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“I’ve got an app in beta right now and I’m feeding it his locations and patterns as far as we know, what we’ve spotted on traffic cams with the AI I’ve got scanning the footage at speed. I’m hoping the app will triangulate a pattern and help me better predict his next moves. If it does, we’re a step ahead of him. If not, then I retool the code and try again, but in real time, we keep her shielded, one of us physically by her side, at all times on this trip and otherwise. If she takes a shower we check the fucking bathroom first, I mean it. When he shows, and he will, whoever’s on the ground gets first shot at him. No bullshit about let her talk to him and calm him down or whatever. She calls 911, and we do whatever we need to do to subdue him until authorities get there. Ideally he knows he’s caught and goes without a fight. Realistically, this motherfucker doesn’t know when to quit, which is why he’s cropped up in her life again. So we teach him when to quit. It’s when the Burns boys have your back against a wall and there’s not a damn one of us with capacity for mercy toward him now.”
“Damn, that’s a thorough strategy,” Eli said.
“Now that we’ve got a plan lined out to commit some felonies on an as-needed basis,” I quipped, “what do we need to do to make this trip special for Jasmine?”
“She needs ski gear. There’s no way she has the shit she needs. I want to be in charge of outfitting her. I got this urge to spoil her and wrap her up warm, you know,” Eli said, a little sheepishly.
“Okay, thanks for taking care of all that,” I said. “How about we plan a romantic night for her, let’s say the second night since she’s going to be wiped out from traveling and exploring the resort the first night. Maybe a fancy dinner at the hotel or something,” I said. “Flowers, music, the whole nine.”
“I’m sure the resort has terrific food and all that, but I want to cook. We’ve got a cabin, right, E?” Jake asked.
Eli nodded in agreement.
“Great, that means a kitchen. Now, I hit their site and saw they have a charcoal grill on the deck of each cabin, so I thought I’d go all out, steaks, lobster, make the truffle butter and mushrooms and everything,” Jake offered. “Get a dessert from the hotel though. I don’t bake for shit.”
“We know,” I said wryly. “That sounds incredible. Can you source the ingredients and tools and everything you’ll need?”
“Absolutely. I’ll see what they have on site and find a grocery that delivers there too. I can pack the specialty crap I need,” Jake said.
“Good. Will you pick the dessert too?”
“Yeah. I have a couple options in mind. I’m looking at the tasting menu at the flagship restaurant there. They’ve got good stuff. We should go there night one.”
“That’s a plan,” I said, “now for the flowers and candles and everything. I’ll take care of that part,” I said.
They nodded in agreement, and we all got on our phones to start locating and ordering stuff for the trip. I used a local florist near the resort. I found a small business a couple towns over that got high ratings for their handmade artisanal chocolates. I never had anything I would call artisanal before, but they looked good.
I ordered champagne from the hotel, then set off to get the items I wanted to choose in person. A photo wouldn’t tell me what I needed to know. I’d never been inside the upscale boutique, but it looked and felt about how I figured it would. Like I didn’t belong there at all.
I went to the counter where a woman was fussing with the tissue paper in a gift bag.
“Excuse me,” I said, my voice sounding strained, betraying my nerves. “I want to get my girlfriend something special for a weekend away. She’s about a size eight, 34-DD. She’s not real tall, and she likes things that are soft. No scratchy lace and buckles and crap.” She looked askance at me when I said ‘crap’, failing to appreciate the fact that I’d toned my language down for her store.
“If you’re interested in comfortable pajamas, there is a nice sleepwear range at Nordstrom,” she said icily.
She obviously didn’t think I had the money. “I saw a gown and robe thing in the window about a month ago that was what I’m looking for. It was kind of yellow.”
“Full length? That would be the Golden Empress set, long chemise and peignoir.”
“Yes. I want that.”
“You’re sure? The set is not on sale, and it came from France, exclusively for our boutique,” she said.
“You seem worried that I can’t afford it,” I said. “Don’t be. How much is it?”
“Seventeen hundred dollars,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Okay,” I said without blinking. “Do you take American Express black card? If you’re cash only, I’ll go to the ATM and be back in ten minutes.”
She cleared her throat and had the good sense to look a tad sheepish. “That won’t be necessary, sir.”
“I want it gift wrapped. Ribbon, all of it.”
“Would you like the matching slippers? Kitten heel mules in a coordinating gold and champagne jacquard.”
“Size seven,” I confirmed. She gave a satisfied nod and said she’d only be a moment. I allowed myself a smug grin.
It took her twenty minutes and two failed attempts to sell me perfume before I held the wrapped package, a large box covered in thick cream-colored paper patterned with a muted gold logo and tied with a satin bow in the same shade of gold.
