“It’s on the water in Santa Barbara. Jess, you have to visit me. Please, please visit me.”
“I would love that,” she said. It was hard to imagine going to California, but what a nice visual!
“What about your place?” Tiffy asked.
Jess shrugged. “It’s on Academy Street. We’re getting there. Renting now, plans to buy next year.”
“You’ll invite me over when you’re in, won’t you?” Tiffy asked. She looked fantastic; no longer too thin, better dressed, her hair no longer bleached white-blond.
“Of course I will,” Jess said. She held out her phone and took a selfie of the two of them. “Look at us. We’re awesome.”
“We are!” Tiffy said. “We should be the trailer-park poster children. Speaking of that, there’s Levi. I gotta go squeeze those biceps.” She laughed, then went to say hi to their old friend.
Jess sipped a glass of wine from a plastic cup and hung back a little, just watching. Funny, how things never changed that much. Colleen, the most popular girl in high school, was the most popular girl at the reunion. Her stomach was getting a lot of pats, and Lucas, who’d graduated with them but had only moved to Manningsport in their senior year, was having his back slapped a lot. Levi and Jeremy were still best friends. Bryce Campbell, the class pretty boy, was dating Paulie Petrosinsky, who’d worshipped him back then. Theresa DeFilio was still taking care of everyone, making sure people had wine, talking to the caterers.
People whipped out their phones to show pictures of their kids, bragging about their jobs or glossing over things they didn’t want to discuss.
And yes, some people—women all—shot looks her way. She returned the looks steadily. Not everyone had aged that well; Tanya Cross had gained at least a hundred pounds, and Carleen Krasinsky had dyed her hair black and gone the “too big for nature” breast implant route.
But she couldn’t see Connor anywhere. She hoped he hadn’t stayed away because of her.
The DJ was playing “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake, and a fair number of people were dancing, Faith and Jeremy taking up lots of room, since Jer was a terrible dancer and flailed like he was being electrocuted. Colleen and Lucas were looking far better, Colleen’s pregnancy only making her look more beautiful. Bryce and Paulie were laughing. So cute, those two. Theresa DeFilio and her nice husband, slow dancing despite the up-tempo song.
“Jessica Does!” boomed a voice, and Big Frankie Pepitone put his arm around her.
That fucking name. “Hey, Frankie,” she said.
“You still are incredibly hot,” Frankie said.
“Since last week when I saw you last?”
He gave her a one-armed hug. “Remember the time we did it in my rec room?”
“Barely. Is your wife here?”
“Nah. She’d be bored. So what’s up, Jess?”
“Hey, Jess,” said someone else. Jake Green, one of the ones who’d left and never come back. He hadn’t been nice back in high school, and he still looked like the entitled brat he’d been back then.
Yes, she’d slept with him, too.
“We havin’ a party over here?” Chris Eckbert, who’d been like a puppy dog to Jake. “Jess! Good to see you. Happy, happy memories.”
And she’d slept with him, too.
Mark Renner came over, too, looking much the same as he had in high school. Another football player, and yep, him, too. “How you doin’, Jess?”
“Mark. Nice to see you again.”
Her charms, for lack of a better word, had worked on Frankie and Mark. They’d befriended Davey, and with two giant football players calling him buddy, Davey hadn’t been picked on as much. Most guys had been good investments. Tanner Angst and Chris had been mediocre. And Jake...not at all. He’d been a waste, and one of her few miscalculations.
“You still a slut, Jess?” Jake asked now.
Great. He was already drunk. “No, I joined a convent after learning I had syphilis. And you are...?” Let him think she forgot him. He’d been forgettable, that was for sure.
“Jake Green. Bet I could convince you to go back to your slutty ways.”
“You’d lose that bet.” Ass.“Jess, I for one want to say thank-you,” Frankie said. “You sure made high school a lot more fun.”
“And I’d like to thank you, Frankie. For looking out for Davey. You, too, Mark.”
“Oh, man, yeah!” Mark said. “How is he?”
“He’s great.” See? It had been a fair trade. And now with the advantage of maturity, Jess could see that if she’d just asked Mark and Big Frankie to look out for her brother back then, they probably would’ve said yes just because they were nice.
“Tell the little dude I said hi, okay?” Mark said.
“I will. Thanks.”
“Let’s go somewhere,” Jake slurred. “I’ll make sure you remember me.”
“Shut up, ass-hat,” Frankie sighed. “You never could handle your booze.”
“I’m fine here,” Jessica said.
“Well, maybe I’ll follow you home. We can party.”
Did people still say that? “No, thanks.”
“You think you’re too good for me now? Trailer-park trash turned ice queen? We’ll see about that.”
And then Jake was on the floor, holding his hand over his mouth, which had just been soundly punched by Connor.
Oh, boy.
“Get up,” Connor growled.
Immediately, there was a crowd around them. Jake stayed where he was.
“Get up so I can beat the shit out of you,” Connor said.
“This is really unnecessary, Connor,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. He glanced at her. Oh. He was furious. Was it wrong to be a little turned on? Probably. Still, though. He looked... Damn. “It’s fine. Jake’s just an ass, same as ever.”
“He threatened you.” Connor looked back at Jake. “Get up, Green.”
Jake stood up. Great. “Fight,” someone said rather cheerfully. Where was Levi? Why was there never a cop around when you needed one?
“You’re gonna fight me over this whore?” Jake asked, and then Connor hit him again, and Jake staggered back, then swung at Connor.
Jess threw up her hands. “Stop it, please. Frankie, can you do something?”
“Are you kidding? Jake earned this.”
“I always hated Jake Green,” Colleen said. “Lucas, remember him?”
“I do. If Connor needs any help, I’m here. Also available for body disposal later on.”
“Oh, stop! You know I love when you get all gangster on me.”
“Does anyone care that they’re fighting?” Jessica asked. Connor landed a nice hit to the ribs, and Jake grunted. “Jeremy? Nothing?”
“Doctor’s hands,” Jeremy said, holding them out. “It’s a liability thing. Plus, I never could stand Jake.”
“Where’s Levi?” Jess asked.
“He stepped out to call my dad and check on the baby,” Faith said. Connor took a hit to the face, then gave a rather beautiful right cross, knocking Jake right on his ass.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Jessica said. “Gerard! Get over here and drive Jake to his parents’ place. I assume that’s where you’re staying, dumb-ass?”