Saving jay, p.15
Saving Jay, page 15
part #3 of Breaking Free Series
“Asia!” I said, pulling Jay with me as I went to get her attention.
Asia turned around with a bright smile and stood up to give me a hug. She looked so confident and happy. When she pulled away to look at me, I turned toward Jay.
“Jay, this is Asia. We were roommates in college. Asia, this is my boyfriend, Jay.”
Jay
This has got to be a fucking joke.
As Jade finished her introduction, I noticed not only Marcus but also everyone else at the table were watching us with looks of shock and horror. Hailey, John, Nick, and a man I assumed was Nick’s boyfriend were all there.
“Yeah, I know Jay,” Asia said, trying to act as casual as possible.
“You do?” Jade asked, looking up at me.
I couldn’t think of anything else to do but stand there with a tight smile on my face.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot that everyone around here knows him,” Jade said, laughing. “I guess you know what that’s like from being married to this guy, huh?” she asked, gesturing toward Marcus.
“Oh, yeah. Babe, this is Jade. Jade, this is my husband, Marcus.”
I peered over my shoulder to see Nick’s mouth still hanging open, his eyes as wide as saucers. When they met mine, he quickly snapped his mouth shut and gave me an awkward smile as he waved.
Shit.
This had to be the most awkward situation I’d ever been in. I was worried how Jade would react once she realized I’d once dated her friend. I was sure it wouldn’t be long before she noticed the weird tension in the air.
Turning back around, I saw Marcus shaking Jade’s hand.
“And you know Jay,” Asia said, giving Marcus a warning glance.
At one time, Marcus and I had hated each other, but we’d come to respect each other, if nothing else.
“Hey, man. How’s it goin’?” he asked, lifting his chin in my direction.
“Good. Thanks,” I said.
I noticed Hailey and Nick exchanging wide-eyed glances. John looked at me and gave me a sympathetic smile.
“We saved you guys some seats,” Asia said, holding her arm out toward the empty spots across from her and Marcus.
“Awesome. Thanks,” Jade said, letting go of my hand so that we could go sit down.
I pulled out her chair, and she smiled at me before sitting in it. Now, my nerves were kicking in. I knew Asia wouldn’t lie to Jade. Asia wasn’t the type. But maybe she would avoid the topic of how we knew each other altogether.
“Jade, this is Nick and his boyfriend, Luke. And you remember Hailey, right? She came with me to Boston when I got my tattoo.”
“Oh, yeah. Hey. How’s it going?” Jade asked as she waved at Hailey.
“And that’s her husband, John,” Asia said, gesturing toward John at the end of the table.
They all gave her tight smiles as she greeted them.
“You look great, Jade. Man, I can’t believe how long it’s been.”
I lifted my hand to get a waitress’s attention. I needed some alcohol—fast.
“I know! I’ve missed you. How crazy is it that we live in the same place now?”
I glanced at Marcus, and he peered up at me with an eyebrow raised. He was probably wondering if the topic would be brought up, too. I was sure I was the last person he wanted to be hanging out with. The waitresses were taking too long, so I decided to go to the bar and get a drink. Leaning over, I put my hand on Jade’s leg to get her attention. She turned to look at me, and Asia did, too.
I cleared my throat. “I’m going to the bar to get a drink. You want anything?”
“Yeah, a beer would be great. Heineken, if they have it. Thanks.”
I nodded and stood up, and so did John.
“I’ll go with you. Anyone else need a drink?” John asked the group.
He and I looked at each other before Nick said, “I think we could all use a shot of tequila.”
Forty-five minutes, two shots, and two beers later, John had moved a chair to the end of the table between Marcus and me. Having him there as a buffer seemed to help. Hailey and Nick were huddled together at the other end of the table, most likely gossiping about the unfortunate situation I was in, and Luke was listening and talking to Jade and Asia. Every once in a while, I would see Jade make a sideways glance in their direction, and I knew she could sense something was off. Luckily, she hadn’t mentioned it yet.
