Page 34 of Jealous Wife

She wasn’t sure if Rollo knew that, though. He was putting himself in a risky situation, fucking his teenage intern.

“They’re waiting for you,” a soft voice said from the other end of the restroom door.

Zoey looked over just in time to see Ava’s sad eyes looking between them. Heat rushed into Zoey’s cheeks as she tried to figure out how long the woman had been standing there, watching them. A creepy feeling crawled over her skin as she thought about it.

“What are you doing here?” Rollo snapped.

“They’re waiting,” Ava said, quieter this time.

There was nothing else for them to do but leave the restroom. Zoey felt the shame rising up inside of her as she tried to think of what she would say to her parents. How would she explain her tears?

There wasn’t much need to worry about it. As soon as she got back to the table, she looked at her father’s reddened face. A vein was popping out of his temple, throbbing with his heartbeat.

“What the hell is going on here?” Eric demanded. “All three of you, running off into the bathroom like children.”

“Daddy,” Zoey sighed as she sat down in her seat. “I’m just sad.”

“Sad about what?” Eric raised his voice. “Huh?”

“I don’t want to leave,” Zoey said quietly. “My internship will be ending soon, and I don’t want it to.”

Eric scowled at his daughter but didn’t say another word. The waitress came with the food then, disturbing the table enough so that the tension cleared for a while.

Zoey pushed the salad around her plate as she stared down at it, feeling strange. Her father knew something was going on, as did her mother. They kept shooting worried glances at her, trying to grab her attention, but she wasn’t going to listen to them. They didn’t need to know anything. It was none of their business.

Eventually, when her parents had had enough, they asked the waitress for the bill.

“This has been a lovely dinner,” Rollo said, a hint of relief in his tone. “Thank you so much for inviting us out.”

A small, squeaking moan oozed out of Ava’s mouth. It was only for a split second, but it was loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. Zoey looked to Ava and saw that she was biting her lip so hard it was turning white. She had her head turned down, her eyes still staring into her lap.

“Sure,” Zoey’s father said, a little stiffly. “Nice to show some thanks for the man who gave our daughter a job, I suppose.”

“Eric,” Zoey’s mother said, her voice low and gruff. “I think it’s time we get back to the hotel, don’t you?”

Zoey’s father’s dark eyes focused on his wife’s face, measuring her expression. He nodded curtly.

“Yes, it’s getting late,” he said quickly. “We should get going.”

Instantly, both her parents rose from the table and began collecting their belongings. Zoey watched as her dad helped her mom into her long beige coat. Rollo stood up from his chair, the sound of the wood scraping against the uneven tiles below filled the empty restaurant.

“I can give Zoey a ride home if you—” He started.

“We’ll be driving you home,” Zoey’s mother said quickly. “Come with us. Now.”

Jasmine held out her hand for Zoey to take. For a moment, Zoey sat there and stared at her mother’s face. She looked so stern and cold. The look shocked Zoey. She’d never seen her mother so determined.

There was no point in arguing, so she took her mother’s hand, feeling like a small child being dragged away from an amusement park. Zoey couldn’t understand why her parents were rushing her out of the restaurant. Without a chance to say goodbye to Rollo, she was dragged toward her parents' car.

As they reached the little hatchback, Zoey managed to rip her arm out of her mother’s grip.

“What the hell is going on?” Zoey asked. “Jesus, I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to them.”

Zoey rubbed her sore wrist as she looked to her parents expectantly. They shared a worried glance.

“Look, honey,” Jasmine started, “you know we love you, but…”

“Are you having an affair with that man?” Eric interrupted.

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