Page 21 of Unofficial

He closes his eyes, grimacing at the memory. "Yeah, Jack got into an accident on site. Drove a piece of machinery into the side of a building, and when they took him to the facility, his blood alcohol was over double the legal limit."

Her face immediately changes to concern when he opens his eyes. "Is he okay? Was anyone hurt?"

Of course, she'd be the type to worry about people she doesn't really know. Her genuine goodness kills him. "He'll be okay, but he has to either finally go to rehab or lose his job. No one else got hurt."

"How did HR handle everything? You used to be worried they'd try and turn it around on you when the inevitable happened."

"Luckily, I'd documented everything. I made sure to send a lot of communication follow-up through email for the written chain, so when they came to talk to me with the owner, I had my ass covered. The head of HR I spoke with is in some hot water, though. No one's seen her in the office for a few days."

"Yikes."

He nods and signals to Tim. "Can I get a beer?"

"Meeting someone tonight?" Jess asks.

"I was hoping to run into Lena," Kade jokes and chuckles.

"Good luck. She's dating a guy named Joe. He's absolutely smitten with her, and she's already said she's going to marry him."

Kade freezes as Tim sets the drink in front of him. "You're making that up."

"I'm not. Lena got my number from a friend of a friend who knew someone I worked with or something, I guess. I think that's what she said. We've been talking, and she told me all about him. When we went to dinner, I saw them together. They are actually really cute."

"You became friends with Lena? After..." He trails off, unable to finish the statement of one of the worst nights of his life.

"Trust me, your surprise doesn’t compare to mine. She's not a bad person. We've hung out a few times, actually. The story of how we met is a real hit when people ask."

Jess and Lena are friends? This doesn't sound or feel like anything good for him. "So, are you here just having a drink before heading home?"

"I'm meeting someone, actually."

"A date?"

Her eyes focus on her wineglass. "Yes."

A feather could have knocked him over and off the barstool. He's surprised at the sting of the thought of her with another man. He tries to find the words to say, but he fails and stays mute.

"It's only our third date," she answers one of his unasked questions. "I'm meeting him here because I learned my lesson that moving too fast doesn't end well. Until I know what his true intentions are, I'm going to be careful. I got burned pretty badly last time."

"How'd you meet him?" he asks, finally finding his voice.

"Lena, actually. He's a high school buddy of Joe's. He and his last girlfriend broke up because he wanted to get married, and she didn't. That alone sounds like he's looking for more than just someone to casually date."

The words were meant to hurt, and they became a sword that cut right through his damn sternum. Before he can say anything, a handsome man walks into the bar and sits down on the opposite side of her. His hand rests on the small of her back, and he kisses her cheek.

"Hey, Jess. You look fantastic. Ready to go?"

Jess lifts the glass to her lips and finishes the wine before signaling to Tim. "I just need to pay my tab."

"I got it," Kade says. "Have fun on your date."

He stands and walks over to his original seat without another word, but he can't stop himself from watching the couple as they stand. The guy helps her put on her jacket, and she laughs at something he says before he holds the door open for her. His hand rests on the small of her back, and all Kade wants to do is pummel the man to the floor. He put his hands on Kade's girl.

"I added her wine to your tab before you went to talk to her," Tim says as he walks by. "Figured it was the least you could do."

"You're an asshole, you know that? Everyone thinks you're this nice guy, but you're a damn prick."

Tim just smirks and walks away.

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