Zenith's Promise (The Zenith Series Book 7) Page 5

  “New challenge. Just don’t fall for him.” Karlee gave her a wink and smirk. Obviously, kidding. Obviously.

  “Never. I prefer common decency. Besides, you know what would happen if I brought home a musician to my Dad.” They shared a smile and Jody winked, all in kidding. But in truth, no, her dad would not be happy if she brought home a musician. Literally, the only rule he ever insisted on with her since she graduated high school was don’t date a musician.

  In Nick’s defense, he lived through the time when Rob was in the clutches of Zenith’s (then) failure and drug addiction. It was a bad place that culminated in Rob selling drugs, which led to someone breaking in and assaulting her mom. “I think I could handle anyone you might bring home, except for a freaking musician,” her dad always told her.

  Jody had to giggle to herself when he said that. The thought of bringing anyone home, which was her parents’ euphemism for dating a man for any length of time, was not really her deal.

  “I can do my job without falling for him.”

  “Okay, if you want the hot gem. Sounds like a pain in the ass anyway, so have at it.”

  “Yes. And how is the wedding planning going?”

  “Still going. But I have Kayla on it now, and you know how she loves a good party.” Kayla was her older sister.

  “She does. Me too, but not that type.” She gave a little wiggle to her eyebrows.

  “Well, duh. I think we all know that. We know what type you like to plan.”

  “The fun ones?” Jody supplied with a sugary sweet smile.

  “Yeah. And my wedding will be a fun one.”

  “And a happy one, so, of course, it will be. I just have to give you shit because well, it’s light years away for me.”

  Karlee snorted, rising to her feet. “No doubt of that. All right, if you have Ross the drummer well in hand, I have some insurance stuff I want to go over with you. Could you come to my office?”

  Juggling the numbers and wading through bureaucracy was Jody’s shtick. She handled it all extremely well. After finishing her work with Karlee and answering the phone calls she’d been putting off, she walked the few blocks to her family home. Her dad started his corporation in his mid-twenties and cleverly diversified his profits into some pretty significant real estate in Seattle. He owned several famous buildings and multiple plots of land. Both of her parents ran Next Generation Consulting, a highly tailored security firm that conducted business with many high-paying, international clients from all over the world. Some of their clients were government groups that couldn’t advertise the use of their services. Jody was familiar with some of the family business but she preferred the real estate management department. She majored in economics and business administration in college and earned a bachelor’s degree, giving her a fundamental understanding of the markets. Of course, her dad also endowed her with his own specific knowledge and savvy. She ran point on that section of the family wealth now and rarely lacked things to do.

  Luckily, she was overly energetic and needed little sleep. She didn’t really have any talents or hobbies outside of her work. Zenith’s Promise was as much of a hobby as a job for her. Partying, going out, dancing and frolicking with plenty of men allowed her to blow off steam, but mostly as an afterthought, and after working sixty hours or more all week.

  Slipping into her parents’ building, she rode the elevator to their penthouse, the one she was raised in, without bothering to knock and used her key to enter. JayJay sat on one of the sofas, going hard at his game console, as usual. He was addicted to video games and it was his main entertainment, so everyone in the family tried to monitor and limit his indoor playtime. Everyone encouraged him to engage in more outdoor activities and interests. He was a huge guy, taller than six-foot-four, and weighing in at two hundred and fifty pounds. He had the same dark brown, shiny hair and eyes as Jody, and they looked so much alike as siblings, it was uncanny. His male perfection matched her female version. Jayden Lassiter was on the spectrum. Having recently graduated through the public school system, which allowed him to continue until age twenty-one, the time had come for him to switch out of it. He missed it and was struggling visibly more in his effort to adjust. Transitions and changes were never easy for JayJay or natural and they continued to be one of his greatest challenges. Jody tried to spend more time around him.

