Page 31 of Until You're Breathless

“You should be, Bowie. I don’t think I have to remind you what Jagger means to Boston. He’s not only his closest competitor, but he’s always hated Jagger. That’s a lot of motive.”

“The worst I’d worry about is him trying to sabotage our suppliers or the pending European deal. I’d expect him to sink his tentacles in there, but you forget, not that I’m tooting my own horn here, but I’m on the other side now. And I know things that I can use to my advantage. And Boston can’t do a goddamn thing about it. I’m in a place of power, despite the fact that I walked away from the company. I can muddy his waters all I want to if the shoe fits. He’s too afraid of what I’ll do if he tries to sabotage anything.”

“I’d still keep one step ahead of him. Do you still talk to anyone there?”

“Lots of people. Jinny is in touch with a few, too. They can keep their eyes and ears open.”

“Good. Good.” She nods and brings us both a cup of tea. After she blows on the top of her mug, takes a sip and swallows, she says. “God, this must be so exciting for you. A new beginning.”

“Mom, you sound almost envious.”

“I am, honey. At your age, you still can start over, but not at mine.”

“If you could, what would you do.”

She frowns. “Well, I wasn’t saying that I’m unhappy doing what I do. I just mean that you still have so many more opportunities ahead of you.”

I smile at my mom. She’s funny sometimes.

“So, how long are you going to stay with Jinny? Are you going to find a place of your own?”

“Not right now, no. She’s offered for me to stay as long as I want to. Hell, her place is big enough, and I literally have my own wing in the house. She won’t take a penny for rent, either.”

“Then buy her groceries for now, honey. She’s just trying to be supportive. And you know that you can always come back here if you feel like you’re starting to cramp her style.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“Fuckin’ aye.” Jinny says, doing a fist pump, when I tell her the news. “We rise again, sister.”

I can’t help but smile. “You are so great.”

“Quit making my head swell, girl. Let’s go shopping! We need to celebrate!”

“Didn’t you just come back from shopping?”

“Yeah, with my mother. Which means that we cruised the mall for hunks, not clothes. Have youmetmy mother?”

“God, sometimes I feel like I should live with her for a while.”

“Not without a snake bite kit, a tetanus shot, and a valid passport, or forget it.”

I snort a laugh.

She looks at me and is suddenly searching my face. “There’s something else, isn’t there.”

I give her a double take. “God, how do you do that?”

A shrug and a frown. “It’s a gift. Fess up.”

I’m sitting on the couch. I draw my feet up so that I’m sitting cross-legged, and I lean my back against the back of the couch. “Jagger never cheated on me.”

She claps her hands together once loudly and raises them into the air, shouting in a singsong voice. “I fucking knew it! I fucking knew that Boston was full of shit!”

“How did you know?”

“All that bullshit about Jagger fucking around on you when he was so drunk off his rocker, he couldn’t walk...that was such bullshit. So, how did you find out?”

“Well, basically, he called Kayla Hartman right in front of me and jumped into his wayback machine with her. I’m guessing Kayla is friends with his sister Stevie, and they’ve kept in touch. I felt like such an asshole.”

---