ALLOWING HER FATHER to wheel himself ahead of her, she passed through the doors of Sharkie’s, a small bar off Popp’s Ferry with a rustic motif and an ancient feeling about it. Standing there a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, she tried scanning the faces for Morgan or Lily, or anyone else she knew for that matter. While she had driven past the place a few times, she had never been inside, and unlike the bar she visited out by I-10, this one she could appreciate. The booths were quaint with leather couches and the tables were of an old finish that glistened when they were polished. The clientèle was also of a higher caliber and not leftovers from the day labor place.
“Jacqui!” Glancing in the direction her name had been shouted from, she spotted Morgan waving as he crossed the room to meet her. Behind him, she noticed Faith, Lily, Kari, Vince, and a few others she had not met yet. Faith’s send-off party had a decent turnout, it seemed. Her stomach did a small curl at the sight of Vince, but she reminded herself the past was the past and it was the future that mattered.
“Hey there,” Morgan said as he drew nearer. He touched her arm with his right hand as he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. His smile was intoxicating as he pulled away. He then shook Bert’s hand and helped her father make it between the tables and chairs to where the others were sitting. “I’m glad you both could make it. Faith was hoping to be able to say goodbye.”
“Anytime alcohol is involved, I’m game,” Bert said.
Lily rushed over to the older man and gave him a hug as she said hello to Jacqui. “Morgan invited me earlier. I hope it’s all right.”
“Of course,” Jacqui said. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to include you.” Jacqui was quick to notice the change of attire from business Lily to out-to-party Lily. The young woman’s heels added three inches to her height and put a lift on her heart-shaped ass that was barely covered in a black mini that went with her peach blouse. The tanned swells of her breasts pushed up through her neckline, announcing what was hidden beneath and promising a treat to those who made it there.
The others came by and did the whole welcome to the party thing and then went back to their glasses and stories.
Faith followed Lily in the hugs and greetings. She squeezed Jacqui extra hard, it seemed, and the smile she gave the CEO of The Karston Foundation was genuine. “I’m glad you made it,” Faith whispered in her ear. “He’s been staring at that door ever since we arrived.” She gave Jacqui a wink as she turned to say hello to Bert.
Jacqui turned to Morgan, surprised at Faith’s statement, only to see him watching her, his own smile pushing his cheeks up and making his eyes sparkle. She blushed slightly as she felt the heat begin deep within her. Turning to find Lily, she made eye contact with Vince, who seemed to be slightly attached to Kari, but his eyes said something else and it put a twinge of nervous guilt in the pit of Jacqui’s stomach.
“What are we drinking?” Bert asked as he slid to the end of the table next to Faith and Lily. After the show of cleavage he just received from both of the ladies, he probably needed something to cool him down.
“Whatever we want,” Faith said. “Rutherford’s paying.” She glanced at Morgan and wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ve done this before.”
Morgan just laughed as he shook his head, his arm up as he waved for the waitress. “What’ll it be?” He looked back to Bert and Jacqui.
Vince’s eyebrows rose slightly when Jacqui ordered a whiskey sour. “Drinking again? I thought you gave it up.”
She shrugged. “I gave up a lot of things. I think it’s time to reclaim some of the fun.”
“Here, here.” Lily raised her glass in a toast and the others joined her. Vince merely shook his head as he shifted in his seat.
Soon everyone had drinks and the conversation continued. “So, Mr. Clydesdale, are you eager to be back in your own home? I saw it last night and thought it was beautiful.” Faith popped a peanut from the small bowl in the center of the table into her mouth, sucking her finger a little as she slid it out.
“Oh yes. Jacqui doesn’t need me babysitting her anymore. And I can once again walk around in my skivvies.” Everyone looked at his wheelchair. “You know what I mean,” he grumbled as he waved their silent thoughts away.
“I’m sure Sophia is going to enjoy seeing you in your underwear,” Jacqui said.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “What? You don’t think she’s seen me naked before? Who do you think helps me get dressed?”
“Stop.” Jacqui held a hand up while everyone else was laughing. “I do not want to hear anymore.”
“Bert has game,” Morgan said through his laughter.
“Just because my legs don’t work, don’t mean nothing else does.”
“Stop! Just…stop.” Jacqui shook her head.
Bert shrugged, a mischievous grin on his face. Morgan and Lily were laughing, egging her father on. She didn’t want to hear any more about his escapades with the hired help.
Faith began telling Bert about life on the East Coast, Morgan filling in his comments here and there, as Jacqui half-listened. Her mind drifted to her parents, specifically her father at the moment. He just insinuated that he was having sex with Sophia and it wasn’t so much that it bothered Jacqui because it was her housekeeper, but because her father had moved on with his life. He lost his wife only a year before she had lost Marc, and yet, here he was joking around about being with another woman. She knew he loved her mother. She witnessed his grief at her passing while she was deep in the throes of her own mourning over the loss of her mother. Yet, here he was getting on with his life while she was struggling with being stuck in the past. She couldn’t just up and leave the memory of Marc and all they had shared, even though another great man stood in front of her, wanting to take the next step with her. Truth was, she wanted to take that step as well, but still had bouts of guilt about betraying Marc and what they had together.
Lily reached over and squeezed her hand, the look on her face letting Jacqui know that the younger woman understood where her thoughts were and that it was all right. She just smiled back and gave Lily a slight nod. Jacqui would have to deal with her feelings as they came, she knew, but that didn’t make going through them any easier.
