casually. It wasn’t possible not to have emotion behind the way he touched her.
She still felt that way when she arrived home and texted Kenzi to let her know she was safe.
The phone rang immediately, Kenzi’s photo identifying the caller. “Now, spill.”
Jasmine smiled. “You’re on your honeymoon. What are you doing talking to me?”
“A girl can only make love so many hours a day. I’m resting up.”
Sadness suddenly weighed down on Jasmine’s shoulders. She couldn’t respond to that. She sat on her couch and curled under a knitted afghan. “You won’t believe the last of our vacation. How long were we there…three, four days after you left?”
“Yes, whatever, get to the good part.”
She detailed how they’d ended up in a flat above a fish market. “I thought we’d drive each other crazy, but it wasn’t awful. And then it was awesome. And then it really became awful.”
Kenzi was silent.
“We made love.”
She gave Kenzi credit for not gasping. “I’m guessing that was the awesome part? I can’t imagine Joey being awful.”
Jasmine smiled, a wistful warmth filling her. “He was pretty awesome.”
“So you guys are a couple now?”
“That’s the awful part.”
“What? He didn’t. He dumped you before you guys even got going?”
“It wasn’t like that.” Jasmine twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “He ran scared, like a dog with his tail between his legs.”
“We’re talking about Joey, right? Handsome, cocky bass player. Our Joey.”
Only he wasn’t Jasmine’s Joey. “That’s the one.” She put the phone on speaker and picked up her nail file. She’d bitten her nails to nubs, but they were rough nubs.
“I’m so sorry, hon.”
“Don’t say that! That’s what Joey said. Sorry he destroyed any chance of our being friends down the road.”
Kenzi sighed. “That’s awful.”
“See? And on Christmas day, no less. After buying me a pair of wool socks because I couldn’t be with my family.” Her voice cracked, her throat tightening. “Why did he have to be so nice? Even when explaining what his problem was.”
“Did he mention Terri?”
“Yeah. She must have totally messed with him.”
“I don’t know the full details. Chaz only told me Joey had a tough time toward the end.”
“She made him believe he’s incapable of having a lasting relationship.” Jasmine shifted on the couch. “He told me so. He can’t even give me the chance to show him I’m not going to freak out on him.”
“Maybe he’ll come around.”
“I’m not betting on it.”
“Are you still coming over on New Year’s Eve? I’ll understand if you can’t.”
“I’d rather get it over with when it’s just our little group and not some big crowd. I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am.” She barely got the words out and said goodbye before curling up and crying her heart out.
~*~
Joey arrived at Chaz and Kenzi’s home early in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Taking his suitcase from the rental car, he walked up the long cement path to the door.
“You’re here.” Kenzi hugged him before letting him in the door. Either she hadn’t heard from Jasmine, or she was more forgiving than he’d expected.
“Yeah. Oakland International was crazy busy, but nothing like when we—when the storm hit Ireland.”
Chaz joined them when they reached the living room. He and Joey exchanged a bro hug, and then Chaz offered him a drink.
“Let me unpack.” He walked away, eager to get to the room he always used when he stayed with them.
At least they weren’t pissed at him. He’d passed that hurdle. He knew the subject wasn’t closed yet, though.
As he expected, when he joined Chaz in the game room later for a few rounds of pool, Ireland came up.
Chaz racked the balls on the table. “That polar vortex hit you guys hard.”
“It was crazy. I’ve never been in a storm like that.”
“At least the bad weather came in before you were in flight.
She still felt that way when she arrived home and texted Kenzi to let her know she was safe.
The phone rang immediately, Kenzi’s photo identifying the caller. “Now, spill.”
Jasmine smiled. “You’re on your honeymoon. What are you doing talking to me?”
“A girl can only make love so many hours a day. I’m resting up.”
Sadness suddenly weighed down on Jasmine’s shoulders. She couldn’t respond to that. She sat on her couch and curled under a knitted afghan. “You won’t believe the last of our vacation. How long were we there…three, four days after you left?”
“Yes, whatever, get to the good part.”
She detailed how they’d ended up in a flat above a fish market. “I thought we’d drive each other crazy, but it wasn’t awful. And then it was awesome. And then it really became awful.”
Kenzi was silent.
“We made love.”
She gave Kenzi credit for not gasping. “I’m guessing that was the awesome part? I can’t imagine Joey being awful.”
Jasmine smiled, a wistful warmth filling her. “He was pretty awesome.”
“So you guys are a couple now?”
“That’s the awful part.”
“What? He didn’t. He dumped you before you guys even got going?”
“It wasn’t like that.” Jasmine twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “He ran scared, like a dog with his tail between his legs.”
“We’re talking about Joey, right? Handsome, cocky bass player. Our Joey.”
Only he wasn’t Jasmine’s Joey. “That’s the one.” She put the phone on speaker and picked up her nail file. She’d bitten her nails to nubs, but they were rough nubs.
“I’m so sorry, hon.”
“Don’t say that! That’s what Joey said. Sorry he destroyed any chance of our being friends down the road.”
Kenzi sighed. “That’s awful.”
“See? And on Christmas day, no less. After buying me a pair of wool socks because I couldn’t be with my family.” Her voice cracked, her throat tightening. “Why did he have to be so nice? Even when explaining what his problem was.”
“Did he mention Terri?”
“Yeah. She must have totally messed with him.”
“I don’t know the full details. Chaz only told me Joey had a tough time toward the end.”
“She made him believe he’s incapable of having a lasting relationship.” Jasmine shifted on the couch. “He told me so. He can’t even give me the chance to show him I’m not going to freak out on him.”
“Maybe he’ll come around.”
“I’m not betting on it.”
“Are you still coming over on New Year’s Eve? I’ll understand if you can’t.”
“I’d rather get it over with when it’s just our little group and not some big crowd. I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am.” She barely got the words out and said goodbye before curling up and crying her heart out.
~*~
Joey arrived at Chaz and Kenzi’s home early in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Taking his suitcase from the rental car, he walked up the long cement path to the door.
“You’re here.” Kenzi hugged him before letting him in the door. Either she hadn’t heard from Jasmine, or she was more forgiving than he’d expected.
“Yeah. Oakland International was crazy busy, but nothing like when we—when the storm hit Ireland.”
Chaz joined them when they reached the living room. He and Joey exchanged a bro hug, and then Chaz offered him a drink.
“Let me unpack.” He walked away, eager to get to the room he always used when he stayed with them.
At least they weren’t pissed at him. He’d passed that hurdle. He knew the subject wasn’t closed yet, though.
As he expected, when he joined Chaz in the game room later for a few rounds of pool, Ireland came up.
Chaz racked the balls on the table. “That polar vortex hit you guys hard.”
“It was crazy. I’ve never been in a storm like that.”
“At least the bad weather came in before you were in flight.
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