Page 26 of The Relationship Mechanic

“Jessica.”

“Grace.” Jessica stared, not sure what her friend was trying to say. Her silence seemed loaded but with what, Jessica didn’t have the first clue. “Girl, can you just let me know exactly what you’re trying to say, because these hints are not working.”

Grace sighed before she crossed her arms. “You know exactly what I’m trying to say.”

“I promise you I don’t.”

“What I’m trying to tell you is that I don’t know how long I can keep this secret from Ava when you guys are going to be in the same room. I don’t understand why you don’t just stop since it’s not serious with Vini. Right?”

Something about that sentence didn’t sit right with Jessica. She normally would have no problem agreeing, and things between her and Vini weren’t serious. If Grace had been this gung ho about her not sleeping with anyone else, Jessica wouldn’t have a problem. It had happened once or twice over the course of their friendship on both of their ends. Jessica was quick with thehell, nos if Grace showed interest in someone who Jessica felt had bad energy. Grace might have been a little less firm about it, but she was never shy about giving her own two cents’ even if she said it a little nicer. She usually had great reasons too, and she never objected frivolously, which is why Jessica didn’t understand why she was so resistant now.

The idea of not talking to Vini, or seeing her in those overalls that were too damn cute they should be illegal, didn’t sit well in Jessica’s soul. She didn’t get it. It shouldn’t have been a problem to call it quits and go on about her day. But she was known for going with her gut, and right now her gut was sayinghell to the no.

“Sure, things aren’t serious between Vini and me like they are with you and Ava, but I’d still like to think that she and I are friends. Is that not a good thing to be friends with someone just because their sister or brother might object?”

“I’m not saying you and Vini can’t be friends. I’m just saying do you guys really have to have sex?”

Jessica snorted. “Well, no, but the sex is fire. I mean the things that girl can do with her tongue...”

Grace held up her hands and shook her head. “I don’t need to know any details. Like ever. Seriously. I will throw you out.”

Jessica chuckled. “Don’t worry. I have no desire to share anything with you if you promise the same.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Grace said. “But seriously, Jess, I don’t like hiding things from Ava. Especially since this involves her sister.”

Jessica could understand that, but at the same time was this really any of Ava’s business? “You’re not hiding anything, considering it doesn’t have to do with you. I can absolutely get along with Ava while she’s here. I got along with her before, didn’t I?” She hadn’t actually been around Ava more than a day or two over the past few weeks, but she survived Thanksgiving with the whole Williams clan. She could handle this.

Grace nodded although her expression made it clear she was still thinking about the situationship Jessica and Vini had stumbled into. While Jessica was curious what was going through her mind, she was also growing tired of this entire conversation. She was ready to move on, and she wanted Grace to move on too so Jessica could stop mulling over why this whole thing with Vini felt so much different than her previous friends-with-benefits relationships.

“Like I said, I’ll be gone in two weeks anyway, and then you won’t have to worry about it. We set an expiration date for a reason, okay? No one’s getting hurt, and no one’s feelings are getting smashed on.”

Grace still didn’t seem convinced, but when the doorbell rang, she thankfully dropped the subject and Jessica got ready to play the part of the benevolent best friend. What she wasn’t ready for was the Williams clan to troop into the house already in the midst of what seemed to be a spectacular argument. Ava led the group, hand-in-hand with Grace as she looked over her shoulder. When Vini walked into the room, Jessica’s eyes immediately saw no one else. Even with her frown, Vini was cute. Jessica almost wondered why she looked so murderous until the argument continued and she realized what was going on.

“Please tell me you guys haven’t been arguing since you left the house,” Grace said, giving all of them a knowing smile. Jessica was trying to continue playing the good friend who definitely didn’t egg on drama, but she was very intrigued. She knew how sibling arguments could get between her and Jason, and she always enjoyed observing someone else’s when she had no stake in the game.

“Now, do you really want me to lie to you?” Ava asked with a smile even Jessica could admit was charming. It certainly had an effect on Grace who folded faster than a lawn chair.

“Not really.”

“Then, I won’t answer that question.” Jessica smiled when Grace and Ava kissed briefly, both of them looking like they would have liked to extend that display further. Blessedly, it was Dani that spoke up, keeping things from becoming awkward.

“Well, now that we are all nauseous at your disgusting display of love to remind us that we are all tragically single, can we get back to the matter at hand?”

Ava rolled her eyes, but she and Grace separated. “Fine. It would be good to have some impartial parties weigh in on this.”

Vini scowled, and Jessica wondered what that was all about. It wasn’t like she had never seen Vini frown before, but usually that was reserved for shitty customers or Aiden’s off-key singing. When Dani and Ava turned to look at her, Jessica almost jerked to attention. Having those piercing dark brown eyes collectively looking her way was like doing a presentation in front of a class and realizing you were naked. It wasn’t often that she felt like that, but something about these Williams sisters kept throwing her off.

“Wait. Are you two asking for my opinion?” When they nodded, Jessica felt even more on edge. “Okay...well, I would kind of need to know what the whole thing is about before I can weigh in on it.”

“Seems fair,” Ava replied. “It’s about Vini. She—”

“I love how y’all talk about me like I’m not standing right here,” Vini cut in. “This is really unnecessary. I hope you know that.”

Vini’s declarations did nothing to placate Jessica’s curiosity. In fact, now she absolutely needed to know what was going on; whether she gave her own two cents’ about it or not was irrelevant.

“What’s unnecessary?”

Vini’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she crossed her arms with a huff. Jessica raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic behavior. Now she had to get to the bottom of things to satisfy her own burning curiosity.

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