Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 94546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
We’re more shoved into the back seat than ushered in, and the main pusher is the man I’m confident Jack will ensure is unemployed by the end of the night.
Grant wasn’t lying when he said Jack fired Slade solely so he couldn’t write a story about him. The instructions Jack passes onto Elaine via his cell phone a second after the limo pulls away from the curb ensures it is no longer hearsay, let alone spotting Fitz isolating the paparazzi in question from the rest of the pack from the rear window of the limousine.
Even with my intuition warning me to tread carefully, I dump my purse on the floor of the limo before bridging the gap between Jack and me. I don’t climb onto his lap like I did the first time I comforted him in the back of one of his vehicles. I merely curl my hand over his, silently advising him that I’m here if he needs me.
My heart tries to resurrect itself from the sludge in my stomach when Jack tugs my hand onto his lap before he continues with his conversation, “I am aware of the time, Elaine, but I don’t care. If she wants this commission, have her meet with us within the hour…”
Jack’s words are drowned out when a pamphlet flapping on the floor near my clutch gains my attention. It is for tonight’s event, and since my worry is now higher than my anger, I pay more attention to the itinerary than I did previously.
Jack wasn’t scheduled to speak at the event he left early, but several other notable men were. Most prominent, Memphis Tate, once world-renowned NFL player and known sexual abuse survivor.
Memphis was snatched from the front of his childhood home when he was six. He escaped nine days later. Although his perpetrators were never found, Memphis uses his high-profile gig to keep children safe. He conducts talks at schools, shopping centers, and outreach programs across the globe.
I know this because I attended one of his workshops a couple of years ago. His story is harrowing but only a small part of the brilliant man he is.
It has me wondering if the same thing could be said for the man sitting next to me.
Jack has finished his phone call, but instead of interrupting my thoughts, he watches every expression that crosses my face when I realize the charity he founded isn’t solely for victims of abuse. Its main focus is rebuilding the lives of children who were sexually assaulted.
When it dawns on Jack that he has my utmost devotion, he coughs to clear his throat before saying, “Speaking out like Memphis does is not an easy thing to do. Many men don’t. They bottle it inside and let their lives be led by the shame and humiliation behind it.”
“Like Silas?”
He looks both relieved and worried before he dips his chin. “Yes.” He licks his dry lips before adding, “Events like the one we attended tonight are meant to encourage openness by not hiding behind shame victims don’t deserve to have. It is about being honest with those closest to you in a safe and understanding environment—”
I curse the late hour and lack of traffic when the driver pulls to the curb of a building on a leafy street before announcing via the PA that we’ve arrived at our destination. It reminds Jack that we’re not alone, which mentally re-erects the wall he was only just lowering.
“Thank you,” I whisper in a near sob when Jack removes his tuxedo jacket and drapes it over my shoulders to protect my chest from the cold winds before he opens his door and assists me out.
Once we enter an elaborate foyer with a doorman in a top hat and a glistening chandelier, we’re ushered to an elevator by a lady who looks tired but ready to perform the sales pitch of her life.
It dawns on me that this is the case when our arrival at the penthouse has her listing off features like we’re buying the latest model Rolls Royce. “This home features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and is sitting a little under seven thousand square feet. The building is popular amongst locals with families and entrepreneurs such as yourself.” After gesturing for us to exit the elevator first, she asks, “Do you have any children? There are excellent schools nearby—”
I stop her before she can get truly started with her sales pitch. “We’re not married. We barely know each other, and as lovely as I think it would be to have five bathrooms, one, I’d hate to be responsible for cleaning them, and two, isn’t five a little bit of an overkill?”
My reply hits the bullseye. The grin I’ve missed seeing Jack wear the past three days is back stronger than ever. Regretfully, his heart-stopping smile doesn’t convince the real estate agent that she’s not getting a sale tonight when he asks, “Are there views like this in every room?”