Worth the Trouble(101)
“That’s because he’s a rule follower just like you. He doesn’t color outside the lines.” Jackson looked at Cat and waved an arm toward David. “Tell him, Cat. I love the guy, but he’s a mother hen.”
“I’m not here to talk about Hank,” Cat replied, feeling insulted on Hank’s behalf. Not long ago she might’ve joined Jackson in teasing David and Hank about their conservative natures, but now she missed it. “But he wouldn’t lie about something this important. He’s voiced his concerns about you to me. I can’t pretend I’m not worried, too.”
Jackson’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?” He practically snorted before shaking his head. “You’re gonna lecture me about my behavior? How often do you go out? Why isn’t anyone counting your wineglasses, or watching the clock to see when you come home from the clubs? I’ve never said a word to you about any of that, by the way.”
“I’m not being sued! I’m not living in a pigsty with empty bottles of scotch everywhere.” Cat’s heart ached from the sense of betrayal crossing Jackson’s face, but she didn’t retreat. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”
“Fucking unbelievable. That’ll teach me to be your shoulder to cry on. First you steal my employee, now you go behind my back and call me an alcoholic?”
Cat felt her cheeks flush. She closed her eyes to shut out Jackson’s wrath and the memories of that night when he’d held her in comfort and tried to answer her impossible questions about men and love and babies.
“Don’t attack Cat for caring about you,” David interjected. “Just sit down and hear us out. We’re all worried. We don’t want your hard work to go up in smoke, or to see you end up alone or in jail.”
“I’m hardly alone. And just because you’ve found marital bliss doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with me playing the field. I’m only thirty. I’ve got plenty of time to settle down.” Jackson refused to sit, choosing instead to cross to David’s refrigerator, pull out a half-empty bottle of wine, and pour himself a glass.
“If you drink that, I’m taking your keys. You were drinking beer when you arrived, and who knows what you had before you got in your car.” David’s sharp tone sliced through the room. “Is a DUI next on your agenda? Maybe you’re past caring for your own welfare, but have some consideration for innocent people on the road.”
Jackson chugged the wine and slammed the glass on the counter. “You’re not my keeper, David. I’m an adult and I can make my own choices. Right now, I think I choose to leave this party. Sorry, Vivi, but I didn’t come here to be judged. Happy birthday.”
David sprang off the sofa and blocked the door. “We haven’t finished this discussion. If you want to prove you’re a big man by drinking in front of us, go ahead. But you’re not leaving.”
“Move,” Jackson warned.
David shook his head.
Cat noticed Vivi’s watery eyes fill with concern, so she begged, “Please, Jackson. Just give us thirty minutes.”
“For what?” he exploded. “Have I hurt anybody? No. Have I broken any laws? No. Have I lost any clients? No. Dammit, my only mistake was hiring that asshole in the first place. He provoked me. He shoved me. I didn’t hit him. I just grabbed his shirt and told him to go. I’m not a drunk. I’m not passing out in bars or sleeping until noon. I’m a single guy running a business. You guys have no idea how tough it is to run a small business, especially in my line of work. Sometimes I relax with a few drinks. Big fucking deal!”
“Hank’s hurt because of your behavior,” Cat said, pissed off by his cavalier attitude toward an injury that jeopardized Hank’s future.
Jackson stared at Cat but didn’t argue the point. David’s sigh drew both their attention.
“Not all alcoholics are fall-down drunks,” he began, still standing guard at the door. “According to the screening questionnaires I’ve reviewed, a person is considered to have a serious drinking problem if they drink more than fourteen drinks per week or binge drink. Based on Hank’s remarks and the lawsuit, you meet that criteria, and it’s been affecting your work. Several members of your crew have noticed you hungover and agitated, which, by the way, will all come out during depositions unless you settle Doug’s suit quickly. I suspect you’ve experienced a blackout or two in the past year. So maybe you’re not completely addicted, but you seem to be heading in that direction. Am I wrong?”