Chapter 28: Ego Trip

I called and relayed my mother’s requests to Justin. I was afraid he would decide that dating me wasn’t worth the effort and call the whole thing off altogether; though I would have been heartbroken, I couldn’t hold it against him.

But he surprised me by laughing it off. “I’ll arrange everything,” he promised.

On Wednesday, I video chatted with Haylee as I dressed. This time, I wore my peach sundress, pairing it with strappy, nude, heeled sandals and a simple pair of pearl studs.

“You look beautiful, Dharma,” Haylee exclaimed as I stood and posed for her.

“Does it look like I’m trying too hard?” I asked. Only a few moments ago I’d been convinced that I looked elegant, but now I began to wonder if I appeared overdone and clunky.

Haylee rolled her eyes. “You always do this to yourself. You look great. Are you nervous?”

“A little,” I admitted. “But I’m sure if things go sideways, Justin will jump in to rescue me.”

“Your own personal superman,” Haylee quipped.

“Well, I hate to let you go, but the clock is ticking, and I better not keep my mother waiting.”

“Yeah, you better get hustling,” Haylee agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I know!” I squealed. “I can hardly wait!”

I hung up and tossed my phone into my bag, and though I knew it was unlikely the opportunity would arise, I threw a couple of condoms in there as well.

“You look nice,” my mother said as I arrived in the foyer.

“Me?!” I cried. “Look at you!”

My mother looked better than nice. She looked sexy in her professional black pencil skirt and her cream-colored button-up shirt with an exaggerated collar.

“If you’re not careful, you are going to return home from the city married to a sheik,” I said.

“Oh, stop it.” She blushed as she collected her black satchel and looked at me expectantly. “Are you ready?”

I nodded and followed her out the door. She lingered behind to ensure that the door was secured as I scurried to the vehicle.

“It’s a shame we have to be so nervous about leaving our home unoccupied,” she muttered as she slid behind the wheel and reached for her seatbelt.

“The crime rate around here is really low,” I pointed out to her. “What happened to us was a fluke. Once we finish settling in and get into a routine, this will all feel like nothing more than a bad dream.”

“I hope you’re right…,” my mother sighed as she reversed onto our street and began following the GPS, which guided us off the main roads and onto a plethora of narrow streets and backroads.

“There is hardly room for two vehicles,” my mother complained as she slowed and veered to the right so another vehicle would have room to pass.

“I think it’s due to the geography,” I told her. “It’s awfully hilly back here, but look on the bright side—there isn’t much traffic.”

“I doubt many people can afford to live in this area,” she remarked as we passed a massive, cottage-style home.

“The map says we turn left here,” I said as we approached a driveway that squatted between a thick tree line.

My mother turned where I indicated and inhaled sharply as the Joneses’ sprawling estate came into view. “This can’t be a home…,” she breathed as she did her best to peer at all the structures we passed as we rounded the crescent drive.

I had only seen Justin’s house from a distance, and though I had expected it to be impressive, I hadn’t been prepared for reality.

“This can’t be right,” I agreed as I scrambled to double-check the address. “We may have turned too soon.”

I was on the brink of urging my mother to turn around when a familiar figure emerged from the house. “Is that Detective Dunn?” I asked, exchanging a surprised look with my mother.

“We should say hello,” my mother suggested as she began to exit the car and motioned for me to follow suit.

Detective Dunn halted as we approached. Though she appeared apprehensive, there was something about the rise in the corners of her mouth that told me she wasn’t entirely displeased about being discovered at the estate.

“Dr. Dupree,” she greeted my mother. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. You as well, Dharma.”

“It’s nice to meet under much better circumstances,” my mother offered. “Though I would never in my wildest dreams imagine running into you at a place like this.”

Detective Dunn glanced over her shoulder at the impressive estate. “Andrew and I have known each other since high school.”

Though her voice was casual as she said this, her cheeks flushed as she spoke, and I had to wonder exactly how close she and Andrew Jones were.

But before I could press her for more information, Justin appeared on the veranda to greet us.

Taking this as her cue to leave, Detective Dunn reached over and gave my mother’s shoulder a tight squeeze. “I need to be going,” she said. “It really was nice to see the two of you again.”

