s lost her fucking mind from not getting laid, and now she’s dating a dog. Wait, that is a dog, right?”
Jenny shot her an evil glare. “Leave Beast alone,” she said as she brought the mutt to her face and kissed his mouth.
As Elliot reports that part of the saga from last night, I feel the bile raise in my throat. Knowing my issues with germs combined with my loathing of dirty animals, Elliot smirks and continues in his tale to try his best at getting me to gag. “She left the gym after spin class and heard crying, not human crying, she said it was more like a soft, scared whimpering sound. She followed the noise to behind get ready for this one, Black.” Elliot smiles. “Behind the dumpster of that shitty restaurant next to the gym. Guess what she found?”
“Don’t.” I dry heave. “Please.”
Ace jumps in as Pete watches our exchange in amusement. “She found a dog, Cal. A stray mutt.” He emphasizes the concept of this mongrel being a stray who was most likely not up to date on his vaccinations and riddled with fleas. “She immediately scooped the pooch up, stuffed him into her oversized handbag, and brought him back here.”
“Dear fucking God, did she bathe the beast?”
“Funny,” Elliot says. “I see what you did there…his name and all. Good one, Black. And yes, she made an epic disaster of a fucking mess in my bathroom out here because she was trying to hide the little guy from us, and she knows how my wife and I enjoy sex in our bathrooms.”
I shiver at the concept, even though I’d had sex myself with his wife in one. It was well before they’d met, and my randy behavior had superseded all need for cleanliness.
“And now she’s treating him like he’s her boyfriend. It’s sick,” Ace adds. “But Jordan has assured us all that she’s not a danger to anyone. Well, except maybe that poor dog.”
“Where is this thing now?” I ask, needing to assess my safety.
Elliot and Ace make eye contact, then Pete enters our conversation. “Wherever she is. She brought him over to meet Aubrey dressed in a fucking sweater. I heard Jenny tell Aubrey she was taking him into town to buy some more.”
“So, they’re not in the house?” I ask. “Maybe I should go talk to Jordan now then.”
Elliot smiles from ear to ear. “We’ll come along for that. This is going to be way too good to miss.”
“Yup, peace out, Roman,” Ace says. “We’ll head back over after the fireworks.”
Pete waves the three of us off and returns to his project.
The B and B is silent when we enter through the kitchen, and then my heart falls when I hear magical laughter coming from the living room.
Jordan.
Elliot grabs my shoulder when I move to charge in there and sweep her up in my arms. “You can’t go in there,” he warns. “They have this inner circle thing going on. It’s not safe.”
I wave his insanity off and hurl myself into the main room of the house. Coming up short when Jordan, Courtney, and Bridget turn and see me.
“Callan fucking Black,” Courtney growls.
“What are you doing here, Callan?” Bridget asks almost at the same time as her sister.
“I-I want to talk to Jordan. I need to explain.”
“Explain?” Jordan asks, her face heating and her eyes glaring daggers into me. “Explain what? Hmm, how you were romantic and attentive, told me that you were in love with me, then texted me that you made a mistake and couldn’t do it? Is that what you want to discuss, Callan, huh?”
“No, I…Christ, Jor. Can we do this somewhere else?”
“Oh, why? You don’t want them to know what a fucking asshole you are? Newsflash. That secret is out, Black.”
“Give him a chance, Jordan,” Elliot begs. “Let him explain.”
I sink onto the sofa and drop my head into my hands, defeated, because I’m perceptive enough to worry that I might have underestimated how hurt she is. I’m seeing now that maybe getting Jordan to forgive me isn’t going to be as easy as I had thought.
And then the unimaginable happens.
It happens so quickly that I can’t process what’s occurring as it is.
A little dog, well, I think it’s a dog. But who the fuck can tell because it’s dressed in what I can only describe as a regency costume from times gone by, hurls itself onto my lap and stares at me for a moment. Frozen and unable to move, I’m paralyzed as the beast sneezes.
Right. In. My. Face.
I screech and flail like a little girl.
“Easiest case study ever,” Jordan mumbles under her breath while she holds her phone oddly in my direction.
“Are you videoing me?”
The beast’s bushy mane flops to the side of his tiny head and he begins to yap and show me his teensy, razor-sharp teeth.
“Callan,” I hear a female voice state. I think it’s Jordan speaking, but my ears are filled with the sound of my heart racing and my blood pumping through my body at the highest rate of speed it’s done in a long time. “Don’t flip out. He just wants your attention. Pet him.”
Thankfully, before I’m forced to touch the grimy beast and save face in front of the others, Jenny races into the room yelling, “Beast! Beast, sweetie, where are you, my little baby?”
The room goes silent as all eyes are on me.
