Jade sat across from Claire in the diner, the weather was colder today and they each ordered hot steaming fries and a burger, the only thing that Claire was going to use as leverage for ruining her diet for the wedding was the fact that she ordered water instead of soda. Jade thought it was pointless but she let Claire do what she wanted in her moment of weakness.
But the fact that Claire couldn't keep up with her salad diet was the least of Jade's problems right now. She wanted to ask someone what they would do if they were ever in her situation but the problem now was she couldn't say anything to anyone not even Claire who was somehow now the only person that she could relate with. It was even worse that she had avoided Levi and his assistant all week. Missed her check-up because she didn't want to see Dr. Nate either and all week that had been her routine. It's the end of the week already and tomorrow she will be able to breathe without worrying that she could run into any of the aforementioned persons.
"Earth to Jade," Claire called out.
Immediately, Jade raised her eyes to meet Claire's. She hadn't even realized that she had been spacing out and was still in fact in the diner and her burger was still untouched.
"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind lately," Jade replied. "So you were saying?"
"I was asking about your plans for the weekend. Maybe we can finally get those drinks this weekend because I could use them. But never mind that, how is house hunting going?"
"It's a lot harder than I thought but I'm sure I will find something soon," Jade replied and Claire nodded.
They chatted some more and after a while, they walked back to the office. Jade decided that if her schedule was not so tight during the weekend then she might take the chance to follow up on the plans with Claire. If there was anything Jade wanted more than financial stability, it was making friends. People she could relate with, she felt so lonely all the time with no one to talk to that she felt the need to make friendship with Claire work. Generally, they were not exactly peas in a pod and normally no one would expect that their friendship would thrive because of how very different they were in all ramifications but she knew that they clicked in weird ways and that was all that mattered.
Levi sat opposite Keith in a fancy Thai restaurant where they had just finished a lunch meeting with some investors on how to go forward with the resort project. This week had been so hectic and he could hardly take a break to do anything and then there was still the issue with Jade that was still hanging in the air.
"So, your schedule is free till next week. I made sure nothing was going to interrupt your weekend." Keith said after taking a long drink of water.
"Have you seen Jade anywhere this week?" Levi asked not paying much attention to what Keith was saying. "Don't tell me she quit without letting any of us know?" He asked again.
"If I were her, I'd avoid you too," Keith replied.
"Do you have her address? I doubt she'd still be at the penthouse by the time I get back from my last meeting."
Keith gave him a surprised look, this only meant that Levi was serious about the whole thing if he was willing to go all the way and visit Jade in her house. Keith and Levi had known each other for years but he had never once visited her, of course, he had taken her home a lot of times but he had never even seen the color of her curtains.
"You could ask HR for her address, but that's a violation of privacy, Mr. Reynard." Keith finally replied.
He let out a small laugh. "You keep forgetting that I own the place and besides she's not just some random person anymore. She's my future wife, I'm sure they won't mind."
"Subtle much," Keith said, rolling her eyes.
"Let's go, I need to be done with everything on my schedule so I can try to catch up with Jade before she goes home for the day," Levi replied.
As he had already predicted, Jade was gone before he had come back to the penthouse. She had arranged dinner for him and left a small note letting him know that she had dry-cleaned the suit he was to wear for tomorrow's meeting. Another day without getting to hash out the engagement plans with Jade, there would be a board meeting next week and they already knew he had a fiancee and if she was going to back out or stick to the plan he had in his head he needed to know sooner.
Jade had thought of so many ways to turn down the proposal of her boss. She didn't want to get caught up in rich people's drama and she definitely did not want to get entangled with him in any way. He smelled trouble. With the way he looked and the way he talked and smiled and if he even looked at her for more than three seconds, she could feel the blush creeping to her cheeks.
She was going to put off worrying about what to do about the engagement and worry about how to get to her shift at the restaurant this evening early so they didn't cut her pay. Today was warmer than the rest of the week had been so it was okay for her to walk, but she was regretting her decision because now she wasn't sure she'd make it in time.
By the time her shift was over and she wiped down the last table, it was already past her closing time. Jade turned to hand over the tray of glass cups she was holding to the bartender, as she did when someone walked into the restaurant.
