"Reflections of Jealousy"

The next morning, I woke up feeling a bit more refreshed after our passionate night. I got dressed and headed to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before meeting Tommy at the office. As I sipped my coffee, I couldn't help but think about our argument the night before. I felt a bit guilty for overreacting, but at the same time, I couldn't shake off the feeling of protectiveness towards Esme. When I arrived at the office, Tommy was already seated at his desk, typing away on his computer. I plopped down in the chair across from him and took a deep breath before sharing what had happened the night before. "Hey, man, I need to talk to you about something," I said, trying to gauge his reaction. Tommy looked up from his screen, concern etched on his face. "What's up?" I took a deep breath and recounted the events of the previous night, from Esme working at the bar to our argument in the car. Tommy listened intently, his expression growing more serious with each passing moment. When I finished, he nodded thoughtfully. "Dude, I think you're justified in feeling that way. There are a lot of sick fucks out there, and you'd be crazy not to feel protective of Esme. I mean, I spend a lot of evenings at bars, and I've seen some weird stuff go down." I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You think I'm overreacting?" Tommy shook his head. "No way, man. I'd be worried too if I were in your shoes. And honestly, I wouldn't even find it strange if you told Esme you didn't want her working at the bar anymore. I mean, it's not like she's making a ton of money or anything, right?" I felt a pang of guilt at his words. Was I being unreasonable? Should I just let Esme do her thing and trust that she could take care of herself? But at the same time, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I needed to protect her. As I sat there, lost in thought, I couldn't help but feel conflicted. Meanwhile, Esme was at home, enjoying a quiet day to herself. She was lounging on the couch, watching TV, when her phone rang. She picked it up, expecting it to be Joel calling to check in. But it was her friend, Rachel, on the other end. "Hey, girl! I'm in a bind. One of the bartenders called in sick, and I was wondering if you could help me out again. Just for a couple of hours, though. I promise I'll owe you one." Esme hesitated for a moment, thinking about Joel's reaction the night before. But she also didn't want to let Rachel down. "Okay, fine. I'll come in. But just for two hours, like you said." Rachel squealed with gratitude, and Esme couldn't help but laugh. Little did she know, Joel's jealousy was about to become a much bigger issue.