  It wasn’t likely JayJay could ever live away from her parents, or eventually, her. There was no chance that anyone else but her would care for him if anything changed with her parents. That was her reality forever, her line in the sand. Any man she might choose in the long term would have to know that up front: Jody would eventually become JayJay’s guardian and there was no changing that fact for her. JayJay could function in his everyday life, although the milestones for him arrived much later than any typical child. Years later in some cases. Things like tying his shoes was finally learned at age twelve. He recently learned how to drive, but following directions was a constant endeavor. He followed the routes he used without varying them. When traffic or road constructions forced him to detour, it set him off and he commented on it without end. Those were the times when he got stuck on a topic or a complaint. Sometimes Jody wished she could put in ear plugs but she long ago discovered ways to draw him back to the outside world. Finding a topic of interest and distracting him were the best strategies for that.

  Jody adored JayJay. She was five years old when he was born. Not until age two did they notice differences in his development. Delays in the usual milestones. When they weren’t being met at the average age of other children, the flag that something might be different with JayJay went up. After several doctor appointments, the conclusion came: JayJay was autistic. Labels like that might bother some people but Jody found it straightforward. Oh, so that was it. That was part of his personality and whom he was. The information she gained from his diagnosis let her learn how to communicate with him better and treat him respectfully when she tried to connect with him. He was her brother and had his own way to communicate. Done. No worries. She could do that and soon expected everyone else to do so too. It was never a problem, not even from day one for Jody. He was her brother, he was autistic, and he was awesome.

  Sadly, not everyone was as receptive to his condition as Jody was. She had plenty of moments observing the ignorance of other kids and their subsequent teasing. Her mom or dad often found her in tears over the latest cruel moniker someone said as they pointed at him. She could never deal with it. Not when it was directed at JayJay. He was so pure and good. Not a mean, nasty, or evil thought or word existed in him. He was like a white light to all their petty jibes. He was twice the person any of them were. She knew that. How dare they laugh at him.

  Jody learned to pick her battles. She got pretty skilled at it when necessary. On the rare occasion when she witnessed people’s ignorance or rudeness to her brother, she came up with some pretty good comebacks that put them in their place. The sarcastic words weren’t life-changing and she wasn’t saving the world, but when called on to defend JayJay? Yeah, she never backed down or missed a chance or an opportunity. He was always well worth it.

  Of course, her parents’ excessive wealth allowed them access to the best practices and therapies of the time. Jody thought of the many families who did not have the resources for an individual dealing with such a condition in our judgmental world. She was so grateful for her parents’ money when she saw what it did for JayJay, allowing him to reach his full potential.

  JayJay didn’t look up when Jody walked past him. She stopped and ruffled his hair, which made him grunt and lean forward. He didn’t like being disturbed while gaming.

  “Hey, dude, where’s Mom and Dad?”

  “Some fancy dinner. I didn’t want to go.”

  “Perfect. Then we can order pizza. What do you say?” Pizza was his favorite dish. Jody was aware her parents had gone out. They texted her to check on JayJay. They always invited him to go wherever they went but he rarely accepted. He detes
ted wearing button-up shirts and complained how they hurt his neck and he didn’t like that.

  No one familiar with Nick and Joelle Lassiter did not know their son too. He was a prominent family member who usually accompanied them, no matter where they went or what they did. Neither considered it a problem to have a child on the spectrum. JayJay was their son and naturally played a large part in all of their lives.

  He nodded without glancing at her. She sighed as she walked around and flopped down beside him. “All right, who are you and what’s your deal?” She waved at the TV. In order to connect with JayJay, she had to connect with the things he related to. His interests were confined to specific things and nonexistent in others.

  JayJay launched into an animated explanation of the crashing, revolving, life-like people on the screen. Jody had zero interest in his descriptions, but he was one hundred percent engaged, so she often encouraged him to talk about his games. This was not unusual.

  He stopped to eat the pizza when it arrived and Jody managed to nudge a few more details from him that weren’t about video games or the online players he was playing against. He launched into long, detailed histories and opinions about them all. She didn’t even understand half his lingo, but she loved the excitement and gleam of joy she saw in his eyes.

