Haze by Andrea Wolfe Read Free Book Online

"Really? That's crazy. Some of those guys are weird though, for sure."
    "You've met others?" Suddenly I was dangerously interested in the topic.
    "Like Jack, many of them are close friends with investors. Everybody is looking for someone to bankroll the next big project." Jesse straightened out his posture before continuing, almost as if it were required for his vocal cords to work. "Artists are just hard to work with. Well, I've only heard that. They're usually unpredictable, but damn, they have money."
    I nodded, not ha ving much to add, but wanting him to say more.
    "You probably should watch out with that Jack guy, though."
    I perked up again. "Do you know something about him? Did he do something crazy? He didn't kill someone, did he?" I think my mind was hoping that Jesse would reveal something heinous and unforgivable that would instantly wipe my feelings right out.
    "Jesus," Jesse said. "You're smitten. I can already tell. And no, I don't think he killed anyone. Sorry."
    Well, that plan wasn't gonna work. Damage control was all I had left.
    "Smitten? You're nuts!" I playfully tossed one of my pillows at him and he caught it reflexively before it could do any real damage.
    Seriousness seemed to wash across his face, instantly cleansing him of any leftover silliness. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You're new to the city here—and you've got a job to worry about." His eyes were fixed on a blank space on the wall, the only space that didn't have any pictures from my "previous life." Well, it definitely felt that way sometimes.
    "I'll watch out, Jesse," I said. "I do appreciate the concern."
    "I'm serious, though. If he gets wrapped up in you, it doesn't matter. He's got all the money he'll ever need. If you get wrapped up, you might put your job and your financial situation at risk, all to pursue some flaky, hot guy."
    "You think he's hot ?" I asked only semi-seriously.
    His phone rang before he could respond. "It's Laura," he said apologetically, a half smile breaking out across his lips. "We'll have to talk about that later. I'll let you get back to your movie for now. Goodnight!" He walked out and closed the door as he left.
    I was once again alone with a psychopathic killer and a bunch of large-breasted teenage girls who made even worse decisions than I did. Their terrible decisions helped me feel better about my own missteps.
    My mind stayed active for the duration of the film. I thought about what Jesse had said and how it fit into my situation. He was definitely right. It was super nice of him to care , since honestly, he didn't have to at all. If I did anything to put my job at risk, I could wind up losing this apartment and heading home with my tail between my legs. Plus, I had all of that student loan debt on top of this.
    But life was good, right? I wasn't really sure.
    Even with all of my woes, sleep came quickly after the movie ended.

    ***

    The weekend was uneventful—Jack didn't call, and I barely got out of bed. Jesse took off to see Laura on Saturday morning, so I had the apartment to myself. I got Chinese food on Saturday night and stayed glued to my computer screen, munching chow mein noodles like my life depended on it. I wanted to live in other peoples' worlds, not my own. I couldn't even remember all of the movies I watched.
    I thought about Jack a lot. Once again, I didn't know much of anything that was happening. I assumed he'd probably reach out to me at some point—even if I wasn't going to try to pursue something with him, it would still be nice to hear what was up with the mysterious girl outside the door —so I'd just have to hear his side of the story and then let him know how it was going to be.
    No, I was certain that I couldn't risk it all for some hot, presumably emotionally unstable guy. I had this job and my new life to deal with. It felt like too much was at stake.
    Sunday turned out pretty typical too. Jesse got back later than he usually did, but he had to get up extra early