CHAPTER TEN
JAX
THE RESTAURANT that night dimly lit every face in the room and showed that no one was a stranger. Stonewood Enterprises made it very clear to the bouncers outside who could attend.
My parents mingled along with my brothers, and I made my rounds quickly enough. I found myself within listening distance of the one woman I couldn’t take my eyes off of since I’d arrived at my brother’s graduation.
Her friends surrounded her like she was their queen on a chess board, like she was the most important, and she probably was in that group. She’d always had the uncanny ability to bring people together. I imagined that group wasn’t any different.
I watched how she captured their attention and wondered if everyone was as blinded by her radiance as me. She glowed with her dark auburn hair and bright eyes looking as proud as ever when she watched my brother graduate.
Happiness looked good on her. It made me wonder how she looked when she felt every other emotion now. I used to know her every look, and I wasn’t happy to admit that I wanted to know all of them again.
There were days I confessed to myself I missed her and I regretted how I’d left. Most days though, I reminded myself it was for the best.
I tried to tell myself that very thing as I eavesdropped on her and her friends.
I listened to Vick—her blonde viper of a friend—ask, “Are these people made of porcelain?”
To which Katie, Aubrey’s oldest—and still probably her craziest—friend snorted, “These people probably had makeup artists in their cars on their drive over redoing everything.”
Aubrey shushed them and reminded them they were all there for Jay.
I smiled a little to myself at seeing her mind her manners like always. Katie followed up with the truth. “Jay is as ready to go as we are. There’s probably a hundred parties going on right now celebrating their graduation. You think he wants to be chumming it up with that?” She made a face and pointed to Jay and an older heavyset man that held his belly while he laughed at whatever Jay said.
Aubrey sighed and let a little smile slip. “Should we save him?”
“He’s an actor, isn’t he?” Rome said. “Let’s see how long he can keep up that interested face.”
Katie chimed in, “Two bucks says he ditches the conversation in another minute.”
“You guys! We’re being rude,” Aubrey tried again.
Vick blurted, “I give him longer than three minutes and up the stakes to ten bucks.”
Aubrey’s eyes met Rome’s and he raised his eyebrows as if challenging her. “Sixty seconds and he’s done.”
She pursed her lips as she looked at him and that’s when I made the decision to walk over. The longer she looked at him, the more uncomfortable I felt.
Aubrey glanced at Jay, and I knew she had it figured out as I walked up and saw her tilt her head to say, “He’s done in three, two, one.”
Katie mumbled, “Unbelievable.”
Vick smiled even bigger and clapped her hands. “He literally walked at that exact second!”
Rome didn’t say a word because his ass was looking at me approaching.
“The bet isn’t in your favor if the winner knows the subject as long as Aubrey has known Jay,” I interjected.
Katie balked right away. “I’ve known him just as long as Brey.”
“Pleasure, Katie. It’s been a long time.” I offered a hand knowing she wouldn’t take it.
She stared as Aubrey nudged her, trying to prompt Katie to take my hand. That little devil didn’t care about manners though. “The pleasure is not mutual.”
I let my hand drop. “Fair enough.” I turned back to Aubrey. “Come to the bar for a drink with me.”
Her feet were already stepping forward to obey but I saw the second Roman’s hand slid around her waist. “She just had a drink, but thanks, man.”