Jaded

[17] The Flirt

I feel like reaching through the screen to shove him into the pool. Maybe he'll choke on the water.

When he rocks on his heels to face Pres-Jay, my stomach churns at the sight of his cloudy blue eyes. Vacant and lifeless as always. The only people capable of getting any warmth out of him are his parents, and they're usually too concerned with how he reflects on them to care about how he reflects on himself.

He looks the same as before I left, objectively handsome but with the skin of a predator. Looking at him now, I feel more disgust than I had anticipated. Eugh. I want to call him a lizard, but lizards really don't deserve that.

As we hear Duke explain who Pres-Jay are, someone in the corner of the frame catches my eye. She looks taller than I remember, but it's unmistakably Trixie- flawless bun, sharp brown eyes, and high heels to die for.

"Is it just me, or is she looking at Jay a little too closely?" Atty asks, scrunching his eyebrows.

I'm about to dismiss his concern as brotherly worry when I notice the way Trixie is taking small steps towards them and the way her lips are pursed. Dammit, that's the look of recognition.

Oh my god, how could I forget? Trixie is a runner; she's heavily involved in the track and field scene. And if there's anything I've learned in the past week, it's that Jay takes his training seriously- professional athlete type serious.

"How good of a runner is Jay? Like, is he champion level?"

Atty beams, grinning wide. "Yeah! He's a national track champion, pre-Olympic. I'm telling you, that kid will go places, he-"

"Trixie knows him. We have to distract her." As much as I hate to interrupt him when he's rambling, this is no time for familial pride.

I've already hit dial on my phone before Atty can even finish asking his question. We watch the screen as Trixie pauses and fishes around in the back pocket of her jeans. She pulls out her phone and her eyes widen, no doubt a reaction to caller ID. Trixie answers instantly.

"Jade?! Oh my god, I haven't heard from you in a while! Not since... well, you know. How are you? Doing well? When are you coming home?"

She bombards me with questions from the other end. All I can think of is, now what? I've got her on the line, and I take my time answering her questions. But even as I wrap up, Pres-Jay are still outside, being interrogated by paranoid Will.

I have to keep her on longer but it seems like she has different plans.

"Listen, Jade, I would love to keep yammering away, but you know it's Thursday." She waits expectantly, giving me enough time to remember that Thursday afternoons are reserved for her weekly spa sessions.

What am I going to do?! She loves her spa time.

I clear my throat, stalling as I scramble for answers. My brain is severely understaffed during lunch rush and it's complete chaos. "Yeah," pause for extended throat clear, "I actually called because I was showing someone around town and they really wanted to check out The BlueWay. You know how exclusive it is, but your daddy owns it so I know you can get us in."

I hear her groan; on the monitor I see her shifting her feet. There's something really creepy about being able to watch her without her knowing. "It's the middle of the day, who wants to go to a bar at this time? Plus, there are plenty of other great bars around town... I don't know, is it necessary?"

Think Jade, think. What does Trixie like more than her spa time? The harder I try to grasp for an answer, the more blank my mind becomes. Then Atty begins fidgeting, his knee bumping against mine.