Page 4 of Embers of Torment

Jace

Ipushed the café door open with my shoulder, my lunch tray in my hands, and scanned the plaza's seating area for Adam. When we talked on the phone, he mentioned that he and a friend usually came here to eat. Spotting him, I headed toward his table.

Adam beamed and raised his arm when he saw me.

Now a few yards away, I had a better view of Adam and the person he was with. Even though we'd kept in touch, I hadn't seen him in over ten years, and he looked the same—just older. His strawberry blond hair was still short, spiky, and meticulously styled. And he still wore his neatly pressed button-down shirts and tortoise shell eyeglasses.

The woman with him was…well…a little different. Her originally blond hair—I assumed that was what it was—had been dyed a bright pink, and she had it pulled into a ponytail. Her lipstick was a deep color. Dark purple? Burgundy? I wasn't sure what you'd call it, but whatever shade it was, it grabbedyour attention, just like her clothing. She was wearing a neon green pair of pants and a long-sleeved, button-front blouse that displayed a variety of colorful barnyard animals.

I shrugged my shoulders. What was that old cliché about not prejudging people based on their appearance? Regardless of what it was, it was a mantra I tried to live by—the best I could.

"Jace! Hey, you're here. That's so cool." Adam jumped up from his chair, still beaming. One hand went to my shoulder while he stuck out the other.

Setting my tray beside his seat, I swiveled and shook his hand.Man, it was great to see him after all these years!I turned toward the woman and saw her face light up with a comical expression as she scrutinized Adam.

"Jace, this is my close friend, Della Nash. We work together at Morgan Systems."

"Pleasure to meet you." Smiling, I extended my arm.

"Same. I hope you're not as weird or easily excitable as Adam." She cackled as she shook my hand.

Ignoring her comment, I asked, "So, are you a senior software designer like Adam?" While waiting for her answer, I sat in the chair next to Adam and unwrapped my roast beef and cheddar sandwich.

"Wrong department. Della's a senior marketing analyst," Adam said before Della got the chance. He nodded toward me. "Della, this is Jace Welch. We met through a mutual friend in our teens and spent four years together at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jace lived by the campus, and I grew up nearby in Durham. His dad was also one of my professors."

Della eyed me, her brow furrowing in what I assumed was curiosity. "So…did you and Adam date each other?"

I coughed, barely managing to swallow the sip of water I'd taken. I stared across the table at her. "Sorry." I coughed again,trying to clear my throat since some of the liquid had gone down my windpipe. "I didn't expect to be asked that question. No, we weren't romantically involved. I'm straight, and we went from acquaintances to close friends after finding ourselves in many of the same college courses."

"When I first met Jace, back when I was in high school, he was pretty cool. He judged people by their personality and behavior rather than their sexual preferences, appearance, or other idiotic criteria. Unlike some of my classmates, Jace never acted uncomfortable or threatened when he was around me. That's one of the things I liked about him."

Della studied me for a few seconds and grinned. "So you're an upright kind of guy and not some asshole?"

"Wow. You like to ask some off-the-wall questions. I'm not sure I'd label myself as such, but I try to judge people fairly."

"Yes, he is. And humble. I don't think I've ever heard Jace brag."

I took a bite of my sandwich and another swig of water while Adam gave Della our backstory.

"So, out of nowhere, I get this message on Facebook from Jace telling me he's moved to Boston. He worked for a gaming software designer in Boulder, Colorado, and decided to switch jobs. Now, he works in the Oceanview East building down the street as a video game special effects artist for Delphinus Games. Cool, huh? When we were—"

"Umm…Jace? You can stop Adam at any time. If you let him keep talking, he'll spill all your secrets from birth onward."

I couldn't help my amusement. Adam hadn't changed, and this woman was a kick. But in a way, she touched on something without knowing. I did have a secret, and it wasn't funny. It was the real reason for my move to Boston.

I politely laughed off her comment. "Yeah, it's best Adam holds off on giving you my entire life story until we're better acquainted. I don't want to give off a bad impression."

"All right, I'll take the hint and shut up. Della and I have to return to the office in a few minutes anyway. Hey, I have an idea, though." Adam looked at me and grinned. "My boyfriend, Theo, owns a catering company and is typically booked all weekend, so Della and I hang out after work on Fridays. We're going to Bullseye Tavern four blocks down the street to drink and play darts tonight. It's in that three-story complex across from the dance club. You could join us."

"I wish I could. It sounds like fun. But I'm having dinner with a woman who works in my office building. We kept running into each other in the elevator, and I asked her out. Tonight's our second date, and I'm still trying to figure out if I like her."

"Excuse me? Either you like someone, or you don't," Della said, somewhat snippy.

"No, not always. Sometimes it's not that simple, especially when you get the barest hint of an underlying personality you're unsure about."

"Whatever." Della rolled her eyes and frowned while her bright purple fingernail tapped on the tabletop.

I couldn't help but grin. Della was downright feisty.

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