Rags to Riches. Really? (1st book of Really? Series)

Chapter 21

"You fought somewhere you weren't supposed to, didn't you?" Jean-Pierre asked in a slight hiss. He glared, watching me walk around Abe's office while I cleaned it up like I normally did because he was such an unorganized male.

"Shhhhh," I hissed, narrowing my eyes while I looked towards him. "My grandmother is right outside, and she has no idea." I gave him a pointed look, and his eyes grew wide before he nodded.

"But did you?" Jean-Pierre pressed. "I knew that you were injured when I fought you, even though you tried to play it off. That male also tried to play it off, but I could tell that he was concerned, especially when I hit you in the ribs."

I bit my lip and hesitated before I nodded. "Yes," I said, my voice becoming softer. "I did." I moved a hand through my hair and sighed. "Ramont was there, so he knows about..." I trailed off and shrugged.

Jean-Pierre cocked his head and furrowed his brows. He was confused, and I understood why, because I had always been good at making sure that my tracks weren't followed. "How?"

I shrugged. "I didn't ask," I replied. "I just knew that he showed up." I looked at the files that I had been organizing and cleared my throat. "We fought each other."

Jean-Pierre raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, studying me. "Seriously?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation. His other eyebrow went up to meet the other. He looked shocked, and I had a feeling it was because no one had been able to follow me before. "Well?" he asked. "Who won? Was it him?"

I shook my head. "Me," I replied. "However, he did end up getting me to land on my butt."

Jean-Pierre let out a startled laugh because he knew how hard it was to make me land on my butt. "Really?" he asked, and I nodded. "How?"

I shrugged and grimaced. "I wasn't paying attention, I guess." I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, hiding back a wince when my side pulled, and my wound flared. "I also fought someone before that."

Jean-Pierre nodded, and a look of concern filled his eyes because he saw my hidden wince. However, he knew better than to comment about it because we had done this dance before, many times. "Ya, that might be a good way to knock you down, mi amor (my love)," he said. He winked, and I rolled my eyes. "It might be a good way for you to fall in love with someone."

"Shut up," I said, and he busted out laughing while he threw his head back. "Knocking me on my butt is not the best way for me to fall in love with someone, Jean-Pierre." I scowled and narrowed my eyes. "You should know this."

Jean-Pierre grinned and looked at me. "I know," he said. He chuckled and shook his head. "But it would be funny if it did." He winked, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "You're going to have to be wooed off your feet for someone to have you."

I didn't reply off the bat and shrugged, looking over the work that I had completed. "Or not find anyone at all," I mumbled, which was probably going to be the case, especially since I had a feeling that I would have to leave. I stapled some sheets together and handed them to him. "Put that in the 'to file' if you're going to be in here," I said. "I need to finish all of this before I can do it."

Jean-Pierre scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That's your job, Mir," he said. "That is what you are getting paid for." He grabbed the papers from me and placed them in the file. "There, I did your job. Will you give me some of your money?"

"No," I replied, and he gasped and covered his mouth. I rolled my eyes and continued with my work. "It was just one thing," I said, and he gasped again. "You are the one that decided to follow me into the office."

He shrugged and let his hand fall to his side. "Because I wanted to know stuff," he said. He shifted in the chair to get comfortable and leaned closer to the ground. "Besides, the brats are about to start showing up soon, and I want to hide from them."

I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head while I glanced at him. "What did you do?" I asked and turned my attention back to the work because he was right; they were about to show up, and I had a feeling that two of them had already shown up.

"Nothing," he said, and I stopped my work and looked at him, raising my eyebrow again. He sighed and shifted in his seat before he cleared his throat. "So you know those blockers that we have?" he asked, and I nodded. "Well... I might have told them that if I ever come in when you're teaching, then they can beat me with them."

I stopped working and stared at Jean-Pierre with a look of shock and fear. "Are you serious?" I asked. My whole body grew tense, and my heart pounded in my chest because I had no idea what my grandmother would do if she saw them beating him. "My grandmother is here," I hissed. "And you're going to let them beat you in front of her? She doesn't even like me being here!" My voice shook, and panic filled my body, filling me with fight or flight.

Jean-Pierre sighed and moved a hand through his hair. He grimaced and shook his head before he stared at me, looking guilty. "I didn't know that she was coming into town," he said. "Nor did I know that you even had another one."

I bit my lip and nodded. "I know," I said. I shook my head and gritted my teeth before I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to relax my body. "I'm sorry," I said, feeling slightly ashamed. "I shouldn't have acted like that."

Jean-Pierre snorted and rolled his eyes. "That was the lightest one that you had done, Mir," he said. He leaned back in his seat and shrugged. "You never know, she might understand, especially since it had been a game for us since we started."

I bit my lip and shrugged before I turned back to my work. I had no idea if she would understand or not, and prayed that she did. I had no idea what she would do if she disapproved of the game and hoped that she wouldn't take me away from this place sooner than she had to.