“Aren’t you going back to Charlene?” I ask. “She’s still over there waiting.”
Jay turns to face me while I continue looking directly ahead. I’m not sure why, but I can’t seem to make eye contact. I see him frowning at me out of the corner of my eye, his brows all drawn together. “Do you want me to go back to her?”
I shrug and glance at him, then gulp down more wine.
“You should take it easy. It’s only ten o’clock.”
“It’s fine. I’ll probably head home soon, anyway. Michelle’s not going to be much company for the rest of the night.”
“Does she usually leave you alone like this?” Jay asks, moving his body slightly closer.
“Nah, I normally get to talk with the friend of whoever she’s flirting with. Fun, yeah?”
Jay doesn’t reply, but his jaw moves in a weird way. He keeps on staring at me until Charlene takes it upon herself to come to him.
“Hey, I thought I’d save you the trip,” she says in a sweet voice, sliding onto the stool beside him. I turn away and let my gaze drift over the crowds on the dance floor. A man wearing a blue shirt leers at me, so I make sure not to have any more eye contact with him. Jay nudges me, holding up his phone.
“I just got a text from Jessie. Apparently, the cougar turned out to have a husband who wanted a ménage a trois, and she needs rescuing. You want to come with me?”
“Uh, sure. I’ll just send Michelle a quick message to let her know we’re leaving.”
And, just like that, we’re out of there and on our way to get Jay’s car to pick up Jessie.
From the daggers she gives me, I get the feeling Charlene is none too pleased about it.
Eight
When we stop off at the house, I make a quick change into some jeans, a T-shirt, and plimsolls. Overall, the night was a bit of a bust, so there’s no point in holding onto the glamour. Jay honks his horn, and I hurry downstairs and out the door.
I sit in the passenger seat, and Jay manages to speed while keeping just below the actual speeding limit. We head out toward a quiet suburb, with Jay’s GPS giving us directions as we go. In the end we drive down a dark country lane toward a large grey house. It all seems quiet, with Jessie nowhere to be seen. However, the second we stop at the end of the stony driveway, the front door flies open and Jessie emerges, her tall form running toward us like a bat out of hell.
The cougar and a middle-aged man come after her, matching black silk robes on, shouting and waving their fists. If their anger didn’t have me so on edge, I’d probably laugh at what they’re wearing. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but when Jay rolls down his window, I catch the tail end of a tirade that ends with, “Little bitch!”
Jessie hops straight into the back seat, yelling, “Put your foot on it, Jay — we need to get the fuck out of Dodge.”
The couple are in front of Jay’s car now, and there isn’t enough space for him to get around them.
“What did you do, steal their wallets or something?” Jay asks, chuckling and reversing, trying to figure out a way past the fuming husband and wife.
“You were taking too long, and they kept trying to convince me to take part in a threesome. I let my temper get the better of me and smashed a tray of crystal glasses. Now they want me to pay for the damage. Pair of fucking nutjobs.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it sounds like you were the nut in this situation, Jess.”
“Hey, I’m allowed to be angry. It’s not my fault I’m offended by the idea of sucking a cock,” she jokes.
Sticking his head out the window, Jay calls to the couple, “Listen, you’re going to want to move out of the way before I run you both the fuck over.”
“That crystal was an anniversary gift!” the man shouts. “She owes us six hundred euros.”
“For a couple of glasses?” Jay asks. “Are you high?”
“They were Waterford crystal!” the wife wails.
“Well, since they were a gift, you haven’t really lost any money, now, have you?”
“They had sentimental value!”
“Call it payback for sexual harassment!” Jessie shouts from the back seat.
The wife marches toward the car now, and Jay reverses further. “You knew exactly what this was about, Jessie,” she says, gesticulating wildly. “So don’t go acting all innocent.”
“I didn’t know you had a fucking husband. No, you decided to spring that on me once you’d lured me into your lair.”
“You should be flattered that we invited you into our home, you little tramp.”