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One of the fastest people to move up the Forbes World Billionaires list ever.
But also... That thing Asher had said. That I hadn't brought up because I wasn't sure if it had been meant as a joke. And also because it wasn't any of my business, really. I mean, dedicated and concerned citizen and all but I'm not reporting someone like Mr Harvey for murder when I had no idea who. Or when. Or why. Or where. Or anything.
Even though I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, I did so anyway, wondering if Christian would mention it to his dad.
"Yeah, I remember," he was saying. "I'll be back in time."
A long pause.
"No!" he exclaimed all of a sudden, making me jerk and almost send us crashing into the truck in the lane beside us. "No. I'll bring someone."
"Yeah, of course, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" His tone turned sarcastic as he drummed his fingers against the dashboard.
"It's going fine," he said. "No, I didn't pick it. I've already seen it."
Another long paused.
I braced myself just in case he started yelling again. But he kept his voice down this time, though it was a little sharp and tense. "Why did he tell you about it?" he asked. I glanced at him, only to find hims staring at me. I looked back at the road, but I couldn't help my eyes from wandering back to him.
He was still staring at me.
"What?" I whispered.
Christian pulled the phone away and covered the bottom of his phone. "He's asking about the dead hooker background check you asked me to do."
Oh s**t, I hope he's not in trouble.
"Tell him it was for a friend," I muttered.
He stared at me for a moment longer, then turned away, putting his phone back at his ear. "Yeah, I'm still here. I saw her on the news and got a little curious."
Now it was my turn to stare at him.
Well, not really, since I was driving, and couldn't unless I wanted to risk us crashing into something.
But I would've if I could've.
Why was he lying to his dad about why he had asked for the background check? Maybe he figured this would invite less questions?
I watched him shrug out of the corner of my eye. "There wasn't much online," he said. After another couple of minutes, he hung up. "You know how you owe me a favor for that background check?"
"Yeah," I replied hesitantly. I had no idea what Christian Harvey could possibly want from me, that he didn't already have, so I'd probably end up streaking down a highway or something equally ridiculous and embarrassing.
"I'm cashing it in," he said, as he typed something into his phone.
"For?" I prompted when he didn't continue.
"You're coming with me to a party."
I blinked. "What?"
"Well, not a party," He glanced up. "Benefit dinner. My dad's charity."
"Wait, why?"
He gave me a pointed look. "Because you owe me."
"No, I mean," I paused. "Why not just take one of your friends or some model?"
A shadow passed over his face, but he masked it so quickly, I almost believed I had imagined it. Especially since his tone was light with his next words, "Because I'm supposed to be on my best behavior, which means I can't get wasted, which means I'll need entertainment to survive hours of stuffy people kissing each others' asses."
I knew I couldn't say no, since he was calling in a favor that I owed him, but I wondered about his reason, since he hadn't really given me an answer to my question, and there had been that momentary change in his expression. Was he used to taking someone else to these kind of things? Maybe his sister had kept him entertained? Or maybe it was that girl he had liked, I realized.
Those both seemed to be touchy topics for him, so I forced myself not to question it too seriously. "How do you know I'll even be entertaining?"
"Because if you can't enthrall me with your scintillating mind-" he started.
I snorted. "Look at those fancy words."
"We can always just go fuck."
I let out some weird hybrid of a sound between a gasp and a scream, and turned to gape at him. "You're- You-" I stuttered. "Dick."
He raised an eyebrow, looking more amused now, with no sign of that heaviness that had been present minutes ago. "Yes, what about my d**k?"
My mouth opened and closed several times but nothing came out.
"Nope, can't do that, you're driving," Jacen said. His mouth twitched several times- he was probably on the verge of cracking up.
"I- No. No. No," I repeated.
"I'll take a rain check, though," he continued.
"Stop," I finally choke out. "I'm going to murder you."
"Well, that was a quick change of heart," he said.
"You're crazy," I told him.
"Says the girl who drives without looking at the road most of the time."
My head spun for a second. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm just concerned for my well-being, you did say you wanted to kill me." He finally broke down with a wide grin and chuckle.
"And you're smiling at your own death." I shook my head, and glanced back at the road -since okay, he did kind of have a point, I really needed to pay more attention, while driving. "I give up on you."
"I'll take that as a yes you're coming, then?" he asked.
I sighed. "Fine."
"It's two Saturdays from now. On the twenty-fourth."
I cleared my throat. "So who's going to be there?"
He shrugged. "A bunch of people who will throw cash in hopes of getting in good with my dad. Doesn't really matter."
"And your parents will be there," I muttered.
Christian snickered. "No s**t, it's kind of their charity."
"Will I have to meet them?" That prospect was kind of intimidating. I mean, if I did something to offend them, it would probably ensure that I would never get any job for the rest of my life nor any of my direct descendants for the next century. If I had any descendants since I would become a social pariah.
Okay, Georgia , that's taking it a little too far.
"Yeah, probably," he replied.
- Writer
