Eversea A Love Story

either.”
    I mulled that over a second before another thought occurred to me. “Dare I ask what the book is for book club tomorrow? I’m assuming the reason you forgot to tell me is because I’ve read it already?” I rubbed my temples at the tequila headache slowly coming on.
    Jazz grimaced. “Yes, well the older ladies hadn’t read them yet ... and with the movie coming out soon ...” She trailed off.
    Tomorrow would suck. “Look, it’s not like you knew we would actually meet the guy when you picked them, so don’t worry about it,” I said, instantly forgiving her.
    “Yeah, but at this stage I wish we were reading Anna Karenina.”
    “Me too.”
    Jazz let out a huge yawn. “Wow, margaritas plus ice cream. I am going into a carb coma.”
    I yawned too, and then we both jumped at the sudden pounding on the front door.
    “Shit, who’s that?” Jazz said. “Should we get it?”
    My heart lurched from the sudden fright. “It could be Mrs. Weaton, perhaps they didn’t fix her roof properly today.” Or not. Jazz grabbed a poker from the fireplace, and we both skidded on sock feet to the front door. I looked out of the peephole, but with no lights on I couldn’t really see a thing.
    “I can’t see anything,” I whispered, and then jumped back as another round of banging started.
    “Keri Ann?” Jack’s voice shouted over the wind and rain.
    “Oh my God.” I mouthed to Jazz.
    Her eyes were wide.
    “ Do you think he got my message?”
    “Shit, I don’t know,” she whispered back, her shoulders hunching up.
    “Keri Ann? Please ... please open the door. I really need to talk to you.”
    What the heck was he doing out there in the rain? Obviously, I was going to have to let him in. I could feel mortification and it’s crimson tide crawling up my chest to my neck.
    Jazz shrugged with an apologetic ‘this is your mess, I have no clue how to help you here’ look on her face.
    “ Thanks!” I hissed at her.
    “Keri Ann! Open the Goddamn door ... please?” Jack’s voice broke over the last word and my shoulders slumped.
    Jazz rolled her eyes.
    I opened the door as a huge gust of wind blew in and wrenched it out of my hands. It swung back hard banging against the wall. And there stood the tall, looming, shadow of Jack, hands on either side of the doorframe, in jeans and a dark wet t-shirt that clung to his body. Water streamed down his beautiful face.
    “For the love of shrimp n’ grits, girl,” I heard Jazz murmur next to me as we both took in the archangel standing on the threshold. “Good luck.”
    I shivered.
    “Jazz.” Jack acknowledged her with a nod as he took a step inside the door.
    “Jack,” she returned, her chin up and arms crossed. She couldn’t have screamed, ‘Don’t mess with my best friend’ any louder than if she’d said the words.
    He seemed to get it because, as I closed the door quickly against the rain that followed him in, he directed his next statement to her. “I just need to talk to her.”
    “Don’t move,” she said to him and pushed me back through the arched opening into the living room.
    I glanced at him to see his shadowed green eyes boring into mine.
    Jazz and I stopped in front of the fireplace and she pulled me in close. We were far enough away from Jack, but she still whispered. “I am going to go upstairs and sleep in Joey’s room. Are you going to be okay? ”
    I nodded.
    “Are you sure?”
    “ Yes!” I whispered back, fiercely.
    “If you decide to give up your vajayjay tonight, keep it down, okay?”
    “Jazz!” I squeaked and practically choked on my own tongue.
    “I’m just sayin’...” She shrugged with a wink.
    “Well, don’t ‘just say’. I’m mad at him, remember?”
    “Yeah, yeah, I know. But look at him.” We both turned to look at Jack who was standing with one hand on the back of his neck and the other on his hip, his head tilted down at the floor he was dripping all over. His dark, wet hair was flopped over his furrowed brow, his jaw grim.
    “You could always dump him in the morning,” she murmured.
    He looked up at us staring at him from the other room.
    “What?” he asked.
    We both started.
    “Nothing,” we chorused and turned away again.
    “I can’t believe you are encouraging me.” I dropped my voice back to a whisper and thumped her on the arm. “Some good friend you are. You’re supposed to be protecting me from my mistakes.”
    “ I am . Can you imagine how pissed you’ll be when we’re old