"We're closed." She said without looking up.
The person still proceeded and she let out a sigh. She didn't want to deal with any more people, especially the ones with no manners. "I said we're closed," Jade repeated. And then she turned around and she was face to face with Levi.
What. The. Fuck.
First of all, he didn't know she kept her job at the restaurant, and then secondly, she thought he didn't remember that the first time they met had been at this same place. He acted like they didn't know each other and she was okay with that especially because he was so rude that night and she almost hated him save for the fact that she was on his payroll now and she loved anyone that was giving her money even if she was working for it.
"Just the reaction I wanted," Levi said with a small smile and Jade finally blinked.
"What are you doing here?" Jade asked when she finally found her voice. "How did you…?"
"I could ask you the same thing." He replied.
Jade was mortified. Somehow, her boss had found out that she worked somewhere else during the weekend. Was he mad? Or did he come all the way here to scold her or something but he wouldn't just leave whatever he was doing to come all the way here? He could easily wait for Monday to come.
They stood outside in his parking lot near his vintage Rolls Royce. A man like him, with a car like that, had no business in a place like this. Dr. Nate came here because it was the closest place to the hospital and the restaurant was somehow nice.
"You shouldn't be here." She said, her eyes searching everywhere.
"You shouldn't be here either." He replied leaning on the door of the car. He was in a custom-made suit and a black trench coat. He looked like he came out from the cover of Forbes magazine.
"I know you did not come all the way here to repeat everything I say." Her tone was a little irritable.
He gave her a half smile.
"Why do you work on the weekends? Don't I pay you enough?" He asked, looking straight into her eyes.
Her face turned a fair shade of pink. "It's not that…I uhh… But it's not a problem that I work on my days off or am I going against any company rules."
"Not really, but that goes against the rules of being my fiance."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jade said, eyeing him suspiciously.
"It means, when we get married I wouldn't want you working here," He replied.
"And what makes you think I agreed to whatever that is."
He looked down at her, so the reason she had been avoiding him was because she wasn't going to go along with the plan or arrangement.
"We can't talk here. Can I give you a ride home?" He asked.
Was he suggesting that they talk at her house? Jade looked at him wide-eyed as he opened the passenger door for her.
"My… apartment is really far and it's… we just can't." Jade started.
"Then would you rather go to mine?" He asked. If she went to the penthouse then it would be weird, because why would she be at the penthouse on a Saturday? People will talk, but then again who was she that people would want to talk about her?
"Fine, we'll go to mine," Jade replied. Probably, if she showed him all that her life was, he would leave her alone and look for someone better.
She entered the car, and he drove off.
Levi drove till he reached Jade had directed him to. She couldn't seriously live in this part of town, first of all, it wasn't safe for her. When they finally arrived at the apartment, he was in shock. It took everything in him to not say what was on his mind, it would be rude of him.
"We're here and I live on the second floor," Jade said as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car.
She saw the look on his face while they walked up to her room. He was trying not to show how disgusted he felt and she gave him credit for not saying anything yet.
They got inside and she took off her jacket and offered to hang his coat. He let her take it and he rubbed his hands together. It was cold out and also cold in here, he sighted the pack of cigarettes on the center table and an ashtray.
Jade closed her eyes a little bit, to hide her embarrassment but it was for the best. Levi was going to see all her sides now and choose if this was what he wanted.
"Coffee?" She asked as she walked towards her kitchen. It was instant coffee, not what he was used to but it would be rude of her not to offer anything.
"Coffee would be nice." He replied. Being here in her space, he could see more of the kind of person she was than all the times he had seen her in the two months she had been working for him.
A person was different in their own space, they showed their true self in comfort, and even though Jade still seemed guarded she took a seat on the floor and ushered him to do the same. They sat face to face on opposite sides of the center table. Steaming instant coffee in her hand, she blew on it and took a sip and he did the same.
Jade had lived a hard life from all he was seeing and maybe somehow this arrangement might just be what she needs.
"Let's talk, Mr. Reynard." Jade said, dropping her mug.