"Gemma," Jasmine stopped her just as she was heading out her Office door.
"Ma'am?"
"Make sure to get it across, one way or the other, that I've got 'more important' things to do."
Gemma's eyes darted this way and that in confusion. "Ma'am?"
"Gemma?"
"Your schedule is… Free for the Day…"
"Get it done. It's a task and would be added to your pay. You report at my house when you're done. You can get out."
-----
Seeing his firm and stern poise even from behind, Gemma couldn't help but wring her fingers.
Why would the Ma'am want her to say such things to him?
It would surely be provocative, and even though they were rivals in Business, they hadn't gotten to the point of degrading face-to-face.
Now Gemma couldn't help but think it was because they hadn't really met… Face-to-face to the point of conversing.
It didn't matter if she was nervous, she had something to do.
But would Jasmine know if she didn't do…
She shoved all thoughts back and plastered a smile on her face as she approached him.
"Mr Smith? Sorry I kept you waiting, I just had to rush over and it's the rush hour right now…" Gemma trailed off, her smile falling, her nerves coming again, at the sight of his face darkening behind those sunglasses. When he pulled it off, she ran an internal check to make sure she'd said nothing to offend him before she asked cautiously, "is… Anything the…?"
"Where's your Boss?"
"Excuse me?"
"Where 'is' your Boss? Jasmine Reign. Where is she?"
Gemma remained standing with the uncertainty of why he was asking about her Boss so intently,
"She's got other things to do and therefore, couldn't afford to be here."
But seeing him there in the flesh… She did realize Jasmine had to be here since he took it upon himself to be...
It seemed his eyes darkened the more. "Things more important than this?"
"I wouldn't say 'more important', but those things require her attention."
"The Contract-Signing doesn't?"
"It does, Sir… But she can't possibly cut herself in half to be here and… There."
"Why didn't she send you 'there' and come 'here' herself?"
"Sir, I wouldn't know. Probably because she thinks they're more important?" There. She said it. Her job done and the temperature dropping about them. She gulped at the coldness he exuded before she continued, "I think you should ask her yourself, all I'm here to do was what I was sent for…"
"The papers."
"Sir?"
"The. Papers."
She handed it over, barely keeping her arms from shaking, and he took it, signed his name, then didn't spare her one more glance as he upped and went.
Gemma shuddered.
She didn't want messages like this anymore, she wasn't ready to stand all through a Contract-Signing if there was ever a next time, with anyone else, in the future.
-----
"She didn't show up, Boss?" Waylen asked as Dylan got in the Car, his eyes too calm. He said nothing. Waylen knew the answer already. "Too bad she doesn't even find you worthy of a showing up. So you came all the way here, by yourself, for nothing? Boss…"
Dylan's glare warned him not to say more. He looked out the window again, pulling his Coat off.
But he did come. All the way. To meeting with her Secretary?
He couldn't even explain why he decided to come himself in the first place, she wasn't the only one with a Secretary.
"Boss, isn't this interesting?"
A poster with her on it got him scoffing as he glared. "Be warned, Waylen."
The guy laughed out loud, hitting the accelerator.
*****
"How'd it go?" Jasmine asked as Gemma came in her door, a file hugged close to her breast.
She felt like shuddering again at the thought of it. "You trained me well in dealings with people like you, but I don't need more Jobs like this, please."
"People like me."
"He was… Mad."
Jasmine tipped up a brow. "Mad. At what? The paper?"
"You know what he was mad at, Ma'am."
"Just give me the papers, your money's in your account."
Gemma handed them over, but before she went out the door, she turned and looked over her shoulder at Jasmine.
"Why?"
She looked up, befuddled. "Why, what?"
"Why are you trying to make him feel… I don't know, down-graded? And why are you paying me for…"
"Gemma… Some things are better left unsaid, especially when they won't be easily understood."
"But…"
"Leave."
"Ma'am…"
"Gemma?"
She pursed her lips and left.
Jasmine opened the file, running a hand on his well-crafted Signature.
"It never changed."
It never changed.
It didn't even surprise her when she got a Mail and an E-mail from Jayden Smith, requesting for a night dinner at the Smith Residence.
To attend or not attend was a Debate.
*****
"It's such a pleasure to have you here." Jayden said, his eyes twinkling in mirth.
Ray could only agree. "After so long, it wouldn't have been a better pleasure."
Ciara clung onto Jason, refusing to let go, but when Moira looked at her disapprovingly, she clamped her mouth shut and mellowed down.
