Page 121 of Cold Hard Cash

Rowena was crying.

Sighing, Jimmy hurried up to the door, his chest heavy with worry. He didn’t want a repeat of last time he found her in this office, and he had honestly hoped that his friend was feeling better since they talked.

“Rowena, are you...?” Jimmy began as he stepped inside, freezing in place and staring dumbly at the unbelievable sight in front of him.

Rowena was definitely crying, but these were cries of pleasure. She was sprawled out across the desk, her skirt hitched up around her hips. None other than Dario Romero was there on his knees between her thighs and clearly hard at work.

“Jimmy?” Rowena groaned, lifting up her head to glare at him. She waved dismissively and snapped, “Get out! We’ll be downstairs in a minute!”

“God! Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t see anything! Dario’s head is in the way! Uhm, hey Dario, good to see you! Okay, bye!” Jimmy babbled a mile a minute, struggling to get back through the door and slam it closed behind him.

He hurried downstairs, finding Jerry at the bar, who gave him an odd look for being so distressed. Jimmy shook his head, saying firmly, “Do not go up there.”

Jerry didn’t ask for any further detail.

“Is it too early for a drink?”

“Never,monsieur,” Jerry assured him, quickly whipping up a batch of appletinis.

“You’re amazing, Jerry,” Jimmy said happily, taking a long sip. “How did you know? This is my favorite.”

“It’s my job to know,” Jerry said mysteriously, winking slyly. “AndMademoiselleLegrand told me.”

“Here’s to Miss Legrand,” Jimmy laughed, holding up his glass in a toast. He finished his drink and had started on a second one when Rowena and Dario finally came downstairs.

Dario’s right arm was in a sling, and he looked like he had just survived a tornado. He had the most blissful expression on his face, waving happily at Jimmy. “Hey, dude!”

Rowena’s lipstick wasn’t even smudged, smiling sweetly at Jimmy and teasing, “Hey, sweetie. Mmmm, sorry about that.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Dario said with a blushing grin. “We were just, you know, uhm, talking, and then the talking... became not talking.”

Jimmy was so happy for them, gushing to Rowena, “So, I take it you, ahem, told him?”

“I told him everything,” Rowena said with a big smile, batting her eyes at Dario. “He said I was like Xena, Warrior Princess, taking out all the douchebag trash.”

“As if I wouldn’t still freakin’ adore this woman for doin’ something like that,” Dario said dreamily. “I mean, come on. She’s a goddess.”

Rowena giggled and kissed Dario’s cheek sweetly.

“I take it the, uhm, shoulder is feeling better?” Jimmy asked.

“It’s getting there,” Dario laughed, wiggling the fingers of his right hand. “No surgery thankfully, just lots of physical therapy. I should still be able to play. We only got a few more days until the big party, gotta get our shit down.”

“It’s gonna be a hell of a party,” Rowena said.

“You know, don’t you?” Jimmy accused. “What your brother is planning.”

Rowena smiled innocently, batting her eyes. “Mmm, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Can’t you please tell me? I really—”

“Jimmy,” Rowena cut in firmly, reaching out and taking his hand. “Trust in my brother. Everything is going to be okay. Your dad, the Luchesis, all of it. It’s all going to work out, I promise.”

“And hey, in the meantime,” Dario piped up, smiling brightly, “we got a show to get ready for!”

Jimmy gave an obedient salute, cheering, “You got it! Let’s do this!”

Jimmy and Dario practiced under Rowena’s watchful eye, taking small breaks for Rowena and Dario to passionately make out and occasionally discuss adjustments to the songs.