Jessica’s [POV]
“How was work today? Your boss returned, right?” Dani asks me two hours later, when the three of us are inside Parker’s car, speeding on the highway toward Worcester.
“Crappy,” I answer. Thankfully, she doesn’t ask anything else. Parker doesn’t look at Dani or me at all. He hasn’t spoken one word to us since we started the trip, except to remind us to fasten our seatbelts. Which is good, because he’s driving like a freaking maniac. Who would have thought Mr. CEO-whose shirt doesn’t have one single wrinkle and whose car shines on the inside and outside like it’s nobody’s business-has such a disregard for driving rules? I wonder what other rules he ignores.
“You drive worse than James,” Dani shrieks when Parker accelerates again, narrowly avoiding hitting a truck. I cover my eyes with my hands by instinct, my heart thumping so violently I think I might throw up. I turn to look at Parker and find that focusing on his features eases the anxiety about his driving. But it fills me with a different kind of anxiety altogether.
“Well, I’d say I drive better than James. I actually beat him at quite a few races.”
“You raced cars?” Dani asks, suddenly grinning.
That brings a smile to Parker’s face. The three of us make small talk for the next few hours. At some point, Dani falls asleep, then so do I.
When I wake up, Dani and Parker are chatting animatedly and my left leg is completely numb. I rub my palms on my thigh while taking in my surroundings. We’re no longer on the highway; freakishly green fields have replaced it.
I rub my eyes and look out the window again. The fields look even greener if that’s possible. The kind of neon green that looks almost fake in movies. I’m tempted to roll down the window and check whether the air smells green as well.
“How long until we get there?” I ask.
“About ten minutes,” Dani answers.
“You’ve been here before?”
“Sure. I spent some summers here when I was little.”
Parker chuckles. “Then she outgrew Worcester, announcing it boring when she turned fourteen.”
“Well, it is kind of boring,” Dani says defensively, then quickly adds, “but it’s nice for a weekend.” I catch her eye in the rearview mirror and we both smile. Dani told me before, when Parker was out of earshot, that she wanted to go to a party some of her friends were throwing tomorrow evening and was looking for a good excuse to return early. So far, neither of us has come up with a good enough reason not to activate Parker’s overprotective gene.
“Kids these days,” Parker says with fake dismay.
When we arrived at our destination, I let out an appreciative whistle. A small castle-built sometime at the end of the eighteenth century judging by its architecture-surrounded by green fields as far as my eyes can see lies in front of us. Stepping outside the car, I take a deep breath. I swear to God, the air smells green.
“You’re grinning,” Parker says. He chuckles, unloading the three bags from the trunk, and we each sling one over our shoulder. As I step into a puddle that soaks my left foot, I mentally thank Dani for making me pack a pair of boots. I watch with awe as Dani aptly navigates her way through the puddles, not stepping into any. Then I remember she’s had more experience than me with Worcester. She walks toward the house to meet two tall women, one strawberry blonde, and the other with a caramel shade of brown. I recognize both of them-they appeared often at Parker’s side in the newspaper pictures I found last night. Only one of them is his cousin, but I don’t remember which one. Relief washes over me as I watch both women welcome Parker with a warmth that speaks of friendship and familiarity; nothing hints at a sexual or romantic connection. I’m elated.
“This is Jess,” he says. “Dani’s flatmate and a dear friend.”
A dear friend? I like the sound of that.
“I’m Helen,” the strawberry blonde says with a smile. “Parker’s cousin.”
The other woman waves at me. “And I’m Tara.”
“Nice to meet both of you.”
When we step inside the house, I take a moment to admire its beauty. The furniture is so exquisite it could be in a museum. The walls are covered with wallpaper depicting various nature-inspired images, and the wood-paneled ceiling gives the room a warm glow.
“Let’s have something to eat,” Helen says. “The three of you must be famished.”
“I actually need to change first,” I say. “I stepped in a puddle.”
“Of course, dear,” Helen says sympathetically. “I’ll show you where your room is.”
“I’ll do it,” Parker says. “Which room is hers?”
“It’s the one next to yours.”
Parker nods.
“I think I’ll go change, too,” Parker says.
I follow him silently through the house, and when we stop in front of the door to my room, Parker opens it. I step inside quickly, throwing my bag on the gigantic four-poster bed.
Behind me, I can still feel Parker lingering in the doorway. “You have a fireplace.”
“God, I love this room. I feel like I’m on a historical TV show. In a royal court or something. Can we go into town tomorrow? It looked great when we passed through it.”
Parker chuckles, walking to me until he’s only inches away. His hand holds up my chin so that I have no choice but to look him in the eyes. My skin starts to tingle dangerously.
“You’re so beautiful, Jess. Inside and out.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because that enthusiasm comes from inside.”
“Parker… I… I have to ask. What’s going on… I mean what is this between us?” I feel vulnerable asking him, but I want to know where we stand. He leans into me, bringing his lips close to my ear.
“I want us to get to know each other. Spend time together. Do you want the same things I do?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“Then I think we might be onto something beautiful.” He kisses my forehead, murmuring, “I’ll leave you to change.”