"Kimberly," Jayden called, looking behind her, "Jasmine didn't come?"
Dylan resisted an urge to look, too, his hold tightening on the wine glass.
Kimberly smiled unsurely. "You see, I don't know, Jayden. She's pretty much her own Woman."
He nodded in understanding and moved to something else.
Ciara nudged Kimberly. "So, she doesn't want to get together with the rest of the Family?"
"As I said, I don't know."
"She doesn't like hanging-out? But, Jayden sent her a text personally, she should have come if not for anything else."
"That's her issue, and she decides what she wants to do."
"It's pretty mean, if you ask me…"
"Well, I didn't! Ciara, just mind your business, will you? Just because you're free with me doesn't mean you should bad-mouth my Sister. Watch it."
"Oh, I'm sorry, was only saying what I…"
"That's enough."
Kimberly left with a light glare, bringing out her phone to surreptitiously send her Sister a text.
'Where are you, Jasmine?' Kimberly.
They were already sitting at table when Jasmine replied.
'I don't like people, talk more of ones that want to be my watch-Dog.' Jasmine.
What the…
She came in the door almost immediately, her high heels announcing her arrival.
Dylan looked up against his will, causing Adrian to tip a brow up at him mockingly. He glared coldly.
"Shut up."
"C'mon, Uncle, I didn't say anything."
Jasmine went round the table, feeling some disapproving eyes on her. She hadn't been more ready for a scolding.
"You finally decide to…"
"Mum, not now - Jayden - I've got an aching head."
"Why won't you? When you don't care about anything else but your business."
"Let the Child be, Hazel-"
"Exactly."
"-She's got to rest, it's not her fault. And feel free to come whenever you want, Jasmine, this is as good as your Home."
Jasmine smiled coldly, but her smile fell as her eyes locked with Dylan's. He turned to give his Father, who wasn't paying him any attention, a reproving look, then turned back to Jasmine.
Her smirk turned up. He looked away, sitting around in his place.
"Jasmine, come," Ciara called as she patted the seat next to her, "sit here."
"That won't be necessary, I'm Okay here." She refused quietly, drawing out the seat next to Adrian.
Ciara nodded with pursed lips and sat back on her seat.
"So, Jasmine, how'd it go?"
"How did what go?"
"The Contract. How'd it go?"
"Oh," she eyed Dylan for a split second, "it went well, reportedly."
"Reportedly?"
Jasmine opened her mouth, but he beat her to it. "She didn't attend."
"Well," her lips pulled up slowly at his tone, "you sound like I did it on purpose."
"Tell me you didn't."
"I had 'very' important things to do. It wasn't a big something, so my Secretary was a Representative. Jayden, I'm sure you understand me."
"Of course, I do! Eat up now, the food's going to get cold."
Jasmine had more fun drinking coffee from a mug and working from her phone, than she did listening to the boring recap of olden days Friendship.
Like, she had certainly lost that Debate...
She hadn't had enough time to roll her eyes to herself, before someone was snatching her phone from the other side the moment it rang for the nth time.
Her eyes snapped fully open. "Kimberly!"
"Who's been calling you, disrupting the serenity of the area? And why wouldn't you pick it up?"
"Kimberly…"
"Who is it?"
"Don't let me get up."
"You don't want to answer? Fine, I'll check for you."
"Give her the phone, Kimberly, stop being so foolish."
Kimberly only stuck out her tongue at Keeon and raised a brow at her Sister. "Say what?"
"Kimberly Reign, don't you dare."
"Oh, you're calling my full name. Now you've really got me curious who it is."
"If I get up…"
She had already answered it before Jasmine could say more.
"Hel…"
"Jasmine? Look here, I've got all the information you need, we've just got to move fast cause we don't want him disappearing in thin air again. You know we're in a ditch if that happens, right? Or incase you get cold feet again. You know what I think? Well, I guess you don't care, but if I find out you're falling for him again," the quick laugh at the end sounded like a threat, "you know me, I'll murder him myself. You don't want that to happen, right?" She waited. Nothing. "Right? Jasmine. Jasmine?" She cut the call, muttering it must be a network problem.
The only palpable thing left was seemingly the gravity of Jasmine's stare.
Just that.
Staring.
Nothing else.
She only grabbed the mug of coffee and downed the content, then she got up and left with only a single sentence, not even bothering to ask for her phone.
"I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget."