"I am," Din said. He swallowed his saliva and cleared his throat. "So, what was the question this time? I believe I went blank." He paused. "Before I meet with the clients, I have been thinking about the questions they'll ask me. It's strange, but I'm quite nervous." He told a falsehood.
"Babe, you'll be fine. You're not meeting with a client for the first time. You'll be well, and you'll make sales." She paused for a little while, then said, " By the way, my question was about Jessie. Have you had the chance to meet her yet? Was she in agreement with the marriage? She would, of course. She might have been the one who approached your grandfather about marrying you." Beth sneered.
"She hasn't heard about the wedding, sweetheart." Din abruptly stated. He didn't intend to say that, but the words came out unintentionally.
"That indicates you've met her. Already?"
"I did it, of course. We met, but she was completely unaware that I was the man she would marry."
"That's an odd situation."
"Beth, I know." He looked at his wristwatch once again. "Is it okay if we discuss this later? Khalid has arrived, and regardless of the meeting, I'm sure he has something to say to me." He lied once more. He'd never lied to her before, but he wasn't ready to discuss Jessie just now. On the other hand, Beth was annoying him with Jessie's name. Just when he thought he was going to have a fantastic day of finally getting to frustrate Jessie, he was the one getting frustrated instead.
"Okay, that's OK. I understand if you don't want to talk about it."
"I'd like to discuss it when I get home. Everything will be indicated to you. Okay?"
"That's fine." Beth let out a sigh.
Din remarked over the phone, "I love you and I always will." He assured her. His hand had already let go of the handbook.
"I love you as well." Din withdrew the phone from his ear and placed it on the table as soon as Beth ended the call.
"Shit!" He screamed.
That morning, Jessie and Taylor had arrived home at eleven-thirty. They'd set aside their differences, and Taylor had clung to Jessie's promise. She'd made a promise to herself that she would no longer sleep with her employer or any stranger from that day forward.
Jessie had always been the responsible one, taking love seriously, but what about her? That's not the case. She doesn't believe in love and isn't interested in having anything to do with it. She is constantly baffled as to why individuals fall in love if it does not last. What was the point of it all, anyway?
True love existed, and the man they loved would be there for them forever or be their prince charming, according to novels and movies, but they had lied because she had seen the men Jessie ended up with. They never lasted for long. They only intended to squander her time and further damage her before leaving, just like Marco Anderson.
"I'll be returning to Marco's house today. I'd have to remove my possessions from his home and most likely book a hotel for the meantime." Jessie's belongings were strewn across Taylor's bed.
"Can you tell me what you're talking about?" Taylor enquired. She walked up to Jessie. "This house has adequate room for you to remain. There is still room available. You are welcome to use that space. Grandma will not return until the next season."
Jesse let out a sigh. "I really don't want to cause you any inconvenience."
"Are you insane? You are not bothering me in any way. I require your services right now, and you require mine as well, so this is the ideal location for you to stay. Consider it."
Jessie smiled and nodded. "All well, then. If you insist on doing so, I'm staying."
"Are you serious?" Taylor enquired. Jessie smiled and nodded.
"I'm not going to spend any money if I stay here." Jessie listed. She joked, and Taylor laughed, "I'd have a personal chef and a maid." She motioned her hand across the room, saying, "Thank you very much."
"What are sisters for?" Taylor remarked. "I believe I will be taking you to his residence to pick up your belongings." She continued.
"No, you are not required to do so. You've already done enough."
"Believe me, I do. You require security. What if Marco happens to be at home? What if he intended to cause you harm? I'm coming along because you need me."
Taylor made a point there but Jessie was concerned. "How about work?" Jessie asked.
"I'll give you an update tonight once I'm certain you're at ease here. Okay? And don't worry, I'm not going to be fired. My boss knows the stress that comes with planning a large gathering, so relax and get some rest so we can depart."
Jessie smiled and nodded. "That's fine then." She walked over to the bed and removed her slippers. Taylor made an excellent argument. What if Marco was present? How would she defend herself against him now that she'd seen a side of him she'd never seen before? Jessie recalled the threatening glare in his eyes the other day. If he wanted to, he could give the look that could kill, and he could get away with it without getting caught.
It frightened her.
She rested her head on the cushion and shut her eyes for a few moments.
Around 5:30 p.m., her alarm went off, waking her up. Marco normally gets home about 9:30 to 10:00 p.m., so she assumed he'd still be at work. She'd known him for a long time.
When she noticed the time on the alarm, she gasped. Taylor was nowhere to be found as she looked around.
Before Marco returns home from work, she has to get out of bed and prepare to leave Taylor's house.