Weathering Jack Storm (Silver Strings G Series) (19 page)

“Who knows?”

“Not me. I felt like I was under attack by a jealous...” Trailing off, she stopped, not having the guts to continue, but her words opened Dax up a little more.

“That’s probably right. Em is a schemer and planner. She has aspirations.”

“Are you saying she is hot for Jack?”

“Isn’t everyone?” His joking grin clamped over his last forkful.

The flame that heated her face could have been because she was surely included in his short quip. Or, it could have been anger at thinking of anyone else included, especially Emma. To cover her embarrassment she retorted, “Are you?”

Using the fork, he scraped the excess syrup before executing his comeback with a wink. “No. But I would be if I went that way.” Then he grew serious. “She’s really just doing her job. She wants to be the best she can be. And I think she wants to move on with Jack when he goes to his dad’s label.”

“As his publicist you mean?”

At this Dax almost fell over laughing. “I’m sorry, your face. The claws. You two are so cute.”

“Cute, who?” For a second it angered her to think that he was referring to the argument between her and Emma.

“You and Jack. Damn. I’ve seen him jealous before, but the last weeks have been intense. And, obviously you are just as afflicted.”

“Are you saying he has been jealous or not been?” Other than Clayton’s name on a text, Jack had no occasion to be jealous.

“Both I guess. Jack is the jealous type. Batshit crazy jealous in the few relationships that I’ve personally seen go more than a night.” Here Dax apologetically halted. “Sorry, you just are easy to talk to and I should think about what I’m saying...”

Crazy curious to see where the conversation was leading, she impatiently insisted, “It’s fine. He’s Jack Storm. I’m not delusional.” Then when he continued to sip, prodded, “Batshit crazy, huh?”

“Yeah. That’s why, you know, the night you guys got here, well, you know, I did not want him to go all ratchet on me.”

“Sorry about that night.” A flush crawled up her neck, and she saw one in his face as well.

“So anyway, yeah. Batshit crazy. But with you he seems calm, you know? Hell, Reed was perving you yesterday. Trying to be discreet, but he was. And all Jack said was, ‘Go find your own puss—erm, woman, loser.’”

“Just what every girl wants to hear. That her man is not jealous of her,” Marissa drawled.

“That was so not the point.” Dax rolled his eyes. His expressions, as well as their instant affinity, reminded her of her brother. “He seems secure for the first time with a woman.” Coming out of the reverie they had fallen into, he warned, “Repeat any of this, I will have to kill you.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Good. Because Jack Storm in a full on rage is not a pretty thing.”

“Maybe I do want a drink,” she muttered and rounded the bar, but he jumped up beating her to the destination.

“I’m not saying Jack—I mean I hope you didn’t misunderstand. Jack is not the violent type.”

“I know. Now hand over that glass.”

“I got it, girl.” He remained insistent on assisting her with the mix.

“No!” She snatched the glass tumbler from his hands. “Just do what you need to do when Jack is around. But, when it’s you and me, you do not have to get things for me.”

Once they settled again, both pecked at their phones and the conversation became more casual. The PT was assisting Tristan from the pool when Randi called a cheery, “Hello! Anyone home?”

LOOKING EVERY BIT A MODEL
, Randi paused poised just over the threshold of the glass doors. Tanned limbs extended from a stylish short set, and a long French braid fell down her back.

Ignoring the return greetings for the moment, the striking woman pulled her designer shades down the bridge of her nose to behold the dripping broad shoulders of the man who was in the motion of turning her way.

Just before the PT completed the arc, Randi looked away sending a secret grin toward Marissa and Dax.

Confused, Marissa’s gaze ping-ponged between Randi and Dax, seeing only the slightest hint of anything resembling jealousy in Dax’s expression.

Marissa made the introductions, and the PT lingered to talk of Tristan’s progress and then centered his interest on polite conversation with Randi before disappearing to change out of his swimsuit.

Tristan remained in the pool, and the therapist left with a final flirty smile to Randi. Dax refilled Marissa’s drink and mixed one for Randi, then left them to the poolside.

“How long do you think until Tristan is crutch free?” Randi sipped the mimosa.

“Why?” Marissa prodded before testing her own drink. “Interested in a certain physical therapist?”

“He’s hot. But I’m not looking.”

Marissa’s lips curved thinking of the secret affair with Dax, but let it drop and answered her question. “A couple of weeks.”

“Perfect timing.” Randi smiled over her glass. “For the tour.”

Marissa said nothing, and Randi chattered on about the shoot she had just come from. It wasn’t until after they both changed into a swimsuit and played with Tristan in the pool that the other woman brought up the drop party.

Sitting on the incline, Marissa was unconsciously staring and comparing the legs stretched before them and Randi began. “Mariss, I have to say something. I’m sorry about the drop party. You know that all they have is that one picture to twist around and say what they want about, right?”

“I know.” Marissa pulled her knees up and stared over them at Tristan. A discussion of the publicity fiasco was not something she wanted to get into with ‘the other woman.’

“I just think that maybe we should have a meeting with Emma to brainstorm on how to fix this.”

The laugh pushing past Marissa’s lips was more of a maniacal cackle, and when Randi twisted her head at the sound, Marissa explained, “Emma doesn’t want it fixed.”

After hearing the entire quarrel with Emmajesty, Randi cursed. “That’s bullshit!” The foul word passed without rebuke since Tristan was underwater.

Marissa watched as he surfaced a second later wearing an oblivious smile, then dove for another ring.

“Don’t worry. Jack won’t go for it.” Randi assured and Marissa finally spoke.

“That’s just it. She made me feel like a bad person if I fight what is best for his image.”

“No. You are fine for his image. And don’t go thinking anything different. Leave this to me, I will take care of it,” Randi huffed.