“So, Marcus, you coming in on Monday for a tattoo?” Jade asked, breaching the invisible barrier between our conversations.
He glanced at me before responding, “Oh, yeah, for sure. What time should I be there?”
“Anytime really. I don’t have any other appointments that day,” she said, smiling.
“Cool. Okay. How’s eleven or twelve sound?”
“Sounds good.”
“What are you getting?” John asked Marcus before taking a sip from his beer.
“There’s actually this painting Asia did. I wanted to see if Jade could recreate it on my back.”
“Oh. Wow. Very cool,” Jade said, smiling at Asia.
I hoped they didn’t have a picture of it. After Jade had seen Asia’s painting in my apartment, the last thing I wanted was for Jade to put the pieces together on her own.
“So, you ended up painting anyway, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s got a fucking waiting list now,” Marcus said, beaming with pride over his wife’s success.
I glanced at Asia, and her eyes caught mine for a split second before she turned them back to Jade.
“Really? That’s great, Asia! I’d love to see some of your work.”
“Yeah, you should come over to the house sometime, so I can show you.”
Jade nodded. “Well, I don’t know if I can recreate Asia’s art, but you can email me a picture. I’ll take a look at it and let you know on Monday,” she told Marcus. “I’m actually working on a back piece for Jay right now. That’s how we met.”
Asia smiled and nodded. “Oh, okay.” It must’ve all started to make sense. “I want to get more ink, too,” she told Jade.
“Right on. You should come with Marcus on Monday. I could give you both tattoos if you want.”
“Seriously?” Asia asked, smiling brightly at Marcus.
He moved his arm to rest on the back of her chair.
“Of course.” Jade paused to take a sip from her beer before asking, “So, how did you two meet?”
“I’m Shaun’s best friend. We grew up together,” Marcus said.
I looked back and forth between the two of them, seeing the obvious love they shared, and I couldn’t help but feel happy for Asia.
“Oh, wow. That must have been awkward,” Jade said, laughing.
Asia glanced at me, and I tried to laugh along with Jade as everyone else fell silent. She still had no idea, and I was starting to feel guilty that she was the only one there who didn’t know about my past with Asia, but I was more nervous about how Jade would react once I told her.
I was quiet as the conversations continued around me. Jade and Asia started talking to Hailey about her pregnancy and how far along she was in comparison to Natalie. It hadn’t dawned on me that they knew Natalie until they mentioned that she was now married to Asia’s brother, Shaun.
“They are too cute together,” Jade remarked as she reached over and held my hand. “Shaun came in for a tattoo the other day.”
“Wow. Small world, huh?” Nick peered over at me as he popped a chip into his mouth.
Too fucking small, if you ask me.
“Does Natalie still work at Red?” Luke asked me, leaning forward from his seat beside Nick.
I shook my head. “No.”
“It’s about time that woman quit,” Marcus remarked, getting an elbow jab from Asia.
Jade turned to look at me, obviously surprised I knew Natalie, too. “Natalie worked for you?”
“Yeah, she was a bartender at my club.”
“Oh.” She studied my face before giving me a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
She seemed uneasy about the fact that Natalie and I had worked together, and that worried me. If she’s insecure about an attractive woman working for me, how will she feel when she finds out one of my exes is sitting across from her?
“Where are they anyway? Has Shaun called you?” Asia asked Marcus.
He shook his head. “You know they’re always late to everything.”
Asia shuddered before looking at Jade. “I swear, Shaun and Natalie are like rabbits. I walked in on them having sex in my garage two weeks ago.” She squeezed her eyes shut before shaking her head. “Ugh. I still can’t get that image out of my head.”
Jade started laughing, and I even chuckled a little at the expression on Asia’s face. Just as I picked up my beer to take another swig, I noticed two guys and a girl approaching our table, none of them looking much older than twenty-one. We grew quiet when they stopped beside Marcus.
