Chapter 456: Jason?
Jamal grinned as Josh jumped on the bed. Dawn followed behind him. "Breakfast is ready," she announced.
The moment Josh spotted the screen, his entire face lit up.
"Uncle Cal!"
Callan grinned. "Hey, buddy."
Josh moved closer to the screen, then his eyes landed on Mari and Emily.
"Aunt Mari! Aunt Emily."
Mari smiled immediately. "Hello, sweetheart."
Emily smiled. "How are you doing, pumpkin?"
Josh grinned. "I’m fine. When are you coming to visit?"
"Do you miss me?" Mari asked sweetly.
"Yes."
"Aww. Did you guys hear that? Josh misses his aunt Mari. I’m his favourite aunt," Mari said happily, then looked at Josh. "I miss you too. I will come see you soon," she promised.
Emily rolled her eyes. "You miss Callan and me too, don’t you?" Emily asked Josh.
Josh bobbed his head. "Yes."
Emily smiled at Mari. "See? You’re not that special. We all are special to Josh. Right, Josh?"
Josh bobbed his head. "Yes. Everyone is special."
"You’re just a hater, Emily," Mari hissed, and they all laughed, including Dawn who was now listening in on the conversation even though she wasn’t in front of the camera.
"Dawn is here, guys. Say hello," Jamal said, and Dawn’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as he turned the phone to her.
She smiled. "Hi guys! Congrats, Emily and Cal. I saw the pictures."
"I saw it too," Josh said happily.
"Saw what?" Mari asked.
Josh smiled proudly and pointed at Callan. "Uncle Cal giving aunt Emily flowers. Mummy said Uncle Cal loves Auntie Emily."
Dawn bit her lip, embarrassed that Josh was telling them what they discussed in private.
Jamal’s shoulders shook with laughter.
Mari collapsed backward onto her bed, laughing.
Callan grinned. "Yes, I do love Aunt Emily."
Emily groaned loudly and covered her face.
The laughter doubled.
"Why is everyone putting me on the spotlight today?" Emily asked, feeling embarrassed even though she was happy.
"Because," Jamal said between laughs, "we are happy the dog is off the streets."
"Hey," Callan protested.
Mari wiped tears from her eyes. "God, I’ve missed chatting with you guys this way."
"It’s different now though," Jamal said, "In the past, Cal and Em would have argued so much that one of them would have hung up by now."
Jamal’s words made everyone laugh. Including Callan and Emily, because Jamal was right.
For a moment, nobody said anything as the laughter died down.
Then Emily suddenly narrowed her eyes at Mari. "Actually, now that I think about it, we’re all here with our partners."
Jamal immediately caught on and his grin widened. "Oh."
Callan and Dawn laughed.
Mari frowned. "Oh, what?"
Callan pointed at the screen. "Jamal and Dawn are here, I’m here with Em, so where is your boyfriend?"
"You’re at Jax’s place, right? Why are you hiding your boyfriend from us?" Emily asked.
Mari rolled her eyes. "I am not hiding him. He’s busy."
"Busy is not an excuse. We are all busy," Emily said immediately. "You keep talking about Jax, but we’ve never seen him."
"True," Jamal agreed.
Mari pointed accusingly at all of them. "Are you trying to gang up against me?"
"Go get him," Callan replied.
"He’s busy with work," Mari insisted.
"It’ll only take a minute," Emily assured her.
Mari snorted. "It is never only a minute with you people."
Dawn giggled. "She’s right. Jamal told me the call will take only a minute, and here we are."
"Thank you," Mari said, flashing Dawn a smile.
"You’re welcome. But go get him anyway. I want to see his face," Dawn said, making the others laugh.
Mari groaned.
Everyone started talking at once.
"Go get him."
"Bring him."
"We want to say hello."
"We need to approve him."
Mari buried her face in her hands. "You people are exhausting."
"Not as exhausting as you," Emily said sweetly.
Eventually, Mari sighed dramatically. "Fine."
The others immediately cheered.
Mari rolled her eyes and muted the call as she reluctantly climbed out of bed.
Mari walked over to the studio door and tried to open it as usual, but it didn’t work.
Her brows rose.
Why did he lock it from inside?
She knocked on the door. "Jax? What are you hiding in there?"
Before she could knock again, the door suddenly opened, and Jax stepped out.
He was wearing a black T-shirt covered with faint paint stains.
His white hair was slightly messy. And he looked ridiculously handsome when he smiled at her.
"Were you looking for me?"
Mari narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "Why couldn’t I open the door?"
