Page 31 of The Relationship Mechanic

She had come up with an entire brunch plan that allowed her to show Vini another side of life. Specifically, Jessica’s life. All the places on their stop were places Jessica enjoyed and that she thought Vini and her sisters would as well. She had spent a few hours asking Dani what they liked and asking Grace to ask Ava what she liked as well. It had taken some searching, but Jessica had done well judging by the Williams sisters’ responses. The wide smiles on all their faces had Jessica calling the morning a great success.

“Everyone is getting along and having fun.”

Grace held her hands up. “I never said they weren’t. And I’m not trying to make it weird.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “It sure seems that way, considering you’re on my ass about staring at Vini.”

Grace put her hands down with a crooked smile. “So you were staring.”

She opened her mouth before closing it again. Jessica narrowed her eyes as she realized Grace had gotten her to admit to it. “Maybe I was. Is that illegal now?”

“Of course not. I’m just saying, the way you’re staring at Vini with hearts in your eyes is making it obvious what’s going on between you two. You said you guys were only in a situationship, but from where I’m standing, it looks like a whole lot of something else.”

Jessica grabbed Grace’s arm and stopped her in the middle of the sidewalk. When Ava, Dani and Vini turned to look at them, Jessica smiled and waved them off. “Grace and I just need to have a quick conversation about the plans for later on. You guys go on ahead, and we’ll meet you at the next location.”

Ava raised an eyebrow as she looked between Grace and Jessica. Vini at first appeared to have no expression, but slowly Jessica began to see concern bleed into her gaze. There were questions there too, questions that she had to ignore. Dani, on the other hand, just looked amused by whatever was going on. Jessica still couldn’t get a lock on Dani’s thoughts or feeling about a lot of things, and it was slightly unnerving. The woman should join the circuit with that poker face. Jessica had no doubt she would be able to fake people out with the best of them.

She was also surprised by the fact that it didn’t seem like Dani was interested in snitching on her and Vini. Jessica didn’t doubt that Ava would have flown off the handle if she knew just how close Jessica and Vini had been getting, so clearly she was still in the dark. She could understand Ava’s desire to keep Vini from getting hurt. Vini was an awesome person, and Jessica was self-aware enough to know she wasn’t girlfriend material. Hell, it wasn’t like she was trying to be. But she just couldn’t figure out what Dani was getting from keeping her mouth closed about it. If she were anyone else, Jessica would’ve assumed that she wanted something, and yet no demands had been made. If she had come to Jessica with some blackmail-type shit in the beginning, Jessica would have never let things go as far as they had. Now though, she could admit she would give in to Dani’s demands, had she made any. Jessica was woman enough to admit that.

This whole family was confusing in ways Jessica had never experienced. Things with Jason and her had always been so straightforward. It’s not that he had never acted protective of her, but they were enough years apart that they had hardly overlapped even in school. When Dani, Ava and Vini turned and continued down the sidewalk without Jessica and Grace, Jessica waited for a moment before speaking up again. She didn’t want any part of their conversation to be overheard.

“Okay. Explain to me exactly what your problem is. It’s been weeks, and we already hashed this whole thing out once before.”

Grace jerked her arm out of Jessica’s hold. “My problem is that you’re still doing the same shit. You and Vini are out galivanting, thinking you’re being all stealthy, but I know what’s going on, and it’s eating away at me to keep this from Ava.”

Jessica groaned and looked to the sky as if for guidance. Surely someone was up there who could help her deal with Grace and her misguided conscience.

“First of all, this thing with Vini and me is not your secret to tell. I don’t know why I have to say this all over again when we’ve already had this discussion.” She couldn’t believe they were still having the same conversation after all this time. “Second, it’s not like we’re having sex right in front of you. We’re discreet about it.”

“That’s not the point, Jess.”

“Yes, it is,” Jessica insisted. “I’m not telling you to lie to Ava, because none of this is her business to begin with. Plus I’m only here for like another week. Then you won’t have to worry about keeping anything secret.”

Grace didn’t look convinced, and Jessica was quickly coming to the tail end of her patience. “Has Vini seemed off at all to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, has she seemed upset or emotional?” Jessica waited for Grace’s answer while also thinking on that question herself. She couldn’t call to mind anytime Vini had seemed unwilling or apprehensive about their situationship beyond acting shifty at Dani’s recent acknowledgment.

“No,” Grace answered finally. “But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”

Grace’s sigh sounded way more put-out than it had any right to, and Jessica readied herself for another round of arguments. Grace really could be stubborn as hell when she got an idea stuck in her damn head. It normally didn’t bother Jessica, but then again, normally Grace’s relentlessness had nothing to do with her.

Finally, Grace threw up her hands. “You know what? Fine. I won’t worry about hurt feelings anymore. You’re right. You’re both grown-ass women, so when this explodes in both your faces it’s on you.”

Before Jessica could say anything else, Grace turned and stomped her way down the sidewalk. Jessica would have found it amusing if not for their conversation. She watched Grace for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh and following in her footsteps.

“What was all that earlier?”

Jessica sat down on the bed, sighing at finally getting off her feet. The afternoon had been a lot of fun, but it had been a while since she walked that much. After her third mimosa, she had switched to water, so she wasn’t feeling as intoxicated as she probably would be if she had attempted to keep up with Ava and Dani. Grace had practically had to carry Ava the last few blocks back to the hotel. It would have been amusing if not for the previous conversation between her and Grace still rolling around in Jessica’s brain. The pushback she was getting from Grace had her rethinking things.

“Grace is still giving me shit about us.”

Vini frowned. “Us?”

“You know,” Jessica replied before making a crude gesture. “Us.She’s upset about it because of Ava. I keep telling her it’s no one’s business but ours and to just let it go.”

Vini nodded slowly. Her expression went thoughtful, and Jessica was left wondering what was percolating in that pretty head of hers. All of a sudden, a thought stopped her in her tracks. What if Vini thought Grace was right? What if she decided they shouldn’t see each other anymore? It wasn’t something Jessica had even entertained until now. It wasn’t a pleasant thought. Far from it.

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