Dinner on Friday

22. Carla

COFFEE WITH A FRIEND

Jenna walked toward me, her face solemn; not at all what I was expecting after our phone call. I stood at the back of the restaurant, and a short distance away, my new bodyguard, Vlad, stood watch. I had no idea where Dante had conjured him from, I just knew that he was temporary until Bruce got here.

And thank god because Vlad was a tall, muscly wall of seriousness. He didn't talk to me unless I spoke to him first. Even then, his answers were short and to the point. No fun at all.

Jenna's long braids swung behind her as she approached. And because she was short, the braids looked even longer on her. Fitted jeans embraced her slim legs. A white blouse with large sleeves and white sneakers finished off her look.

We didn't hug each other in our usual happy way. After hesitating, we managed to put our arms around each other without fully embracing one another.

I looked at Jenna's oval face and pragmatic eyes. "So, um, you came."

"I'm only here for the money. I have to pay my rent somehow," she said flatly.

"Okay, true. After everything that happened, I understand, although I hope we can go back to being friends again soon." I smiled sadly. "Anyway, the office is this way. You won't believe the brand we're working for. This has been my dream and it's finally happening. I'm glad I get to share it with you."

"That's great, Carla, but I just wish the circumstances were different."

"Me too."

Vlad opened the door to let us in. Jenna regarded him from head to toe, her eyes dancing lazily over his roped muscles. "Thank you," she said as we crossed the threshold. "You look great in your uniform, sir. What's your name?"

"Vlad," he acknowledged with a gentlemanly nod of his head. And for the first time since I met him, Vlad's eyes glittered with joy and his face and neck reddened like a stop sign. "And you are?"

Well, maybe a stop sign wasn't the best simile to use for the imagery unfolding before my eyes. Clearly, Vlad was more interested in playing go-greenlight-go.

"I'm Jenna."

"Jenna, are you a friend of Carla's?" he asked when he knew damn well that I knew that Dante had briefed him on Jenna's arrival.

"Just a colleague," Jenna replied casually before meeting my gaze and studying my reaction. "We have a lot of work to do, so maybe we can catch up during my break?"

Vlad nodded curtly. "I won't keep you much longer. I too have a job to do."

Jenna and I took a seat behind our desks after I briefed her on what our client wanted. Dante's interior designer had decked out the room with a long-ass desk, two gigantic monitors, floating shelves, a couple of plants, a small couch, and a brand new beige carpet. I thought the setup was cute, but I soon started regretting it when I noticed how close Jenna's monitor was to mine. The proximity made the awkward silence between us even worse.

"Have you spoken to Eva recently?" I questioned.

"We talk all the time. She says not talking to you is like losing a sister."

"She is my sister. Her family practically took me in when my mother... you know..."

"Neglected you?" Jenna stopped typing and turned to face me, her expression unusually soft.

"That's not exactly true. I pushed her away and she didn't know how to deal with my withdrawal. Anyway, I feel ashamed for cutting Eva off like that. For not trusting her after everything we went through together. Deep down, I know she would never betray me." I rolled my pen between my fingers as a feeling akin to grief threatened to overwhelm me.