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The remainder of the trip was silent, which was fine with Thaddeus. He’d get her home safely, wait for her to change to go out, then he’d drive her there. It was simple, and it was not negotiable.
*****
Jana was furious. It wasn’t solely that she had a bodyguard as a permanent appendage. It was that the man was as quiet as a stone statue. How was she supposed to deal with that?
She’d ranted and raved, making it clear what her demands were. Yet she might as well have been talking to herself, for as much response as she got. Thaddeus had said two sentences, three max. And that was supposed to handle the situation.
It was downright infuriating.
Thaddeus wouldn’t get away with it. He could be as silent as he wished. That wouldn’t change Jana’s mind. And how dare he imply that she didn’t care about her own safety? That was ridiculous. If there was danger to be concerned with, she would be.
When the Jeep pulled into the driveway, Jana leapt out and ran up the stairs to the house. It was good that she didn’t run into Eva, as it wouldn’t have been pleasant. Once she reached her room, she shoved the door closed and flopped onto the bed.
How had things gotten so out of control? Why did Thaddeus have that effect on her, and why did she even care?
Jana expelled a breath. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her evening. After hours of intense focus and concentration, she needed to unwind. A couple of hours of downtime would go a long way toward that end. She’d change clothes, then take her own car to the restaurant.
If Thaddeus didn’t like it, then that was too bad.
Yet Jana was conflicted. As she dug through her drawer for the sweater she wanted to wear, she couldn’t stop thinking of Thaddeus. It would make things so much easier if she just didn’t like him. But, as annoying as it was, she found him attractive.
At lunch, he’d made the perfect date. Of course, Jana had done all the talking. But that had been fine with her then. There was a time for listening and a time for talking. And during an argument, talking was mandatory.
She ran her hands through her hair, yanking on it a bit too hard. What in the world was she going to do about Thaddeus? She closed her eyes.
She was going to finish getting dressed and go out. That was what she was going to do. And she was going to forget about him. Even if the man hovered around, she’d ignore him and see how he liked that.
Once she was satisfied with what she was wearing, Jana grabbed a scarf and headed for the door. It didn’t matter what she wore anyway, since she was meeting a girlfriend. A nagging voice whispered that she wanted to look good for Thaddeus.
“That’s ridiculous.” She opened the door and went down the hall. Then she took the stairs two at a time.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see Thaddeus. There was no need to let her grandmother know where she was going. She often went out and wasn’t expected to relay her every move.
Jana went to the garage and got into her Ram pickup. She loved that shiny red truck. She’d had it for years and was at home behind the wheel. She started it up and backed it out, smelling freedom. After she pulled onto the road, she looked in her rearview mirror.
Then she shook her head. Thaddeus was in the Jeep, right behind her. There was a man who couldn’t take no for an answer. He could follow, but she didn’t have to pay attention. So, she watched the road and thought about what she would order at the restaurant.
When she arrived, the lot was nearly full, but there were a couple of spaces on the perimeter. She pulled in, got out, and clicked to lock the door. She may not have an attacker gunning for her, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t take normal precautions.
Jana headed for the restaurant. It was a favorite hangout and the bartender was talented with mixed drinks. Plus, there were plenty of beers on tap. As soon as she entered, Coley waved at her from a table near the windows.
Josie’s was a trendy place, with a high A-frame ceiling. The wooden beams were polished to a sheen, like the floor. The huge stone fireplace was a centerpiece and the bar had a long, curved marble counter. It was noisy and fun, just the type of place Jana liked.
Coley had already started on a margarita, so Jana ordered the same. It was so loud, between the music and the crowd, that she had to raise her voice to give the order. A bowl of pretzels was delivered to the table, followed by the drink.
Jana took a sip. “That hits the spot.”
“Where’s your bodyguard?” Coley looked around. “I thought he’d be here.”
“I’m sure he is, but don’t look at him. I tried to convince him not to come.”
Coley licked salt from the rim of her glass. “Whatever for? I want to see him.”
Jana waited, but not for long.
“There is an amazing guy at the bar, and I think he’s watching us,” Coley said. “He has to be over six feet—quite a bit over, I’d say. The long hair is sexy. And blue eyes…” She looked over. “Is that the guy?”
“I’m afraid so.”
