Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
13
TY
Of all the days to be stuck in Boston, this was a bad one. The interpreter gig came with a deluxe hotel room and all the perks including the lavish dinner we had to attend later. Unfortunately, shit was hitting the fan back home, and I was stranded at a hotel bar waiting for my client to wake up from his siesta so I could go around translating everything into Basque for him.
I blew up the group chat like any self-respecting Burns brother. From what I could tell, the altercation took less than five minutes, but the fallout would last for days. Jasmine’s ex had shown up parked outside the office and acted a fool when Drew told him to clear out. They weren’t giving me details about how Drew got him to leave, but my bet was it was force with the threat of more force. I knew my brother.
When nobody answered my direct questions on the messaging app, I got the idea maybe he did something illegal. Fine, I’d talk to him in person tomorrow. Until then, I needed to hear Jasmine’s voice and make sure she was okay. I knew she was physically safe from the messages I’d read on the group. But after yesterday, the seismic shift in our relationship, the way everything had changed, it was bad enough that I’d had to leave at five in the morning.
It was worse to be away from her when her stalker ex showed up. She’d be rattled, feel guilty for whatever Drew did to protect her. I wanted to be there, and my obligations kept me on the ground in Massachusetts.
I dialed her number and she answered as soon as it rang.
“Hi,” she said. “How’s Boston?”
“It sucks because you’re not here. I’m on some boring job hours away and you guys had all the fun without me.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it fun. We did book a job for the pediatric foundation carnival in April though.”
“I know you’re trying to act like nothing is wrong but tell me how you are. Please,” I said.
“I’m okay. I’ve got Eli, Drew, and Jake all here watching me so I don’t spontaneously combust or anything. I’m not that delicate. I can hear his name without falling apart.”
“But can you say it in the bathroom mirror three times and summon him?” I wisecracked and she laughed.
“It never crossed my mind to try that. Why would I want to summon him?”
“You wait till I get back tomorrow. Then we summon him in the mirror so I can drown him in the toilet and we’re done with the whole thing.”
“You clearly don’t listen to crime podcasts. That’s a terrible idea.”
“Of course it is. I’m joking. If I had to get rid of evidence you think I’d talk about it on the phone and discuss my plan?” I said.
“Probably not,” she said and I heard a tinge of wariness in her voice.
“I’m sorry, Jas,” I said. “I wish I was there. I’d do something to make you feel better. Tell them I said they have to get you Chinese takeout tonight.”
“I will. Thanks for calling.”
“Anytime. Listen, you need anything, call me. I don’t care if I’m in a meeting, I’ll step out. You understand?”
“I appreciate it. But I’m not calling you at work. Have a good evening and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Or sooner if I find a way to ditch the monolingual asshole scientist.”
“Don’t alienate a paying client for my sake. Be good,” she said.
“Bye,” I told her, and as soon as I hung up, I messaged the guys and said they had to do Great Wall with extra black bean stuff immediately.
Jake got on board with that and said he’d order it right away. At least I could do that for her from a distance.
I started a separate group with only my brothers and suggested we meet for a late breakfast after I got home tomorrow. We needed to talk about Jasmine, how best to keep her safe and how we were going to manage a relationship going forward if that was what she wanted. I had no problem sharing, but I didn’t want any animosity with my brothers. They were my best friends, and we ran a business together. I didn’t want anything harming that bond or creating bad feelings between us.
As far as I was concerned it could be something we shared like a home and a business. But I needed us to be up front about it so there was no jealousy or bad feelings. The last thing I wanted was to start a rift among us in any way.
I stressed about it until I walked into the restaurant the next day. We all arrived about the same time and settled in at a table. After we ordered, they all looked at me in unison as if they’d rehearsed it.