Free The Set Up by Kim Karr Page A

imagining knocking out a shiny white tooth for every time he has barked an order at her.
    “Jasper, a word.” Will knows Cole Reynolds is on my last nerve and he’s pulling me aside.
    I follow.
    Surprisingly, he doesn’t start lecturing me right off the bat. Instead, he just walks and keeps looking over at me. Which is even worse. After about five more steps, I think his silence seems to be drawing out.
    Just before things turn hot, I stop in front of the red Storm and make a show of looking over the rim of my sunglasses and directly at him. “What do you want from me? Blood?”
    “Jasper,” he sighs.
    “This is taking too long. He’s taking too many pictures. Asking too many questions. It’s a fucking blog post, not an illustrated book or full-length novel.”
    “No. You’re wrong. It’s a series of blog posts. Very expensive blog posts,” Will corrects.
    “Okay, I’ll give you that.”
    “Thanks. So does that mean you’ll keep your cool?”
    “I’m trying. I’m really trying.”
    He smiles. “I’ll take that as a yes. One more thing.”
    “Yeah, what is it?”
    Will looks hesitant.
    “What?”
    “Cole, another blogger, and . . .” He pauses.
    “Charlotte,” I fill in.
    “Yes, and Charlotte. They are staying at the Marriott tonight, and Cole was hoping the four of us could meet them for drinks tonight.”
    “Hell, no.”
    “Jasper.”
    “Will, come on, man. I think I’ve been more than accommodating over the past few hours. Besides not causing a scene with Charlotte, I’ve given that asshole plenty of material.”
    Will shakes his head at me. “Okay, he’s a little full of himself, but he knows his job. He’s good at it. And he says he needs enough information if he’s going to attract attention over the next three months. You know our startup period.”
    I grit my teeth. “Fine. Great. Fanfuckingtastic. I’ll give him everything he needs to know from my blood type to how I like to fuck, but I’m done with the photos and the interviews for today.”
    “Now you’re the one being the asshole.”
    “Say what you want, but there’s no way tonight is happening. You go. In fact, why don’t you make a list of what he needs, and also tell him you’ll give him everything next week.”
    Will’s shaking head and smirk aren’t what I want to be looking at.
    “What?”
    He crosses his arms. “Oh, if I heard you correctly earlier, you were taking the lead on this advertising gig .”
    “I am. I will. Right after you give him what he wants. After all, as business manager of Lightning Motors, I think advertising falls under your helm,” I say, my smile wide.
    “Convenient.”
    “It is. So it’s settled. You’ll go tonight.”
    “Jasper, I’ll go, but do you want to talk about her?”
    “No, Will, I don’t.”
    He raises his hands in surrender. “Anytime you do, I’m here.”
    “Sorry. I’m tired and this is dragging out. What’s taking so long to start the ceremony anyway?”
    Will scouts the area. “Hank hasn’t come back yet. We’ve been stalling, trying to wait for him.”
    “Where did he go?”
    “Do you really want to know?”
    The sad smile already tells me. “He went to get my mother, didn’t he?”
    Will nods.
    “I told him I didn’t want her here.”
    “He thinks you do and that you didn’t want to admit it in case she wouldn’t come.”
    “He’s wrong.”
    Will shrugs.
    I run a hand through my hair. “You should have stopped him.”
    “It wasn’t my place.”
    “And what am I supposed to do with her when he won’t be seen with her and she starts all her bullshit?”
    “Drew and Jake’s mothers are here. Stick her with them.”
    “They came?”
    He nods.
    “You cool?” I ask.
    “Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like I could get my mother a day pass from the women’s penitentiary to see everything I’ve accomplished, and it’s not like if I could, she’d care.”
    “Will.”
    “Jasper.”
    We both laugh. Too much alike to ever admit it.