Chapter 7

Hunter’s POV 

“Mr. Carrington, what do you think of Mr. Alvaro’s idea?” a voice interrupted my thoughts, and I cleared my throat before giving a generic answer. Damien shoots me a look from across the table, and I know he caught me zoning out again. I have been doing that more lately. I wished I could just skip this meeting and jump to lunch. 

Jasmine sent me a lunch reservation for today, and I have been so nervous. I wonder what she wanted to talk about, and some part of me feels like I knew that answer. Now, I can’t focus on anything without my thoughts wandering off again, and this meeting is very important to our expansion. 

I took another glance at my phone, and the screen was blank. No funny jokes about work, or a quirky text about my unseriousness, or even a check-up from Jasmine. I miss my best friend so much, and I wish last week hadn’t happened, and we could just go back to how we used to be. 

I looked up to find everyone shaking hands, signalling the end of the meeting, and I stood up. I thanked them for their visit, and Damien waited near the door. As soon as they were out of earshot, he grabbed a chair and turned to face me.

“What’s going on with you? It’s like you’re here and you’re not? Is everything okay with Jasmine?” he asked, and I sighed. Where do I even start? 

“Don’t worry, man, I got it handled. I apologize about the whole distracted thing today. I will do better, I promise.” I said finally, and I patted his back before walking out of the boardroom. In less than an hour, I will be meeting with Jasmine, and we can finally talk about whatever she has to say. 

The drive to the restaurant was mainly me overthinking the lunch, and even though I knew she couldn’t back out, some part of me still thought she hated my guts now. The girl I grew up with just changed overnight, and I think that has everything to do with me. 

I pulled up in the driveway, threw my key to the valet, and walked into the restaurant. I chose a table not too close to the door and secluded so we could have privacy to talk without worrying about our conversations reaching unwanted ears. 

Jasmine walked in not too long after, looking radiant, and I just couldn’t stop staring. She was wearing a pink dress that hugged her features so perfectly. The neck was not too deep, and the pretty necklace accentuated the dress. I have never noticed how alluring her features were, and they were definitely enough to drive a grown man crazy. 

“Hey, Jas, what’s up?” I called out as soon as she got close, standing up to hold the seat for her. She smiled briefly before muttering a thanks. She sat down, and the waiter approached us instantly, showing us the menu. She ordered just wine and said she didn’t feel hungry. She was trying too hard to smile, and they weren’t reaching her eyes. 

“I wanted us to talk about the marriage. I don’t like to do things unless I’m very clear about where I stand and what I want to do. Personally, I think we should have some sort of rules, like a contract. So I had Tessa draw me one. You can go through it, and let me know if there’s anything you want to change.” She said before sliding a folder over to me. I didn’t even notice that, and I flipped it open. 

It wasn’t a bulky document, and it only had a couple of things. She wanted us to be clear on our boundaries. I wasn’t allowed to pry into her business, and she isn’t allowed to pry into mine either. We coulnd’t had other partners, at least not publicly, and we weren’t allowed to have sex. I trust that she had this drawn up, and I appreciated that she was at least going through with it. 

I reached into my pocket for my pen and scribbled my signature on the line above my name. She looked shocked when she saw me signing in. 

“You’re not going to have your lawyers look at it or something? What if there’s something unfair there or something that makes you uncomfortable?” she asked in a mortified voice, and I only shook my head calmly with a smile. It warmed my heart a little because that’s a glimpse of the real Jasmine that I know, always concerned and worried for me. 

“I trust you, Jas, and if anything, you’re the one doing me a great favour here. If this makes you trust me even more, then I will sign it in the blink of an eye.” I said as I slid the folder back to her. I saw her visibly relaxed, and something fluttered inside me. At least she didn’t have to act like she had to keep her guard up around me. 

“I quit my job today.” She murmured after a while, and I was shocked. Jasmine loved her job way too much, and this was news to me. I felt bad instantly, because what if she quit the job because of our impending marriage. 

“I didn’t quit because I’m marrying you. I have been wanting to do that for a while, and today just felt like a good time to do that,” she continued, and I only nodded. I wanted her to talk about how she was feeling, and I kind of enjoyed listening to her right now. 

“So what do you want to do now?” I asked, and she sighed. The waiter returned with our wine, and poured us both a glass before leaving the rest of the bottle on the table. She took a sip, and shrugged. 

“I don’t know, maybe go to an arts school, and try my hands at art again. At least I have a rich husband now, and I do not need to bother about my salary.” she replied with a chuckle, and I smiled with her too. We were finally geting back to how things used to be.