“It was necessary attention,” I countered, my voice firmer than I intended.
Our conversation paused when Leanna stopped by to refill our water glasses. Jay and I both murmured our thanks, but our eyes stayed locked, each of us holding something.
“Another question,” I said. “Does your father hate me?”
Jay hesitated. “It’s not hate. He just... doesn’t understand you. And anyway, I don’t care what he thinks.”
I leaned back, absorbing it. “I spoke from the heart.”
“And that’s all you can do,” Jay replied, a faint warmth in his voice. “I like you, and he’ll have to deal with that.”
“I like you too.”
Jay’s eyebrows lifted. “In what way?”
I wasn’t sure how to say it. Putting words to whatever we felt had always been risky. Instead of answering, I looked outside the window, letting silence fill the space. My gaze fell on a lone man sitting slumped on a bench, hat pulled low over his eyes, cigarette smoke curling up over his face.
“The normal way,” I said, shrugging it off. “You know, there are times when I want to run away too. And I might when I have the means. But this fire situation nags on me in a way I can’t let go of. I have to get into this... Aphrodite Casino. I hear there’s someone there who might have information.”
Jay’s expression turned serious. “Trying to play vigilante, are you?” But there was a hint of attraction in his voice. “You can’t get into that place alone. If you’re going, you should take me—andZihan too. He might be helpful. You remember his father was a stuntman?”
I hadn’t thought about involving Zihan, but Jay was right. “So, you’re willing to be hands-on with this too?” I asked. “Even though your father—”
“Blastmy father!” Jay interrupted. “Andhis school and all his high-and-mighty ways!” Jay clapped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide as if he didn’t mean to say it out loud.
It was as if a dam of tension broke in me just hearing him say it. I laughed like a hyena in that diner and covered my mouth too. And then we were both laughing—we were through with it all!
“Okay, so we’re in this together,” I said. “But we’re going to need more than Zihan to take on that side of town. We’ll need the equipment to keep ourselves safe should things go as badly as they did with the protest.”
“Okay!” Jay gave an earnest nod. “I’m in.”
Visiting Jordan with Jay made me uneasy, but I wanted to trust him. Jordan had told me to stop by her warehouse, hinting at something but keeping some cards close.
Jay and I made our way through the quiet streets to gather Zihan from the restaurant. He agreed without hesitation. He was tired after his shift, and tired of working so much. He’d been restless, caught between loyalty to his family’s restaurant and a desire for something more daring.
Together, the three of us set off toward Jordan’s warehouse, a sense of purpose settling over me, which replaced the hesitation.Leading them to such a secret location may have been a bad idea, but she asked me to stop by and hadn’t said I couldn’t bring visitors. I had to build allies in this fight.
As we weaved through the housing projects in Jordan’s part of town, Jay put his hands in his pockets and looked around at the trash on the streets. “So... you can’t tell me where we’re going?” he asked.
“You just have to see it,” I said. “Like I did.”
We paused at the door, and I knocked.
Vivian answered in seconds, sticking one half of her face out of the door. “Nick.” And then she looked at Jay and gasped, polished nails flying over her mouth.
“Trust me, please?” I said. “I’m trying to figure out who started the West Egg fire and we need their help.”
“Oh?” Vivian didn’t open the door. Instead, she gave Jay a smile and stuck one ritzy leg, wrapped in a fishnet stocking out of the door, as if to caress the wood. “How do you do, Mr. Gatsby?” she said, in a sultry voice.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, brother.”
She smiled at him like she’d seen a celebrity, but then frowned at me. “Nick, you do realize Jordan willhangyou when she sees him, right?”
“Jay’s father is the bane of his existence!” I screamed, and then looked at Jay, who was wincing. “Sorry.”
“Tell everybody my business, why don’t you?” Jay replied, voice slightly cracking.
“You don’t understand—it’s crucial information,” I told him.“I’m tired of everybody having an opinion on you and all of them being wrong!”
