Page 38 of Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances)
Chapter Seventeen
Kate
Lucky for me, Casey’s reaction to Jay after finally meeting him isn’t nearly as bad as I had anticipated it would be. She’d simply whispered in my ear that he was hot and left it at that. I think the alcohol helped, though. I’m not comfortable with her drinking a lot, and I’ve been trying to slip her water here and there. But I know she’s going to do whatever she wants to do regardless of the consequences, so the best I can do is keep an eye on her and hope my instincts about Decker remain true, and he takes good care of her.
Jay’s friends, Tom and Johnny, are real nice guys. They don’t seem nearly as crazy as they did the night they came to Five, but they told me that was mostly their friend Steven, who wasn’t with them tonight, and apologized for getting rowdy.
I learn that Johnny is Jay’s age, twenty-four, and is a total player. He spends most of the conversation talking about every “piece of ass” that walks by. Every time he says it, though, he bashfully looks at me and apologizes for his language. I can’t wait for him to fall head over heels. I hope I get to see it.
Tom is a little older, twenty-seven, and is divorced with two little girls. The way he talks about them, it’s clear they’re his entire world. I’ve never seen that look of pride and love from my own father, but I can recognize it in a doting dad. I’d spend enough time around Casey’s dad to know that.
Thinking about Casey’s dad brings tears to my eyes, and I’m thankful she and Decker are out on the dance floor again. If she were sitting here, I wouldn’t be able to contain them—not with all the alcohol I’ve imbibed—and she doesn’t need that. Not when she’s out there having so much fun. I couldn’t understand why Decker had wanted to take Casey to a club—a freaking club!—but now I get it. Seeing the smile on her face makes this uncomfortable evening worth it.
Eventually Casey and Decker join us at the table, and the six of us make pleasant conversation for another thirty minutes or so before they all start dropping like flies. Tom is the first to go since he’s picking up his girls in the morning. Johnny finds someone receptive to his charms and leaves with her a little while later. Next up, I’m sure, will be Casey and Decker. I haven’t missed the sexy eyes those two have been throwing back and forth all night, and I really, really don’t want to go home with them.
I put my hand on Jay’s thigh and lean in to whisper in his ear. “Can I go home with you?”
His eyes dart to mine; they’re wide in…fear?What the hell?“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” I frown, giving him my best sad eyes.
“It’s just not a good idea, Kate. I’ll take you home if you need a ride, but I don’t want you coming back to my place.”
I jolt back in my seat, stunned.Well, that kinda hurt. “It’s okay,” I tell him, brushing off his brush off. “I’ll just ride home with Casey and Decker.”
His eyes narrow on me, most likely picking up on my chilly tone. He can get right over it.
“Kate—”
I ignore him, turning to Casey and Decker who are lost in their own little dreamy staring contest. “You guys ready?”
Casey looks at me first. “Yeah, we’re ready.” She takes Decker’s hand and starts pulling him to the door.
I pick up my drink and drain the last bit, then I look at Jay. “Thanks for coming out tonight.” I give him a quick smile and follow my friends.
I don’t get far before Jay’s hand is on my wrist. I know it’s him because I can feel the zing pulsing up my arm from his touch. Only Jay affects me that way. I stop moving and sigh when I feel him behind me. I wish he’d stop sending me all these damn mixed signals.
“What’s wrong?” he asks as I turn to face him.
I let out a sigh and decide to be honest with him. “You’re giving me whiplash, Jay. One minute you act interested and the next you don’t. We’ve been having a good time tonight, hanging out with our friends and everything. Then you get all freaked out when I ask to go back to your place. I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m tired of the back and forth. Just…call me when you know what it is you want…when you’re ready or whatever.”
I pull my wrist away from his grasp and he releases it immediately. After one last look at him, I turn and walk out, my thoughts raging in my head. I thought we’d been making progress. When he came to the apartment that night before Casey came home and we talked…I thought things were going to be different. I thought he was going to stop distancing himself from me. Looks like I was wrong.
I step out into the night, and the chill in the air takes my breath away. My top is not exactly skimpy, but it is short sleeved and plenty appropriate for inside the hot club. Not so appropriate for the chilly spring night. I cross my arms and rub my hands up and down my upper arms to warm up as I crane my neck, looking for Casey and Decker. There are quite a few people outside of the club now, probably waiting for cabs. I spot my friends a few yards away and head in that direction.
“Kate! Wait!” I roll my eyes and pick up my pace. I’d had an okay buzz going, and he’s totally ruining it. “Kate!” People are looking now, including Casey and Decker. Great. I stop so abruptly that Jay bumps into my back. His hands go to my waist to keep me from falling forward.
I turn to face him, angry now and feeling more than a little humiliated. I’m not a fan of being the center of attention and, right now, most of the people standing outside the club are looking at us. “What?” I demand, crossing my arms.
“I’m sorry,” he says, looking properly chastised. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, because I do, Kate. I want to be with you so bad. It’s just my apartment isn’t in a great area and it’s small…”
This is reallyjustabout his apartment? Does he really think I care about where he lives?
“Jay…that doesn’t bother me.”
“Well, it bothers me. It’s not a safe area, Kate.”
I step close to him and put my hands over his cheeks. “Jay, I don’t care. I don’t care what your apartment looks like or what neighborhood you live in. I know those things don’t define you, and I know you’ll keep me safe. I just want to spend more time with you. I want to see the parts of your life you keep from me. Trust me, Jay. Trust me not to judge you.”
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, I know I have him. He gives me a soft nod and leans in to kiss my forehead, then wraps his arms around my shoulders and holds me for a minute. “Come on, let’s go tell your friends you’re coming with me.”
I look up at him and grin, barely able to contain my excitement. I’m going to Jay’s apartment! There’s a definite bounce in my step as I head over to Casey and Decker and tell them they’ve got the apartment to themselves tonight. Both of their eyes widen in surprise, but I just wink at Casey and tug on Jay’s hand, pulling him through the parking lot before he changes his mind.
