Page 116 of Drive
Before Jacques could respond, Larry disappeared down the hall again. Rainey reached for Jacques, her hand clasping hiswrist.
“Thank you for sticking by me. It means the world to me, really.” she whispered, holding his gaze with hers. What she had to say next wasn’t easy. Most of all, she didn’t want him to think her ungrateful. The corners of his eyes lifted with his smile. Rainey knew he was about to speak, and she couldn’t let him. “But — but when he comes out…” She bit the corner of her lip and worried it. “…I think I need to talk to him bymyself.”
Jacques’s left brow drew up with his frown. “Rainey—”
“I have to, Jacques,” she said, feeling the truth of it deeply now. “I think it’s abouttime.”
He said nothing then, but his eyes held her with keen, unbrokenfocus.
“Whatif—”
“Rainey, my God!” Her father’s voice — a sound that made music critics think of Tupelo honey and cayenne pepper, a buttery rasp — commanded every head to turn and witness hisentrance.
He aimed for her with a wide smile, but unlike the one Jacques’s had given her seconds before, it didn’t reach his eyes. He didn’t break his stride until he crushed her into his hug, her nose pressed against his royal blue silk shirt, and the smell of his cologne like a punch of nostalgia. Andpain.
“Dad,” she squeaked, his hug knocking her just a little off balance and making her feel about six years old again. There was a time when she’d wanted to cling to him forever so he couldn’t leave again. So he would hold hertighter.
Now Rainey pulled away first, like she had for years. It was easier thatway.
“Dad, we need to talk.” She watched his face give away nothing, his eyes so like her own. So like Ray’s. Except in Ray’s — even in the first three minutes of meeting him — Rainey had read his genuine thoughts andfeelings.
Looking at her father now, she saw he wore a mask of pleasant surprise, but she could discern that it was paper-thin. What did he really feel? Was he angry she’d come? Was he irritated by the interruption? Was he possibly even afraid of what she had tosay?
Rainey had no way ofknowing.
He looked handsome, as always. Even edging closer to sixty, Dylan Reeves was handsome. And she could see he’d kept himself in great shape, so no one would be able to guess his age. His complexion was darker than hers — she favored her mother — so he always looked like he’d just returned from a beach holiday. Maybe he went to a tanning salon for all she knew, but if he did, his skin hadn’t gone leathery and dry. His hair, longish and curling at the ends like hers, was streaked with gray, but it still retained much of its original dark brown. Even with years of hard living, months on the road, and late nights for each one, Dylan Reeves could still pass for a man in his lateforties.
Her father made a show of letting his eyebrows climb in disbelief. “You came all the way to Memphis to talk?” Then he gave a chuckle for their audience of Jacques, Lacey the receptionist, and Larry, who’d followed behind him. “If I’da known you were coming, I’da rolled out the red carpet, babydoll.”
Rainey guessed if he’d known she was coming, he would have tried to reschedule, but she didn’t say that. Not yet. Not with so many eyes watchingthem.
“It was kind of spur of the moment. A-and we can’t stay long,” she said, hearing the stammer in her voice and hating it. Now was not the time to get nervous. She’d been pretty pissed off with Larry. She needed to hold onto that. “Dad, this is Jacques Gilchrist. He’s myfr—”
“Boyfriend,” Jacques cut in, stepping forward and offering his hand, even though the expression he wore was less thaninviting.
Rainey’s father accepted Jacques’s hand, but she could see a hint of confusion in his eyes. Maybe it was faked. She couldn’t tell for sure. “Oh? Is this a special occasion? Did you come with an announcement?” Then he chuckled. “Or maybe to ask myblessing?”
Rainey felt her stomach plunge with embarrassment at the same moment she watched Jacques’s grip on her father’s hand go from firm to uncomfortable. Her father’s face could only hide somuch.
“I hope I’ll be so lucky one day,” Jacques said, and even though he glowered at her father, his eyes blazed with a heat that singed her clear to her bones. Her heartbeat quickened at hiswords.
Did he really just saythat?
Solidarity, Rainey decided. He was showing her loyalty instead of letting her father in on the truth. They’d only known each other about a month. They wouldn’t have the kind of future her father was teasing about because their paths would soon diverge. But Jacques was far too kind and protective of her to say any of that, and Rainey wasgrateful.
Dylan Reeves gave Jacques his game-show-host grin, made up of contrived approval. “I see. Well, nice to meet you,Jacques.”
At this, Jacques managed a nod, and Rainey saw what it cost him. Again, she was grateful. But she didn’t know how long Jacques could keep his distaste under control, and she had work todo.
“Dad, can we find someplace to talk? Just the two ofus?”
“Uh, yes… sure, baby…” Then his eyes searched the room, landing first on Larry’s with unspoken significance and then on the receptionist’s. “Lacey, honey, would it be alright if we use one of the empty mixingrooms?”
Rainey’s eyes found the receptionist sitting with her arms crossed, a scowl on her face. “Of course,Dylan,”she said, her tone now ice-cold. “Please use whatever space you want to meet with youradultdaughter.”
Rainey watched Larry and her dad wincesimultaneously.
All at once, she got it. She understood exactly why the receptionist had reacted with such surprise to learn who she was. Poor Lacey was sleeping with her dad — or was on her way to it. And, clearly, she didn’t know he had grown children. Indeed, she was probably old enough to be one of his grownchildren.
