Chapter 22
Chloe
I’M NOT SURE what Graham’s conversation was about, but after he hung up the phone, he was wearing his crabby-pants again. I could see from his expression that something had really pissed him off.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“It’s fine,” he replied curtly, avoiding eye contact.
He had to be the moodiest man I’d ever met.
“I just received a text from Tank,” Jessica said, looking at her phone. “He said we can pack it up and leave if we want.”
“Good,” Frannie said, walking over with two steaming Styrofoam cups. “Here.” She handed Graham one and then me. “This is the last of the apple cider anyway. I have another cup with your name on it, Jess.”
“Thanks, Mom,” she replied.
Graham and I also thanked her.
“You need a ride home?” Graham asked, taking a sip from his cup. “Or are you catching a ride with Jessica?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” I looked over at her. I noticed she was helping Frannie and Vanda pack up their gear. “I could ask her.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask her,” he said.
Frowning, I watched him head toward the other women. He and Jessica spoke for a couple of seconds and then she looked at me and nodded.
I guess that’s that, I thought.
Graham walked back over. “She’s going to drive you.”
“Okay. I probably should have taken my own car. I hate being an inconvenience,” I said, sounding a little bitter and regretting it right away.
He frowned. “You’re not any trouble at all. I have to head back to the clubhouse soon. That’s the only reason why I asked about giving you a ride. But, I’d be happy to take you home myself, if you’d prefer it.”
“No. You’re busy and Jessica said she would,” I replied, embarrassed that I’d taken it personally. Of course, he had things to do. “I totally understand.”
Graham looked relieved. “Good. I’m going to help Frannie and Vanda load up everything, so you two don’t have to stick around.”
“Okay,” I said, watching Jessica head toward me, her keys in her hand.
“Ready?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Well, see you around,” Graham said.
“Yeah. Happy Holidays,” I replied.
His lips twitched. “You, too. See you Jessica.”
“Yeah, tomorrow actually. Tank’s sending you guys to the hospital,” she replied and winked. “Santa’s going to pass out presents again.”
Graham sighed. “Busy couple of days, apparently.”
“They’re going to our unit?” I asked.
She nodded.
Smiling, I imagined the looks on the children’s faces when Santa and his elves showed up. “The kids will love it. What time?”
“I don’t know,” Jessica said.
“I’m sure we’ll find out tonight,” Graham said. “If you want, I’ll call you and let you know.”
“If you could, that would be great,” I said. “I’d love to be there.”
“What’s your number?” he asked.
I gave it to him and he added it to his Contact list.
LATER, WHEN JESSICA and I were alone in her car, she smiled at me and shook her head.
“What’s that about?” I asked, putting my seatbelt on.
“You don’t see it, do you?” she replied, clearly amused about something.
“See what?” I asked.
“The way he looks at you. Graham.”
My eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean? How does he look at me?”
She started the engine. “With desperation.”
“What?” I didn’t get it. Desperation?
“He looks at you the same way Jordan used to look at me. Before we were together. Like a man who wants something so badly, but too afraid to go for it.”
I laughed dryly. “Right.”
“I’m telling you… he wants to get down your pants. Which isn’t so bad, is it”
“I think you’re reading into something that’s not there,” I said, looking at her derisively. “Besides, I think I’d know if he had the hots for me. There’d be some kind of sign. All I’ve seen from him today is a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute he’s up, the next he’s down.”
“He could be bipolar,” Jessica said, a thoughtful look on her face.
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “He was a little angry about not being able to go snowmobiling this weekend.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Ohhh.... He was looking forward to that. It must have been this weekend.”
“Yeah. That’s what he said.”
“I remember hearing him talk about it at Thanksgiving. That was pretty shitty of Tank to take the weekend trip away from him. I guess it’s all part of being a Prospect, though. Showing that you’re willing to make sacrifices for the club.”
“Well, it is for a good cause.”
“Yes. A very good cause. Anyway, you changed the subject.”
“I closed the subject. He’s not into me.”
“He wouldn’t have kissed you if he wasn’t interested,” she reminded me.
“That was a year ago! Besides, he only did that because of that one gal. Candi, or whatever her name was. Seriously, Jessica, there’s nothing there. In fact, we’ve been alone a couple of times and he’s had every opportunity to kiss me again.”
“I told you, I saw him checking you out more than once. He likes you. I’m willing to bet that he’ll make a move and when he does, it’s going to knock your Christmas socks off,” she joked.
I snorted.