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Chapter Twenty-One
"Oh, Jade!" they marveled and stood to greet her, giving a peck on the cheek or a quick hug if they had on lipstick. It was only a few minutes before all the formalities were over, and Jade was seated in her usual position next to Andrea. She placed a linen napkin across her lap and then poured herself a glass of iced water from the crystal pitcher in the center of the table.
Counterclockwise, she glanced over the familiar faces, happy to see each one.
Andrea, of course, was sitting directly to her left. Coming from a lengthy history of politicians, confidence flowed through her veins- you could tell just by the way she carried herself; it practically radiated off of her. Most people typically mislabeled her as a know-it-all, but Jade didn't believe that to be true. Andrea had no problem admitting when she was wrong, but that rarely happened. Not because she knew everything, but because she never stepped into an argument that she knew she couldn't win. She wasn't afrai
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Rendezvous Chapter Twenty-Two
With an unspoken understanding, the women shifted their attention back to their own discussion, disregarding the couple that had just arrived. Jade feigned interest, smiling and nodding her head on cue as she attempted to keep up with the conversation, but her focus was elsewhere.The couple, all too consumed by greetings and pleasantries, hadn't even glanced in her direction yet. They migrated across the room, shaking hands and conversing with fellow patrons. Even as Jessica looked around the dining area with apprehension, she didn't notice the woman sitting merely a few feet from her. Jonathon wrapped an arm around her petite waist and pulled her in towards him, never dropping eye contact with the man he was speaking with. To anyone else, it would appear to be a sign of affection, but Jade knew differently; he was warning his date to keep up appearances.A nearby waiter intruded into their friendly conversation. Even if Jade weren't able to hear him, she could distin
Rendezvous Chapter Twenty-Three
In the mirror, Jade straightened the collar of the tailored polo shirt and then pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, trying to comb out the bumps with her fingertips. Her lipstick had long faded, strengthening the appearance of her natural complexion. The snug uniform emphasized the years she'd dedicated to fitness, accentuating her curves and giving a broader view of her toned frame.She looked up at the reflection, seeing Andrea exit the stall directly behind her. Jade pleaded with her eyes as she tugged at the hem of the white pleated skirt, trying to add some length to it. It was way too revealing for her liking; it was supposed to be a tennis skirt, not a mini skirt! "Stop worrying, you look fabulous," Andrea reassured her with a pat on the back. Jade gave her a not-so-sure look and gathered her clothes, tossing them into a nearby locker. There was no way the women were going to let her get out of this; they needed an even-numbered body count to play in teams.
Rendezvous Chapter Twenty-Four
Departing the hotel early that Saturday morning, the young woman never strayed far from his thoughts. The regret of not leaving her some sort of contact information lingered like a bad taste in his mouth, but he knew there was no other choice. As the days turned to weeks, Miguel waited for his publicist to send him the bad news—Jade Meadows was just another girl looking for her fifteen minutes of fame. How long would it be before a tell-all gossip column surfaced, or he received a blackmail letter trying to extort money out of him in exchange for her silence? The day never came, and he couldn't hold back his interest in her any longer.Within forty-eight hours, his private investigator had located Jade Meadows and sent the file over to his office, assuring Miguel that she wasn't an external threat. He studied over the contents of the folder andwas utterly baffled that she hadn't recognized him, given that they'd attended quite
Rendezvous Chapter Twenty-Five
The two of them stayed seated, lounging next to each other as a crew of men wearing golf attire strolled towards the gate. Miguel counted them, noting one for each female that was currently present. They seemed like a tight-knit group, very familiar with each other as they crossed the tennis court, joking and chatting along the way. He could already pinpoint Jonathon Briers in the crowd and recognized a few other men as well.Jade leaned in towards him, and in a low voice, she began reciting each of their names and explaining which one of her friends they were married to. He was surprised that he hadn't recognized Andrea beforehand, considering the woman was Brian Montgomery's spouse. He was very familiar with the attorney, having sat across a table from him dozens of times before. Jade hesitated at the last individual, "The guy in the striped shirt is Jonathon, my ex," she cleared her throat, visibly annoyed at the sight of him, "I believe hisgirlfriendi
Rendezvous Chapter Twenty-Six
Jade slammed the locker and took in a deep breath, attempting to control her temper. She wasn't sure what to think of his omission, but it would have been helpful to knowwhohe was beforehand. She was caught off guard, having learned that he'd twisted the truth about such a basic detail of his life, in front of everyone else! She released her hair, letting it hang down her back.Financial management.Jade rolled her eyes at the job title he'd previously told her and tried to make herself presentable. It wasn't technically a lie, just a ridiculous oversimplification. How could she be involved with a CEO and have himhere, schmoozing with all of her friends, and not even know that he was some bigwig? Jade couldn't believe that Brian, of all people, knew him and that they had lunch together regularly. What were the odds that she would be friends with his attorney's wife? It felt like she'd walked straight into an ambush. Of cou
Rendezvous Chapter Twenty-Seven
They were immediately greeted with a warm smile by the hostess, who presented them with seating near the back of the restaurant. It was a private table, away from potential observers. Jade glanced around, never having been there before. She was so immersed in their conversation that she hadn't bothered to notice the time or in which direction they had been traveling. She wondered what town they were even in? When the waiter presented them with the menus, Miguel immediately asked for a bottle of their finest Sauvignon Blanc.The waiter then left in a hurry to fetch it. Jade opened the menu and frowned. Everything was written in another language, french she presumed. She closed it and placed it on the table, knowing it was useless to her. When she looked up, Miguel was staring at her from behind the leather-bound folder. "Do you already know what you want?" He questioned her.Jade shook her head, "I have no idea what any of that even says."When the
Rendezvous Chpater Twenty-Eight
With the changing of the season, the days began to grow shorter and colder. Jade could barely recall when she'd last seen more than just a glimpse of sunshine, other than from behind the glass pane of a window. She woke in the early hours of each morning, before dawn, in order to make the long drive into work. The sun had barely started to peek out over the edge of town as she would disappear behind the doors of the office building for the day. The fluorescent bulbs simulated daylight as they were intended, but each evening as she said goodbye to her coworkers and then headed for the lobby doors, the darkness of the sky wouldn't allow her to see anything past her own reflection. The following week, she decided it was time to quit procrastinating. The long commute and her job had overtaken her entire schedule, leaving little time for day-to-day activities, let alone the list of important items she'd been neglecting to do.She was determined to take back charge of her life.
Rendezvous Chapter Twenty Nine
Jade took one long, final look at herself in the mirror. She had been consistently keeping an eye on the clock and knew it was nearly time to go. She was wearing the outfit he'd picked out for her, including the tall heels that made her closer to his six-plus foot height. They clicked along the floorboard as she gave a small twirl, getting a better look from all directions.Nobody had ever chosen an outfit for Jade to wear on a date before. Even though she found the idea unusual, she had to admit the dress was a marvelous choice. Not only did it fit her like a glove, but she also felt beautiful wearing it. How did he know exactly what size to order? The fabric of the dress hugged her body, flattering her waistline. Though it was difficult to breathe in, her hourglass was strongly accentuated. The square neckline was modest and she wore petite, diamond-studded earrings that didn't take away from the rest of her ensemble.Her hair was piled high on the back of her
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