hidden. He returned with a large Band-Aid. He opened it as he knelt in front of her again. He leaned in and kissed the scrape. She gasped and looked at him in confusion.
“My mom always kissed my boo-boo’s,” he said with a smirk as he put the Band-Aid on.
“I’m not three, Jamison.” He stood and smiled down on her.
“No, you’re not, but you are safe at home.” She nodded to him seriously. When he went to the door, she stood and followed him. “Just so I will sleep well tonight, use that chain.” He motioned to the chain hanging beside the door. She nodded and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 5
Ethan emerged from his bedroom still in his clothes from the night before, holding his head and squinting at the light. Jamison sat at the table eating eggs and bacon.
“You hungry?” Jamison asked. Ethan’s face turned three shades of green.
“No, I’m good.” He went over to the refrigerator and took out a Gatorade. Jamison continued eating.
“How are you able to eat? I saw you drinking last night too.” Ethan fell into the couch.
“Oh, I don’t drink. I was just drinking coke,” Jamison shrugged.
“I DON’T DRINK! You told me—” He trailed off realizing that Jamison hadn’t told him he had to drink. “How long did Nyla stay after I passed out?” He groaned.
“Not long, she had to work today. She was a little tipsy when she left though, and next party you don’t mix drinks, OK?” Jamison took his empty plate to the sink and began to wash it.
“How did she get home? You didn’t let her walk by herself, did you?” Ethan sat up, his expression accusing.
“No, I walked her home and made sure she made it up to her apartment. She was fine.” Jamison crossed the living room to go to his room.
“So let me get this straight, I drank too much and didn’t get anywhere with her, and YOU walked her home. Did you kiss her?” Ethan slowly rose with his hands in fists.
“No—I mean, no.” Jamison avoided his eyes. “I’m not trying to move in on her. Trust me. No.” He shook his head.
“Back up, what do you mean ‘no, I mean, no’?” Ethan imitated Jamison’s tone.
“Well, she fell and scraped her knee, and I cleaned it up for her, and I kissed it for good measure.” Jamison felt like he was on trial.
“For good measure?” Ethan repeated, fuming now. He stormed to his bedroom and slammed the door.
“Yep,” Jamison said to an empty room.
Nyla had swallowed so many Tylenol and Advil in the time between her walk from the coffee house to when she sat at her desk waiting for the lunch break. Saturdays were always busy. That was when they opened the doors and let people wander in. She was able to earn commission on Saturdays, and she liked interacting with potential clients. She rose and walked an elderly couple to the door as Jamison came in.
“We’re closing for lunch,” she said, putting her hand to her head.
“I know,” he smiled.
“I’m not going to go to lunch with you.” She rolled her eyes.
“I know.” He came in from the doorway and leaned on the counter at the front desk. “How’s your knee?” She locked the door and walked around behind the counter to her desk, taking out her purse from the drawer.
“It’s fine.” She pulled out her sack lunch, sat it on the desk, and stood there watching him. Angela descended the stairs with freshly reddened lips and brushed hair. Nyla raised her eyebrow as she looked down at her computer. Jamison smiled at Angela.
“You’re early.” She walked over to him and kissed his cheek.
“Yeah, I was ahead of schedule, so I thought I’d head over.” He glanced at Nyla, her face red as she stared out the opposite window.
“Nyla, I should be back in about an hour, but if I run late, go ahead and re-open. You can handle anyone who comes in, right?” Angela purred, as she slithered her arm through Jamison’s. He put his hand in his pocket, turned, and led her to the front door.
“Of course,” Nyla said in
“My mom always kissed my boo-boo’s,” he said with a smirk as he put the Band-Aid on.
“I’m not three, Jamison.” He stood and smiled down on her.
“No, you’re not, but you are safe at home.” She nodded to him seriously. When he went to the door, she stood and followed him. “Just so I will sleep well tonight, use that chain.” He motioned to the chain hanging beside the door. She nodded and closed the door behind him.
Chapter 5
Ethan emerged from his bedroom still in his clothes from the night before, holding his head and squinting at the light. Jamison sat at the table eating eggs and bacon.
“You hungry?” Jamison asked. Ethan’s face turned three shades of green.
“No, I’m good.” He went over to the refrigerator and took out a Gatorade. Jamison continued eating.
“How are you able to eat? I saw you drinking last night too.” Ethan fell into the couch.
“Oh, I don’t drink. I was just drinking coke,” Jamison shrugged.
“I DON’T DRINK! You told me—” He trailed off realizing that Jamison hadn’t told him he had to drink. “How long did Nyla stay after I passed out?” He groaned.
“Not long, she had to work today. She was a little tipsy when she left though, and next party you don’t mix drinks, OK?” Jamison took his empty plate to the sink and began to wash it.
“How did she get home? You didn’t let her walk by herself, did you?” Ethan sat up, his expression accusing.
“No, I walked her home and made sure she made it up to her apartment. She was fine.” Jamison crossed the living room to go to his room.
“So let me get this straight, I drank too much and didn’t get anywhere with her, and YOU walked her home. Did you kiss her?” Ethan slowly rose with his hands in fists.
“No—I mean, no.” Jamison avoided his eyes. “I’m not trying to move in on her. Trust me. No.” He shook his head.
“Back up, what do you mean ‘no, I mean, no’?” Ethan imitated Jamison’s tone.
“Well, she fell and scraped her knee, and I cleaned it up for her, and I kissed it for good measure.” Jamison felt like he was on trial.
“For good measure?” Ethan repeated, fuming now. He stormed to his bedroom and slammed the door.
“Yep,” Jamison said to an empty room.
Nyla had swallowed so many Tylenol and Advil in the time between her walk from the coffee house to when she sat at her desk waiting for the lunch break. Saturdays were always busy. That was when they opened the doors and let people wander in. She was able to earn commission on Saturdays, and she liked interacting with potential clients. She rose and walked an elderly couple to the door as Jamison came in.
“We’re closing for lunch,” she said, putting her hand to her head.
“I know,” he smiled.
“I’m not going to go to lunch with you.” She rolled her eyes.
“I know.” He came in from the doorway and leaned on the counter at the front desk. “How’s your knee?” She locked the door and walked around behind the counter to her desk, taking out her purse from the drawer.
“It’s fine.” She pulled out her sack lunch, sat it on the desk, and stood there watching him. Angela descended the stairs with freshly reddened lips and brushed hair. Nyla raised her eyebrow as she looked down at her computer. Jamison smiled at Angela.
“You’re early.” She walked over to him and kissed his cheek.
“Yeah, I was ahead of schedule, so I thought I’d head over.” He glanced at Nyla, her face red as she stared out the opposite window.
“Nyla, I should be back in about an hour, but if I run late, go ahead and re-open. You can handle anyone who comes in, right?” Angela purred, as she slithered her arm through Jamison’s. He put his hand in his pocket, turned, and led her to the front door.
“Of course,” Nyla said in
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