Jack Hammer by Tabatha Vargo, Melissa Andrea Page A

he’s looking at a brand new adult criminal record.”
    “You can’t see me, but I’m flipping you off,” I said with a cynical grin.
    “Blaine,” Chelsey hissed in warning.
    “I’d listen to your girlfriend, Mr. Wesley. You’re on thin ice.”
    “I’m not his girlfriend.” Chelsey was quick to correct him.
    I don’t know why, but it bugged me that she corrected him. I couldn’t blame her for wanting them to think we weren’t together. I guess technically we weren’t, and it was obvious anything happening between Chelsey and I wasn’t a great idea. It had only been one night with me and already she was sitting in the back of a cop car and being hauled off in handcuffs.
    The ride back to the police station was long. I watched Chelsey like a hawk, but not once did I expect her to break down in a fit over everything that happened. She already proved she was tougher than I gave her credit for.
    I admired the fact that Chelsey seemed to have it all figured out. She knew what she wanted for her future and she was hell bent on getting it. I, on the other hand, had no fucking clue what I was doing with my life.
    When we took a sharp turn, I was pushed into Chelsey. Our bodies aligned side by side and her body heat warmed me through my clothes.
    “Am I squishing you?” I whispered.
    Between the non-stop chatter over the police radio and loud conversation between officer douchebag one and officer douchebag two, I knew they weren’t paying us any attention.
    “Only a little,” she responded.
    I hated that I couldn’t push her hair back to see her face.
    “I could move over, but I kind of don’t want to.”
    “You’re enjoying this way more than you should be,” she scolded.
    “The ride to the police station, not so much. But being this close to you? Hell yeah I’m enjoying it.”
    Her elbow connected with my side softly, but despite her veil of hair, I knew I’d made her smile. I looked up and did a double take when I realized we were driving through a residential area.
    “What the hell?” I said for only Chelsey to hear.
    “What?” She looked up alarmed.
    Her eyes widened, and whether she realized it or not, her body moved into mine like she was searching for shelter from whatever seemed to put her on edge. 
    “This isn’t the way to the police station,” I said.
    “That’s because we’re not going to the police station,” she murmured.
    “What?” I frowned in confusion. “How do you know that?”
    “Because that’s my house.” She swallowed. “And there’s my mother.” She groaned when the car pulled up to one of the biggest houses I’d ever seen.
    The house had columns like the fucking White House. I’m talking presidential shit. I was waiting for a helicopter to circle overhead and the secret service to usher Chelsey into the house. The car went around the circled driveway, which was perfectly manicured. Box-shaped bushes hedged the drive, and flowerbeds of purple flowers lined the large front porch.
    A lady dressed in a silk robe was standing on the front porch glaring at the car as it parked. My eyes moved around taking in the richness of Chelsey’s life—the expensive cars parked in the drive, and the massive pineapple fountain in the center of her landscaped yard.
    I figured Chelsey and her family had money, but I didn’t realize exactly how much. Suddenly, I didn’t feel good enough to even be sitting next to her, let alone going out with her. My shitty life and crappy, brick house didn’t even belong in the same state as Chelsey’s life and home.
    “You’re really slumming it with me aren’t you?” I shook my head as I looked out the window at a life I’d never be able to achieve. “Trying to piss your parents off by going out with me, Little Doe?”
    Her head snapped in my direction and she looked at me like I just slapped her.
    “What?”
    “I’m not exactly in your social circle. When rich chicks like you are looking to piss off Daddy it’s usually with