  Jody loved JayJay unconditionally.

  Yawning, she curled up on the couch, growing sleepy as JayJay continued his game. Glancing at the clock, she nudged her brother and said, “Okay, you have to cut it off for tonight.”

  “No. I’m about to—”

  “You know the rules. Cut it off,” she repeated firmly, clearly, and concisely, sticking to the rules he knew.

  Nodding, he pressed a button and it stopped. With an audible grumble, he lurched to his feet and Jody grinned as she gave him an affectionate pat on his back when he shuffled past her. “That’s my guy. I’ll see you Saturday, huh? We still going to the Aquarium?”

  His face lit up and the glum look vanished. “Oh, yeah. That’s this weekend? Okay. Great.” He had trouble sequencing days and dates.

  “Yep. This weekend. We’re on?”

  “On.” He reached forward to match her fist bump and the good will was instantly restored. Oh, the Seattle Aquarium. It was located on the pier just below her condo. He was obsessed with that place. He could recite nearly every small fact about every living creature inside it. They went there once a freaking month. Yes. Once a month, Jody grabbed JayJay to tour the whole Aquarium. Again. From front to back. Top to bottom. Each time. Five hours by the clock. He never skimped on it and never grew tired of it. His smile and engaged delight beamed on his face the entire time. Staring at different fish and ocean creatures in the wonderful displays thrilled him every time. Jody used to enjoy it. After a hundred visits or more, it was not quite as exciting to her, but she never tired of watching JayJay’s love for it. Taking a ride on the Ferris Wheel, and grabbing two corndogs each, they’d wander along the pier afterwards.

  It was their standing date and JayJay always expected it from her. She rarely missed it, and if that happened, it was only because of illness, and never due to her social life.

  After he trundled off to bed, she covered herself with a blanket and flipped the TV onto a movie, letting her eyes flutter shut, only to be awoken when the door opened. Her parents entered, both dressed in formal wear.

  “Hey, Jo. Thank you for swinging by. You didn’t have to stay.”

  She sat up, blinking. “I didn’t mind. He was extra obsessed tonight. Had to tease him out of it to get him to eat.”

  Her dad was undoing his tie as he laughed. “He keeps trying to put it in his room, but I fear all the hours he’d spend without sleeping or bathing or eating…”

  Her mom slipped free of her shoes and loosened her pinned-up hair. “Yeah. No doubt. Why don’t you just stay here overnight?”

  Jody tilted her head in consideration. “Yeah, I guess so. I have an early meeting but that’s fine.” She kept a few outfits at her parents’ house in case of late nights. Sometimes, being with JayJay went later than planned. Jody never considered it babysitting as just being with her brother. No one bothered to articulate her reasons for being there, it was just that way.

  “New musician?”

  “Yep. This one will probably make me earn the meager salary I make.”

  “Not great or just no personality?”

  “His attitude mainly. Hugely annoying and apathetic. Not sure why he came. But I guess I’ll soon see.”

  Her mother flopped down and her dress looked like a sheath of navy blue. She pulled it up to allow her legs more room. “I love knowing you won’t let him get away with the power play shit stuff.”

  “I love knowing that too.” They exchanged grins. Jody was well aware of her strengths, her voice and her autonomy. She never failed to speak up for herself in any conversation, as her mother coached her throughout her childhood. That honesty and closeness made them friends, which continued now in adulthood. “Where were you guys?”

  “Oh, at a charity for cancer research. Annual event. Such a disconnect. People spending ridiculous amounts of money on fancy dinners, ballrooms, entertainment and dressing up like this, when the money to buy this dress would be better spent as a donation. You know? Rich people always have to make themselves feel better about their wealth.”

  “And yet… you went there. Makes you one of them.” Jody tilted her head. “You’re a hypocrite, Ma. Disdaining how the wealthy thrive in their ivory towers while you are one of them and your participation with them allows them to keep up their social norms.”

