Page 31 of Saved By My Buyers

“Ahh, that sounds incredible,” I squeal. Gareth and Mom haven’t allowed me to have anything sweet since Bee left. They said I’m gaining weight. Yeah, in my chest maybe.

I can’t really do anything about that.

“The trolley will drop us off in front of the concert hall for tonight, and then because you’ll be starving on the way back,” he says sagely, “there will be dessert.”

“Best birthday ever!” I yell.

Jack grins as he finds the parking garage he wants to park in, riding up to almost the top floor.

“It’s busy because it's typically a commuter garage,” he explains. “But, since I work nearby, it’s the perfect place for us today.”

“Are we going to pass by your building?” I ask curiously as I hop out of the vehicle.

“Actually, we are,” he says, locking the doors once they’re closed. “I am only tabling our previous conversation because we agree we’re at a standstill.”

Walking toward the elevator beside him, I nod, knowing this won’t be the end of it, though.

“The second you need me, pick up the phone,” Jack insists. “I don’t care where I am, what time it is, or anything else. I’ll figure out a way to help.”

“Understood,” I say, knowing I can’t promise a damned thing.

“Alright,” he mutters, pushing the call button to bring the elevator up to us. “Now, I’m done.”

Grinning, I already feel lighter as we get into the elevator. “I’ve been looking forward to this,” I tell him. “I can’t believe you got tickets!”

“I bought them ages ago,” he confesses. “I saw they were coming to Detroit, and immediately bought three tickets.”

“Three?” I ask, smiling because he included Bee.

“It felt wrong not to,” Jack explains with a shrug and we get off the elevator as the doors open. “Bee is a big part of your life. I can share.”

“Well, Bee is going to be insanely sad that she’s not here,” I tell him. Jack glances at me, appearing guilty, and I gasp. “She knew, didn’t she?!”

“Oh yeah,” he says with a nod. “Bee kept pestering me, asking me what we were doing for your birthday. That’s not weird, right?”

“Nope,” I say firmly. Gareth can’t twist the two healthiest friendships and relationships that I have. Chad, Natalie, and Riley are really nice, but it doesn’t feel right to hang out with them without Bee. Knowing what a twisted fuck Gareth is, Jack is normal and sweet. “If it is, screw it.”

“My cursing is definitely rubbing off on you,” he mutters. “Look, this is where my office is when I’m in Detroit.”

Turning my head to the left, my lips part as I take in the shiny chrome building. “Woah, it’s huge,” I say, looking up.

“The company has four offices in the building, nothing fancy,” he warns.

“You’re kind of the ‘closer’ for deals for the company, right?” I ask, crossing the street with him.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I do. I pitch what we can do for a company that’s interested in our security company, and then go through their weak points and how we can strengthen them,” Jack says.

“From cyber security, to video cameras, or hiring guards. We have people who can be anywhere. We started mostly as a mobile company.”

I know he’s only here because of me, he’s said as much, and I wonder if I’m fucking up his life. As he said, he’s in his forties.

I get lost in my head as we order burgers, fries, and bottles of water before finding a place to sit. It’s not too busy, thankfully. It looks as if most of the lunch rush is over.

The concert begins at eight-thirty with the opening band starting, so we’re not in a hurry…

“You’re thinking really hard,” Jack says, amused as the food arrives.

“Ummm, kind of?” I look down at my cheddar cheese, bacon burger with barbecue sauce on it, and my stomach grumbles with hunger.

---