Splintered Oak (Winsor Series Book 3) (9 page)

9.
THE aRT OF FUN

JAKE

I
am out of my mind!
I thought as I paced across my bedroom floor. How in the world did I think I could have Naomi here platonically when I wanted her so fiercely?

Not only wa
s she gorgeous, but the fire that used to sit right below the surface was now freely burning all around her. And her dry humor, which had always endeared her to me, now felt intoxicating under those expressive eyes. I cursed under my breath as I realized I would be taking a lot of cold showers over the next month.

A hard knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts, and I opened it to see David’s glaring face.

“Got a minute?” he asked, his tone not really leaving room for argument.

I moved aside to let him in and then shut the door. I couldn’t even remember the last time David had sought me out for a conversation.

“I’m paid up through August, so this obviously isn’t about the rent,” I noted sarcastically. “Let me guess, it’s my warning speech about Naomi.”

David let out a sigh and then sat on my neatly made bed. “She’s a good girl, Jake. I can tell that already. She also seems to trust you, which has me more concerned than anything.”

“She’s Issy’s friend and like a sister to me,” I lied. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not going to make a move on her. Been there, done that with Issy’s roommates and neither time turned out well.”

“Just don’t go getting any ideas that the third time’s the charm, okay?” He waited with his eyebrows raised. “I mean it, Jake, rent or not, you’re out of here if you even think of taking advantage of her.”

Now I was insulted. “Give me a little credit, David. I’m a perfectly functional adult who doesn’t need to corrupt innocent girls. I have plenty of already damaged girls to choose from.”

David stood and scratched his head in frustration. “I’m not even going to respond to that.” He walked to my door as I glared at him defensively. “Some guy named Robbie came by looking for you today. I don’t know how you’re coming into so much money lately, Jake, but the vibe I got from that guy was not good.”

“And you are now definitely crossing the lines of minding your own business,” I seethed through my teeth, “which was a ground rule established long ago, if you recall.”

David let out a resigned sigh, his mouth set in an expressionless line. “You know, you’re not the easiest guy to be friends with.” David didn’t wait for my response. He just let himself out.

I slammed the door behind him, wanting to punch something. Now that Naomi lived here, Robbie couldn’t just show up on a whim. If Grant got wind I was working with that guy, I had no doubt he would murder me, if Issy didn’t do it first.

I grabbed my laptop in frustration and began methodically searching Marshall Forester and his old company. “What’s the connection there?” I questioned out loud as I scanned through financial articles and SEC inquiries.

It took a few hours and several cups of coffee, but I finally put together the puzzle about Grant’s father. Satisfied in my discovery, I dialed Robbie’s number.

“Jake. I was just thinking about you,” Robbie said smoothly. “I take it you finally have something useful for me.”

“I’m not sure, considering you’ve dismissed everything I’ve told you to date, but I did find out what happened between Grant’s father and Andrew Summers. Seems the guy was accused of fraudulent activity and ended up selling his company shares to Summers, who in turn hired him as VP of the Southwest division. After that, the charges were dropped.”

“You’re boring me, Jake. I believe I’m the one who told you about the connection to begin with.”

“Yes, but you didn’t tell me that Grant’s been requesting the SEC to re-open the investigation,” I countered, hating how inadequate Robbie always made me feel.

“Interesting,” Robbie finally said after a long pause. “Not bad, Jake. Call me again if your hear more.”

I had no idea why that bit of info was helpful, but if it got him off my back, I didn’t care.

“One more thing, Robbie. I heard you showed up here unannounced today. This little arrangement is not going to work if Issy gets wind of it.”

Robbie simply laughed. “No worries, Jake, I was fully aware of Isadora’s whereabouts when I dropped by. Your roommate’s pleasant enough. Financial guy himself, huh? Must be hard to live with him knowing he could hire you back on and chooses not to. Loyalty is so hard to find these days.”

I felt that familiar fire burn in my stomach. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

“Oh, he didn’t tell you? David is now a chief financial manager, responsible for a small section of investors. In fact, his new hire has even less experience than you.”

I couldn’t speak, just sat shaking as fury consumed me.

“Well, Jake, enjoy tomorrow. I imagine it will be very profitable for you.”

The click on the other end told me the conversation was over, but it didn’t matter because I was in the midst of a full-blown anxiety attack. I crawled on my bed and stopped fighting it. The pain of it all was too great—too intense. Unable to process the latest betrayal, I closed my eyes and fully welcomed sleep.

Robbie was true to his word--the only one in my life who seemed to be--and sent me a very lucrative text the next day. I checked up on the tip, as I always did, and then set myself up to make an obscene amount of money. By noon, I was finished, and had doubled my investment again. Somehow, the thrill was gone. Maybe because I had stayed locked in my room, unwilling to deal with David or Naomi. Or maybe it was because there was no longer a fear of failure. Who knows? I honestly didn’t care. I was numb.

I heard when both David and Naomi left the condo and took the opportunity to get something to eat and check the mail. Bills and solicitations—the story of my life. The last letter held information regarding my impending court date, and I realized that financially, there was no longer any need to hesitate. Life had slapped me in the face, shown me unquestionably that
the only person I could count on was myself.

Everyone else is just a disappointment
, I thought bitterly, picturing Issy in her high-rise condo, enjoying her latest conquest. She hardly even called anymore, just the obligatory daily text or phone call.

I threw the paper down in disgust and dialed the most expensive lawyer in the city to set up an appointment. Andrew Summers wasn’t dealing with a naïve, hopeful kid anymore. I was now a hardened, bitter man, who had no intention of going to jail without a fight. The receptionist got me scheduled for four o’clock, leaving me with a few hours to kill.