“Um…hi,” a girl said, giving a quick and nervous wave to the table. “Sorry to bother you guys. We were just wondering if we could get an autograph.”
I peered over at Jade to see her reaction. She just picked up her beer and smiled at Marcus before taking a sip. She must have assumed they were asking him.
“Would you mind?” the girl asked, extending a piece of paper and a pen out to Jade.
Jade quickly finished swallowing and put her bottle back on the table. “Oh, shit. You mean me?” she asked, looking up at the group in surprise. “I thought you’d want his,” she said, pointing across the table toward Marcus.
They looked down at Marcus, and their faces lit up even more.
“No way! You’re Marcus Avery,” one of the guys said.
Everyone at the table laughed.
“Can we get your autograph, too?” the girl asked sweetly.
Asia was smiling and laughing with Nick, seeming completely unaffected by the situation. She must have grown used to sharing her husband with the public. He probably got approached all the time.
After signing the piece of paper, Jade handed it back.
The girl held her phone out to me. “Would you mind getting a picture of us?”
“Sure.”
Getting up, I took the phone, and Jade and Marcus stood, moving in front of me. The guys flanked them on both sides, and the girl stood in the middle.
“Okay. Ready?” I asked as I lined up the phone and held my finger over the button for the camera.
“Cheese!” Jade said.
Everyone else followed her lead and smiled.
She looked beautiful as always. It wasn’t until that moment when I realized just how lucky I was to be with her. Jade was famous, incredibly talented, and still one of the most humble people I knew.
I took a couple of pictures and handed the phone back to the girl. She thanked me, and as they left the table, we all went to sit down again.
“What a fuckin’ douche bag!” a man’s voice shouted from the middle of the room.
Marcus was still standing and started chuckling when he saw Shaun emerging from the crowd around the bar. Natalie was right behind him, holding his hand. Shaun had a devious look on his face, and Natalie’s cheeks were flushed, but she was smiling.
I’d only met Shaun once when Asia and I were dating. He’d threatened to kick my ass if I fucked things up with her, so I was sure I wasn’t in for a warm welcome. Now, I also knew he was married to Natalie and that he hadn’t wanted her working at Red, so that didn’t bode well for me either.
Once they reached the table, Shaun and Marcus smacked hands before giving each other one-armed hugs. Natalie noticed me first, her eyes widening when she saw me sitting at the table across from Marcus.
Her gaze moved to Jade and quickly to Asia before coming back to mine. “Hey,” she said even though her face was saying, Holy shit!
“Hi, Natalie. How are you?” I tried to appear relaxed.
We’d made it this far without Jade finding out about Asia, and me and I wanted to keep it that way.
When he heard my voice say Natalie’s name, Shaun stopped joking around with Marcus and turned his attention to me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked, his smile fading as he glanced between Natalie and me.
I noticed Jade’s back straighten next to me, and Shaun’s eyes moved to her.
“Stop being an asshole, Shaun. He’s here with Jade, okay? Now, shut up!” Asia snarled, her eyes narrowing at her brother.
I thought she was drunk.
This is not good.
“You’re with him?” he asked Jade.
She moved in closer to my side and took my hand in hers. “Yes,” she said, giving me a sweet but nervous smile before meeting his gaze again.
I knew she had to be wondering why he didn’t like me.
Natalie moved into Shaun’s line of sight with her back to me. “Will you get me some water, baby? I’m thirsty.”
Shaun’s demeanor changed immediately, and he leaned down, kissing her on the cheek. “Of course, Killer. Here, sit down,” he said, pulling a chair over from a nearby table.
Natalie sat down next to me and gave me a sly smile as Shaun went to the bar. She leaned in like she wanted to say something, and Jade leaned in, too.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just mad that Jay let me work when I was pregnant. I kept telling him it was my decision, but he’s convinced Jay is some kind of slave driver.”
Jade glanced up at me before smiling at Natalie. She seemed satisfied with Natalie’s explanation, and her shoulders relaxed as she started laughing.
