We moved on to discussing our next Wine & Letters meet up, and then Margie had to get back to the office, and I had to get back to my computer. I was already falling behind on work with how much Jace had been distracting me lately.
Back home, I was in the middle of testing some code when it hit me how I knew the man Jay had met up for lunch with. Ollie must’ve been what his friends and family called himbecause I knew him by a different name, Oliver King-Clark, founder of the one of the most popular digital banking and financial services companies in Europe, UpRise. He also had a cryptocurrency exchange, but I’d forgotten the name. I’d heard him speak at a tech conference I’d attended a few years ago and had been impressed. It didn’t surprise me that Jay knew Oliver since Jace’s father had all kinds of acquaintances. He’d lived an interesting life and met lots of different people along the way. What did snag my interest was why Jay didn’t explain to me exactly who Oliver was when I asked.
I hadn’t planned on going to his out-of-season barbecue, but now that I figured he was hiding something, I felt the intense need to question him.
Thankfully, I was in the shower when Jace dropped Zara home, so I managed to avoid another run in. After this morning, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to act around him. Margie’s warning rang in my ears, giving me an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Was I making a big mistake letting him get close?
I made sure to dress in warm clothing, putting on a high neck top and a thick jumper along with my thickest fleece leggings since we’d be eating outside. I also had Zara put on her winter coat and scarf. When we arrived at Jay and Matilda’s house, everyone else was already there. And yes, I timed it that way. Normally, I was an early bird, but I needed to avoid being alone with Jace. Ensuring there were lots of other people around was key.
Matilda appeared at the side of the house and motioned for Zara and me to follow her around to the garden. The patio dining area was all set up, and Jay stood by the barbecue cooking the steaks. They smelled amazing.
Jace was seated next to his aunt and uncle, while Roan, Elias, Angus, and Kami stood huddled around an outdoor heater that didn’t appear to be doing much to remedy the cold.
“This is insanity,” Jace’s uncle, Jack, shouted at his brother. “Why can’t we eat indoors? It’s freezing out here.”
“Yeah,” Jace added. “I’ll bet those steaks taste just as good cooked on the grill inside.”
“They’re better barbecued,” Jay shot back. “Take my word for it.”
“Daddy,” Zara called, and Jace’s face lit up when he saw her. She ran to him, and he lifted her onto his knee. His eyes found mine then, and just like that, we were back in my kitchen, him on his knees staring up at me like he was ready to commit sin. Tingles skittered down my spine, and I could tell by his hooded expression that he was thinking about it, too.
My throat ran dry, and I had to turn away, forcing myself to make small talk with Matilda until the food was ready. Like always, Angus and Kami greeted my presence with cool stares, but I refused to let them make me feel uncomfortable. Jace was Zara’s father, so they were just going to have to get used to me being around. Plus, Jay had invited us, so we had every right to be here.
“I’m starving,” Elias complained. “How much longer for those steaks, Uncle Jay?”
“Yeah, I’m this close to ordering a pizza,” Kami added.
“Just a few more minutes,” Jay answered, closing the top of the barbecue to let the meat cook. I noticed him checking his phone before turning to his guests. “Oh, and before I forget. I emailed you all tickets to my upcoming show, but there were some technical difficulties. Can you check your emails now to see if you got them?”
Everyone began pulling out their phones to check, and I followed suit. Sure enough, there was an email from Jay with the tickets attached. When I looked up, about to tell him I’d gotten the email, I noticed how closely he was scrutinising everyone. Well, no, not everyone. Mainly, Roan, Elias, Kami, and Angus.
“Tickets are in my inbox,” Angus said.
“Yeah, mine, too,” Roan added.
Everyone else started chiming in that they’d gotten the email, and I started to suspect the whole ‘technical difficulties’ thing was a ruse. But why?
Moments later, the steaks were ready, and Jace went to help his dad dish up everyone’s plate, while Jay said, “Do you know what? It is a little too cold out here. Why don’t we take this food inside?”
“Bloody hell, he finally comes to his senses,” Elias said loudly while the others were quick to carry their plates into the house. Cheerful conversation ensued, and I found myself sinking happily into the background, just letting the sounds of family wash over me. I managed to grab a seat in between Matilda and Lille, avoiding Jace because I had a feeling he wanted to talk to me, and I really wasn’t ready to dissect this morning’s encounter.
When we finished eating, and everyone began chipping in to tidy up, I spotted Jace’s dad heading upstairs and decided it was the perfect time to corner him and question him about what he was up to earlier.
Unfortunately, by the time I reached the top of the stairs, Jace was coming up behind me. “Shannon, we need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to—”
“Yes, there is,” he cut me off, his warm hand meeting the small of my back as he guided me into his bedroom. Well, this was possibly the worst place we could have this conversation. Standing in the room where Jace and I had fooled around and shared so many intimate moments as teenagers threatened to overwhelm me. It still smelled the same, like soap with a hint of cloves and leather. Not to mention, all his old band posters were still on the walls, and the room had the same curtains, even the same bedsheets.
“Listen, Jace,” I said, putting some distance between us as I went to stand by the window. He easily ate up all that distance with his long strides. “This morning. It was a moment of weakness.”
“I agree,” he said, and I blinked. He agreed? “I crossed a line,” he went on. “It won’t happen again.”
I stared at him, taken aback, and what was that sinking feeling in my stomach? He just said what I wanted, no,needed,to hear, and yet I stood there having the gall to feel disappointed.
“Okay, well, it’s good that we’re on the same page.”
I moved to step past him, almost to the door when he said, “We’re not, though.”
