Nothing Good About Her

Jake sat at the bar as he thought about what he and Vanessa had talked about the previous night.

Since it was Saturday, he had all the time to think about everything Vanessa had said. After careful consideration, he had decided to do exactly as Vanessa had said, and he was going to do more.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Alex's number.

Alex, who was busy thinking of ways to help Emma out of her misery, glanced at his phone when it buzzed.

Glancing at the screen, he frowned when he saw that it was Jake calling.

Why was he calling him? Alex wondered, his mind racing with different thoughts.

With a deep sigh, he answered the call. "Hey, Jake. How are you?" Alex's voice was low, betraying the weariness he felt.

"Hello, Uncle. I hope I didn't wake you up," Jake said, his tone unusually cheerful. "I'm sorry I haven't called since you got here," he said with an eye roll.

Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised by how well Jake was covering his true intention. If he hadn't already known that Jake was up to something by pushing his mistress to him, he probably would've fallen for Jake's pretend concern.

"No, you didn't wake me. I've been up for a while now. And about you not calling, you don't have to apologize. I know you've been busy. I have, too. Otherwise, I would've called," he said dismissively.

"Yeah, true. We've been unable to see or talk since you came back. I'd love for us to catch up. We have quite a lot to talk about, Alex," Jake continued eagerly. "Are you free tonight? Maybe we can grab a drink or two."

Alex hesitated, sensing there was more to this sudden outreach. "Sure, we can meet up tonight. I also need a drink or two."

"Great! I'll see you later then, Uncle," Jake said, sounding satisfied before abruptly ending the call.

Alex put his phone down, his mind racing. Jake's sudden enthusiasm for meeting up made him suspicious.

Although his sources had told him Jake was going out with Vanessa, which was why he left his wife, he didn't understand why Jake would want to send Vanessa to him.

"What is he up to?" Alex wondered, narrowing his eyes.

Whatever Jake's plan was, Alex was determined to figure it out. One way or another, he would get to the bottom of this.

That evening, Alex found himself seated across from Jake at a dimly lit bar. Jake had chosen the spot, a place he frequented often, and Alex could see why.

The atmosphere was quiet and discreet, perfect for the type of conversations Jake seemed to enjoy.

"You're late, Uncle," Jake greeted with a grin as Alex slid into the chair.

"I got held up," Alex said smoothly, shaking his head. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"No problem. You look good, by the way," Jake said, flashing his own sharp smile.

"You don't look bad yourself," Alex replied, settling in as Jake signaled to the bartender to get them drinks.

After placing their orders, Jake leaned back, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Aunt Claire was talking to me about Vanessa. She wants you to marry her, apparently. Is that true?"

Alex chuckled lightly, though inside, he was already on edge. "I'm afraid it is. I wonder why she's so insistent on her. Do you know why Claire's so eager for that?" he asked, watching Jake closely.

Jake shrugged. "Beats me. Vanessa's a good girl, though, unlike Emma," Jake said, pretending to feel hurt by mentioning Emma's name.

"I saw the news. I'm so sorry about that. What really happened?" Alex asked, his expression remaining neutral, but his eyes sharpened as Jake continued.

"It's nothing. I was just a fool who couldn't see that Emma wouldn't stay faithful to me. I'm sure she's probably already planning her next move, looking for the next wealthy man to leech off," Jake said, his tone full of disdain.

Alex nodded sympathetically. "Is there even a woman like that?" Alex asked, and Jake wrinkled his nose as he waved it off, though his eyes darkened.

"It is what it is."

After a moment, Alex leaned forward. "Do you have any idea how the press got wind of the divorce?" he asked, watching Jake.

Jake scoffed. "You know how reporters are. They get tips from everywhere. Honestly, I don't care how they found out."

Alex nodded, though something about Jake's tone made him suspicious. He filed the information away for later, knowing he would need to dig deeper into Jake's true intentions. He focused on his drink, pretending everything was as simple as it appeared.

"So, about Vanessa, do you think you're going to marry her? Will you do what Aunt Claire wants?" Jake asked, going back to what he wanted to know.

Alex chuckled inwardly. "I don't like her. There's nothing good about her. She looks like a loose woman. I wonder what Claire sees in her," Alex said, knowing Vanessa wasn't going to like hearing that about herself.

"What made you say that? From what I know about her, she doesn't let men into her life so easily," Jake said, and Alex raised his glass to his mouth.

"How would you know? You were a faithful husband, so you wouldn't know if she was loose or not. Enough about her, please. Talking about her is spoiling my mood," Alex said, sincerely tired of talking about her.

Though Jake pretended he wasn't the least concerned, deep down, he was seething. Perhaps he was going to find a way to get Alex to sleep with Vanessa so they could use that to force him into marrying Vanessa.

After everything Alex said, there was no way Jake was going to go lenient on him now.