“Jealous?” Stone replied in his traditional wise-ass manner.
“Fuck you, Stone. I get plenty,” Jagger stated.
“Not from what I heard.”
They all laughed at the teasing banter except for Riker. He was worried about Chastity.
“So, Cash, what happens next? Any info on this guy harassing Chastity?” Riker asked.
“Chastity? Who the hell is that?” Emerson asked them.
“She’s
Colt Morgan’s assistant. She’s helping out Nash and Riker with their new place. What is it called now?” Flynn asked.
“Hidden Treasures. The opening is Friday night, so if you boneheads aren’t busy, maybe you’d like to check it out,” Nash said.
The others threw around some comments about seeing it. They made jokes about it being a dive, and about it failing, just to mess with Riker and Nash. Both of them smiled, and blew off their friends’ wise-guy comments.
“So, this Chastity is hot. Is she going to be there?” Stone asked.
Riker gave Stone a very serious look and tried to not reveal how pissed off Stone’s comment was making him.
“She’ll be there, but she’s not your type,” Riker stated.
“Oh really? I like all types. Are you guys staking a claim?” Stone asked.
Riker looked at Nash and knew that Nash wouldn’t say anything. Not yet. Not when he was still trying to get over Maggie.
“No, we’re not. She’s taken,” Riker said.
“By whom?” Zane asked him.
“Colton,” Nash stated, sounding annoyed.
Zane and Cash laughed.
“She is not dating Colton,” Zane told them. The others just looked at Nash and Riker. Apparently their friends knew more than even they did.
“How do you know that?” Riker asked with an attitude.
“Because Colton is gay,” Cash said. Nash nearly spilled his drink.
Riker looked at Nash, and although no words were exchanged, he knew his brother was thinking exactly what he was.
“So she’s available? Good. I’ll be there Friday night. Can’t wait to meet her,” Stone added.
“Just deal the cards,” Nash told Stone as Stone smiled then began the game.
Riker was surprised that Stone would even want to bother with women for a while. Not after Olivia St. James tried to trick him into marrying her so she could take his money. That bitch had been suave and nearly got away with it. Luckily, Emerson saved his friend from the fatal mistake.
It seemed to Riker that Chastity wanted them to think that she was dating Colt, to stay clear of him and his brother Nash. They were going to have a talk with her as soon as she arrived Friday night.
* * * *
It was Thursday, and Chastity took the day off to visit the aquarium and clear her head. Desi left numerous messages, stating that he was away on business and that when he returned, they were going to have a serious talk. She was still angry at his tone and assumption that she would see him. Didn’t the order of protection prove that she wasn’t interested?
She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her sunglasses. That nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach kept reminding her about how familiar this all was. The never-ending phone calls, the threats, and demands were all indications of a stalker, a man who controls and batters women. But she didn’t want to believe that this would happen to her. She didn’t want to assume the worst about Desi since he never struck her or verbally abused her. It was like she had this label inside of her head about what a batterer really was. She took an uneasy breath and dismissed the nagging sensation once more. Today was a day of relaxation and peace.