Shaken

Shaken Part 2

Jax surveyed the boxes scattered across my floor. "Woah, it looks like an earthquake hit in here."

"Tell me about it. I've been packing for days."

The task of moving everything out to his truck was daunting. "At least we don't have to move furniture, since my new apartment is already furnished." I'd been able to sell my kitchen table and bed on Craig's list, and my old tattered couch had been donated to Good Will. Good riddance.

Jax glanced around the room. "Before we begin, let's get the issue of payment out of the way."

"Payment? Noah didn't tell me you wanted to be paid."

"You think I'd do this for nothing?"

Of course, he wouldn't. If I'd let myself believe he was here out the goodness of his heart, clearly, I'd been deceived. It was the same problem I'd had years ago. I wanted to believe the best about Jax, but he'd disappointed me in the end. I sighed. "You have every right to be paid for your time. How much do you want?"

He chuckled. "I don't want money. I was thinking more along the lines of a trade."

I frowned. "What kind of trade?"

"My cousin, Emily is getting married next Saturday and I need a date to the wedding."

A combination of laughter and panic bubbled out of me. "Yeah, right. Like I'm going to a wedding with you."

His expression remained serious. "You've got the easier part of the deal. You get to relax at a wedding and eat cake. I'm the one that has to do the heavy lifting."

"Jax, I can't be your date. I have a boyfriend and he's not going to agree to that."

"Ask him."

"Right now?"

"Yeah, call him up and explain the situation. If he doesn't like it, he can always drop everything at work and come help you move himself."

I shook my head. Unbelievable. When Noah got back from Europe he owed me big time. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Harrison's number, already knowing what he was about to say. He'd be against it, at least I hoped he would, and then I'd have to tell Jax no. Most likely, Harrison would find a way to get out of work, but he'd be really upset, and who knew what kind of problems it would cause with his boss. This entire situation was one big nightmare.

Harrison answered on the fourth ring. "This better be important. I'm in the middle of something."

I was taken aback by his terseness. What was his problem? "This is important. Jax says he needs a date to his cousin's wedding – says he'll trade moving services if I go with him. If I don't agree to this plan, he won't help me. I already told him you wouldn't go for that – "

"Olivia, I have better things to do with my time than discuss wedding planning. We can discuss this at lunch." I heard laughter in the background. His co-workers probably thought I was pestering him to get married. The thought irked me, since that wasn't what this was about.

"You don't understand. If I don't agree to the date right now, he's leaving and I'll have no one to help me."

"Sounds simple enough. Go with him to the wedding."

"You're okay with that?"

"I'm fine with it. Now, let's discuss this later. I have to go." With that, he hung up.

Frustration welled up in me. Did he not care that I'd be going on a date with another man? And why the curt responses?

In the last year, Harrison had become emotionally distant, and I'd known that if our relationship was going to be salvaged, we needed to live closer to each other. I'd given up a good job as a paralegal in a law firm in order to move, and would be starting at a lesser paying job as a receptionist at Parker Accounting. The job started in a little over a week, which gave me time to settle in. Taking a cut in pay wasn't ideal, but I hoped my sacrifices would be worth it.