“Oh, there you are,” she says then turns her voice into one you might use with an infant or an imbecile. “Mommy was soooo worried.”
She leans down and scoops him up from my feet, fixes his mane, then brings the animal to her face, letting him lick her mouth.
I watch in horror as a shiver rakes through my body. I feel as if I’m about to hurl up my breakfast when Jordan’s voice makes its way through. “Jenny,” she admonishes. “If you’re going to keep him, he needs to be trained better. He can’t be jumping on people.”
Is she supporting my feelings? Maybe there’s hope after all.
“And what the hell is he wearing?” Courtney asks.
“It’s a Beast costume,” Jenny says in a small, hurt voice. “He’s my beast. He looks cute.”
“He looks like a drunk Liberace.” Ace laughs as he nudges Elliot in the side.
Jenny says, “Come on, Beast. We aren’t finished with our photo shoot, and this group clearly doesn’t appreciate your greatness,” before she walks away.
Beast turns up his nose at me then follows Jenny out of the room as everything around me begins to spin before going as dark as my name.
Chapter Six
Justin calls to let me know that he and Amanda are on their way to their house with their two children, and he wants assurance that they will not be in jeopardy. I hear Amanda scoffing at the ridiculousness of her ex-husband wanting to harm any of them. It’s good that I hear her say that because I was about to tell them, yes, they were in serious danger living next door to the beast Jenny brought home to the B and B that she found in a dumpster. Brian hadn’t even come to mind.
“Brian isn’t a violent man, Justin. We’ve been over this. Callan has explained what the doctor said,” Amanda tells her husband.
“I knew before the doctor. She knows that, right?” I ask, in need of that fact being clear because it was how the events took place.
“Yes, Black.” Justin sighs in annoyance. “She’s aware.”
“Okay, good. And she’s right, Brian isn’t dangerous or violent. Once you hear him out and read the doctor’s report, even though I can explain it better, you’ll understand.”
Justin huffs. “I don’t want him in my house. Raina is going to watch the kids at our place. T.J. is dying to see Aubrey, so she was bringing her over anyway. We can meet at the B and B or at your place.”
“The B and B,” I immediately accept. “Let’s meet at Elliot’s. See you guys in an hour. Bye.” I rush them off the phone.
I can tell myself that meeting at Elliot’s is best for the new parents, so they’ll be close to their children. I can tell myself that, but I’d be bullshitting myself because I know the only reason why I want to meet at the B and B is for another chance to run into Jordan and plead my case.
It can’t possibly go as epically wrong as last time.
Crossing my fingers that I’m right, I text Brian to meet me at my apartment in thirty minutes. I know I’ll need at least fifteen to calm him down. Unfortunately, that doesn’t give me much time to make my own plan to win Jordan back.
“I’m not sure about this.” Brian continues to panic as I pull into Elliot’s driveway. I’m sweating too because I have no way of knowing where that beast is.
“Just don’t sit down,” I suggest. “He’s too small to reach higher than your knees even if he jumps.”
“What? Justin is taller than I am. I’ve seen them together.”
“What? Oh, no. I’m talking about that dog Jenny brought home.”
Brian laughs at my expense, and I regret telling him about my unfortunate experience from yesterday to calm his nerves.
I get out of the car first, then wait for him to open the passenger side door and slowly climb out. “What if she won’t forgive me?”
I shrug. That’s the question on the tip of my tongue as well.
We enter through the main door; me calling out at the top of my voice so I’ll know immediately if I need to turn tail and run. The beast of a mutt not coming into view or being heard, I take a calming breath and count to ten. And then I see her.
Jordan Collins.
With blond hair.
“What the hell did you do to your hair?” I ask. I’m not a fan of change, but apparently, Jordan decided she needed a drastic one.
“I like it. It’s different,” she emphasizes the concept that is challenging for me. “I read that it’s good to change things after a breakup for a clean slate.”
She sits in an oversized chair, then takes a notepad from the side table and places it on her lap as if she were waiting for my response to record it.
“You’re beautiful with any color hair,” I say and mean it. Sure, I’d prefer that she hadn’t changed her appearance or wanted to for a new beginning, but she’ll always be perfect in my eyes.
“Amanda,” I hear Brian say then the whoosh of air he expels when Justin crumbles him to the floor with one hit to his gut.
I place myself between the two men before it can go any further. Brian raises his hands in front of himself, but Justin requires more of a warning from me. “Sit the fuck down and don’t do that again. Hear the fucking guy out. I get it…” Jordan interrupts me with a harrumph. “What?” I ask her.
“No, nothing. Continue,” she says as she makes a note in her little book.
“What are you writing in there?”
“Nothing.”
I growl, not believing her, but not understanding what she’s up to.
