Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2)(89)

~*~*~*~

Sean exited the pool to an awaiting horde of girls. If he needed an ego boost, he was in the right place. He wasn’t allowed to do anything for himself; his drink was guarded, and then handed to him. His plate of appetizers was continually refreshed, and his towel was periodically swapped for a dry one. It was like having twenty maids. Twenty mostly naked, young, bouncing-boobed maids. He could think of worse things.

And then he didn’t have to, because one of the girls would open her mouth. They were all oh-so-young. Most were probably barely legal. What their parents were doing letting them hang out with a guy ten years their senior he had no idea, but he actually wished they’d put a stop to it. They were ditzy and peppy and they never shut up.

“Sean! Oh my God, your phone was ringing!” One of the blond ones said as she bounced up and put his phone in his hand.

Sean watched her br**sts settle, feeling a bit like a creepy old man, and glanced at his phone. It was probably John trying to call him over to talk business. And while there were a great many connections to be made at the party, he wasn’t in the mood. Krista would be hanging near the pool, and so he would stay.

Checking, he saw that it was actually Kate. Fearing she was planning on calling in sick on Krista’s behalf, he dialed her back.

“Sean?!”

Kate sounded frantic.

“Yeah, hi Kate. I just missed your—“

“Sean, is Krista near you? Do you see her? Is she there—you’re at the barbecue right? In Marin?”

“It wasn’t him, Kate!” Jasmine yelled in the background. “He was too big.”

“He wasn’t too big, Jasmine. That’s his size!”

“Kate?” Sean asked, stepping away from the pool and the twenty listening girls.

“Sean, yes, hi. Is Krista there?”

Sean did another scan of the area. He’d been watching for her since he got there an hour ago. “No, I haven’t seen her. Why? Isn’t she coming?”

“You haven’t seen her?” Kate sounded like she was terrified.

“No—what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Why didn’t you give her a ride, Sean?” Kate accused.

“I stopped by her house but Ben said she’d already left.”

“Who took her?”

“Kate! Calm the f**k down!” Jasmine yelled in the background.

“Jasmine, I am going to punch you in the face if you don’t stop telling me to calm the f**k down! Sean—hello, Sean?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Look, I can’t be sure, but I think I just saw Jim…”

“Who?”

“Jim, Sean! Jim! As in, Krista’s psycho-f*cking-ex-boyfriend, Jim. As in, Jim-the-f*cking-guy-that-wants-to-chain-Krista-to-his-f*cking-bed-and-force-her-to-carry-his-spawn, Jim!”

Adrenaline shot through Sean. He hoped it was Jim, and he hoped Jim came looking, because Sean had a score to settle with that guy.

“Are you sure?”

“No, I’m not sure. If I was sure I would be calling Krista instead of you. I’d be calling the police instead of you. But there aren’t many guys that look like Jim, and this guy looked just like him.”

“Kate,” Jasmine said in a patronizing voice, “He. Was. Too. Big! The guy was huge. Jim wasn’t that big.”

“Sean,” Kate said, forcing herself to remain calm. “Find Krista. Don’t tell her what I told you. Keep your eye on her, okay? I don’t care about your damn problems. If Jim is in town, it is for the sole reason to find Krista. He put her in the hospital, Sean, along with two football players that got in his way—don’t be a hero, just make sure she’s not alone. If she doesn’t turn up in another half an hour, call me.”

“Over-reacting, much?” Jasmine mumbled behind Kate.

“Got it, Kate,” Sean said, doing another sweep. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. What does he look like?”

“Dark, handsome, f**king huge and bat-shit crazy. If you are with Krista, and you see a man running at you, that is probably Jim.”

Jasmine scoffed. Sean had to agree, Kate sounded like she was overreacting.

~*~*~*~

Krista wanted to stop for a second, to take it all in, but the staircase she was descending, which was artfully designed in wood, with wood banisters, was in clear view of the forty-some-odd people below, and being that her hands were full of food and drink (and her lack of balance legendary in heels - even if they were wedges), she had to keep looking down at her feet to make sure she didn’t trip or roll to the bottom.

What she did manage to notice however, was breathtaking. There was a large expanse of green with sculpted bushes and statues, actual statues, with a backdrop of twinkling blue—a beautifully stonescaped pool—the hum of people, the smell of food, and a large old bricklayed area.

Once at the bottom, Krista saw that in front of her were mostly business people trying to look casual, keeping to the shade of the umbrellas that adorned five patio tables. Some were sitting, some were standing and looking over those sitting, and some were milling and flocking between groups. Unused heating elements loomed at each table. An electric fire pit with chairs and small tables sat off to her right. All heating items were probably set up for the evening, and would most likely get used later, as long as the party went on that long.