"Because I locked it."
She stared at him.
He stared back.
Mari rolled her eyes. "Why are you being so secretive?"
Jax chuckled. "Because I prefer revealing my work when it’s finished."
Mari snorted.
Jax leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Be patient. I promise it will be worth the wait."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She lifted her phone. "My friends want to say hello."
Jax raised a brow. "Does that mean I just get their approval over the phone?"
Mari burst out laughing. "It doesn’t work that way."
"Why not?"
"Because I don’t think they’re going to give it just because you say hello."
"Wanna bet?" He asked as he held out his hand.
Mari unmuted it and handed it over.
The moment he looked at the screen, he grinned. "Hello, gentlemen."
Immediately, Jamal’s eyes widened. "No way."
Callan sat upright. "What?"
Jax laughed. "Long time no see."
"Jason?" Jamal exclaimed.
Callan pointed directly at the screen. "How are you, Mari’s boyfriend?"
Mari’s eyes widened. "Wait." She looked from Jax to the phone, then turned the screen so she could look at Cal and Jamal. "You guys know him?"
Jax laughed. "I know them."
Emily frowned. "What? You guys know each other? How?"
Emily immediately looked at Callan. "How do you know him?"
Jax answered before Callan could. "We are all members of the gentlemen’s club."
Mari gaped. "You are what?"
Jax looked amused. "I told you before that I knew some of your friends, didn’t I?"
"I thought you were joking around."
Jax laughed. "I wasn’t. Your father is my mentor, isn’t he?"
Mari blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Jax smiled. "It didn’t occur to you that your father might have taken me to the club?"
Mari stared. "Oh my God."
"Oh," Emily murmured.
Dawn smiled as she listened to the exchange.
Jax chuckled. "The gentlemen’s club launched my career."
Jamal nodded. "I still remember your first exhibition."
Jax laughed. "So do I."
Callan shook his head. "I cannot believe you’re Mari’s creepy admirer."
Emily immediately slapped Callan’s arm. "He is not creepy."
"He sent anonymous paintings," Callan pointed out.
"That’s romantic," Mari said defensively.
"Romantically creepy," Callan insisted.
Jax looked amused.
"Why didn’t you say anything?" Mari asked Jamal.
"I had no idea Jax was the same as Jason. It didn’t occur to me to think in that direction either," Jamal explained.
Jax laughed as he looked at Callan and Jamal. "So. Now that you know who Mari is dating..." His smile widened slightly. "Do I have your approval?"
Callan immediately looked thoughtful. "Hm." Callan sighed dramatically. "I suppose."
Mari narrowed her eyes. "Hm? You suppose what?"
Callan nodded. "I’m still trying to figure out why you’d voluntarily want to be with someone as crazy as Mari. I’ve always thought you were cool."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Mari pointed at Callan. "Excuse me?"
"I actually feel sorry for you, Jax," Callan said with a shake of his head.
Even Jax laughed as he slipped an arm around Mari’s waist. "I happen to like crazy."
Mari scowled at Jax. "Are you trying to prove them right or wrong?"
The laughter doubled.
Mari looked betrayed. "Really, Cal? That’s what I get for encouraging Emily to make up with you? Huh? Cal the jerk? Em, I think Cal is a hopeless jerk. You can’t reform him. Dump his ass. I no longer approve. You know what? Go to Dan’s party."
That made everyone laugh harder.
Emily was laughing so hard she could barely breathe now. "Mari, please stop."
Mari eyed her with displeasure. "Dawn, the world is against me. Please say something."
Dawn giggled. "Jax is ridiculously handsome. I completely understand why you are so smitten."
"More handsome than me?" Jamal asked Dawn.
"Of course not. You’re the most handsome man in the universe," Dawn assured him, kissing his lips.
Emily rolled her eyes. "Is Josh not there?"
"No. He left a while ago to watch the television," Dawn assured her. "But even if he were here, I’d still kiss Jamal."
"Yeah," Jamal said with a grin. "So, back to Mari and Jax."
"Yeah. Back to them. Jax, you seem really cool," Emily said, and Jax grinned.
"I am."
"Why is everybody praising Jax like I’m not a catch too?" Mari asked incredulously.
Jax looked down at her and smiled softly. "You are. That’s why I caught you."
Everyone immediately erupted. Even Mari started laughing.
Emily wiped tears from her eyes. "Okay. That’s smooth."
"It was," Dawn agreed.
Mari tried not to smile but failed miserably as she looked around the screen.
"So. Does he have your approval or not?"
