Page 150 of Charming Like Us
There’s no excuse for brawling at a charity event. But what is my life without security? It’s been a perfect fit from the start like nothing else.
Jack disentangles our hands. “Akara.” He steps closer to my boss. “You can’t fire him.” He sounds like he’s negotiating a contract. Which would probably work for Highland, but this is security.
This is SFO.
He’s an interloper.
Still, I have to applaud my boyfriend, he has some guts.
Akara’s glare detours to Jack. “Don’t you dare. Don’t youfuckingdare use our friendship right here.”
Jack looks hurt. “I can’t ask you for a favor, Akara? Really?”
“Really,” Akara forces. “Not about this. You dating Oscar is great—I approve. Wonderful. But the second it interferes with my men and security, that’s where I have a fucking problem, Jack. I can’t do you a solid by giving partial treatment to Oscar. If he fucks up, there are repercussions.”
Jack nods. “I understand and respect that, so throw out us talking friend-to-friend. How about just rational person to rational person? You can’t fire Oscar. Because you won’t find someone else who can be Charlie’s bodyguard. Not like him.”
Mic drop.
My mouth curves upward.
Highland is good. He knows as long as I’m Charlie’s bodyguard, I might as well be tenured in the position.
Akara cools off somewhat, not disagreeing with Jack.
I nod to my boyfriend in appreciation, and he nods back with a rising forty-watt smile—but we celebrate too soon.
“Mandatory Omega security meeting right after the charity event ends, for all of SFO,” Akara decrees. “Meet up in security’s bus. Temps will escort your clients home.”
Right after the event?
No, no, no.
I’m supposed to drive Jack tohismeeting with the docuseries execs. The make-or-break meeting—the one where he might come out with zero job. His whole world blown to smithereens, and I need to be there for my boyfriend. I need to be his shoulder to cry on. His pick-me-up. His pep talk and biggest fan.
I can’t be stuck in a security meeting.
My mind is a Tilt-A-Whirl, barely registering Akara’s next words.
“Oscar and Quinn, you’re off-duty immediately. The SFO meeting is stillmandatory, so you’ll have to stick around the event until it’s over.”
I’m in no position to move the meeting to another day, but I try anyway. For Jack.
Because he did so much more for me tonight.
And what the hell am I even doing for him? “I have to be in Center City right after this,” I tell Akara.
“I don’t care,” he snaps. “You fought in front of the fuckingfamilies. In front of guests. In front of Alpha and Epsilon. You’re so lucky I haven’t already fired you.”
I know.
Jack shrugs his shoulders in a way that punctures my heart. “It’s okay, Os.”
It’s not.I shake my head.
“I’ll call you.”
“Right after,” I make him promise.