I looked through my contact list until I found the number I wanted. “Rebecca?” I asked when I heard her sexy, southern accent on the other line. “Hey baby, it’s Jake. I know, it’s been a while. I wanted to see if you’d like to go to lunch.”

“Oh Jake, too little too
late, I’m afraid.” Her voice tickling my ear in anticipation. “I’m a taken girl now. A one man kind of gal.”

“Now that’s just a tragedy, sweetheart,” I purred, still laying on the charm. “Surely we can squeeze in one more date.”

“No can do, Jake. But it was nice to talk to you. I hope things are going good.”

Realizing I wasn’t going to get what I wanted, I ended our small talk quickly and paced the room. I didn’t have time for a challenge. Biting the inside of my mouth because I knew I’d regret it, I texted the only guarantee I had in my phone.

Ammie replied quickly that she’d meet me at her house. Bingo. Grabbing my keys, I headed for the front door.

Forget them all
, I thought looking around the condo. The only person who mattered anymore was me.

Saturday morning came in a haze of leftover whiskey and regret. My new lawyer assured me he would get me off, and he’d better considering I slapped down $5,000 for his retainer fee. Ammie was as hospitable as ever, but I knew I’d gone too far when she showed up at the bar that evening, sending hate glances to all the females I spoke to. She spent most of the evening crying in the bathroom with her girlfriends, who ceremoniously made rude comments every time they passed by me. By midnight, I couldn’t stomach it anymore and stumbled out of the cab and into my bed. Determined not to fall into that trap again, I deleted Ammie’s contact completely from my phone.

The pain in my head drove me to the kitchen, where I wished beyond measure that Issy was here to make me her notorious hangover juice. The thought only increased my headache as my heart constricted.

“You look like death,” Naomi’s sweet voice assessed as I brushed past her in the kitchen.

I grunted in acknowledgement as my eyes swept over her. I may have looked like death, but I certainly wasn’t dead to the fact that she looked amazing and smelled even better. She had her long hair partially pulled back in a braid and wore a dress that showed just enough skin to make a man beg to get a glimpse of what was under it. I shook my head and opened the fridge to get some water. How was it possible that last night I was surrounded by women wearing barely more than a few pieces of fabric, yet not one of them enticed me the way Naomi was this morning?

“Okay then,” she said backing away. “It’s moody Jake this morning. I’ll just talk to you after you get something in you besides diesel fuel.”

I shut the fridge harder than I intended and frowned at her as she slid on some kind of backpack type purse.

“Where are you going?” I grumbled, telling myself it was just out of curiosity and not because part of me wanted to her to hang around.

“Well, it’s my last weekend of freedom before class starts on Monday, and I’m certainly not spending it cooped up here.” She grabbed the morning’s newspaper off the coffee table and set it on the counter before me. “The art festival is this weekend, so I’m going there first. Then, if I want, I’m going to catch a movie.”

Something burned deep in my gut that I couldn’t process. “You’re going alone?” I asked, trying to sound more like a worried brother than a jealous boyfriend.

“Sure, why not? I can’t spend my life waiting for something to happen or someone to call me. This is my chance to live, and I have every intention of doing so. Besides, I navigated most of Europe on my own. I can handle downtown Asheville.”

Her spark of determination forced a smile that I didn’t even know I was capable of this morning. “Well, do you want some company?”

“Are you volunteering because you want to go or because you feel sorry for me?” she asked, her head tilting a little as she examined me, making me feel completely exposed under her stare.

“I just thought you might like some company, that’s all. Don’t make a production out of it,” I deflected, taking a swig of my water bottle. 

She slanted her eyes and looked as if her mind was going a mile a minute. The process fascinated me as I wondered what in the world she was thinking about.

“Tell you what. You go shower, and if it produces fun, relaxed Jake, then yes, I would enjoy your company. But if this guarded, irritable, snappy monster returns,” she continued, motioning up and down in my direction. “Then no thanks. I’ll take my chances alone.”

She picked up the paper and sat back down in the living room to finish going through it. I stood motionless in the kitchen, wondering how it was possible that I just got dressed down in my own home.

“I’m leaving in thirty minutes regardless,” she announced, not moving her eyes from the paper.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I scooted off to my room. In a matter of minutes, my foul mood had somehow lightened. I showered quickly and threw on some shorts and light t-shirt. My hair always took more time, but somehow I got the feeling that Naomi would laugh at me if I came out all spiffed up, so I just grabbed a baseball cap to cover my shaggy mop.

“Alright, let’s go,” I offered as I shut my door.

She jumped up with a smile that could light up even the darkest of places. “Awesome! The first band starts in fifteen minutes and I don’t want to miss it.”

The band she was referring to ended up being a quartet of old guys jammin’ out some bluegrass country on their guitars. The makeshift concert area was positioned at the end of the street allowing hundreds of vendors to line the blocked off roads. I couldn’t figure out the appeal, but Naomi beamed, tapping her foot to the music in rhythm. 

“We should dance!” she yelled toward me, jumping to her feet.

I looked around at the half a dozen couples on the dance floor, each probably over sixty years old. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh come on,” she pressed, pulling on my arm. “It will be fun. Besides, I thought you loved to dance.”

“Sure, when I have a few beers in me and low lighting,” I defended, leaving out the part that it was also a great way to pick up women.

She let go of my arm and pouted, having no idea how much that lower lip killed me.

Out of the blue, one of the stage guys came up to us with a smirk on his face. He was easily the oldest man in the place and looked as if he has seen his fair share of life.

“Young man, you never turn down a pretty lady when she wants to dance,” he scolded with a wink.