Rendezvous (3 page)

Chapter 4

Tristan

I’m in the middle of training a client when Jacob calls. I tell myself I don’t really want to hear his progress report anyway. Yet as much as I try to convince myself otherwise, I do. I just don’t want to hear about how the love of my life is now in love someone else, if that really is the case. Once I get back to the house though, Aggie is waiting for me, and I have a feeling the rolling pin in her hand is for more than baking cookies.

“Jacob has called here three times. Why aren’t you answering him? He has some news about that girl of yours, so I suggest you get your ass on the line and call him back.”

After making sure my balls are still intact, I grab a quick shower then dial Jacob’s cell. I fail to notice myself pacing the room until I suddenly stop when he answers.

“About time you dialed me back. I think I found your girl. Although she’s not at all what I was expecting.”

I let my agitation get the best of me as I answer, “What part weren’t you expecting? The gorgeous girl or the asshole she’s now with?” I doubt he’s really an asshole but how good can her judge of character be when she threw me the fuck away. I’m wallowing in self pity, waiting to hear all of the shitty details. I find myself trying to crush the phone in my hand, wishing its Jacob’s face as I hear his laughter ringing in my ears.

“Nah, she is quite pretty. You were right about the whole naughty librarian thing. It definitely works for her, especially the way that tight little skirt she wears hugs the curve of her ass. The woman definitely knows how to get a man’s attention, but I was referring to the sass that comes out of that girl’s mouth. I wouldn’t suggest making a habit of interrupting her when she’s writing, it really pisses her off. As far as a man, I can’t help you there. She wasn’t with anyone. She did say she was spoken for, but the way she said it sounded a bit rehearsed. I’d say she’s used that bit to shoot down more than her fair share of men around here.”

“Ele swore she’s with someone. She told me she’s been in touch with her. She said she’s moved on and is happily in love, and that she just got engaged a few weeks ago, so there’s a man somewhere,” I choke on the words, not wanting to acknowledge how bad it hurts to admit she’s with someone else.

“Well, I don’t know about what Ele told you, but I didn’t see any man. There’s no ring on her finger either. Nor is there any mark showing one has been there. Hell, I even asked if she was married, and she confirmed she isn’t even engaged. I’ll look into it further though if it’s really bugging ya. I just wanted to let you know I found her. Oh and she’s going by the name Lena. Not sure if it has any kind of meaning, but maybe that cupcake of hers down there can tell you more.”

Hanging up the phone, I’m more confused than ever. Why the fuck would Ele lie to me? Why would she go out of her way to make that shit up about Bentley? She wouldn’t, or at least I hope she wouldn’t. Pulling on a pair of warm up pants, I dial Dante. After the second ring, he picks up.

“Hey Tristan, what's up?”

“Jacob found Bentley; he said she’s in some rinky dink town somewhere up North.”

“Yeah, he said she seemed okay, just a bit pissed off that he was bothering her,” I chuckle, knowing she probably gave him hell. “Thing is he didn’t find any signs of another man, so I don’t know what to make of that shit. I can’t think of any reason Ele would lie to me. I’m fucking relieved to hear it though. I mean she had me thinking the fucking worst of Bentley.”

“I told you there isn’t any other fucking man. I don’t know what kind of shit Electra has going on in her head but that’s not Bentley. I know for a fact, if that girl was going to call anyone and tell them she’s moved on, it wouldn’t be her. Shit, Bentley hadn’t heard from her in years until she called asking her to come to the signing. Completely out of the fucking blue. So I know damn well she wouldn’t have called Ele to talk about her new life. And as far as men go, you’re the first straight man she’s ever let get near her. Do you really think she’s going to go all hussy on us overnight?” Dante said with his typical 'I’ll cut a bitch' attitude.

“Well, Jacob is looking into it a bit further. I just thought I’d let you know she’s safe. I know we haven’t caught up with Darla yet, but at least with Jacob near Bentley, I know he’ll keep an eye on her. Although if he refers to her ass one more time, I might have to stick hot pokers in that fuck-head's eyes,” I joke.