“The pleasure was all ours,” my mother assured her, giving her a little wave as she parted.

Not willing to wait for us to wrap up our conversation, Justin rushed to join us. Grasping each of us by the elbow, he said, “Allow me to see you inside.”

“You have a lovely home,” my mother complimented as he escorted us into the house.

“I can’t take credit for that,” he said as we crossed a foyer that was easily half the size of our first floor. A tall, lanky man dressed in cognac-colored slacks waited there.

Justin rushed over to his side and clapped his arm around the man’s shoulders. “Dr. Dupree, Dharma, I would like you to meet my dad—Andrew Jones.”

As my mother greeted Mr. Jones, I stood back, comparing him to Justin, attempting to identify the traits Justin had inherited. But after a quick study, I discovered that their shared features were subtle.

Yet there was something strikingly familiar about him…

I must have been studying them for too long, because now everyone was looking at me expectantly.

I stepped forward hastily and extended my hand. “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Jones. My name is Dharma.”

“A unique name for such an unusual beauty.” He winked. “If I were twenty years younger, buddy-boy, here, wouldn’t have a shot.”

I giggled graciously. “I am very flattered.”

“I would love to stay and take a tour of your gorgeous home,” my mother interjected, “but I have an important meeting to get to. Mr. Jones, I was wondering if I can have a moment of your time?”

“I’ll be happy to escort you out,” he obliged smoothly. “We can speak outside.”

My mother leaned in for a parting hug. “Behave yourself,” she warned.

“I’ll try my best to refrain from stripping naked and dancing the tango in their den,” I hissed in her ear.

She gave me a warning look as we withdrew, but reclaimed her demeanor as she accepted Mr. Jones’s arm as he escorted her outside.

Once they were out of sight, I rushed into Justin’s arms. “I hope you warned him about her…”

“Go easy on your mom,” he chided me. “She’s been through a lot this week.”

“So have I,” I reminded him. “And I’m not being paranoid and overprotective.”

“You are lucky she cares so much.” His comment was meant to be light, but I thought I detected a slight twinge of envy in his tone.

“I know…,” I sighed. “She can just be overwhelming at times.”

“She’ll come around,” he assured me. “My dad is probably out there charming the pants off her.”

I knew it was a common expression, but I couldn’t help but joke, “I hope he succeeds. Then that would make her a hypocrite.”

Justin was taken aback for a moment, then released a snicker. “You are a devious woman, Dharma Dupree.” He clasped my hand and said, “Come, join me in the sitting room.”

I allowed Justin to lead me into a sitting room that was furnished with antique furniture and delicate tables that held tiffany lamps and figurines that I didn’t need to google to know were priceless.

“This place is like a museum,” I said, unable to keep my eyes from darting around the room and admiring all of the beautiful things.

“More like a mausoleum.” Justin made a face. “Every painting and statue in here was created by artists that have been dead for centuries. I always felt like this room was a tomb filled with altars.”

“That’s pretty morbid,” I said, gazing around the room. It was stunning, but I had to agree that it felt cold and lifeless. “Is there a room that we can sit in that is more casual?”

“Yeah, my bedroom,” Justin offered suggestively.

I laughed. “So, are we going to make out in your bedroom with your dad sitting in the corner?”

“That would be weird,” Justin said, coming to my side so we could sit together on one of the delicate sofas. “But if you’re into it, I am.”

I snorted, treating him to a playful elbow to the ribs. “That is ~so~ gross.”

Suddenly, Mr. Jones entered the room and seated himself on the couch opposite us.

“Your mother is very endearing,” Mr. Jones commented as he began to pour himself a drink from the decanter in the center of the coffee table. He looked at Justin as he asked, “Did you realize that Dharma’s father was a physicist and was often tapped to consult on the Large Hadron Collider?”

“That’s impressive,” Justin answered. “I only knew he was a scientist of some type.”

“Are you going to follow in your father’s footsteps, Dharma?” Mr. Jones inquired.

“I’m actually going into accounting,” I told him. “Math has always come easy to me, so it seems like the logical choice.”

“A woman who loves numbers is one who is after my own heart,” he delivered smoothly.

