I pulled on my jeans. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“Our relationship’s like eighty-two percent sex and eighteen percent cake pop.”
“And that’s a problem how?”
“I mean, do you think maybe we should attempt to do something else besides humping each other today?”
I sighed, long and heavy. “Are youtryingto hurt me?”
She laughed. “I suppose we could stay here and talk about feelings.”
“Oh lord, have mercy. Debbie warned me about this.”
“Debbie seems to have made a huge impression on your life.”
“If she was like twenty years younger… you’d have a problem.”
We headed back into the kitchen where Jess was rewarming her fluffy fairy coffee drink when my phone buzzed. It was a text from Tucker.
The Cliff Rehab in Malibu can take Jess’s father as part of their community outreach program.
What does that mean?
It means you can hold on to that money you don’t yet have.
I stared at my phone, shocked.How’d you manage that?
These private facilities are “encouraged” to take in county patients if they have an open bed. But they get paid county compensation too so most of these places officially have no beds open, even when they do.
Well hell, Tucker, you’re a magician.
Nothing so exciting. Called in a favor.
You’ve got some powerful friends.
It’s not about powerful friends. It’s about powerful secrets.
Damn. Tucker was impressive. Dangling threats seemed to be the name of the game in Hollywood, and Tucker was at the top of the game. Really, I didn’t care how he got the job done, just that he did it. Now Jess would have one less thing to worry about and maybe, just maybe, we could nudge our ‘sex to cake pop’ ratio up a bit.
I’m sending all the paperwork to you to pass on to Jess. He can move in tomorrow.
Thanks. I owe you one big-time.
I set the phone down and smiled at Jess.
She was halfway through the cake pop.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked, catching on to my excitement and smiling herself.
“You’re going to love me.”
“Is that a dare?”
“No, Jess, it’s a promise.”
24
Jess: All In
