Page 109 of Perfect Sin
People start filing in after they pass through security. Tessa is correct about Jesse’s arrogance. He walks in with a couple of his friends and scans the room.
“Are we missing something?” I ask sizing them up. “Did he really think he’d come in here with two frat rejects and take me?”
“You’re right, something is off,” she agrees. “Nothing we can do about it now. We’ve got to roll with whatever happens.”
“Didn’t realize you were so zen in life-threatening situations,” I joke.
“I’ve had practice,” she murmurs.
“How long do we have to wait to spring the trap?” I whisper.
“I know they hope we are going to be able to get some evidence on the surveillance, maybe get Jesse to slip up and let them learn how he’s contacting Jones before they act. Jesse seems stupid, but he isn’t as dumb as they think he is.”
“If that’s plan A, what is plan B?” We talked at length about how to get Jesse in the location of our choosing, and I’m sure there was a discussion about what to do once we got him here. I’ve been more than a little preoccupied lately, and the details have flown out of my brain.
“If he doesn’t brag about Jones, then we get him on camera making his move against you. None of this is Sin’s plan by the way. His vote was to kill him. He was overruled, narrowly.”
“Let me guess, my brother was down with that plan?”
“Ted too at first. Sin’s dad managed to get them both to back off. He’s kinda scary for a suit. Hot, too,” she muses.
“And married,” I remind her.
She bumps my shoulder. “No harm in looking.”
Hanging out with her is weird because I kind of like it. She’s got rougher edges than Jen and Amber. I love them both, but I sense she understands me on a level they never will. Maybe I’ll be able to move past her and Sin hooking up after all.
Jen and Amber come over to us. Amber is bouncing on the balls of her feet. “We need to look like we’re enjoying the party. Let’s dance.”
The mats have been moved from in front of the mirrors to create a dance floor. A DJ is set up in the corner, and music starts to fill the space. Lights flash, and for a moment I forget we’re here to spring a trap on the campus rapist.
My movements are wooden. Amber puts her hands on my hips and guides me until I’m dancing on my own. “I know this isn’t the most ideal moment, but we’ve got to take the good moments when they come. Even if they’re surrounded by shit.”
We dance for a few minutes, enough time for the other thing weighing on me to bubble to the surface. “I think I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.
Jen’s eyes bug out, and Amber covers her mouth. “How sure are you?” Jen asks.
I shrug. “I took a few pregnancy tests. They were all defective, so I took a blood test yesterday. I have to wait until Monday at the earliest to find out. I’m really late.”
“We are here for you. No matter what,” Amber promises.
“Me too, I guess,” Tessa grumbles, then winks letting me know she’s joking.
Somehow while pretending to be friends we actually became friends, sort of. I don’t trust her yet, but maybe we’ll get there.
“Let’s get through tonight. We’ll worry about the possibility of a baby Sin later,” Tessa says and hands me a drink.
“Oh, I can’t have that,” I say waving it away.
“It’s a soda,” she says and puts it in my hand.
Jesse and his crew work their way toward us. They’re just as smarmy as I remember them. “Raven, I’m surprised to see you here without the ball and chain.”
“Is there a reason you’re talking to us? I thought the knife I put in your shoulder would have been enough of a signal that I don’t want to see you.”
“See, that’s not going to work for me. I’ve got expectations to meet. There are people who would very much like to meet you. I’ve been tasked with making that happen.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t work for me.”