Aghast, Marissa negated, “No! No. Please don’t.” Splashing some water on her hot neck, she grimly joked, “I’m no Yoko and will never be if I can help it.”

“At least promise that you will tell Jack what is going on. He will want to know.” Randi pulled her braid over one shoulder and like Marissa, dipped her hand in the water too cool her neck.

A bee buzzed around the surface, and Marissa’s eyes anxiously tracked the insect as it flew around Tristan’s play area. After a quick drink of pool water, it disappeared, and she relaxed again. Maybe it was as Dax said. Emma was the bee just looking out for herself. Maybe she didn’t mean to come across as threatening, and things would work out in the end.

“You are not going to promise are you?”

Marissa laughed, and probably because she was not accustomed to drinking three vodka beverages on an empty stomach in the hot sun, her tongue loosened even more. “You make it so hard not to like you.”

A pucker of a frown replaced the slight smile on the other girl’s face. “You don’t like me?”

“No. Yes. I mean, I think I do. That’s the problem.”

“Why is liking me a problem?”

“A conflict of interest I guess. I know this is LA,” Marissa dramatically emphasized the locale, “and everything is different here. But where I come from, we hate on exes.”

The other woman’s frown relaxed, and her tentative gaze flickered. “You do know that none of this is true. About me and Jack? We’ve never been–”

“I know. But where I come from, our definition of ex is pretty broad.”

“I’m not following...”

If she could escape the rest of this topic by sinking under the surface, she gladly would. Just the thought of the muffled outside world was peaceful enough to make her consider joining Tristan in his practice to hold his breath. Silently berating herself for speaking without thinking and subsequently getting herself into this mess, she admitted, “Hookups. Even one or two time hookups are exes.”

“Still not getting it...” Randi searched her face and then drew her own legs up in surprise. “Oh holy fuck! Jack told you didn’t he?”

Marissa picked at a hangnail brought on by the dry weather and saltwater pool.

“That stupid fuck,” Randi’s tone held a lilt of surprised disbelief.

This time, Tristan was staring, but he was quietly assessing the exchange instead of proudly pointing out bad words. Following Marissa’s gaze, Randi apologized to both Marissa and the young boy.

“I’m going to get another drink.” Stretching to her feet, she bent to tap once on Marissa’s shoulder. “Come get you one.”

She didn’t need another, but she knew Randi was seeking privacy to finish this unsavory conversation. Reluctantly, she followed to the portico and leaned against the bar too wrought up to sit down.

Randi began to pour the two drinks, and Marissa didn’t stop her. “I can’t believe he blabbed that to you. Men are so stupid!”

“It’s fine. I know there are a lot of women. I just didn’t expect him to expect...” Marissa stopped herself before she said ‘one of them’ in allusion to his many women, which would seem derogatory to Randi. It was weird for Jack to expect his fiancée to become best friends with his ‘non ex ex,’ and before she could reword, Randi quickly jumped in that pause with a very unexpected reply.

“Jack and I, well there is no Jack and I. Not even one time.”

As Marissa gaped, the lingerina explained her answer.

“You know how men are. They are always bothering for sex. Then once they get it, they are cool and the pressure is off.” Randi finished the drinks and stared into them. “I saw an opportunity, and even though it was kind of a dirty trick, I did it so that Jack would quit being the same weirdo that every other guy is.”

Suddenly feeling the need for the drink, Marissa grabbed one of the two glasses and tipped a gulp into her mouth. Randi went on to explain that Jack had accompanied her to one of her promotional parties, and afterward they had gone into her house for a nightcap.

“I know what you are thinking. I know what a nightcap means. But you have to understand, I met Jack through his Aunt, and he was as much of a friend as a horny guy can be, you know?” Randi curved a smile of sisterhood, and warily Marissa returned it. “We even joked about no funny business when he came in. I got the feeling he just needed not to be alone. He was going through something and wouldn’t say what it was, but it had him down.”

Jack who didn’t usually get falling down drunk had overindulged on that night for some reason. He ended up in the pool in his birthday suit, and following that, sprawled on her patio furniture wrapped in a towel. Leaving him to sleep it off she went to bed then woke him the next morning with coffee.

“He sat up from that poolside lounger and looked so proud of himself when he saw me wearing a robe.” Randi’s tight smile relaxed with the memory. Marissa did not fault her. The mental picture almost had her smiling because she knew the exact smug expression Randi spoke of. “I know it was evil but when he asked me if anything had happened, I–” Randi looked closely, maybe to make sure Marissa was taking it okay, before squaring her shoulders and finishing up. “I told him he rocked my world. And it worked. After that, he quit coming on so hard.”

The idea of Jack sad and vulnerable over something private and turning to Randi was hard to think on. What had had him so down? Another woman? Marissa pushed it from her mind striving for casualness.

“That’s some story.”

“It’s true. I swear to you. And I will tell Jack the truth.”

“He said that y’all were together a couple of times.”

“After that night, he ended up drunk on my couch more than once. I guess, if he had blackouts, it’s possible that he could have assumed we did.”

“How come you never gave in to him?” The question slipped out because she could not imagine fending off Jack’s advances.

“We hung out enough for me to know the demands of his career and that he never settled with any one woman for more than a few weeks. I’m not a casual person.” Dabbing at a water ring on the bar, Randi admitted, “I knew he would be too easy to love, and sex would just send me to the point of no return.”

“I totally get that.”

“I know you do. I’m so glad Jack found someone real. He never had good sense when it came to women.”

Marissa raised her brows in a clear invitation to continue, but as hypocritical as it was, she did not want to verbally pry.

Randi intuitively understood, and her posture leaned a bit closer. “With Jack, the flavor of the week was always mean. There is no other word. His women were always self-centered and just mean to him.”