Fighting for Flight by JB Salsbury (best books for students to read .txt) 📗

no less influential, voice tells me that he’s not sure about us or more specifically, me.

I hold back a frustrated growl and move to a table covered in panties.

“You’re staying at his place again?” Eve pulls out a pair of blue leopard-print hip huggers and tosses them in my arms.

“Yeah. He wants me to stay with him every night.”

“You’re so lucky. The guy I’m dating won’t even invite me over.”

I look over to see her wiping her eyes with a pair of cotton bikini underwear and then tossing them back on the display table. We’ve been at Victoria Secret for almost an hour, and I’ve been so wrapped up with Jonah, I never even asked about her boyfriend.

“I’m a jerk. Sorry. Here I’m going on about Jonah, and I never asked about, um, what’s his name?”

She bursts into tears. I drag her back and lock us into a dressing room, dropping my arm full of stuff and pulling her into a hug.

“Eve, what is going on? Did you guys break up?”

“No.” She sniffs, and wipes her nose on a pair of panties I was going to buy. “I think he’s into me. I mean he tells me he’s in love with me every time we have sex.”

Envy creeps in at the thought that Eve’s getting sex and I love you. To be fair, I’ve known that I’m in love with Jonah since my first night in his bed, but haven’t told him. Could it be possible that he feels it too, but just hasn’t said it?

“So then, why are you crying?”

She looks up at me, and I can see the pain in her eyes. “He’s so secretive. I’ve asked him if he’s married or, like, I don’t know, a member of the Secret Service, but he just laughs and swears it’s just because he’s skittish about relationships.” She straightens her shirt and checks her make up in the mirror.

“I’m sure he’s not married. Hasn’t he gone into your restaurant on the nights you’re working? Surely he wouldn’t show up at the restaurant his girlfriend manages if he wanted to keep the relationship a secret.”

Her eyes drop to the floor. “He only came in the one time. Now we just hang out at my house.”

That doesn’t sound good.

“I wouldn’t think the worst yet. Give him some time. If things don’t get better in the next few weeks, break it off.”

She nods and takes a shaky breath. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.” She manages a sad smile. “You want to try any of this on? Might as well since we’re in here.”

I study the pile of lace and satin at my feet. Maybe one of those will be the pair to finally break Jonah’s iron restraint. “I’ll just get them all.”

~*~

Jonah

I’m pulling swordfish out of the fridge to throw on the grill for dinner. Raven says she can’t eat anything that isn’t microwavable at her place. Since she’s been staying with me, I cook almost every night. With my strict training diet, eating out is next to impossible.

Raven’s recent text said she was on her way, and I want to get dinner going so she can eat when she gets here. I shake my head, contemplating what in the hell has gotten into me. I told myself I’d had enough of taking care of people when I moved out of my mom’s house. Nothing will shove you into a lifestyle of partying and irresponsibility like becoming a man at twelve. When I moved out at eighteen and came to Vegas, I was like a big kid in an adult candy store.

The sound of my phone bumps me from my thoughts. I check the caller ID.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hey, Joey, how are you?”

Rolling my eyes at her nickname for me, I wonder why she didn’t just name me Joey. “I’m really good. How about you?”

“I’m great. Just got back from spending time with Beth and the boys. They’re getting so big.”

I rub my forehead, reminding myself to call my little sister Beth. She lives in Phoenix with her husband Rick and twin boys. Things have been so hectic I haven’t stayed in touch.

“Yeah, I need to make a trip out for a visit. I’ll do that after the fight.”

“Oh, that would be great. She’d love to see you. What have you been up to lately?”

“Just training, getting ready for the fight. I’ve been working on the Impala I bought last year. I found a great mechanic who’s been coming over every day helping me take it apart, clean it up.”

I feel guilty keeping Raven a secret from my mom. She’s not some dirty indulgence or a passing good time. Even though I’ve never talked to my mom about the recreational girls in my past, with Raven, things are different.

“Mom, I want to tell you I met someone. It’s the mechanic who’s helping me with my car. Things are getting serious between us, and I thought you should know.”

Silence.

“Mom?”

I check to make sure our call didn’t get dropped. Nope, still connected.

“Mom, you still there?”

She clears her throat. “Yes, Joey, I’m here.”

Why is she acting so weird? I know I’ve never had a serious girlfriend before, but I thought she would be off the wall about my finally settling down.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be excited about my being in a serious relationship.”

“Oh, honey, I’m very happy for you. It’s just . . . I guess I thought . . . Well, it’s just a shock, that’s all. I always thought you liked girls.”

My eyes bug out of my head and I choke. I cough to clear my voice. “What? Of course, I like girls. Wait, Mom, Raven is a girl! Shit, you thought I was telling you I was dating a guy? Fuck me.”

“First of all, Joey, you watch your mouth. Second, what was I supposed to think? You told me you were dating your mechanic!”

I laugh so hard that it brings tears to my eyes.

“No. Raven is very much female.” My laughter calms. “You’ll meet her