Page 31 of Finding Jacob
“Bet you didn’t know his surname meansmaster,did you?”
“I didn’t, I also know about the private army thing.”
Nathan paused, his mug halfway to his mouth, and he stared at me. “He told you?”
“Yeah, nothing more than he was in security, private armies, that kind of thing.”
“That kind of thing?” Nathan asked.
“Yes, that’s what he said. He didn’t elaborate so don’t worry. Your secrets are still safe with him. Now, shall we go and sort this shit show out?”
It was clear Nathan was uncomfortable, and I didn’t want that for him. He was my friend, my confidant. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel awkward that I might know something he didn’t want me to.
I poured my coffee into a travel mug and let Nathan lock up. I climbed into the rear of the car, my preferred space because I could spread out and work. Once he settled into the driver’s seat, I reached forward and squeezed his shoulder.
“Jacob didn’t really tell me anything,” I said, wanting him to hear me again.
“How about, once theshit showis out of the way, we get dinner. Just you and me? We haven’t done that in ages.” He glanced at me in the rear-view mirror.
“I’d like that.”
His smile encouraged mine to appear. I had my girlfriends, but I would say he was my best friend. Our friendship was so different in many ways. Yet, I knew so very little about him. He had seen me drunk, partially clothed, sobbing, being sick, angry, and sad. He had held my hair as I heaved my guts up. Punched a man for hitting on me and not taking no for an answer. Yet, I knew nothing about him prior to him appearing in my life.
“How did we meet?” I asked, struggling to remember.
I watched his reflection in the mirror. He frowned deeply. “Someone wanted to bump you off, Dory called me, I called your potential murderer, and the rest is history. That was about ten years ago now.”
“Has it been that long?”
I had graduated from The London School of Art. I’d effectively stumbled into modelling after falling over a photographer on a shoot in Oxford Street. I’d taken up a couple of assignments while waiting for my big break and hated how I’d been treated. I wasn’t young enough to be taken advantage of in the same ways I’d witnessed, but the shame put on me for not being tall enough, skinny enough, posh, common, or on drugs, was so appalling, that I started to represent myself and a couple of friends.
From that, I’d started my own agency and I turned away more models than I took on because I didn’t do the bullshit the industry wanted. I had the plus-sized, real plus-sized models, the short, the disabled, the beautiful, and the ethical. And since there had been a shift in the fashion industry to be more inclusive, my guys and girls were in demand.
“I tell you how we became friends, though. Some bloke, can’t remember his name, was pestering you, I decked him, and you slapped me. I grabbed your wrists and kissed you.” He laughed hard at the memory.
I laughed along with him and nodded.That blokehas been a photographer who wanted me naked and my head in his lap in exchange for spreading my name. Of course, I refused, and then I was the bitch from hell to work with, according to him. It had been a makeup brand, from memory. Nathan hit him in fright and without any thought or reason as to what I was doing, I slapped him, and he grabbed my wrists to stop me doing it again. I think I gave him a mouthful of abuse for grabbing me, and probably because I was embarrassed at what I’d done. To silence me, he kissed my lips. Nathan hadn’t left my side since.
“I remember having to beg you to take a salary from me,” I said, picking up my phone and scrolling through my emails.
“I don’t need your money.”
“I know, I know,” I said.
“Since we’ve talked about everything other than what we should be talking about, what about theshit show?”
“Do you think he hit her?” I asked. That had been my first thought on seeing her face.
“I’d say so.”
“Have you spoken to her?”
“Only to say I was collecting you from a meeting and we’d meet at her place. I don’t think she wants to go into the office.”
I hadn’t noticed we weren’t driving towards the office until he mentioned it.
“If he did, what do we do?” I asked. It wasn’t like I had any experience with dealing with royalty.
“There isn’t likely to be anything we can that won’t cause some seriously bad publicity. You and Jules need to decide if that’s what you want. But we should find out the facts before we speculate, yes?”
