“What do you need?” Jackie answers, immediately going into caretaker mode.
“A strong drink,” I deadpan.
“Come stay with us for a few days. I don’t want you to be alone.”
I sigh, and honestly, that sounds like my best option right now. Wandering around this place in the quiet isn’t doing me any favors. “I don’t want to impose.”
“We want you here,” she says quietly.
“Promise you don’t mind?”
“I promise.”
“God, I’m lucky I have you.”
“And Chip,” she reminds me.
I pack a bag of clothes and toiletries, and I pack another bag of comfort items—a pillow, a blanket, and a stuffed animal.
I grab my charger, and I’m good to go. At the last minute, I grab my laptop. I haven’t been checking emails or socials oranythingover the last few days, and I should probably go through some things tomorrow before my shift.
I throw it all into my car and head on over to Jackie and Chip’s place. They live about ten minutes from me, right next to Renegade’s, and Jackie opens the door the second I ring the bell, like she was waiting for me.
She pulls me into a hug, and Chip joins her from behind, so she’s the meat in a hug sandwich.
“Come on in. Chip will bring your stuff to the guest room, and I made you a drink,” she says. “And snacks. A big cheese plate. Let’s go dig in.”
And we do. We’re digging into some fantastic sharp cheddar when Chip walks back into the room.
“Have you thought about trying to get in touch with him?” he asks gently.
I lift both shoulders. “To be honest, I don’t know how.”
“Teammates? Siblings? Team office?” Chip suggests.
I shake my head. “I’ve been through all the scenarios, and I can’t imagine one where I don’t sound like a lunatic fan with a deranged crush.”
Jackie sighs and grabs another chunk of cheese from the board in front of us.
“What about the resort?” Chip asks. “Is there anyone there who you got to know who might be able to get you his number?”
“Clive,” I say immediately.
“Clive?” they repeat at the same time.
“He was Archer’s personal butler. Archer would text him a question, and he’d show up with the answer. Like our first night there, we wanted to get naked, but neither of us had condoms, and he showed up with a whole basket of sex goodies.”
Jackie giggles and repeats, “Sex goodies.”
I lift a shoulder. “You should’ve seen this butt plug.”
“Annnd I’m out,” Chip mumbles, and I can’t help a small laugh at that.
As hard as all this is, at least I have my friends. It makes me feel like I’m not quite so alone.
I glance at the clock. It’s two in the morning back in the Bahamas. Maybe I’ll try Clive in the morning.
We head to bed shortly after that, but I just toss and turn all night.
