Childhood Playmate Inquisition, PT 2

This is a continuation of the previous snippet about her childhood playmates.

“Things changed once Maximus died.”

One of her trusted personal security defected once her father passed? The fact that her whereabouts could be passed on without her knowledge to anyone willing to pay the price sent a chill down her spine. If her security coordinator, Sunny, suspected any of her bodyguards could be bought, she would have dismissed them immediately. She wondered how Roth reacted when the snitch reported that she ditched them only to discover her in Colorado. How different would things be if she hadn’t made that impulsive trip?

“Neither of them made a pass?”

She refocused on Roth and crossed her arms over her chest. He was still on this topic? “Not that it’s any of your business, but no, they didn’t. They were perfect gentlemen. I just lost my father, and they were worried about me. There’s nothing more to it.”

“You’re wrong. You may see them as friends, but they never saw you that way.”

She glared at him. “You’re mistaken.”

“They didn’t show up to your father’s funeral out of a sense of duty, they showed up for you.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he asked, “The night we met, why did you introduce me to them?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Why, Jasmine?”

She made a dismissive flicking motion with her hand. “They were the most likely to give you a chance.”

“Not me, you.”

“What?”

“They have a soft spot for you, and it’s not because you grew up together. If you weren’t the one doing the introductions, they would have walked away like everyone else. They stayed put, risking the wrath of their parents for you.”

“Are you crazy?” she snapped. “No one wanted me! I’m the illegitimate black sheep. I was lucky that Ford offered—“

“Don’t say his name.”

She ignored the edge in his voice. “None of them have given any indication that they’re interested in me that way.”

“You must have overlooked their subtle, well-mannered passes since they’re such gentleman.” When she eyed him as if he’d grown two heads, he asked, “Did they continue to contact you weeks after the funeral?”

“Dad died,” she said slowly. “They were checking on me and didn’t want me to be alone.”

His silence spoke volumes.

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.

What do you guys think about Roth's view of her childhood playmates??