  Joelle unfolded arms off her chest and threw them up. “Yes, true. I always taught you to speak your mind.” She gave her a chagrined look. “But you are correct. I do that. We give away money but we make an awful lot of it. I have always been torn by the place that puts me in.”

  Her dad walked in from their bedroom, his tuxedo replaced by loose sweats. He patted Jody’s shoulder as he dropped into the space between them. “Jody saving the world again?”

  “Well, someone has to.”

  He nodded, and his expression turned serious. “You’re correct. Let me know when it’s safe to come out again.”

  “Don’t be a jerk.” Jody scowled at her dad. He often made fun of her idealistic views. They clashed often, but they made each other think harder and stretch their beliefs.

  “I can’t help it. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Ditto that, to you.”

  They shared smiles. “What did I hear about a musician? And what do I always say?”

  “You are so demented in your prehistoric view about musicians… Get over it. Mom did, over a decade ago. Good God, take a page from her point of view.”

  He let out a laugh. “All right. I might let it skew my viewpoint. But don’t let the magic spell they try to weave skew your viewpoint.”

  “Dad, don’t. Don’t do the weird patriarchy thing of protecting my virtue. Okay? We’ve been over this before. Being sexually active at twenty-six, which you were, does not allow you to comment on my sex life.”

  “You can’t just not, can you?” he sighed. She often exasperated him. There was no subject she considered off limits to speak of. So she discussed anything that came to her mind. Always had. That included her sexuality or lack thereof. He struggled with her honesty, but also cherished it.

  “No. Should I?”

  “No. That’s why I don’t have to worry, do I?’

  “Of course, you do. I can still get hurt. Or raped, as a woman, we’re never spared that reality. Ever.”

  Her mom stifled a laugh. Nick shrunk down on the sofa. “Can we relax for a few minutes here, my darling, social justice warrior?”

  “We can. Just wanted to make sure you understood. I do appreciate your worry and care, just not when it involves stupid or trivial things.”

  “Jody, I’ve never doubted that. Now what is this movie?”

  She caught them up and let go of her usual gripes to e
njoy the movie before finally wandering off to bed. She was glad to have privileged, wealthy parents who were always trying to be the best versions of themselves they could be. Just like Jody.

  She wondered if Ross could claim the same? She’d see soon enough, huh?

  The door to the office opened and the little bell jingled. They had no office administrator or upfront person for a receptionist. Jody and Karlee were the only ones who worked in the office space as it was connected to many of the housing units they managed for musicians. Expecting Ross, after texting him to come in at ten that morning, it was already ten twenty-three.

  His insolent stare and incessant smirk would become predictably familiar to her, Jody suspected with a grimace. He glanced around, no change in expression, his big arms crossed over his too-muscled chest. The totally careless appearance had to be an act as no one could have that well-toned of a physique if he didn’t put some work into it. He must have been careful about what he ate and had to work out often to get muscles like his. They weren’t just inherited and dropped onto a person.

  She slipped her hands free of the keyboard and rose to her feet to walk out and greet him. She was wishing, maybe, she could pawn him off on Karlee.

  But here he was. “So! You decided to show up?” Okay, she could have just welcomed him without the snarky remark, but she was already ticked off at his late entrance. She detested lateness. As if her time were less important than those who chose to be late. Tardiness was almost a deal-breaker to her. It revealed the real person inside, in her opinion. Professionally, a huge, black mark was already against him.

  “Yep.”

  She clucked her tongue against the back of her teeth and told herself not to react. He was all about not reacting and his nonchalance, non-caring, and totally apathetic assholeness only upset her. He purposely provoked others and then innocently pretended he hadn’t done anything. Jody sensed he did a lot of damage.

  Giving him a thorough once-over, she sniffed. “Next time you’re more than five minutes late, we’re done. I’ll get you a ticket home.”