“We have nothing to hide,” she said firmly. “Just find out what really happened. Because whatever it was, I can promise you it had nothing to do with me or Thad.”
Despite Thad’s means, motive, and opportunity, I wasn’t convinced that he had killed his father—at least there was enough doubt there for me to want to know more. And I’ll admit there was a small part of me that was excited by the possibility of uncovering new information or a hidden suspect on this case. That would show everyone at the Times that I wasn’t just a one-hit wonder, wouldn’t it?
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll look into it. But I’m not doing this for you or Thad. I’m looking for the truth—whatever that might be. You know that, right?”
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” Tabitha cried as she pulled me into an aggressive embrace that suggested she did not understand any such thing.
When I got home, Jay was asleep on my couch with a very comfortable Coltrane curled up at his feet. I texted him before I met Tabitha to let him know I’d be a while. He wrote back saying simply: I’ll wait.
I walked in quietly and set my purse and keys down on the sofa table and allowed myself a moment to indulge in the sight. Jay was what women of an older generation would call “a real catch.” He was smart, successful, kind, funny—not to mention easy on the eyes. I tiptoed over to the couch where he lay sleeping and leaned over to kiss his perfect mocha-skinned forehead. His lashes fluttered open like Snow White.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” I said, and dipped my head again to kiss him. “Thanks for taking care of Coltrane.”
“Aw, he took care of me—that dog has the soul of a philosopher.” He smiled and propped himself up on his elbow. “How’d it go? Everything okay?”
“Oh yeah,” I said, unsure of how much I could ethically tell him. I didn’t want to lie to him, but since Tabitha had made me promise to keep what she told me off the record until she talked to Carl, I couldn’t tell him about the conversation either. Plus, there was a tiny part of me that worried about what Jay would think if he knew I’d agreed to look into who else might have a reason to want Arthur Davenport dead. He’d seen a lot of bad guys in his time with the DEA, and because of that he tended to worry about safety more than someone else might. The last thing I wanted was for him to worry. So I did what any woman would do who wanted to avoid answering a question posed by a gorgeous man who just happened to be lying on her couch: I distracted him.
Hey Riley,
My name is Jenna B and I am going to be ur Personal Success Concierge™ over the next month and hopefully a lot longer than that—haha lol!
I am so excited to meet u! When I read ur profile I was like, “OMG. This girl and I could be frickin’ twins!” It’s like we’ve lived doubles lives—seriously. U grew up in a small town; I grew up in a small suburb. U were an English major in college; I am thinking about majoring in English if I decide to go back to school—plus, I read Pride and Prejudice at least once a year. How frickin’ weird is that?
Anyway. I want to just lay out for u how this whole thing is going to work. Ur free trial comes with an unlimited number of emails over the next 30 days. (After that we can figure it out. There are plans.) But basically I’m here for u whatever u need. U can ask me questions and I’ll try to provide guidance and give u my perspective and—[TRIGGER WARNING]—sometimes even challenge ur truths. Challenging truth is an important aspect of being a Personal Success Concierge™. More on that ltr.
Anyway. Just a little bit about me: I am a gifted encourager and I have had an overdeveloped sense of intuition from a very young age, according to my mom. I love to workout, meditate, eat clean (except when it comes to Cinnabon, u feel me?), practice yoga, and journal when I have the time. My secret dream is to star in a movie opposite Eddie Redmayne. I also hope to own a tiny house someday.
Would love to know more about what makes u u and what u hope to accomplish over the next 30. Write back when u can. Can’t wait to dive in!
xx,
Jenna B
Personal Success Concierge™
Bestmillenniallife.com
Dear Jenna B,
Thank you for the nice letter. I thought I marked the box next to “Thanks but no thanks” on the initial form. Maybe there was some mistake? In any case, I am not in need of a Personal Success Concierge.
Best of luck getting that tiny house someday!
Riley Ellison
Hey Riley,
A lot of people r intimidated by the process at first, but no worries I got u, haha lol! Plus, did you not get the memo that it is FREE, as in 100% gratis??? That’s like a huge savings. U’d b silly not to take advantage of it. In the wise words of Nike, “Just do it.”
Anyway. I’ll make it easy for u: Fill in the blank of this sentence: The thing I am most afraid of in the world is: ____
xx,
Jenna B
Personal Success Concierge™
Bestmillenniallife.com
Getting roped into situations against my will.
All best,
Riley
CHAPTER 7
Jay left the next morning before the sun came up. He said he wanted to go home and catch a shower before heading up to the DC office, where he’d been spending a lot of time