After saying goodbye and hanging up, it occurs to me that I never asked Jacob where the rinky dink town is where she currently lives. I don’t recall him saying either. I’ll have to try and remember to check with him tomorrow to find out where she ended up settling down.

Jacob

I wait ten minutes after Bentley leaves to make sure she isn’t coming back before I jimmy her back lock. For some reason, I expect her place to look sterile. Instead, the place looks like something you’d find in a greeting card. It’s warm and inviting. Only there are no pictures. Actually, there is nothing personal at all in the living room. Checking out each of the rooms, it’s all the same. The place looks like a well lived-in home, only there’s nothing that says someone lives here. At least not until I reach her bedroom.

On the nightstand is a single picture. I smile in satisfaction knowing I am right. There in the frame is a picture of Tristan with his arms locked around Bentley. You can tell they didn’t realize the picture was being taken since they were both smiling but not looking anywhere near the camera. It’s the kind of picture that had you come upon them when it was being taken, it would have made you smile. They look like something straight out of one of those cheesy rom-com flicks. Completely lost in each other and oblivious to the world around them.

I’m happy that I can witness him finally finding some kind of happiness, even though it now looks like a long shot. Although another part of me envies the love he shares with her. I hope for his sake, he doesn’t ever really lose her. That’s the kind of thing that could break a man, and believe me I know. I’m still coming to terms with the woman I let slip away. Yet standing in this room, it isn’t a sense of remorse I feel, but elation. Bentley is safe, and after everything Tristan has been though, he trusted me to find her and watch over her.

After knowing all of the shit Tristan went through as a kid, it’s nice to know he finally has someone to call his own. His father was a real piece of shit, and he never got to meet my aunt. It sucks knowing I got to have her in my life for two years, and he never even got a chance to meet her. The son of a bitch wouldn’t even let him meet us. He told him we were all dead or didn’t exist.

I dwell on the past for a moment before remembering where I am. I take another look around her room before heading out. The last thing I want to chance is Bentley coming home and finding me in her house. Slipping out the back, I shoot a text to Tristan’s phone.

Unless her boyfriend doesn’t mind you being the first thing she sees when she wakes up, I say she doesn’t have one. The only personal thing in the whole damn place is a picture of the two of you.

I try covering my foot tracks in the snow as I make my way back to my truck. When I get closer, I notice someone else watching Bentley’s house. I wonder if it’s just a nosey neighbor and if he saw me going over there. He seemed not to notice me at all though. It looks like he’s writing in some kind of notepad. I swallow the bile in my throat as I remember Tristan telling me about her losing her sister to a stalker. I really hope whatever the fuck he’s writing isn’t some detailed shit about her comings and goings. Tristan would lose his shit if he found out someone else may want to hurt her.

Getting back in my truck, I watch for another twenty minutes before he finally gets up from his perch. I watch as he discards a coffee cup into a trash bin and takes off in a hurry. Driving over to the bin, I snatch up the cup lying on top. I’m not really fond of the idea of digging through trash, but I’m even less enthused about the idea that there’s some creep stalking Bentley. I hope for her sake that he’s just some local hick and not someone hired by her mother. Judging by the way he’s dressed though, I’d say he’s neither local nor some back woods yokel.

Before heading back to my hotel room, I slip the cup into a plastic bag and overnight it to a buddy. I give him a call to let him know it’s on the way. I’m not going to take any chances on her safety, so that means keeping her even closer until I have answers. It will take a couple of days before I have results, but at least then I’ll know who the fuck is watching my cousin’s girl.

Bentley

There isn’t much to do in a small town when you’re on your own. Especially when everyone around you is part of the holiday bustle. It’s only the first week of December, but the heavy snowfall seems to have put everyone in the Christmas spirit. Every other shop in town now has some form of holiday lighting or decorations. People are packed in tight on the streets as they hustle from store to store while I’m sitting in a quaint little coffee shop sipping on hot chocolate and stalking Facebook.

