Page 54 of Old Habits
I glare at Jovie and she raises an anti-bullshit brow. Twice is coincidence. Three times is a purposeful assault.
“Okay, Tucker,” I say. “What’s going on?”
He pauses. “What do you mean?”
“You know what. Why are people bugging me tonight?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking ab—”
“Tucker…”I deepen my voice. “I know all your secrets and where you live and so does Jovie — and you know what happens to men who cross Jovie Ross.”
“Okay, okay...” He sighs. “But you didn’t hear this from me.”
“Hear what?”
“It’s… well, after your very public display of affection earlier today, certain people across town kind of… created… Jovie Watch.”
“Jovie Watch?” I blink. “What the hell is Jovie Watch?”
Jovie extends her palm to me. “Will, give me the phone.”
I hold up a finger to make her wait but she snatches the phone from my hand anyway.
“Tucker—” she says into it, “what’s going on?”
I hold my breath, trying to hear the conversation but the look on her falling face tells me everything.
“Thanks, Tucker,” she says. She hangs up and hands the phone back to me.
“What’d he say?” I ask.
“Jovie Watch… is the town’s way of babysitting me.”
I blink. “Their what?”
“Yeah.” She crosses her arms. “Apparently, I can’t be trusted to be alone with you, so they’re going to follow us around and cock block us whenever they can.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m paraphrasing but that’s the general gist of what he said.”
I glance around the square, locking eyes with a few passing couples as they wander by. They all immediately turn away and pretend they weren’t watching as soon as they take notice.
“What the fuck?” I whisper.
Jovie shoots off the bench, silently steaming as she stares at everyone around us.
I rise up and lay my hand on her shoulder. “Jove, I—”
“I’m going home.”
She spins around and takes off across the square.
“Wait, Jovie…” I catch up to her with a few wide strides. “I don’t care what they think, okay? Screw ‘em. Just ignore it.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have come back here.”
My chest tightens. “Hold on—”