Chapter 17

As promised, I moved in with Jay the following day. Tony, his driver, took me to work and picked me up afterwards each day in the Rolls-Royce. I didn’t even have to get up that much earlier because I could do my hair and eat breakfast in the back of the car. And no one could see me through the tinted windows.

“Hey Jenny,” I said, answering my phone.

“We missed you last night.” I skipped our Friday after-work drinks for the first time in I didn’t know how long.

“Sorry, I had to be with Jay. Our first Friday living together and all.”

“What’re you doing now? Don’t tell me you’re naked.”

I laughed. “No, I’m dressed. I’m at my condo, trying to sort it out. I don’t need much from it, just paperwork and photos and stuff. Goodwill’s going to come in and take all the furniture and clothes.”

“Guess you don’t have need any of it, since Jay has everything.”

“Yeah, it’s a weird feeling, shedding everything you own.”

“Can I have your coffee maker?”

“Sure. Anything else?”

I finished the call and went back to my task. I was on my knees, clearing out the bottom of my closet. The faster I could get this place cleared out, the faster I could get it rented out.

There were three stacked shoeboxes at the back that I used to store all sorts of things, from my passport and birth certificate to photos. I opened the brown box and my heart wrenched. It always did whenever I looked inside.

It was full of pictures of my parents. Of them posing with me as a child. I sat back against the bed and went through each and every one of them.

What would they think of Jay? Would my mother approve of me moving in with him? Since they died when I was seventeen, I’d never had the privilege of knowing them as an adult. Our relationship was only ever a parent-child one, instead of adult to adult. I did a lot of conjecturing, always trying to guess what their advice would be.

I flicked through photos, one of my dad and me fishing, my mother teaching me to ride a bike, of the three of us at my sixteenth birthday party. The next photograph was unexpected and pulled me out of my memories. It was of Matt with his mother and father, at his high school graduation.

It didn’t evoke any reaction in me. None of the outrage, anger or hurt that the photo would have caused a few months ago. I tossed it into the trash bag. Jay had healed all my pain.

* * *

You’d better come for drinks tonight!!!

I hadn’t even spoken to Sam in two weeks. I’ve been so wrapped up in Jay and work, I hadn’t had time for my friends.

Of course baby! Dying to see you xoxo

I could go for a quick one, twenty minutes. They’d kill me if I missed two Fridays in a row, since I was always the person who freaked on one of them if they didn’t make it out.

* * *

“So, what’s it like living with a billionaire?” Sam asked.

“Amazing.” My body warmed at the thought of Jay.

“When are you going to show us your new mansion?” Jenny poked me in the shoulder as she said it.

“Ooh, I could host a dinner.”

“Good idea, we can come now, I’m starving,” Sam said, laughing.

“Next weekend?” I said.

“Yes!” they said in unison.

They were going to freak when they saw the place. I hope it would be okay if I arranged the menu with the cook, or if I needed to ask Jay’s permission to instruct his staff. Ha, instruct the staff. Crazy.

My phone beeped.

Tony is waiting for you. J

“I’d better go, my driver’s here.”

“Yeah, don’t want to keep the staff waiting,” Jenny said, rolling her eyes.

“What kind of car is it?” Sam asked.

My cheeks flushed. “A Rolls-Royce.”

“On my God, we’re coming with you. You can drive us around the block a couple of times.” Sam stood, not waiting for an answer.

“Okay.” It sounded like fun. To have someone to share my chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce car with.

* * *

Tony nodded as he held the door open for us. The three of us piled in the back.

“Where to, ma’am?”

“Anywhere!” Sam said, waving her arms around and clapping.

“I cannot believe I am actually in a Rolls,” Jenny said.

“I know, right? I still think that every day on the way to work. When will the excitement wear off and this will be blasé?”

“I hope, for your sake, it never becomes blasé,” Sam said with a smile.

Jenny and I laughed so hard we couldn’t talk. I almost missed my phone beep with all the noise.

Come home now. J

“Okay, girls. Party’s over.”

Jenny pouted her bottom lip at me. I don’t think Sam even heard me, her head was out the window.

Tony drove us back to the bar.

“Bye.” I hugged each of them as they got out of the car and returned to the bar.

“I can’t wait to see your house next weekend!” Sam said as they walked to the door.