Will joins us, eyeing me. “I wasn’t even aware you had a vagina. I always thought you were just a pretty boy.”
“Maybe I’ll wear it tomorrow.” To Will’s graduation ceremony for his MBA.
He doesn’t even blink. “You should. The hot pink vagina shirt will help me find you guys in the crowd.” God, I love this guy and his laidback ways. Nothing much fazes him.
Mira and I finish filling her fridge. When we’re done, I say, “Okay, that’s everything ready for tomorrow.” I point at Will. “If you eat any of this food before I say you can, there will be hell to pay.”
He grins and says, “I wouldn’t dare,” before tipping back some beer.
“Yeah, you would.” I narrow my eyes at him, taking in the lines around his eyes. “You look tired. Is work kicking your ass?” Will’s an accountant and works far too many hours.
He shrugs. “Work, kids, life. Take your pick. Also, I don’t look half as tired as you do.”
Mira looks over at me. “I agree. Ashton needs to hire another assistant to help you.”
“No, what he needs to do,” Will says, giving me the look he reserves for when he’s being deadly serious, “is just make you COO already and hire an actual assistant to do all the things you don’t have time for anymore.” He pauses before adding, “It’s been a six-year deviation that needs to come to an end.”
The deviation he’s talking about is the one I made after I broke up with Jack. I’d just finished my business degree when we met, and I spent the two years we were together rising in my career. My goal was CEO of a Fortune 100 company one day.
I screwed up a lot at work after the break-up and lost my job. Ashton helped me through the devastation of losing Jack and my job. He also offered me a temporary job as his assistant. I was never meant to stay, but here I am, still managing Ashton and his business. He’s been training me for the COO role, and Will has been on my case for months to push for it to happen soon.
Ignoring him because this is a bone of contention between us, I look at Mira. “I’ve gotta go. Don’t let him eat that food.”
Will’s brows arch, but he doesn’t force the point. He’ll give me a couple of weeks before nudging me again. That’s what we do for each other, and I love him for it while also being mildly exasperated at times that I keep him around. Being called out on my shit isn’t something I love. I much prefer to be the one calling others out on theirs.
Mira says her goodbyes and Will walks me outside. “What’s going on, Jess? I meant it when I said you looked more tired than me.”
Will’s the only person who calls me Jess and gets away with it. Mira could if she tried, but she knows I’m not a fan, so she doesn’t even go there. It’s only because Will has been calling me that for twenty years that I’m good with him doing it.
“It’s been a bitch of a week.” I search for my car keys as we exit his yard.
“What else?”
I contemplate trying to bullshit him but discard that idea before it even fully forms. Will always knows when something’s going on with me. He’s been my person since the day my father died when I was ten.
As I turn to look up at him and tell him about my week, my phone goes crazy with notifications.
“Shit,” I mutter, reaching into my bag for it. “Sorry, let me just check what this is. I’m waiting on some important information for Ashton.”
I locate my phone, frowning at the ten notifications on the screen.
“Jesus.” The word slides through my lips slowly as I scroll the emails with the Google alerts I signed up for this week. The alerts on Jack.
“What is it?” Will asks.
I look at him again. “I think Jack’s in trouble.”
“How?” Will isn’t Jack’s biggest fan anymore. Actually, he’s not a fan at all. Not since the day Jack broke my heart.
“I don’t know yet, but if these alerts are anything to go by, he’s drinking again.” I don’t have to elaborate any further. Will knows Jack’s story.
“You think that’s likely?”
I smile. “Do you know something I really love about you?”
“What?”
“That you don’t have a judgemental bone in your body.”
“Actually, I do. You know this.”
“What? Because you judged Mr Roberts last week?” His neighbour, a cranky old man who is mean to everyone, strode down the street last Wednesday in a cow print dressing gown. Will texted me while he watched him strut his stuff.
“That, and the fact I’ve judged many other people.”
“There’s a difference between thinking random thoughts about a person and actual judging. You don’t have any time for Jack, and yet I heard no judgement just now.”
“You’re right that I don’t have any time for the guy, but I’m fully invested in his success if it means you’ll sleep easier at night.”
And that right there is why Will is my person.
“I don’t know what I think about Jack’s likelihood of success with this. I don’t know his mind anymore. But Ashton is worried.”
“Why are you getting notifications on this?”
“I took over keeping watch this week. And before you tell me what you think of that, the alternative is coping with Ashton’s moods while he tries to keep abreast of the situation. This is the lesser of two evils.”
Will searches my eyes, a knowing look in his. “I’m not so sure of that.” He nods at my phone. “What’s the plan now? And if any part of it has you involving yourself in Jack’s affairs, we’ll be going back inside my house and spending as long as it takes for me to talk you off that ledge.”
“I love it when you go all bossy alpha on me, Will Johnson. You’ll be pleased to hear that no part of the plan involves me doing any more than checking these alerts and checking in with his mum on how he’s doing.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” He opens my door for me after I unlock my car.
I slide into the driver’s seat and turn on the car.
Will closes my door and taps the roof before stepping back and watching as I pull away from the kerb.
I’m barely at the end of his street when a call comes through from Ashton.
“You’ve heard,” I say when I answer, guessing this call is about Jack.
“He called me.”
That’s unexpected and it slows my thoughts down. From the photos I saw of Jack at a party with a drink in his hand, and from what I read about him throwing a glass at a wall, I would have thought the last thing he’d be doing is calling Ashton.
“What happened?”
“He’s coming home.”
Also totally unexpected, leading to more slowing down. “Here to Sydney?” I pull my car over. I can’t drive and focus on this conversation. My thoughts are far messier than usual. Usually, I’m good at keeping all my thoughts in a straight line, but that’s never been the case when Jack is anywhere near them. And even more so right now.
“No, to Nymboida.” Jack’s property near Grafton. “He’ll be on a plane within the hour.” He pauses and I process that. He then says with some hesitation in his voice, “I need you to go and stay with him for a week.”