Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
“She’s impressed,” he repeats. “By what you did back there.”
“Oh,” I reply, somewhat uncomfortably. “Well, thanks. But it was nothing really. Just a drunk idiot.”
“I don’t know about that!” Rachel cuts in. “Many men would have lost their composure. But the way you handled it was very professional. You kept your cool and took charge of your team. I see why your company has the reputation it does.”
“Well, thank you, Mrs. Thorton.” I nod. “But like I said–”
“I’ve told you. Call me Rachel!” she says, leaning in and patting me on the thigh.
Okay, this is getting strange. This woman is being overly friendly with me—some might even say flirtatious. And her husband, who is sitting directly across from me, isn’t saying anything about it.
“All right, Rachel,” I reply, forcing a smile as I glance over at Paul. He’s still just sitting there acting like everything is cool. “Well, I appreciate your high praise, but like I said, it was nothing.”
“So humble,” Rachel scoffs, shaking her head. “Can you believe him, Paul? He’s so humble, isn’t he?”
Paul nods, chuckling. “This guy served in the military, Rachel. He’s not going to be shook up by a drunk outside a museum.”
What’s going on right now? Is this the Thortons’ way of showing their thanks for what I did back there? I’ve had people be appreciative before, but this is something else.
“He really wasn’t that dangerous,” I reply, doing my best to downplay what happened back there. Not as if it needs downplaying. “Any firm worth its weight could have handled him.”
“I don’t know about that,” Rachel replies, squeezing my thigh. “You were the firm everyone recommended we hire. Who knows what would have happened if we didn’t? Right, Paul?”
Paul nods and shrugs. “Right.”
“I could be lying face down on the museum steps right now,” Rachel suggests.
I chuckle. “I doubt that–”
“That man could have messed up my nice dress,” she continues. “Do you have any idea what this cost?”
“I have no idea,” I have to admit. And that’s the truth. “I don’t know much about fashion. If it’s not functional or comfortable, I don’t know anything about it.”
“So there’s no woman in your life, Jake?” Rachel asks.
Her question throws me off guard. Not just because she’s asking me this in front of her husband, but also because I really don’t know how to answer.
“Um…” I say slowly “Well, I–”
“That doesn’t sound like a yes to me,” Rachel giggles. “Every man I’ve ever known who has a woman in his life would answer yes immediately to that question.” She turns to her husband. “Paul, is there a woman in your life?”
“Of course there is, sweetie,” Paul replies with a smile. “You.”
Rachel smiles back, leans over to him, and they kiss each other on the lips. This night is getting weirder and weirder by the second.
“See?” she asks, turning back to me. “Now that’s how I know you don’t have a woman in your life.”
“Well…it’s complicated,” I reply.
Ain’t that the truth.
“Stop it,” she laughs with a roll of her eyes. “You’re single.”
Her words go through me like a sword. Yeah, I guess I really am single.
But nobody has really put it out there until now. I haven’t even fully been able to admit it to myself. And hearing it from a stranger’s lips really stings.
I guess it’s time to truly admit that it’s over.
“Yeah,” I say slowly. “I guess I am.”
Rachel looks at me and smiles with something like sympathy in her eyes. But there’s something else there too. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was enthusiasm—excitement.
But how could that be? She’s married, and her husband is sitting right here with us.
They exchange glances and what seems like a nod from her to him. Then she turns back to me.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of the night, Jake?” she asks.
Yup, this is really weird now.
“Plans?” I ask. “Not…particularly, no.”
“How would you like to join us for a drink at our house?” she continues. “You know—to celebrate a job well done and your incredible skill taking down that man who clearly wanted to murder me?”
I have to laugh. I’m really not sure what’s going on here, but Rachel has a comedic way about her delivery.
Normally I would never accept an offer to have drinks with a married woman. That only leads to trouble. But with Paul sitting right here and clearly being okay with it, there doesn’t seem to be any real problem. And I could sure use a drink after tonight.
“Yeah, okay.” I nod. “A drink would be nice.”
43
Jake
I’d almost forgotten just how enormous the Thortons’ mansion is until we pull up in the driveway. It really is like arriving at Wayne Manor or an old French chateau.
The landscaping is perfect, the front steps seem to be some kind of marble, and there are candles lit in every one of the countless front-facing windows, so they must have staff to help run the place. But that makes sense. If I had the kind of money to own this place, I’d have help too.