Everyone Wants Zack

“Isn’t that Jordan’s truck?” Josh asked as we came to a stop in Zack’s driveway. “Why is he here? Did you have plans with him tonight?”

I laughed when he said that. “Oh yes Josh, I made plans with Jordan when I knew I was spending most of the night with you.” I shook my head as I undid my seatbelt. “Back up plans you know, every girl has got to have them.” I threw a smile at him while he opened his door.

“Funny,” he got out and came around to my side to help me out. “I thought you might have plans with him since you knew you would be home fairly early and you don’t work tomorrow morning.”

“Nope,” I kissed his cheek. “I only had plans with you tonight so I don’t know what Jordan is doing here; I haven’t spoken to him for a couple days.”

“Oh? Not since you went to the movies with him?” Even though he was trying, I could still see a hint of jealousy in Josh’s eyes when he said that. Although, he was the one who suggested that Jordan and I hang out that night, he even told me what was playing and helped us pick a movie to go see.

“That’s right,” I linked my arm through his as we walked up the steps to the front porch. “Did you want to sit out here for a while?” I motioned to the swing. “Or did you want to go see the blankets right away.”

“Hmmm,” he slipped his arm from mine, wrapping it around my waist as he pulled me against him. “Do I want to be alone with you or be alone with you?” He grinned. “That’s a difficult choice.”

“It is,” I insisted. “Inside you’ll have other people who will want to talk to us, so we might not be alone.”

“I guess it’s a chance I’ll have to take,” he replied as he opened the door for me.

Josh and I removed our shoes in the front hallway and wondered towards the basement door. I had expected to see at least one of my family members in the living room but the lamp in the corner was the only thing showing any sign of life. “That’s weird,” I commented. “Maybe they are all in the kitchen?”

“Maybe.”

I debated going in there, I really wanted to see what Jordan was doing at my brother’s house but I figured that Josh would get grumpy if I went off in search of Jordan. I turned to lead him down the steps to the basement when the kitchen door swung open.

“Thank you so much,” Jordan was looking back as Zack as he came through the door. “I don’t know who else I could’ve asked to do this for me.”

“No problem,” Zack smiled at him before his gaze shifted to Josh and I. “Hello guys, I didn’t hear you come in.”

Jordan turned to stare at us, he seemed a little surprised to see us and not really happy either. “Hey…” He tried to hide the papers he held in his hand. “How are you guys?”

“We are good,” I told him. “What do you have in your hand?” I wasn’t about to beat around the bush, I was curious. The last time Jordan came to my brother with papers he needed cash to help him keep his house and truck. I started to wonder if he lied to me when he called me up to tell me that the doctor cleared him of any possibility of cancer.

“It’s nothing,” he said quickly but that only made me worry more. “Oh don’t look at me like that Anna, it’s really nothing. I swear.”

“Then tell me what it is,” I walked over to him. “If it’s nothing then you won’t mind if I see those papers.” I went to grab for the paper but Zack’s hand clamped down on my wrist.

“Anna,” he said in his no nonsense cop voice. “Jordan may be your best friend but he is entitled to having some privacy just like everyone else. Don’t be a little brat.”

“Zack!” I gasped.

He ignored me, he glanced at Jordan, “Don’t lose those papers,” he told him. “And let me know when you hear back.” Jordan told him he would and then headed for the door.

As Jordan walked away, Josh asked Zack if he had a minute, “I need to talk to you about something important.”

Zack stared at Josh for a couple seconds. “What did you need to talk about?” He asked cautiously.

“I’d rather speak in private,” Josh told him. “If that’s alright with you.”

“Of course,” Zack nodded slowly as he stepped to the side and motioned to the kitchen door. “Step into my office.”

When Josh had said that he needed to talk to Zack, Jordan stopped in his tracks and watched their interaction. The moment they disappeared he came over to me. “What does Josh need to talk to Zack about?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know, he didn’t tell me.”

“Oh,” he looked at the door and then turned to me. “He’s not asking Zack if he can marry you, is he?”

“What?” I laughed, “I highly doubt that Jordan, we aren’t even close to being in the position where we can enter into marriage and know that everything will be ok. We are working on us right now.”

He nodded, his brow creased as he thought. “So you are saying that you wouldn’t marry him? Right now, if he asked.”

“Jordan,” I shook my head. “Josh isn’t going to ask me to marry him right now; he knows we have so much to deal with still.”

“Ok,” he shrugged. “But what if that’s what he wanted to talk to Zack about? Asking for your hand in marriage?”

I glared at him.

He laughed, “Ok, maybe that’s not what he’s doing but if you think about it, it would make sense. You don’t know what he wants to talk to Zack about.”

Even though what Jordan said rang true, there was no way I could imagine Josh doing something like that when our relationship was far from marriage ready.

So instead of thinking about it further, I changed the subject.

“So what did you want to see Zack for?”

“Not to ask for his permission to make you my wench, that’s for sure!”

I rolled my eyes, “Jordy you couldn’t handle me!” He raised a brow and I blushed for some reason. “Seriously!” I reached for the papers again, only to get his attention off what I just said. “What is this all about? You didn’t lie to me when you said the tests came back negative, did you?”

“No Anna,” he glanced at the papers. “I told you the truth, I don’t have cancer.”

“Ok,” I tilted my head and gazed up at him. “Jordan please tell me what you needed to speak to Zack about. The last time you did, you needed financial help, is that the case now?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I’m very well off Anna, I don’t worry about bills. You know what I make at the garage, I’m sitting pretty – you know that too.”

“Ok,” I agreed, I did know more than I probably should about his financial picture, he didn’t mind sharing that when we lived together. “So if it’s not your health and it’s not money, what else could you need to see Zack about?”

Jordan smiled, “I needed to speak to a cop.”