I didn’t really love math, but it had always come easy to me. Most equations made perfect sense to me; unlike English and the arts, math was neat and simple.

But there was no need to reveal that to Mr. Jones.

“You must be busy running all of the businesses you own,” I offered politely.

“My job is to ensure that my investors are happy,” he responded. “I leave the managing of my operations in more capable hands.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to tease him about being humble. But as I took a moment to drink in his dark tan, manicured hands, and relaxed stance, I realized that he was being truthful.

“Well, you left your landscaping business in good hands. Justin does a marvelous job.” I turned to beam at Justin.

“Is that what you are doing this summer?” his father asked, his attention now on Justin.

“I enjoy working outdoors,” Justin replied, sounding almost defensive.

“My boy enjoys the grind,” Mr. Jones informed me. “I don’t know where he gets it from. Probably his mother’s side.”

I felt Justin’s body tense at that. Mr. Jones didn’t seem to notice, as he finished his drink and stood. On cue, Justin stood as well, clasping my hand and prompting me to follow his lead.

“Dharma, it was a pleasure,” Mr. Jones assured me, then he leaned over to give Justin a pat on the back. “Don’t mess this up, son.”

“Are you leaving?” I asked, confused. I had been under the impression that he would remain for the afternoon.

“Yes, darling,” Mr. Jones said, lifting my hand and dropping a light kiss on my knuckles. “I have a lovely young lady of my own waiting on me.”

I gaped at Justin as he silently watched his father leave the room. “You promised my mother he would be here!” I hissed.

“It’s best if he’s not here,” Justin advised. “If he kept taking cheap shots at me, I would have eventually lost my temper.”

“Cheap shots? Other than him telling you not to mess things up with me, I didn’t hear him say anything insulting,” I said.

“When he talked about me inheriting my work ethic from my mother, he was reminding me that half my parentage comes from the working class.”

“And that’s an insult?” I asked, not quite understanding.

“It is in his world, and he loves degrading my mother every chance he gets,” he said in a bitter tone.

“That’s a bit low, considering she’s not here to defend herself,” I agreed. “But he must have thought she was classy enough to procreate with.”

“That’s what gets his goat.” Justin sighed. “~She~ didn’t think ~he~ was good enough. In fact, the moment she discovered she was pregnant, she changed her name and ran. I was nearly three years old when he finally tracked her down and learned about me.”

“He must have loved her if he spent all that time searching for her,” I reasoned. “And he must have cared about you as well.”

My proclamation was meant to alleviate some of Justin’s hurt, but unfortunately, I seemed to only add fuel to the fire. His expression darkened further.

“He only went after her because his ego couldn’t accept the fact that she had rejected him,” he spat. “He sued for custody just to retaliate against her.”

“I’m going to assume he won that battle,” I surmised.

“Nope,” Justin said, sounding almost triumphant, as if it had been his victory as well. “And that just made him despise her even more. He even has the staff bake a cake every year to celebrate the day she was murdered.” He shook his head.

“Your mother was murdered?” I blurted before I could stop myself.

Justin looked just as surprised as I was. I supposed it wasn’t a detail he had meant to reveal.

“Please keep that to yourself,” he pleaded with me. “Dad kept it under wraps so we wouldn’t be the subject of town gossip.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” I said, crossing my heart. Though I knew it would be wise to drop the subject altogether, I couldn’t refrain from asking, “Did your father have her killed?”

To my surprise, Justin burst out laughing. “Dad is a dickhead, not a murderer,” he assured me. “No, my mother was killed by my uncle.”

I gaped, covering my face with my hands. “This just keeps getting worse! I’m sorry, I should have never encouraged you to talk about it.”

“I’ve kept all of this bottled up for years,” Justin confessed. “It feels good to finally meet someone I can trust with my secrets.”

I dropped my hands and smiled sadly at him. “I understand. Where is your uncle now?”

“Buried,” Justin answered promptly. “He committed suicide after he realized what he had done. He was a very sick man.”

I had so many questions, but I didn’t want to press Justin anymore; though he hid it well, I felt like I had opened a festering wound.

Feeling guilty, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body against his, lightly grinding against him as I whispered, “I would like to see your bedroom now.”