Not the best use of my time, I know, but Dante usually posts about a thing or two he wants. So I’ve been spying and waiting for his wish list so I can send him something, which I’ll have shipped to him directly so my address stays protected. I know he misses me, but it’s just not safe to have him in my life right now.

Scrolling down, I see Tristan posted a picture to Dante and I click on Tristan's name. I’m glad that they have each other. It makes it a little easier knowing what I left behind. I continued to scroll through Tristan’s page, even though I know the odds are that by now he’s moved on. I feel a pang of jealousy though when I come across a picture of him and some girl. She has her arms locked around his waist and she is standing on her toes while kissing him on the cheek. Something inside of me feels like it is dying in that moment. I know I might be reading into it more than I should, but the picture looks so intimate. Sure, I had told him to move on and that I’d never be returning to him. Yet seeing him with another girl makes me feel like I’m being buried alive. I can’t fucking breathe.

I know I don’t logically have any right to be upset, but that doesn’t stop the hurt I feel, even if he isn’t mine. Somewhere over that last year, I fell in love with Tristan, and I guess a part of me might always love him, even if he is never by my side again. I’m not sure why, but I put a smiley face in the comments of the picture. I hope that if he ever finds out it’s me; he believes I’m happy for him.

Looking up from my screen, I damn near have a heart attack. Sitting in the seat across from me is the same guy from Tony’s place. I try hard to hide my anxiety, but the fact that I nearly fall out of my seat makes that almost impossible.

“Is there something I can help you with? Jacob? I believe that is your name, right?” I ask with no real interest.

“Funny, this is the second time I’ve run into you and you’re alone again. Let me guess ... trouble in paradise? The fiancé doesn’t like all of the time you spend on social media? Or maybe he doesn’t like to compete with your laptop for attention? Or perhaps paradise doesn’t even exist?”

“Paradise is highly overrated. Don’t you have some bimbo you can be playing hide the sausage with? And for the record, I like spending time with myself. I don’t need a man fucking up my atmosphere just because he feels like he needs to be up my ass. That includes you too. I don’t mean to come off bitchy, but I thought I made that clear the other night.” I reply with a bit more snark than intended, but he chose a bad time to rub me the wrong damn way.

“Ah, I see. So then the truth is your man is as fictional as your writing, and you prefer it that way. That works, if I’m being honest Lena, you’re an attractive woman but I’m not interested in you in that capacity. So there isn’t any real need to lie to me on that front. I simply don’t like the idea of a woman, such as you, leaving herself open to the predators that hide in plain sight just because she doesn’t want company.”

“Really? Because you were coming off pretty strong the other night. Oh, and that predator shit. Trust me, there are worse things lurking in plain sight than some asshole with a hard on. Just so we’re clear: I’m not buying your knight in shining armor shit. I tried that once, and he was nothing more than a douche bag in aluminum foil.”

“Are you always so affronting, Lena? Honestly, I don’t think it’s a crime to want to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman. I’m sorry if I offended you by prying into your personal life, and I swear I’m not usually a douche bag nor have I ever knowingly dressed in foil.”

I give a small sigh of resignation before apologizing. “I won’t sit here and lie and tell you I’m sorry Jacob. I’m not in the mood for your analytical bullshit. It’s been a hell of a week, and I don’t really feel like playing nice.” I look out the window at the happy couples walking by, feeling myself sink even lower. “I hate this time of year. It’s always the worst for me. I don’t usually mind being alone. Hell, most of the time I prefer it. But lately it seems to really bother me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge anyone their own happiness, it just sucks when my own has moved on.”

“Moved on? Are you certain of that? I’d find it pretty hard to believe that anyone would be able to forget you so easily,” he said while giving me a small smile.

“I don’t know if it was easy, I don’t even know when it happened. But I am happy for him. He deserves to be happy and have someone who can be with him completely. Someone who can show him that she loves him every day. That isn’t something I could do at this moment in my life, so I should be happy that he found someone who can.” As I say the words, I know in my heart that I truly believe them. I love Tristan enough that I want him to have someone who can love him the same way, if not even more.