Page 51 of Escorting the Mogul

“James said she quit.”

“What?”Jenny looked panicked. “She can’t do that! She needs the money for Tommy, he’s in a group home, and they can’t afford to keep him in there?—”

“Woah, easy. Who’s Tommy?”

“Dre’s brother,” she explained. “He’s got special needs, and their mom wasn’t looking after him too good. So Audrey founda home for him that’s nice, like, top of the line. He likes it there. But it’s wicked expensive.”

I made a mental note to give Audrey money for these expenses, then realized James wouldn’t hear of it. He’d probably already taken care of the brother. “I’m sure it will work out. I think maybe they just argued. But I don’t know if she’ll be coming on the trip tomorrow.”

“Oh, this sucks.” Jenny frowned and shook her head. “Dre’s probably upset that her mother showed up at the wedding. She coulda ruined everything. If the Prestons saw her and put two and two together, it would’ve been terrible. She’s probably mad at herself for the situation, even though it’s not her fault. She’s probably feeling real bad, you know?”

I reached for her hand. “It’s a shame her mother’s like that.”

“It is.” Jenny nodded solemnly. “Dre doesn’t deserve that.”

We were quiet for a minute. I wanted to ask Jenny about her own family, but I hesitated. After a moment, I asked, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“I have a brother. Don’t talk to him, though. He’s a drunk.”

She said this matter-of-factly as if she was talking about the weather. “Oh. What about your parents?” I asked.

“Um…” She stared out the window. “I never had a lot of parental guidance, I guess you could say. I was pretty much on my own.”

“Oh,” I said again, lamely.

“Yeah, you know,” Jenny said. “People with solid backgrounds don’t usually end up hooking, if you know what I mean. It’s not exactly aspirational.”

Another awkward silence stretched out between us. I wanted to ask her so many things, but I didn’t know how to phrase my questions without sounding like an ass.

“I was a waitress before I was with the agency,” Jenny offered. “At the Sizzler in the Theater District. Real classy.” She winked at me.

“Did you like it?”

“It fucking sucked,” she said immediately. “You ever wait tables? No, of course not. You make, like, two dollars an hour plus tips. I never coulda lived on that.”

I put my arm around her. “I’m sorry if things have been hard.”

“Nah, you don’t need to be sorry, Coley. I’m takin’ care of myself. I have a little apartment, and I’m doing just fine, thank you.” She sounded a teeny bit defiant.

“Okay, Jenny,” I said.

“Okay, Coley,” she said and nestled against me. “I’m looking forward to our trip tomorrow. I just hope Audrey makes it, because it’d suck to be the only person there who’s never been to the Caribbean before, you know?”

“I know.” I kissed the top of her head. I most certainlydidn’tknow since my family had vacationed in St. Bart’s every winter since I’d been born. “But you’ll have the bridesmaids—they adore you. And you have me.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” She settled against me, and my heart swelled. “And you’re pretty good.”

“You’re pretty good too, Jenny.” I pulled her closer against me, inhaling her coconut-y scent.

I wondered what I would’ve done in James’s position had Jenny run off and left me. But then I reminded myself that I wasn’t prone to introspection, and I thanked God for that.

JENNY

I pulledmy fedora down artfully to the side as I checked myself in the mirror. The black jumpsuit Shirley had bought me was luxurious, and the hat was the perfect accessory. I looked like one of those rich women I saw periodically driving a Range Rover around town. Hot, wealthy, and in charge. I would fit in just fine with the five-star resort crowd. I hoped. With a nod of approval at my reflection and a reminder to fake it until I make-d it, I grabbed my carry-on bag.

Audrey still hadn’t texted me by the time Cole and I headed to Logan Airport. It made me feel funny worrying about my friend; usually, it was the other way around. And that wasn’t the only thing making me feel weird.

All of a sudden, things were slightly off between Cole and me. No one would notice it but me. Maybe not even Cole. On the surface, everything appeared fine. Actually, it seemed to be great. We’d still had sex when we got home from the reception. I still did the thing with his balls. We both orgasmed, yelling and grunting in pleasure and held each other while we fell asleep. Still, something was amiss.

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