Justice For Juniper (Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 125

Nervous Part I

Nervous didn’t begin to describe the feelings swirling in Juniper’s belly.

+2 Bonus

They’d been in San Sebastián for nearly thirty–six hours now. After their showers, meals, and siestas, as Phineas insisted she call their nap, they spent most of the evening the day prior and this morning lazing about. There were lots of kisses, and stolen moments when one of them would whisk her away from the others and then there were times when they were all together. They’d all slept in the room which she knew was Phineas‘ room, but he was calling it their room.

She felt love, protected and safe in their attention. Yet now it was early evening, and she was in a hired car with the three men chatting happily around her seemingly oblivious to her nervousness. Meeting Beni’s grandparents was terrifying the hell out of her. They were meeting for dinner at their home and while the men were excited, she was freaking out.

“You’re quiet, sweetheart,” Phineas commented in a lull in their conversation. “All good?”

“Yes.” She nodded benignly and continued looking past him to the houses they were passing on the narrow streets.

“They won’t bite,” Beni said with a grin. “I know you’re nervous, but you don’t need to be. They’re the best.”

“You said this multiple times. I’m fine.”

1/5

19:20

“We should distract her,” Adil commented with a wicked glint in

Nervous Part I

+2 Bonus

“Touch me and ruin my makeup or hair I worked so hard to get perfect and I’ll be the one biting.”

The edge to her tone made all three men pull their heads back in surprise.

“Hey,” Beni grabbed her chin with his fingers and forced her to look at him, “talk to me. What is going on? Why are you so angry?”

“I’m not angry. I’m out of my element. I’m not used to anything fancy. I finally get what Mama was saying,” she whispered the last part more to herself than anyone else.

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“I will get this car pulled over and we won’t move until you tell me what is going on.” Beni threatened.

“You’re right. I’m nervous. I’m not used to this at all. When I met all your parents the other day, it was impromptu, and I didn’t have time to overthink it. Now, I’ve just spent a day and a half thinking of you talking about all your grandparents and how old and bigoted they are, and I can’t help but feel I’m being led into an ambush. I don’t fit in with fancy. You’re all incredibly wealthy and I’m very comfortable with you but this is literally bringing the help to the royal dining room.”

“The help?” Phineas looked at her in disbelief.

Keep thinking of my mother telling me she was literany

19:20

Nervous Part I

+2 Bonus

the shit stains off your parents‘ toilets when she was dragged to lunch the other day and how uncomfortable it was. I am your employee, Phineas. Literally employed by you and –”

“Whoa!” he held his hand up to her ranting. “Is this why you were really in the bathroom with your mother?”

She looked away aware she’d just exposed her mother’s discomfort out of her own.

“Look at me.” Phineas cupped her cheeks. “You’re fired.”

“What?”

“You are fired. You don’t work for me. Not now. Not ever again.”

“You can’t fire me! I like my job!”

“My wife doesn’t need to work.”

She smacked his chest angrily. “You are not funny.”

“I am not trying to be. You are a millionaire, Juniper. There is a bank account with many zeros in your name. You don’t need to be an admin assistant in my company. You can do whatever you

want.”

Her eyes widened at his words. “What?”

“You’re independently wealthy. You earned the million, the condo and everything else before we were involved romantically or sexually. You don’t need to work. You can do whatever you Rant but if you think I’m going to let you balk on us because

19:20

Nervous Part I

+2 Bonus

Juniper, and I’ll be damned if you feel lesser than me because you collect a paycheck from a company which bears my name.”

His anger rolled off him in waves, and she leaned away from him towards Beni. “Phineas.”

Beni pulled back from her as if he too were furious. “Juniper, do you really think you are beneath us somehow? Our bank balances put you in a lower category than us?”

“No. I,” she looked to Adil for help and saw he too was angry. “Why are you all mad?”

“We’re angry,” Phineas glared, “because you were feeling this way and instead of talking to us about it, you held onto it until now? You are giving us this elitist bullshit!”

“You were the ones who started talking yesterday about how all the elders in your families,” she waved between him and Adil, “are going to hate me on principal and they won’t accept me. You’re the one hiding me away like a dirty secret because you know they will automatically loathe me because I’m poor and I spread my legs for three men. You try to sugarcoat it by telling me Beni’s grandparents aren’t as bigoted, but all of this is because you,” she waved between them, “were the ones who put it into my head.”

Phineas pinched his nose angrily as he exhaled loudly through his mouth, “Juniper.”

“You’re ashamed of me Phineas. Too ashamed of me to tell

your grandfather, your mentor, the man you respect more than 4/5 anyone else, about me. Adil is the same. Why am I supposed to20

Nervous Part I

+2 Bonus

difference in terms of ages, wealth, background, or family?” She shook her head, “I don’t want to do this.”

“You don’t want to meet my family?” Beni asked quietly.

“I’m nervous of meeting people I know are going to hate me because I sleep with three men and while Phineas says I’m a millionaire, it’s nouveau riche at best. I’m no better than a lottery winner. I didn’t earn my money. It was given to me. You started this by making me feel I needed to be a secret yesterday and I’m sorry it’s trickling into today but you were the ones who went on and on about how your rich, old grandparents wouldn’t like me so you couldn’t tell anyone about me. If you didn’t want me to feel like you’re ashamed of me, then you should have kept that information to yourselves.”

C/C