Page 36 of Playing For Keeps
“It’s true Cee, it’s why it’s hell knowing that you found someone else,” he stated reaching out for her.
“Jake stop we’re in public,” she warned opening the door.
“I don’t care; it’s two days until the auction. I’m tired of hiding us, Cee.”
“I’m not,” she countered. “When you leave, I’m going to be the one facing the questions. Why was I dumb enough to come back to you after knowing that it wouldn’t have a different outcome? Why didn’t I tell everyone who I was? On and on and on…they won’t stop.”
“I’m not leaving you baby. I’m not going anywhere without you ever again.”
“I’m not moving Jake. My life is here; my friends are here.”
“Then I’ll just have to come to Seattle,” he stated seeing the police car pull in.
Stacey noticed it too along with the officer and grew concerned. She hurried over to the doors as Jake raced after her trying to stop her.
“I’m not finished with this conversation Cee.”
“I am. This is temporary Jake, it always has been,” she said pushing past him into the ballroom that the officer had just entered.
“Stacey,” he hissed grabbing her around the waist to move her out of the way, as he took in the scene.
“You knew!” she stated trying to stop the panic from hitting her. “That’s what this was all about; you were trying to stall me, weren’t you?”
“Stace,” Emma said hurrying over to them. “Come on, go out now.”
“No, what the hell Emma? I don’t need to be protected. You should have told me they were here,” she said glaring at her friend then Miles, the officer—Bryant, and finally at Jake.
“We didn’t violate anything,” Nathaniel stated loudly as the other officers tried to get them to leave.
“We didn’t know she’d come in here,” Alan added.
“Like hell you didn’t,” Walker countered, and she saw the knowledge in his eyes. “She’s been on the TV with Jake promoting this.”
“So didn’t mean she’d be here,” Ricky stated. “Besides it says we can’t come to her…”
“Alright it’s time for you three to go, come around here again and you’ll be back in a jail cell,” Bryant told them.
“Fine,” Nathaniel said as they put their tools down and headed for the door.
Jake moved between her and them as they sent her smirks and sneers.
Bryant came back a few minutes later, “They’re gone.”
“Good,” Emma sighed giving her a hug, but she shook her head.
“That was too easy, something’s not right.”
“Stacey, they’re gone. I watched them leave,” Bryant stated.
“Yeah, well I was the one with a knife to my throat for four hours and he gives up after two minutes? It doesn’t add up,” she argued moving over to the stage where they’d been working. She studied it and then the rest of the stage and workers.
“What is it, Stacey?” Jake asked seeing the look that crossed her face.
“Do you all use your own tools?” she questioned the other workers.
“No, they’re provided from the company,” the man in charge stated.
“What does that matter?” Miles asked.
