Page 22 of Evergreen Desires
Beau chuckled, the sound lifting the heaviness in the air. With his hand on the small of my back, he led me to our next destination, our date still in progress. "Yes, he is," Beau agreed, the weight of the moment melting away in his presence.
CHAPTER 20
BEAU
“Come on, my knight, let’s get you home,” I said, wrapping an arm around Jake’s waist and pulling him close.
He leaned into me, warm and loose-limbed, radiating that kind of tipsy joy that made everything around him feel lighter. As we stepped away from the bar, a guy with a too-white smile and a tight-fitting shirt brushed past us and gave Jake a lingering look.
“Hey, handsome,” the guy said, just loud enough to be heard. “You here alone?”
Jake laughed, not unkindly, but didn’t miss a beat. He tightened his arm around my waist and said, “Nope. I’m withhim,” tilting his head toward me.
The guy raised an eyebrow, smirked, and backed off with a shrug.
It wasn’t a scene or anything—barely a few seconds—but it hit me square in the chest. Not possessiveness exactly, more like… pride. Like I’d been chosen, and Jake wasn’t afraid to say it out loud.
A small victory, but one that warmed me more than I expected.
"Why aren't you as sloshed as I am? We drank the same," Jake asked.
"You must be a lightweight. I also wanted to make sure I could get you home safely, so I stopped drinking after the first Mai Tai." I replied, tightening my hold around him. “I wanted you to have a good time tonight.”
We exited the bar and walked the short distance to the valet stand at the restaurant. It was late, and the crowds had dwindled down, leaving only a few stragglers. I handed my valet slip to the same guy who’d parked my Jeep earlier.
"Was it as good a night as you had hoped for, sir?" the valet asked.
"Yes, we had a great time. Thank you," I responded, my smile widening as Jake interjected with his enthusiastic agreement.
"Great time!" he slurred.
"One second, sir, let me get that right up here for you," the valet said, ducking down into the key cabinet. I noticed a hint of panic in his movements as he searched for my keys. He pulled out his cellphone and made a call, his hand covering his mouth as he spoke into it as if not wanting us to overhear.
"Hey... did you take any keys home in your pocket by accident? Go check your pockets to make sure... okay, thanks," he said into the phone. Hanging up, he muttered a soft curse under his breath and turned to face me, panic evident in his eyes.
I quickly diffused the situation. "It's okay, it's late. I'm sure they'll turn up tomorrow. I have a hide-a-key on myJeep. Just point me in the direction of the lot, and I'll go get it myself. When you find the keys tomorrow, you can just call me," I said, walking Jake over to a nearby bench beside the valet stand. "Can you keep an eye on him for me while I retrieve it?"
"Yes, sir, of course. I'm so sorry. I'm not sure what happened. There were three of us working tonight," the valet apologized, clearly flustered and confused.
"It's fine. Which way?" I asked, my focus shifting to the location of the lot.
The valet pointed in the opposite direction, and I thanked him before heading off in a jog. The lot was nearly empty, making it easy to spot my Jeep backed into a spot along the far side. As I approached the front driver's side wheel well, I reached under and found the key box hidden there. With a quick slide, the compartment opened, and the key dropped into the palm of my hand.
I unlocked the driver's door and prepared to slide into the seat when something caught my eye. My keys were sitting on the driver's seat, but they were all cut in half, each one snipped with wire or bolt cutters. Anger surged within me as I take in the sight. Next to the keys lay a note, scrawled on a blank piece of paper: "Don't fuck with me"
"Damn it!" I cursed. My vision blurred as I stared at the ruined keys and the threatening note. A quick scan of the parking lot revealed no one suspicious. It was clear that someone wasn’t happy, and I had a strong feeling it was connected to Rich.
Though part of me wanted to call the police, I resisted the urge. I didn’t want Jake to be pulled into any political mess. I knew that this was personal, involving Rich's desire for a personal payday at my expense. But I played by the rules—well, mostly. I might have had my secret advantages in the cannabis business, but I wouldn’t resort to bribery or anything else illegal. I believed in the long game, in winning through hard work and integrity.
I gathered the clipped keys and the note, shoving them into the glove box. My priority now was getting Jake home safely. Using my spare key, I pulled the Jeep up to the valet stand and hopped out of the driver's side. As I approached Jake sitting patiently on the bench, a smile graced his face.
"Ready, my knight?" I asked, keeping my voice pleasant to mask the anger still simmering within me.
"Yes, sir!" Jake responded, looking at me with a slightly mischievous side-eye.
I helped him up and guided him into the Jeep, planting a soft peck on his neck before closing the door. I glanced at the valet, who seemed genuinely grateful for my understanding.
"I found my keys. Someone must have left them in the car when they parked it," I explained, slipping him a few bills. "Thank you for watching him for me."
