Page 83 of The Last Autograph
Molly:I’m driving back later today but have a work dinner tonight that I can’t get out of. It’s not really a plus-one thing so…
Jake:Okay.Call in after if you can. I’ll leave the front door unlocked.
Those pesky three dots danced on the screen and then vanished. It would be several minutes before she replied.
Molly:I’ll see what I can do.
Jake:OK. Miss you.
And it was true—Jake had missed her so much, and to him, despite his mother’s disapproval, that was all that mattered.
He spent most of the day in his office before driving to Petrie Bay for a late afternoon surf with Todd. Back home later, he was about to make something to eat when his phone pinged with an incoming text.
Alexia:Hey, I’m at a loose end for an hour or two. Can we meet somewhere for an early dinner? I need to talk to you about Jesse’s will.
Shit!
Jake considered her request. He couldn’t stand the thought of sitting in a busy restaurant, listening to Alexia spew her bullshit version of the truth while flashing that maddening fake smile.
Besides, he hoped Molly would visit later, so in the end, he declined the dinner invite in favor of a meeting at his place.
Jake:Can’t sorry. Home now if you want to drop by.
Alexia:Fine. Be there in 5.
She arrived on his doorstep over twenty minutes later, wearing above-the-knee suede boots and a skintight dress more suitable for clubbing than a meeting to discuss his brother’s will.
As usual, she didn’t wait for an invitation to make herself comfortable, and as she took a seat in front of the fireplace, Jake’s unease intensified. If it weren’t for his mother’s close friendship with Alexia, he would have told her to piss off, but he had no intention of coming between the two of them.
“You haven’t been answering my texts.”
“I’ve only been home a couple of days.” He sat in the chair opposite. “What can I do for you?”
“To start with, the least you could do is offer a girl a drink.”
Jake rose from the chair, filled two glasses with water from the fridge filter, and dropped a slice of lemon into each. Alexia raised a brow as she accepted the glass without comment.
“How was Paris?”
“Hot.”
“And Ava?—”
“Is none of your business.”
Alexia shook her head and smirked. “Of course she’s not. Poor Molly. I bet she doesn’t suspect a thing.”
Jake held his anger in the clench of his jaw. He wasn’t about to discuss Molly with Alexia and knew that if he did, she’d twist the truth to suit herself anyway. “So, what’s this about Jesse’s will?”
She huffed. “You’re obviously still pissed about it then?”
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“Look, this is nothing personal. I?—”
“The hell it’s not, but then tit for tat’s been your MO ever since we were teenagers. You always tried to pit Jesse and me against each other.”
“I did not. You can be a right bastard sometimes, Jake, do you know that? I just want to talk, but here you are with your whole grumpy-prick gig.”
