1 WEEK AGO
"Is that?..." Abraham gasped as we stared at not one, not two, not three, not even four, five SUVs packed outside the old motel.
Fucking Damien.
He just had to create a scene and make a point out of all of this. I don't know, because if not that, tell me why there are ten SUVs and a limo parked outside.
The photo album that Abraham was showing to me long forgotten. I thought after we were shot at, he would have, you know, liked to keep a low profile for a while.
"Your ride awaits, my lady," a young man said, ushering me out of the house.
He had a boyish look to him, his thick blond hair slightly slicked back, piercing blue eyes, and wore a suit with an acoustic tube earpiece attached to him.
"My lady?" I asked but the smile still remained on his face.
"Where is Damien?" I asked, the tone of my voice surprising him slightly.
"In the limo, ma'am. Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No," I replied, not meaning to push past him but brushing his shoulders with mine in some sort of force.
When I got to the lineup of cars, there were security men both inside and outside, no doubt armed. They watched me keenly as I marched, rather limped, to the limo to find Damien leaning against it casually, already holding an unlit cigar in one hand and a lighter in the other.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Damien?" I whisper-yelled.
"Good, you are here. Let's leave," he said.
"Did you hear me?"
"I did, and I said let's leave," he said, putting the cigar to his lips and attempting to light it. I snatched it off his lips, slight annoyance dancing in his eyes.
"I expected you to be happy, grateful even, that I am getting us out of here. What the hell are you mad about?" The annoyance evident in his tone.
"Did you really have to bring ten SUVs to the middle of nowhere, Damien? Really, a limo? I thought we were going to keep a low profile," I said, a brow raised, and Damien let out an exasperated sigh.
"You know, sometimes I think you just like to be mad. Either that or you like to fucking piss me off," Damien said, putting his hand in the pockets of the suit I now realized he had changed into.
"You brought ten SUVs into the middle of nowhere. In case you haven't forgotten, we have been gone for almost twenty-four hours together. You have a fiancé who would kill if she knew we were sleeping in a motel together," I said, lowering my voice for the ending part of my sentence.
"Yeah, we slept together in a motel because we were shot at. I'm sure she would understand," Damien said. "Now, give me my cigar back."
"No, you don't understand, Damien. She can't know that."
"That we were shot at or that we were together in a motel?" he asked.
"Both, Damien, okay?!" I yelled this time, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.
"So make me understand, Jessica," Damien said, bringing his back away from the car, folding his arms around his body, and taking a step toward me.
"I can't tell you that," I said. Damien rolled his eyes, his expression bored and annoyed. More of the latter.
"In that case, I am going to bring a private jet if I fucking want to, Jessica," he said, motioning to one of the security guards. The guard opened the door of the limo, and Damien slid in. "We leave in fifteen minutes," he added.
I huffed, annoyed. I should have just told him, but I didn't trust him with that. Not yet. I walked back to the motel to apologize to Abraham for the ruckus and to thank him. If Damien didn't have the manners of a caveman, he would be doing the same as well.
When I got back to the motel, Abraham was in a corner having a conversation with the security guy with a boyish look.
When their eyes met mine, the security guard smiled; Abraham just looked confused.
"Consider the offer, Mr. Boone," he said before walking away.
"Are y'all rich or something?!" Abraham said, excitement seeping through his voice.
So the interaction went well after all.
"Something like that," I said with a shrug.
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Kathy would have been thrilled."
"Yeah, she would," I concurred, even though I barely knew the woman. The only information I knew was through a photo album.
"Um, I wanted to thank you for letting us stay the night here and for breakfast," I said, and he smiled, waving me off.
"It was nothing. Plus, I should be thanking you guys," Abraham said, and I raised a brow, confused.
"Thanking us for what?" I said, a fake smile plastered on my face and the confusion returning to Abraham's face.
"You guys offered to pay for the renovation of this place," he said, and my eyes widened a bit in surprise.
Maybe Damien is not such a caveman. (Or maybe he was just really, really looking for somewhere to blow off his billions.)
"You guys are really amazing people, and I pray God bless your marriage and the baby in your belly," he said, reaching to hold my hand.
Right, the marriage thing. I slept in a motel with my best friend's fiancé. I opened my mouth to explain the lie that we told him yesterday, but just then, the horns started blaring.
Asshole!
"I hope you love the look of the place when it is over," I said with a smile.
"I hope you come back soon enough so we can finish the photo album," he said sheepishly.
"Of course," I said in an obvious lie. I don't plan on ever coming out here again. Ever (unless maybe I am shot at again by my psycho dad).
The horns blared again, and that was my cue to get back to the limo. I waved goodbye to Abraham and slid into the seat of the limo.
"Did you want to, like, kiss him goodbye or something?" Damien said under his breath, puffing smoke to the outside, and I gave him a disgusted look.
The limo started to move, and so did the other cars. I looked back at the motel; Abraham stood on the porch stairs waving.
I caught a glimpse of her little but surely. Kathy stood close to the window of her room, peering at me through the glass. Just standing there stiffly and staring at me.