Page 82 of Mic Drop

Using Court’s newly gathered information, I plug Thaine’s work address into the GPS. As I’m driving, I can hear Bennett’s voice encouraging me to stick it to Michelle. Not that I need or want his advice, but it’s still nice to know I’m on the right track.

I pull into an office park and walk into the oversized facility. Turns out Thaine works in software development.

Straightening my shoulders and pulling out my ponytail holder, I approach the receptionist and ask to see Thaine Bell.Not weird at all. I add that my business is looking to develop a customer relationship management program, and heard he could help us. The receptionist buys it, because soon I’m escorted into a conference room and she’s getting me a tea.

The teabag dips into the hot water when Thaine walks into the room. “Hello,” a much lower-pitched voice says. “I heard you’re looking for a new CRM program. You came to the right place.”

I rise to my feet. Keeping my composure, I lift my chin. “Thaine.” His name sounds odd coming out of my mouth after so many years. “I actually have a good CRM program, but I needed to see you to fill you in on something Michelle Kent’s been doing.” For the first time, Iwonder if hedidgive her permission to use his name. Too late to go back now, though.

His brows come together as his gaze skims over my body. “Oh.” He tilts his head. “Jenna? Jenna Westfield, is that you?”

At least he recognized me. “It is.”

“Holy sh—” he cuts himself off from cursing. Bennett never had such reservations. “Wow. I haven’t seen you for how long? Ten years? More?”

“Something like that.”

His head shakes. “Wait. Didn’t I read somewhere that you got married not long ago? To that rock star, Bennett Hardy.”

My empty left hand fists. No need to go into my private life with him. “I did, but he’s not the reason I’m here.” Using my right hand, I point to the chairs. “Can we sit?”

“Of course. Where are my manners?” He pulls out a chair for me then sits, mumbling my name. “So you came here why again?”

I launch into an abbreviated version of Michelle’s campaign against me, the Black Widow graffiti, and finally her teaming up with Lissa to concoct the prostitution ring scheme.

He whistles. “That’s quite the story you have there. But I fail to see how I play into this?”

“Because Michelle’s using the name ‘Thaine Jasper’ on all socials.” I let this final revelation hang in the air while I take a sip of my tea.

I see the second a lightbulb goes off in his head. “Whoa. My first name and, if I remember correctly, her middle. That’s messed up.”

“It is.” I place my mug onto the table. “I thought finding out that Michelle’s using your name might be an incentive for you to help me stop her.”

Thaine leans back in his chair. Dark hair, almost black like Pierce’s, is cropped close to his face. Not a millimeter of scruff on his chin. He looks like he could be an insurance broker rather than a software developer.

“Michelle still pops up in my world from time to time. She gother boss to hire us for a new CRM system a couple of years ago.” His gaze drops to the table. “I’m sorry for how I ended things with you back in high school, Jenna. It was shitty of me to do, I see that now.”

“I have to admit, it hurt at the time. But we’ve both grown, I hope, and left high school in the rearview mirror.”

“You’re very kind.”

I can leverage his sentiment. Taking another sip of my tea, I ask, “So you’ll help me?”

“I guess I owe you one,” he says. “What do you have in mind?”

Chapter 23

Bennett

Ididn’t know what to expect with meeting Darren’s mother, but I had hoped for something more than this. “I don’t know why you came all the way out here.” Her gaze meets my gaze, then Luke’s, holding us to our seats in her family room. In the house Darren bought her years ago. Filled with framed photos of Darren playing the keys at various arenas. “My opinion of that trollop hasn’t changed. And it won’t.”

My body tenses. Instead of going off on her like Luke warned me against, I use measured words. “Mother Hilliard, we’re not asking you to change your opinion of Jenna. Merely, keep it closer to the vest.”

“You went and married her, right from under Darren’s nose. Was his body even cold before you two hooked up?”

How does she really feel?The need to defend my wife obliterates everything else. “I hadn’t seen Jenna since his funeral until the movie premiere. You know, UC’s movie that wasdedicatedto Darren?” I wait for her to acknowledge my comment, but she doesn’t. Further annoyed, I add, “At the gig, I got hurt and needed physical therapy. That was how we met. Again.”

Luke hops in, clearly trying to smooth over her ruffled feathers. “Mother Hilliard, I know how much Darren loved Jenna. And she him. I can assure you she and Bennett weren’t together for years after his passing. They were very respectful to your son.” This is something, coming from the man who called Darren an “ass” last night.

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