Possessive Boss

I’m not sure why. At first, I think it’s because I’m worried Jacob will tell Darin and ruin the whole investigation. But I quickly realize I’m not worried about that.

Jacob wouldn’t do that. I believe him when he says he’s committed to finding out the truth about Darin. He wants to prove that his friend is innocent, and I want to help him do that. Or we’ll prove that Darin’s guilty and we’ll put a stop to it. Either way, Jacob clearly wants to follow through with this.

No, I’m worried for a different reason.

I’m afraid for him.

I know I shouldn’t be. I mean, he’s been good friends with Darin for a long time. I don’t need to be afraid of them spending time together. If Darin wanted to hurt Jacob, he could’ve done it a thousand times over the years.

Even still, I’m afraid. Now that we’re on to him, Darin might sniff it out. He could get desperate, and desperate people do terrible things. I’m afraid for Jacob and I’m afraid he’s not nearly scared enough.

For his part, Jacob’s going about this like it’s no big deal. He informs me that everything is set for me to come, and even though he says everyone’s on board, I get the sense that it wasn’t an easy thing.

So when the day arrives, I’m on edge for obvious reasons.

He stops by my desk at the designated time. “Ready?” he asks. Darin’s lingering over near the elevators, typing on his phone.

“Ready.” I stand up.

Brian pops his head up over the cube. “Hey there, boss. Where are you guys off to?”

“A meeting,” Jacob says, barely glancing at him. “Have a good day, Brian.”

We walk off and I can feel Brian’s eyes on us as we go. “He’s jealous,” I say.

“Of you or of me?”

“Why would he be jealous of you?”

He smirks at me. “I get to spend time with the hottest girl in the office.”

I roll my eyes. “No. He’s jealous of me.”

“I bet.” We reach the elevators and Darin glances up.

“Glad you can join us,” he says.

He doesn’t sound glad.

“I’m happy to help however I can.”

We get onto the elevator, ride it down, and get into Jacob’s black town car. It takes us to a restaurant downtown, a nice French-styled bistro. We get seated at a table in the corner. Jacob only has water but Darin asks for a whiskey. I stick with an iced tea.

The men arrive not long later. They’re just like Jacob described to me, and I can completely see why he thought they’d be gangsters. Aside from the obvious, they have a strange gruffness about them, a roughness to their manner. The men shake everyone’s hand, including mine, although the heavier one gives me an odd look.

“Come on, let’s sit and eat,” Darin says. “Lunch is on us, of course.”

“Nonsense,” Carmine says. “Please, let us take the bill.”

“Yeah, yeah, we got it. We know the owner.” Dee grins at the table.

Darin laughs. “You know, normally we pay for potential clients. That’s how it works.”

“Please. Let us show a little largesse. Our last meeting didn’t go so well, so let’s start off on the right foot.” Carmine smiles at Jacob but there’s an iciness to it.

“If you want to pay, by all means,” Jacob says.

The men laugh and Darin instantly jumps in. He asks them about business and they start talking in generalities about the city and about politics.

I’m halfway listening. I can’t help but note the way the men interact with each other and with Darin. It’s like someone’s going to come up to the table at any second and start punching them in the face. They’re tense and on edge, ready to spring up at a moment’s notice.

I glance at Jacob and wonder if he can see it. He’s busy staring at his menu and trying to pretend like the mobsters don’t exist at all, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it hasn’t hit home for him yet.

“So, Jacob, how is the new office coming along?” Carmine asks.

“Very good,” Jacob says. “We have some fantastic staff.”

“And the city? You’re enjoying it?”

“Philly’s great.” He smiles warmly. “I love it here. I really do.”

“It’s the best of both worlds. Big and small. It can feel like home or it can feel like the biggest place in the world. You can get lost or you can be somewhere.” Carmine smiles and I’m a little surprised by how poetic he sounded. “Or you can get mugged in the corner by some asshole. It’s all Philly.”

Darin laughs and even Jacob seems amused. The waitress comes and takes our order. Dee gets a bottle of wine for the table, apparently an expensive one based on the way the waitress reacts. I stick to a simple salad and when the menus are collected and we’re left alone, Carmine turns to me.