Page 2 of Forever and Other Lies

She didn’t recognize the woman he was with, but she fit the typical Derek mold: bleached blonde, painted-on jeans, low-cut top, hair teased to an inch of its’ life. Stacked, sexy, and short-term. Exactly his type. The woman seductively sucked on her cocktail straw, offering Derek no challenge. He had the attention span of a hound dog with even lower morals. No way would Blondie get a second date.

Why did it bother her to see him out on a date? She had zero interest in him. Being Kylie’s older brother also put him on the off-limits list. The fact that he was a womanizing, conceited ape added him to the don’t-touch-with-a-ten-foot-pole list. Sure, there’d been those five minutes in high school when she believed he was a great guy and she’d been madly in love with him. But he cured her of both delusions. In fact, he’d cured her of any lingering romantic delusions. He’d been her one and only crush.

“There’s Kylie.” Jamie pointed to the center of the room, and Jayna forced her attention away from the jerk and onto his sister instead.

Kylie Brennan was the fourth in their group and the only brunette. Since kindergarten, they’d been inseparable. It had been one of Kylie’s four brothers who had dubbed them ‘the 3 Js,’ and the nickname stuck.

“Mind if we join you?” Jamie asked, grabbing a vacant chair from a neighboring table. Jayna took the only free chair, slipping her arms out of her leather jacket and hung it on the back.

Kylie sat next to Bianca Grotta, the sister of her fiancé. Beside Bianca sat Leighton Gray, the girlfriend of Kylie’s brother Tommy, Derek’s twin.

“Not at all, please do,” Leighton answered, smiling sweetly.

Jayna gritted her teeth when she glanced in the woman’s direction. Leighton was accomplished, kind, and undeniably likable. However, Jayna did not like her. All her friends loved Leighton, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t shake the deep disdain that prickled within her every time Leighton was around.

Kylie picked up her wine glass, and the giant ring on her finger flashed, catching Jayna’s attention.

“Wow, that diamond is the size of a skating rink,” Jayna whistled. “I still can’t believe you’re going to be Mrs. Captain Heroic.”

The entire town had been shocked when A-list movie star Jovanny Grotta had shown up on Kylie’s doorstep. The two had met while she was on a nursing mission in Sierra Leone, and he’d followed her home. Now the couple was engaged. It was still difficult for Jayna to wrap her head around the fact that her best friend was about to marry such a famous man.

“He’s not as big of a deal as he and the world believe,” Bianca offered. “Trust me. He is a typical man. He was the most annoying little brother. Still is.”

“Speaking of brothers, how is Tommy doing?” Jamie asked.

“Good considering all that he’s been through,” Kylie set down the wine glass and sighed. “The surgery on his leg went well, and the PTSD treatment center is doing wonders.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine,” Jamie added, then turned her attention to Leighton. “It must be shocking to learn the fiancé you thought had died is still alive.”

Leighton shifted uncomfortably and blinked. “Not even close to Tommy’s experience,” she said softly, referring to his three-year captivity under the Taliban. “Where’s Jessica?”

“Over there, on a blind date.” Jayna pointed to the corner. “We’re here to offer support or run interference.”

The three women swiveled in their chairs, stealing glances.

“He doesn’t look like her type,” Kylie said.

“He’s a corporate lawyer. He’s perfect for her,” Jayna defended.

“How did she meet him?” Bianca asked.

“An online dating site.” Jamie cringed, nervously tousling her short, platinum blonde hair. The pixie cut complemented her perfectly, hugging her oval face and delicate features like a tailored glove.

“Really?” Leighton’s brow furrowed. “Jessica doesn’t seem like someone who would use an online dating service.”

Jayna giggled, “No, she isn’t. Jamie and I enrolled her. She needs to change her email password. It’s far too easy to guess.”

“Oh, you did not!” Kylie exclaimed. “She must have been furious with you both.”

“Was she ever,” Jamie sighed, rolling her eyes upward. “And this date is not going well. We’ll hear about this for a very long time.”

“How do you know it’s not going well?” Bianca swiveled again, taking another peek at the couple in the corner.

Kylie’s left eyebrow shot up. “Jamie knows everything. It’s quite unnerving how accurate she can be. I keep telling her she needs to set up a booth in her shop to supplement her income.”

“Make fun all you want, but don’t come to me for advice next time,” Jamie spoke up, accustomed to the ribbing from her friends.

Since Jamie was a young girl, she’d always had this sixth sense. They often teased her about it, because for Jayna, it was easier to make fun of it than to acknowledge that Jamie could predict the future and speak with the dead. It was both unsettling and mind-boggling.

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