“Josie’s car just got here.”
Jessica, half-awake and slightly hungover, glared back at Lucy with as much fury in her eyes as she was able to muster in her current state. “You fucking serious?”
“I asked Alli, and apparently Sofia invited her.”
“Yeah, of course she did.”
“Get up, we gotta make you look presentable.”
“Why? Can’t I just look like trash and hope that’ll drive her away?”
Now Lucy was glaring.
“Yeah, alright, do your thing.”
“First…” She handed her a mug of coffee and two aspirin pills, which Jessica drank and swallowed wordlessly.
Lucy brushed her hair while Jessica wiped off the previous day’s ruined makeup, then reapplied light makeup using her phone camera as a mirror. They worked fast to make her presentable, then picked an outfit for Jessica that seemed to say “Yeah I’m hot as fuck, but in a casual way where I don’t even notice it.”
Dark blue jeans shorts paired with nylon stockings, and a black short-sleeve shirt that stopped right below her boobs, leaving her midsection bare. And a pair of sunglasses, to hide her sleepy eyes.
They passed by the game room, waving at the guys playing pool. Once upstairs, they didn’t see their quarry anywhere within the house, so Lucy led her to a window. Josephine, as resplendent as ever, stood near the parked cars and talked with Sofia, Kayla, Guy one and two, Allison and…
Jessica’s mouth gaped. Not only was Scott there, casually chatting with Josephine, but they were… smiling? Laughing? Bantering? At one point he said something that made the tall woman burst out laughing. And then he offered to help carry her bags!
“Oh no, Scott!” Lucy whispered. “Don’t fraternize with the enemy!”
Why is he so friendly? Why is she? This can’t be good.
When the others made their way into the house, Lucy and Jessica were standing in the kitchen, acting out a fairly engaged conversation. “You need to look like you’ve been awake for more than five minutes,” Lucy had said while filling two tall glasses with water.
When they saw the two of them, Scott was the first to give them a wave. He was holding Josephine’s bag. A real fucking gentleman.
“Hey, Jess!” He called out with a joyful air. Just hearing him say her name happily made her want to jump in his arms, Josephine or no Josephine.
“Hey, Scott!” She called back. “That color looks good on you,” she added while pointing to the pink bag hanging from his elbow.”
“Oh, no, that’s not mine.” His tone was matter of fact, as if he believed it possible that Jessica might’ve thought it really was his bag.
Josephine walked towards the counter island until she was right besides Lucy. The shorter woman kept her eyes straight towards Jessica, as if she was scared of meeting the gaze of the towering woman.
“Jess.” Josephine’s eyes were those of a hawk observing a mouse that it fully intended to strike at. Although, with Jessica’s shape, the metaphor felt somewhat inadequate.
“Josephine,” Jessica said in response. She felt silly wearing the sunglasses inside. After all, would it be so bad if she knew Jessica slept late during a week of non-stop parties?
Behind them, Allison, who looked like she had miraculously recovered from the night before, was guiding the men, and Jessica noticed the Guys holding grocery bags and crates of alcohol bottles and beer cans. Of course, that bitch came in with a bunch of food and booze to bribe people into liking her! No, that’s not true, she doesn’t need any of those for people to love her. Fuck she’s so pretty.
Sofia stood behind Josephine, looking at the confrontation with great morbid interest.
“Scott’s a great guy,” Jessica finally said after an uncomfortably long moment of silence. “Offering to bring your bag all the way to your room when he barely knows you. He’s a real gentleman.”
“I wouldn’t say barely. But I will agree that he is great. Every time we meet, he is a delight. Especially when you aren’t around to tell him what to think.”
Jessica felt a pit of dread growing slowly but certainly in her stomach. What does she mean by that? When I’m not around??
Before she could get more details from Josephine, Scott was back.
“Your bag is all settled, Jos.” He smiled widely, as if there was anything to be proud of in transporting a bag a couple of rooms over.
“Thank you, Scotty.”
Jessica’s fists clenched, her eyes jumping from one to the other. Jos? Jos!? Scotty? That’s way too casual for someone he’s met only once, in passing. Have they…
Without losing a second, Jessica went to grab Scott’s arm and pull him away.
“It’s been wonderful seeing you again, Josephine,” she said while taking her big dumb man away.
Scott looked back at the rest of the group with an upset look while he was being dragged away towards the nap room, as Allison had called it, the study full of comfortable chairs and bookshelves.
“Jess, you’re hurting my arm.” Considering the size of his muscle, she highly doubted that.
“Good. What was that all about?”
“What was what all about?”
“jOs,” Jessica repeated in a mocking tone. “SCoTtY.” She took off the sunglasses and locked eyes with Scott. Even if he was a good foot taller, she managed to stare him down and make him feel small.
“That’s just what we call each other, why is that a problem?”
“Yeah, well that kinda sounds like how two friends would talk to each other, all casual and stuff with nicknames.”