Satin Princess(69)
“What?” I growl. “Is it Marina? Did you see her anywhere?”
Lev and Yulian tighten around us instantly, drawing close and staying alert.
“For God’s sake, it’s not Marina,” Jessa says, looking supremely self-conscious all of a sudden.
“What’s going on?” I ask as Lev and Yulian relax a little.
She glances past me, but averts her eyes almost immediately. “It’s Dane and Salma.”
“Fuck,” Yulian whistles.
“Let’s just walk fast,” Jessa suggests. “Maybe they won’t see—”
“Jessa?”
“Fuck me,” she curses under her breath.
Lev and Yulian exchange an amused glance. I gesture for the both of them to head to the car and wait for us. They disappear into the crowd, and Jessa turns in the direction of her scumbag ex and his scumbag girlfriend.
The son of a bitch is reasonably tall and reasonably good-looking. His tight-ass jeans look more appropriate for a man in his early twenties. Even his hair has been styled to look like he belongs to some aging boy band.
The woman next to him is several inches shorter. She’s petite and pretty, but her look is all superficial. Tons of makeup and an outfit meant to earn attention. Leggings with thigh cutouts and a hot pink crop top leave little to the imagination. A studded piercing decorates her belly button.
“Really?” I mutter in a low voice. “He cheated on you with her?”
Before she can answer, the demented Barbie and Ken are in front of us.
“Jessa,” the she-devil croons in a cheerful voice. “It’s so, so good to see you.”
She greets Jessa, but her eyes are on me. So are Dane’s. He’s sizing me up like he’s preparing for a fight. I wish the motherfucker would.
“Is it?” Jessa asks, awkward as ever.
“Of course. Dane and I have been thinking of you since the… well, you know.” She glances over to me as curiosity gets the better of her. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Anton,” Jessa says, keeping it short and simple. But I know it’s also because she has no idea how to introduce me.
“I’m Jessa’s boyfriend,” I say, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her against me.
The girl’s eyes go wide as she takes in the two of us together. “Well, you two certainly make a… striking couple.”
“Thanks, Salma,” Jessa says. “You know what? So do you and Dane. The two of you deserve each other.”
Salma’s smile falls just a bit before she manages to pick it back up again. But Dane doesn’t pretend to be happy about all this.
“How are you?” Dane asks her, giving me a quick annoyed glance in the corner of his eye.
He looks like he’s trying his best not to acknowledge my presence at all, but he’s as curious as the perky little brunette by his side.
Jessa glances up at me with the biggest smile on her face. “I’ve been really good, actually. Really good.”
“You look good,” Dane says with the grudging tone of a man who’s disappointed that his ex hasn’t fallen to pieces without him.
“She does look good, doesn’t she?” I say, inserting myself into the conversation. “Almost as though she has a glow about her.”
Of course, the brunette’s eyes go even wider as she picks up on the little hint I’d just dropped. “Glowing, like… ? Oh my God, Jessa. Are you pregnant?”
Jessa nods. “We are.”
The ex’s jaw drops instantly. “You… you’re pregnant?”
“Did she stutter?” I growl.
“But… we… the wedding was only a few months ago.”
Jessa’s smile turns stony. “As you might recall, Dane, the wedding didn’t end up happening at all. I left the yacht club and ran into Anton on the beach that evening.”
“The… the same day?” he exclaims, gawking at her.
I stay silent. Jessa is handling this remarkably well. She doesn’t need me to intervene—yet.
“Yes, the same day,” Jessa says without any shame. “You can’t exactly fault me for my timing when yours was so bad, can you, Dane?”
The brunette is looking at her stolen man with new concern in her eyes. I can practically see the thoughts flitting through her mind.
Why is he so concerned that she’s moved on? Does he actually think she looks good? Is he jealous? Does he still have feelings for her? Was he hoping to get back together with her at some point? Do I mean anything to him?
“I called and texted and wrote to you like a million times,” Dane says, as though Jessa is the one who has something to apologize for.
“I know,” I say, answering before Jessa can. “They were interesting to read, if a little bit pitiful. She doesn’t need that simpering shit in her life, though.”
“Maybe you should let her speak for herself,” Dane hisses.
“He’s speaking for me because he knows what I would say,” Jessa snaps. “And since you want me to speak for myself, I will. Goodbye, Dane. Goodbye, Salma. If we run into each other again, feel free to pretend we don’t know each other.”
Then she grabs my arm and we stride away together.
She’s got the biggest smile on her face as we exit the airport. “You okay?” I ask as Yulian drives the car up.