Who You Say I Am (A Jai Courtney Fanfic)

Chapter 64-Meg

Meg

Jai drives back to his hotel to shower while I head upstairs. Of course Mikey jumps in front of me so I have to wait my turn behind Mr Slowpoke. I smile at how my family likes Jai so much. I was worried at first but they were actually getting along. Even my dad is talking to him. He seems happy to have common interests. I've never seen my father take so well to someone. He definitely wasn't like that with Spencer. Now that I think about it though, even I felt like Spencer wasn't the type to really get close to anyone. At times, he even felt like a stranger to me.
I shake those kind of thoughts out of my head, though. I pick out a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a black hooded sweatshirt. I grab some underclothes and drum my fingers on my desk while I wait my turn. As I lean up against my desk, a thought occurs to me about another book to write. It's actually perfect. I log that idea away for later as I hear the bathroom door open. I rush into the sauna my brother left me and turn the bath fan on. I take my braid out and jump in the shower washing my hair. A thought occurs to me... I wonder how long Jai is staying. Maybe we should make a plan of things to do. I kind of want to get back to my exercise routine and tomorrow I'm visiting Popi. We should probably set up a schedule. I saw that the rock climbing was limited to certain days and odd times. He definitely seemed interested in that. I finish up in the shower and dress, squeezing my hair out with the towel. I decide to open the door since the walls are sweating thanks to Mikey forgetting to use the fan... and the ridiculous temperature he showers at. The water was turning cold at the end of mine. The mirror starts to de-fog. I comb my hair and get out the hairdryer. As I dry my hair, I think about how much fun I'm having with Jai. I think about all the things we did together in Jamaica. That thought brings a smile to my face. But then I think about what he believes. I should ask him sometime. I don't want to be pushy, though. Coming to God must be at our own pace and I don't know what he truly believes. The only real deep conversations we've had has been about our relationships and God. I don't know if he's ready just yet. I pull my hair back in a knot when it's dry and put my dirty clothes away in my hamper. I wash my hands again and grab Jai's suit out of the spare room. It's really nice. He has excellent taste in clothes. I grab some of my things that could be dry cleaned and walk downstairs with them in hand. I step into the living room to see my dad, Mikey, and Jai reading an article in the local paper.
"Daddy. I was thinking of dropping some things off at the dry cleaners. Do you have anything you want me to take in?" I ask.
"There's some things in our closet. They're at the end. The ones in plastic are dividing them. The ones against the wall could go," he says.
"Alright," I nod. My eye catches Jai's and he smiles at me. I step into my parents' bedroom and easily find his stack. He wears suits every day to work so he always has something. I put the large stack over my arm and set mine and Jai's on top. I come into the living room and drape the clothes over the chair.
"What are you reading? We never read the paper?" I ask as the three of them are seated looking over an article together. Jai and Mikey look at me sympathetically as my dad hands me the newspaper. I see the engagement picture of Spencer and me where we were posed showing the ridiculous Beyoncé-like rock he gave me. There's another picture of Spencer holding the ring and he looks devastated. There's also a picture of Jai and me together at the restaurant yesterday. He's whispering in my ear so his face isn't showing. The title says Blaze/Wright Engagement Called Off. I read the article and they make it out to sound like I was the one cheating on him and my heart aches at this. I'm grateful that at least they don't mention anything about Jai. I think back to that couple at the restaurant that kept watching us and talking about us. I thought they looked familiar. I close my eyes and sigh.
"That older couple at the restaurant yesterday," I say shakily. "I thought they looked familiar. The woman is a distant relative of Mr Blaze—a cousin or something. I met her at my bridal shower."
"Don't worry about it sweetheart. You know it's not true," Daddy says.
"I'm just grateful Jai wasn't mentioned. I guess they didn't recognize you," I shrug handing the paper back to my father.
I rise and grab my coat. I carefully pick up the stack of dress clothes. "Jai, you want to take me to the cleaners?" I ask with my voice wavering.
"No worries," he whispers. He rises and grabs his coat.
"Bye, Daddy... Mikey," I say.
He helps me to hang bunches on either side of his backseat before he opens my door for me. He comes around and starts up his SUV. That secular song I Kissed a Girl is playing on his radio. I wince at the song.
"Something wrong?" Jai asks me.
"Do you mind if I ...?" I ask motioning to the radio.
"No, I'll change it," he says and presses another preset button. The next station is playing Stay With Me.
"Can we turn the radio off?" I ask softly.
"No worries," he replies. "Unless you want to pick."
I turn the dial to a Christian one since there are no presets I listen to. I sigh when someone is praying. I already feel so much better. The next song plays and it's a newer one from a local band. The song is about how God is always the same. I close my eyes and reflect on the song. I find myself singing along with the words.
It ends and I open my eyes to Jai staring at me as we're parked by his hotel.
"What?" I ask laughing uncomfortably.
"That song was pretty amazing," he tells me.
"Yeah, I like it," I say.
"That's the local band, isn't it?" he asks.
"It is," I nod furrowing my brows. I don't know how he knows that but he does have the song and band showing on his display.
"They're really good. Is this a local station?" he inquires.
I look to the numbers to see. "No, this one is a national station. There are a couple others that are local, though," I explain.
"So that band is known everywhere?" he asks.
"They're Christian famous," I shrug.
"But they're good. You're amazing, too. I thought you were better than them," he says.
I laugh awkwardly at the compliment and I'm sure I'm blushing. "Yeah, well nobody cares about that other than other Christians," I tell him.
"I don't think that's true," he says shaking his head.
"Do you know Joel Smallbone?" I ask.