“I’m glad you came up, Faith,” Kari said. “I’m excited about the days ahead.” Several others agreed and the conversation switched to work and Rutherford Construction. Jacqui noticed Lily hanging close to Faith, the two casually bumping into each other every once in a while. Kari, however, was staying glued to Vince, who was trying to put distance between him and the much younger woman. Apparently, there was something there that Vince was trying to hide from the others, but it was quite apparent to Jacqui. Why he was giving Jacqui the sad puppy-dog eyes, she didn’t understand.
Morgan sat between Jacqui and her father, his arm on the back of Jacqui’s chair as he leaned close to her. He wasn’t hiding anything. He was shouting it, actually, and it gave her a warm feeling between her legs at his possessiveness. Glancing over at him, catching his attention, she just smiled, hoping her eyes were saying everything that she was feeling right then. By his smile, she was sure they were.
“Shots! We need shots,” Faith called out.
“Yes!”
“Agreed!”
“Shots!” Lily said as she sat next to Faith, their hips touching as they called for the waitress and shots of tequila. “This party needs to go up a level.”
Soon, the table was full of shots of tequila as everyone reached for their glass and a toast was made to Faith and Rutherford’s bringing her here. However, before Faith could take her shot, Lily took the small glass from her and slid it between her own breasts with a wicked smile on her face as her tongue licked her bottom lip. “If you want it, you have to take it from here.”
Everyone cheered her on, and Jacqui waited to see what would happen. Morgan was one of the ones urging Faith on while Vince kept his eyes glued to Jacqui. She shifted more in her seat, uncomfortable with his scrutiny.
Faith was not one to back down from a challenge, it seemed. With a lick of her lips, she leaned down, slipped the glass between her red lips, gripping the glass before lifting her head and tilting the shot back into her throat. Everyone cheered as she lowered the glass from her mouth and then she shocked everyone when she grabbed Lily by the back of her neck and kissed the girl, their mouths grinding on each other, tongues slipping between open lips.
When Faith pulled away, she winked at Lily who stood there open-mouthed. “I think we’ve reached the next level.” The cheers got louder and even Jacqui found herself clapping at the scene that just played out in front of her.
Morgan looked back over at Jacqui, his laughter lighting up his face. “You okay?” His concern touched her. “Do you need another drink or anything?”
She shook her head, her hand sliding to his thigh and squeezing. “No. I think I’ve got everything I need right now.”
He smiled even bigger as he said, “Me, too.”
“So, Morgan, with the office off to a good start, do you think Rutherford will keep you here the full three months?” Vince held his bourbon glass in front him, his elbow propped up on the table. His expression seemed neutral, but Jacqui doubted the innocence of his inquiry. Yet, it did bring the eventuality of Morgan’s having to return home back to the forefront of her mind. Should she be falling for a man who was destined to return home where he had a career, as well as a son waiting for him? She was setting herself up for pain. Why put herself through that again?
She glanced over at Morgan, but he wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he was glaring at Vince, his eyes narrow slits of anger he was controlling. “No,” he said. “I committed to three months and I’ll stay the full three months. I still need to find my replacement.”
“I thought that was what you were grooming Vince for?” Kari almost leaned over Vince to ask her question. The others around the table were staring at Morgan.
He just shrugged. “It’s not my call. Neal makes those decisions. I can only recommend people.”
“Well, aren’t you planning on recommending Vince?”
Everyone stared at Morgan, and suddenly, Jacqui felt like he was backed into a corner.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He just stared at the young woman. Had he pegged her wrong? Was Kari Evans a gold digger? He shook his head as he shrugged. “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it. My focus has been on getting the office up and running and the Maggie Karston Community Center off the ground.” He glanced over at Jacqui and he could tell Vince’s question had set her mind to thinking about their future. If he was honest, it made him wonder about all of the what-ifs as well. Was he being fair to her by pursuing a relationship that was destined to end when he returned home?
“But you have to pick someone,” Kari continued her questioning.
Morgan glanced back at her and Vince, but Vince was staring at Jacqui, his eyes focused on Morgan’s arm around her shoulders. Morgan let out a slow breath. He had assumed when Vince went after Kari’s ex that he had moved past his feelings for Jacqui. Apparently, that wasn’t the case. Now, Morgan was trapped between recommending the man to avoid cries of jealousy over Jacqui or not recommending him and people thinking it was because of Jacqui that Vince didn’t get the position. Hello, rock and a hard place.
“As he said, it’s Neal’s call,” Faith said, trying to bring the topic back around. “And it’s still two months away. I wouldn’t worry about it, right now.”
Carl lifted his empty glass and stared at it mournfully. “Agreed. We should worry about dying of thirst. I think it’s time to have another.”
Bert lifted his empty glass and clinked it against Carl’s. “Cheers!”
Morgan just laughed as he called for another round. The conversation started again, Martha quizzing Faith about Rutherford’s traveling team. Faith’s hand was under the table, he noticed, and Lily was sitting real close to her. He arched an eyebrow at Faith, who only turned to him and gave him a wink. He shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle.
He turned to Jacqui and she was staring at her half-empty glass, her eyes lost in thoughts that he could guess pretty easily. He squeezed her shoulder, drawing her focus to him. Smiling, he whispered, “No one knows what tomorrow will bring. We roll the dice and see what we get. The house doesn’t always win, you know.”
He was given a smile in return, weak, but it was there. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, not caring that the others were probably watching. He needed to figure out how to make this work. She needed reassurances that would keep her from barricading herself behind that cold fortification she built for herself over the past two years. The problem was, he had no idea what assurances there were to offer. When you rolled the dice, you never knew what you would get. That was the chance you took when gambling with your heart and Jacqui was worth that chance.