Page 52 of Jake

“Hey,” he said from the sofa as she joined him in the living room.

“Hey,” was her lame response.

She went to what was becoming her spot on the sofa, in the corner so she could pull her legs up comfortably. Jake rose and laid a blanket over her.

“Don’t start our show without me. I’m going to go see if there’s any hot water for me to shower.”

Lauren stuck her tongue out at him. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“Probably not, but I’ll take it for those sexy pajamas.” He turned and walked down the hall.

The things this man was doing for her confidence was shocking. She scrolled through the shows and movies, trying to find something to watch while she waited for Jake to join her.

He, unlike her, was quick to shower and joined her before she had a chance to pick something to watch while she waited.

“Let’s watch this in the bed,” he suggested.

“I can get behind that idea.” She stood and folded her blanket, laying it on the back of the couch before following him to the bedroom.

As she walked, she realized she had never seen a TV in his room, so she wondered how they were going to watch anything. On a tablet, maybe?

She didn’t care. Truthfully, she’d be asleep before too long. Entering the bedroom, she saw the TV was there, across from the bed, where a piece of art had hung before.

When she sent him a questioning look, Jake just laughed.

“It spins around,” he explained.

“Of course it does,” she mumbled as she climbed under the blankets with him.

“Come over here.” He patted the middle of the bed, next to him.

She slid over, resting her head on his shoulder with the pillows behind them as he flipped on their show. It was funny to her how this had become their thing. This random TV show that would end, and soon at this rate, was their thing that they did with each other.

No sooner than Jake hit play did her phone go off. She groaned and rolled across the bed to the side where she had laid her purse and fished it out.

“It’s my mother.” She rejected the call and switched her phone to silent.

“You can answer it. I can leave this paused and go find us some food while you talk if you want.”

“One, how are you hungry?”

Jake patted his stomach proudly. “I’m always hungry.”

“Two, I don’t want to talk to her. She will just want something, money probably.” She sent Jake a look. “We don’t talk much.”

“Oh, umm, it might because she saw us together then.” Jake held up the news article from tonight about their date.

“I didn’t even think about that.” Lauren let herself fall back into the pillows. “Then she definitely wants something.”

The paparazzi hadn’t been a surprise, but her own stupidity now was. The article Jake held up was wondering who she was and why he was out with her. She hadn’t considered the result of the pictures, had only worried about the photographers, not the reporters. She was an idiot.

“Is everything okay with her? If you need something, just let me know.” Jake pulled her back to him.

“Nothing’s wrong. She just likes money, but not enough to make her own. Never give her any. She’s like a stray, and if she thinks she can get something, then she won’t go away.”

“Understood, and sorry.” Placing a kiss on her head, he squeezed her tighter.

“Meh, it’s the life I know. It is what it is. Press play.” No way she was getting any further into that tonight, or ever if she could manage it.

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