"And it's a pleasure to meet you," Jackie said with more than a hint of flirting in her voice. Sure, he was Eli's boyfriend and she was already taken, but that didn't mean she couldn't do some harmless flirting. "Oh honey, you have no idea. I met this little troublemaker when he was sixteen."

Eli pulled away from her with surprise and looked at her. She was not going to share his past in the scene with him. "You know, I'm right here and I stay out of trouble. Besides, we're supposed to meet Jay. Is he in the back?"

She gave him a smile and ruffled his hair like a mother would to her child. "He is, but he'll be out in a couple minutes. Needs his time to set up, you know that. And what do you want to hide from this boy of yours? I know it's serious or you wouldn't be here with him." Her attention swung back to Shannon. "You're the first boy he's brought to us for a collar."