“Oh God, I thought maybe you two had…” She covered her cheek with her free hand and started laughing even harder.
“What’s so funny?” Asia asked from across the table.
“I thought Jay slept with Natalie,” Jade said before bursting into another fit of laughter.
She was definitely drunk, too. Jade was the only one laughing at the table as Asia and Natalie exchanged nervous glances.
“How fucked up would that be?” Jade sighed before she took another sip from her beer.
I’m screwed.
Jade
Something was up. I wasn’t sure what, but Jay had been acting really weird the entire night, and honestly, it frustrated me that he hadn’t been making more of an effort to get to know my friends. He’d spent most of the night talking to John, the lawyer. It was odd, and I found it kind of rude.
By the time we left the bar, all of us were feeling pretty tipsy, so everyone else decided to take cabs home. Jay called his driver and had him come pick us up. He didn’t offer anyone else a ride though, which I also thought was weird…and rude. It was so unlike Jay, and I was afraid that maybe I was seeing a side of him that I hadn’t yet.
We didn’t talk on the ride to his apartment, and I contemplated having him drop me off at home, but I decided against it. I wanted to talk to him now instead of waiting and giving myself more time to stew over it. Maybe there was an explanation for his behavior that I wasn’t seeing.
His driver pulled the car up to the front of Jay’s building, and Jay slipped him a tip before we got out of the car. His hand was on the small of my back as we walked inside and toward the elevators. Jay must have known I was upset because he wasn’t saying anything either. I wanted to know what he was thinking.
When he opened his front door, I walked in and tossed my bag onto his couch before turning around to face him.
“What’s going on?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
Jay scratched the back of his head and tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter.
“Why were you being so antisocial? I mean, you didn’t even try to get to know Asia.”
Jay peered up at me and dropped his arms by his sides. “I already know her.”
I opened my mouth, preparing to argue, but stopped. “What do you mean, you know her? I thought she only knew you because of your family.”
My heart started beating faster in my chest as my brain began making sense of the situation.
The painting. Turning to look over my shoulder, I stared at the painting hanging on the wall behind me. In the bottom right corner were the initials A.F.
Asia Fuller.
“Oh my God,” I said, sinking down until my ass hit Jay’s couch.
He walked toward me, but for the first time, he seemed unsure of what to do.
“Oh my God. I must have looked like such an idiot. Everyone there knew, didn’t they?”
I thought about the comment I’d made about thinking that Jay had slept with Natalie and how no one else laughed at my joke. It all made sense now. Jay didn’t answer, so I looked up at him.
“Didn’t they?”
“Yeah,” he said softly before coming to sit beside me on the couch. “I understand you’re upset, Jade, but it’s not my fault. I didn’t know you when I was with Asia. How was I supposed to know she was the friend we were meeting tonight? I planned on telling you as soon as we got home. It just didn’t feel right to say something in the middle of a fucking sports bar.”
I turned to glare at him, and he groaned as he stood up from the couch.
Taking a deep breath, he put his hands on his hips before continuing, “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just pissed off at the situation. Everything was going fine, but now, all of a sudden, we find out that we both know Asia, and bam! Everything’s fucked up.”
“It’s not just that you know Asia,” I said, raising my voice, as I pointed to her painting. “You fucking dated her! I’m sure you fucked her, too, didn’t you? I mean, Jesus Christ, Jay, you have one of her paintings hanging on your wall! How would you feel if you found out I’d fucked one of your friends?”
“I wouldn’t give a shit. I don’t have friends!” he shouted, throwing his arms out at his sides.
Jay and I stared at each other as I tried to stay calm and not let my insecurities ruin this night for us. Asia was beautiful and talented, and I couldn’t help myself from feeling jealous, but I also knew Jay hadn’t meant to hurt me. He couldn’t change the past, and it wasn’t fair for me to punish him for it.
“Did you love her?” I whispered, almost too scared to ask.
“I don’t know. What does it matter anyway? She’s married, Jade.”
