Anticipations (Evie Cortez Book 2)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I spent most of the day cleaning up the house and dusting in areas that were starting to grow things from all the dust. By the time I had to go over to stay with Jamie the house was spotless and I was vegging in front of the TV.

I was walking up the pathway when Jake stepped out the front door. “Thanks.” He said as we got closer.

“Thanks? You didn’t want to spend the night watching the boss’ kid?” I teased flatly.

“She can be a handful.” That was his polite way of saying Jaime drove him crazy. She liked to push the boundaries her father laid down and that meant with his pack too.

“She does it to get under your skin. She’s really harmless.” I actually liked spending time with her, she never gave me trouble and that was probably because she knew her father had no influence over me.

“Yeah sure.” He chuckled and walked down to his car parked on the street.

He was already driving away when I remembered I wanted to ask him about Bess. It’d have to be another time. I shrugged and continued my way into the house. Jamie was seated in the living room. “How bad is this crush on Jake that you are scaring him away?” I asked.

Her blue eyes went wide and she turned toward the staircase to make sure her father hadn’t heard. I had forgotten he was still here. “Shh. Do you know how embarrassing it would be for my dad to know that?”  She looked horrified and it looked like I had hit the nail square on the head.

“I’m sorry.”

Her expression softened. “It’s ok, he’ll be gone soon and then I’ll cough up the details.”

“Good.” I liked talking about silly girly things like crushes with her, it took me away from the real world and for those small moments I felt normal.

Caleb came down the stairs and every thought I had stopped cold. He was good looking, anyone with a pulse could see that but right now I had no words. He put effort into his appearance for this date. He was clean shaven, instead of his usual buttoned down shirts and slacks he was wearing a nicely pressed grey colored suit with a dark blue shirt that did wonders enhancing his eyes. The alpha had good taste. “Jake left?” he was asking.

I blinked a few times and gathered my bearings. I felt flushed the longer I looked at him. “Yeah I caught him as he was leaving. He had to get to his shift at the SCF.” That lie made sense and asked no questions. If I said he ran out of here because Jamie was annoying him then there would be questions.

“Ok, I should get going too.” He said as he came closer to the door, it wasn’t until then I realized I was blocking his way.

“Sorry.” I moved out the way. I found it hard to breathe as he got closer and opened the door. Whatever cologne he put on was dangerous; his date wouldn’t be able to focus.

Jamie jumped from her seat and came to my side as her father left. “Speaking of crushes….”

“What?” it took me a moment to recognize her little smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You always want to assume there’s something between your father and me when there isn’t.” that was the truth.

“Right, sure.” Jamie was mocking me and didn’t care if I knew it. “I thought you would need some napkins, you were drooling.”

“No I wasn’t! Look yes he is a very good looking man---”

“Eww.” She didn’t want to hear this about her father.

“---but there’s nothing there, nothing at all. Our worlds don’t mix and I can never be the type of woman your father needs in his life.”

“You mean submissive?”

“In a way yeah. I don’t want you to think I’m calling him some abusive control freak it’s just…” I tried to figure out how to explain this. “in this supernatural world we’re all apart of there’s a way things are done. I left home because I didn’t want to have to follow someone else’s law.”

Jamie nodded and leaned back on the armrest of the couch. “So you can’t be with my dad because you don’t like the rules of the werewolves but not because you don’t actually like him?”

I started to realize just how deep I shoved my foot down my throat. “Well I thought that part was obvious since we’ve talked about this before.” I hoped that made some sense. Did I have a crush on Caleb? I don’t think so. I didn’t wish for anything where he was concerned, I didn’t want him to notice me, I actually wanted him to butt out of my life. I found him very attractive but in the long run it truly was nothing. “So back to Jake.”

“Ha-ha, real funny.”

“You were the one who promised to cough up details.” I took off my jacket and walked over to the sofa to get comfortable. I doubted this date was going to be quick.

Jamie came and threw herself down next to me. “I want to forget about Ray.”

“Looking at a guy nearly twice your age isn’t the way to do that.”

“He’s twenty-seven, that’s not near twice my age and there’s no harm in looking.” I couldn’t argue with her there. “Giving Jake and my dad a hard time helps me forget Ray for a little bit.”

“I get it kid.”

“But all teasing aside, I don’t want my dad to get serious with someone new I’d have to accept. I don’t want some instant family with some bitch who’ll just use him.” she sounded almost as jaded as I was.

“Harsh.” I added as I listened to her fears.

“I’ve met her. I caught her and dad talking yesterday in these hushed tones. I’m scared he’s serious about her.”

“What didn’t you like?” it was my job as her friend to hear her out and help anyway I could and if this woman really was a problem then I was going to have to help Jamie with it.

“She was snobby, she looked annoyed when me, the offspring, came into the room. We were glaring at each other.”

I patted her knee. “Don’t jump the gun, your dad might find her annoying too.” I got up from the couch and went to the kitchen to raid their kitchen for something to drink.

I was grabbing some ice when I noticed a note pinned to the freezer. It was written by Caleb and had a number for Jamie to call in case there was an emergency and he couldn’t answer his cell. I knew the number like the back of my hand; it was the main number for La Amour.

Jamie didn’t have to worry about her father liking this woman because it wasn’t a real date. Caleb would never take a woman he wanted to impress to a restaurant owned by vampires.

For Caleb to go there in the past it was always for business, never pleasure. For him to go there now meant he was up to something. First Michael asks me to spy on him and now Caleb was most likely spying on him.