“Maybe we should go talk somewhere private and let them work this out on their own.”
“If he promises not to hit me again” Brian agrees.
“No one is hitting anyone,” Amanda says then turns to her ex-husband. “What the hell happened?”
“I’m not promising anything,” Jordan mumbles.
I offer my hand, Jordan shoves it away, so I stand and wait for her to stand on her own and lead me out of the main room.
“Let’s go talk in the kitchen. I think it’s almost Beasts’ lunchtime. Jenny should be inside with him in a minute.”
“Um.” I begin to sweat. “Maybe we should talk upstairs.”
“So you can get me near a bed? Nope. I know your plan, Black, and it’s not going to happen.”
“No, I mean, yes, I’d do anything to get you into my bed again, but it’s not that. You know my feelings on that mutt.”
Jordan laughs. “Hmm, interesting. Well, then I guess we’re about to see if talking to me is more important to you than avoiding a sweet, tiny lap dog.”
“Sweet? Jordan,” I begin to warn as the slider is pushed open and Beast, wearing swim trunks and goggles on his head, prances in like Michael motherfucking Phelps.
I jump onto the closest chair and the asshole mutt plops himself down at the foot of said chair and stares up at me.
“He wants you to pet him, Callan,” Jenny says. “He’s craving attention because he was alone for so long.”
“I don’t like animals. Please, take him away.”
Jenny looks to her sister for what to do and Jordan nods then picks up the dog herself. “He didn’t mean to piss you off, Cal. He doesn’t know what you’re feeling.”
“I never know what anyone is feeling. Jordan, please, I need to talk to you about that text. I didn’t mean it. We need to talk about my job.”
“Oh, now you want to talk about your job.”
I look in the direction of Jenny who is retrieving food for her pet then put my finger in front of my lips.
“Oh, stop it!” Jordan chastises. “We all know what you guys do.”
“We do?” Jenny asks. “I don’t think I know what Callan does for a living.”
“I’m a bodyguard.”
Jordan laughs. “Yeah, okay.”
“Jordan,” I warn again.
“Beast and I are going to eat our lunch outside,” Jenny says and the mutt leaps from Jordan’s arms and follows Jenny back outside.
“I’m going to need to ask you to wash your hands. Or maybe take a shower. I can wait here.”
But instead of her moving to do either, Jordan reaches for that notebook and records something inside. When she’s done, her eyes raise to mine as a slight smirk pulls at the corner of her lips.
“Are you laughing at me?”
“We’ve gone over what it means to laugh, Cal. I’m not laughing, I’m not even happy…at all.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I made a mistake and for what it’s worth, I’m less happy than you.”
“You’re never happy.”
“I was…with you.”
Jordan laughs, really laughs. Bent over, hands wrapped around her middle kind of laughs while I stand and watch on. Afraid to move or comment, I stand still and silent. And wait.
“Yeah? Well, you have an awful way of showing it. But I was happy with you, and I made that perfectly clear. A lot
of good it did me though, because you still ended us. By text, Callan. You broke up with me in a fucking text.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to do that. I wanted to fake my death so that you wouldn’t…”
“Wait, say that again. Fake your…”
I pause because her response is making me question if maybe Ace and Elliot were right and faking my death would have been worse than what I had done. As I watch a tear slip down her face, I’m certain of it. “Baby, what’s…”
“You’d rather fake your own death than be with me?”
“No, that’s not what I was…”
Jordan raises a hand in my direction as she makes to leave. I try to follow, but she turns with venom in her eyes and warns me not to move.
Not wanting to upset her further, I nod and remain still, my brain turning over every possible way this could go, and none of them are in my favor, so I watch her leave, her retreating back clearly shaking from crying, and I collapse onto the sofa, my head falling into my hands as I hear Justin and Brian enter the room.
“You look worse than me,” Brian states.
I look up at the men who haven’t torn each other to pieces while I ignored my duty and tried to get my life with Jordan back on track. “I’m fine,” I lie.
“You’re not fine. Jordan still not speaking to you?” Justin asks. “I heard what you did. Thank you for putting Amanda’s safety and the kids’ safety above your own needs.”
I wave him off because no thanks are deserved. It’s a job, and I do it well. I’m paid even better. I understood the sacrifices when I joined, just because my life was changing didn’t mean my job performance should suffer.
My job, the quality and importance of my work has been the only thing to positively define me in my life…ever. Until I was able to truly call myself someone’s friend, but Ace and Elliot were tied up in my work and the defining line between our friendship and the job was blurry at best for me.
Then Jordan came along and gave me something to live for. She made me want to be a better man. With Jordan, all the things that I struggled with; social niceties, physical contact beyond getting off, emotions that others may be feeling, they all became important to me because they mattered to her.