He purses his lips and shakes his head.
"Really?" I ask teasingly. "He's an Australian singer and actor."
"Huh," he says surprised. "I've never heard of him."
"That's because he's a Christian," I tell him. "What are we doing here anyway?" I ask as I notice my surroundings.
"I was going to get some more of my dry cleaning," he shrugs. "Do you want to come in?"
"Do you mind if I stay?" I ask.
"I don't know. Is this a safe area of town to leave you alone in?" he jokes.
I laugh. "I'll be fine," I tell him.
He grins and climbs out. He goes inside and I close my eyes singing the next song, then the next. I hear the door and I open my eyes to Jai hanging a few things in the back. He joins my side a moment later. "Where to?" he questions buckling up. "If your dad wears that many suits and he trusts a place with all that, I'm getting all my stuff done, too."
I smile at him and give him directions.
"You don't want me to enter it in?" he asks motioning to the guidance.
"Unless you want to drive the expressway," I shrug. "I picked the scenic route."
"Scenic route it is," he nods and follows my directions.
He drives on the main road a ways. A For King and Country song plays. What a coincidence.  "This is Joel Smallbone and his little brother's band," I tell Jai. 
"They have an interesting sound," he says surprised.  "You said he's an actor.  What's he been in?"
"He was in the movie Esther.  It's based on a book in the Bible.  He played the king.  He was also in a movie called Priceless.  I only watched that once, though.  I couldn't stomach more times than that," I tell him. 
"Was it that bad?" he questions surprised. 
"Yes and no.  It was about human sex trafficking.  He played the part of the savior.  Besides that, I don't know what else he's been in," I say. 
"That sounds like a tough film to be in," he comments softly. 
"Yeah," I agree as we drive on.  "A few stoplights down, there'll be an old building on the right. Turn there," I say.
He nods and does so. As we turn he makes a sound if surprise. "This is a nice little CBD," he comments.
"Yeah. It's pretty around Christmas. They string up lights on all of the trees and businesses," I tell him. "The zoo back that way is impressive, too."
We drive down the few blocks of downtown and then cross the bridge over the river.
"This is a scenic route. Good call.  This is very different from the freeways around LA," he tells me.
I smile and tell him to veer left at the fork in the road. We drive along the river but it's on our opposite side now. There are some nice historical homes along this street.
"Can you go to those little islands in the river?" he asks.
"Um... I think so?" I shrug. "There's one further back that I know you can walk over to when the river is low but I've heard you have to keep an eye out on the weather because of flash floods. Sometimes the river will rise up and you can't get back."
"That's interesting. I'd like to check that out during the dry season," he says.
"Well, then come for a visit this summer. It's sometimes dry in July or August," I tell him.
"Maybe I will," he says glancing at me as we stop at the light.
"Oh, turn here," I say realizing where we are.
"Can do," he replies. He turns and laughs. "Another little CBD?"
"Yeah, that restaurant right there is my favorite over here and this city street is famous," I say jokingly.
He laughs, "Why's that?"
"Because it was in a really bad movie," I tell him.
"Oh yeah?" he asks surprised.
I hum a reply. "Christopher Walken was in it," I say.
"I like some things he's been in," Jai tells me.
"I do, too, but not that one," I tell him.
We pass the railroad tracks and drive through a neighborhood.
"It's the next left after the light," I tell him.
We pull into the parking lot and I step out grabbing my dad's suits. Jai has his bundle and mine. We walk in and drop them off. It'll be a couple days. I get a ticket and so does Jai.
"Thank you, Lin," I say.
"Anytime Miss Wright," she replies.
We step out and Jai is smiling at me.
"What?" I ask at his expression.
"They know you by name?" he questions as we get into the car.
"Yeah," I shrug. "I'm sure my dad helps to keep them in business. Everyone from the office goes there, too."
He nods. "Is it a big company?"
"Fairly small. I could take you by sometime if you want. It's just an office with cubicles in an industrial park," I say. "It's surrounded by woods though so it's nice."
I direct Jai where to go on our return, mostly the same way we came.
"When we get over the bridge, take the first left," I say.
"Okay," he nods.
"Left, Jai," I tell him.
"Right here?" he questions. I hum a reply. He laughs, "Sorry, I wasn't expecting a neighborhood."
"I should've warned you, sorry," I apologize.
"You did. I guess I was thinking main road," he tells me. "These are nice little houses," he comments.
"Yeah," I agree.
We go further down the street and I smile when I see the kids sledding down a hill.
"Is this a park?" he asks me.
"It is," I nod.
"We should do that tomorrow," he says motioning to the kids.
"Sure, if you'd like to do that in the mud," I laugh.
"What?" he questions.
"The snow should melt tomorrow," I tell him.
"Oh," he frowns.
"Don't worry. It'll snow again soon. We'll just have to keep an eye on the weather," I tell him.
"Okay," he nods.
"On your left up ahead is that island I was telling you about," I say.
He sees the area and pulls over.
"The river is mostly frozen," he says in surprise climbing out. I join him.
"Yeah, I hope it thaws quickly," I tell him. "Sometimes thick layers of ice build up when it's half melted. It can do some pretty big damage. Sometimes this street will flood too and they'll close it down."
"I want a picture here," he says.
He pulls out his phone and has me join him. I smile as he puts his arms around me and takes a selfie of the two of us. We look around a bit and head back to the car. He follows the same street and we pass by several homes on either side of the road with the river just to our side. He gets to downtown and laughs that his hotel is nearby. "I think I'm learning my way around," he comments.
I smile. "Yeah, there's not much to it. You can even cross the bridge over here and get to the area we were at, but there's a lot more turns and shopping centers that way," I tell him.
"Is it a nice area?" he questions pulling into the parking lot of his hotel.
"I can almost guarantee that's where my parents went shopping yesterday," I say.
"You want to come in?" he asks.
I smile and try to hold back a laugh. He just brought me here and parked. "Sure," I respond.