CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lindy
I walked into the restaurant. School had started with more of a whimper than a bang, and the whole cycle had begun again, classes, clubs, events, everything in a swirling whir. Because although I was going through the motions, I was distracted. I was still thinking of Mr. Jones, dreaming of the big man and nothing had succeeded in pulling me away just yet, my thoughts and memories filled with him, his voice, his touch, those big hands holding me close.
But now it was parents’ weekend and I’d forced myself to be alert, giving myself a small pep talk while getting ready.
“Act happy,” I told myself sternly. “Brenda and Jim are gonna be over the moon with happiness, and you’ve got to act happy too, don’t spoil their celebratory mood.”
Because they were splurging. Instead of going to a local pizza joint or grabbing a burger at Little Mo’s, my parents had made a reservation at Bistecca Formaia, a fancy white-table place near campus. In our previous life, it would have been wildly out of our budget, but with my dad’s new salary my parents wanted to enjoy life a little, savor the finer things with the extra disposable income.
So I smoothed down my purple dress, taking a deep breath before pushing open the restaurant door. I was wearing an outfit that Chris had bought me, and in fact there was a matching amethyst bracelet but I could hardly parade that around without attracting my parents’ attention. So instead, I’d stuck with the dress and matching heels, swinging a purse over my shoulder before heading out the door.
And as I made my way towards the back, I caught sight of my parents. Oh right, there were Brenda and Jim, solid, upstanding middle-class citizens, my mom with her grey hair in a bun, my dad’s face a little flushed from a pre-dinner drink.
But suddenly my steps came to a halt. Because seated right there at the booth with them was Mr. Jones, his muscular form dominating, impossible to miss, seizing the eye. Oh god, what was he doing here? This was like a nightmare come to life, an episode of the Twilight Zone where ghosts from the past come to haunt you. I almost swung on my heel, ready to duck out, but my mom caught sight of me and it was too late.
“Hi honey!” she sang, waving. “We’ve been waiting for you, we came a little early and ordered a couple appetizers. Come and say hello! You remember Daddy’s boss, Christopher Jones, don’t you?”
I almost choked as I approached, my face growing beet red, my knees wobbling. What was he doing here? At my college? In my space, with my parents no less?
But the big man was smooth, standing to tower over all of us, his frame outfitted in a perfectly-cut suit.
“Hello Lindy,” he said smoothly. “We’ve met before, at your parents’ anniversary party, I believe.”
And I almost choked then. His dick had been in me so many times, making my body scream and tremble, give it up over and over again, and yet we were going through this farce of “oh, how nice to meet you.”
But I had to act normal otherwise my parents would suspect, so I managed a weak smile and nod.
“Hi,” I mumbled, looking away. “Nice to see you again.”
But suddenly my eyes snapped up, meeting his, challenging. I had nothing to be embarrassed about, I’d kept my part of the deal so why was he here, on my territory?
And seeing the flare in my eyes, the big man’s gaze grew warm, even hot on my body, his eyes running up and down my curvy figure. Oh god, I knew he recognized the dress. Chris had pulled it off me after dinner one night, and fuck, I’d put on a few pounds so it was even tighter than before, my boobs out to there with the curve of my ass highlighted by the stretchy material.
Mr. Jones eyes flamed once more before going smooth, cool again. But I knew he was affected from the slight flare of his nostrils, the tenseness in his throat, signs that only I’d notice.
“So nice to see you again,” he rumbled, that voice like amber whiskey. “I hear you’re a sophomore at Evergreen?”
I nodded and forced myself to smile like nothing was the matter.
“Yes, I’m a sophomore,” I said inanely, parroting him. “And I love it, Evergreen is such an amazing place.”
Mr. Jones’s eyes darkened then, perhaps with the memory of my confidences, how I’d told him I didn’t find the classes fulfilling at all, how all the kids were juvenile teens and I didn’t have much in common with them. But this wasn’t the place to hash it out, so we both turned when my mom clucked.
“Lindy, we’re so excited to see you,” she chirped happily. “When Daddy told Mr. Jones that we were coming up to see you, he offered to take us in his helicopter to avoid traffic. Isn’t that so nice? It would have taken hours to drive up otherwise.”
I almost swallowed a golf ball then. A helicopter?
And the big man nodded smoothly.
“I always have a ride ready and I was coming up for business anyways, so why not? Figured I’d give you nice folks a ride.”
Business, schmisness, I was sure there was no such thing and it was all a farce. But I forced myself to smile again and ask sweetly, “Oh, and what do you do up here? I thought United Electric was a local contractor, Long Island jobs only.”
The big man smiled at my attempted barb.
“Most of our jobs are local, that’s true,” rumbled the big man, sitting back. “But I’m meeting with the governor and some local politicians, I want the company to start getting some state-owned contracts, so I’m here to press the flesh, do what a CEO’s gotta do,” he drawled.
And I gritted my teeth, trying look calm. Of course he had a perfectly good reason, I was in over my head and should have stopped right there. But I wanted to trip him up so badly that I tried again, went in for a second bite of the apple.
“And you know the governor personally?” I asked in a deceptively gentle tone. “Like you and he are friends?” That was unlikely. I knew Chris was rich, but knowing the governor? That was another level of wealth.
Mr. Jones just shook his head.
“You’re right, I’m not on a first name basis with the governor himself,” he said smoothly, “but I do know his chief of staff. Corey and I were buddies back in business school, so I always drop by to play a round of golf, catch up when I’m in town.”
And I bit my lip then. What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I even attempting to spar with the big man when I knew I’d lose? I was out of my league and my attempts to foil Chris had come up empty … so far. But before I could go in for round three, my mom interrupted.
“That’s so wonderful Mr. Jones,” she said excitedly. “But can we order now? You know Jim and I read all about Bistecca’s prime rib, I heard you have to get it medium rare. Their menu’s on-line, you know, we can hardly wait to taste test it.”
And gratefully, I turned to my menu, staring at it blindly as my parents chit-chatted with the big man. I figured I could wing it through the rest of the meal, eat quietly and excuse myself early except that there was no such thing.
“Lindy,” said my dad, interrupting my thoughts. “Did you hear Mr. Jones just now? He said he has a meeting tomorrow and needs someone to take notes for him, his secretary’s sick. We thought you could go in her place.”
I gaped a little before snapping back to my senses.
“No, no, I have class, I’m so sorry, I can’t,” I made excuses quickly, looking between my parents’ expectant faces and my lover’s knowing one. God, I didn’t know if I wanted to slap Chris or kiss him right then.
But my dad frowned at me.
“Now Lindy, I know you’re a fancy college girl now, but we’re humble folk and you’re not too good to take notes at a meeting. Please assist Mr. Jones tomorrow,” my dad said sternly, “He was kind enough to make this trip, save us hours in traffic.”
And I was about to refuse again, about to stubbornly shake my head no when I caught my mom’s pleading gaze. Brenda was begging me without saying a word, her eyes droopy and sad, her mouth pursed into a downwards line that broke my heart. So I sighed, and found myself agreeing.
“Okay,” I said shortly, none to gracious. “But what time? I have class.”
“Your call,” said Mr. Jones smoothly, his eyes twinkling at me. “We haven’t decided a meeting time yet, so whenever works for you.”
Damn it. I was hoping to argue that I had a midterm and couldn’t possibly make it, but the big man had caught me again.
“Fine,” I said shortly, “Nine thirty okay?”
The alpha male just smirked at me.
“Perfect,” he rumbled. “I’ll let my associate know.”
And as we turned back to dinner, I had a sudden impression that I was a fly in a web … and I’d been caught by a spider with no hope of getting out.