Jade shook off the thoughts. She needed to give all her attention to her goal of getting Sebastian to talk to her again. This time she wouldn’t let him interrupt or distract her. She would read the folder contents to him if she had to. And she would for sure turn off her phone.
As she neared the restaurant, the scent of delicious food made her stomach growl. A few minutes later she walked inside, once again thankful for the air-conditioning. The diner had a Southern feel to it with plenty of down-home kitsch.
The sign near the door said Seat Yourself, so she found a booth near a window and sat down. As soon as she did, a young waiter wearing a stained apron appeared.
“Welcome in,” he said, putting a menu in front of her. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Coffee. The strongest you have.”
“Sure thing. Cream or sugar?”
“Black, please. Oh, and a glass of water.”
He nodded and walked away. Jade fell back against the seat, tension draining from her body. The diner wasn’t that crowded, and eighties music piped in through the speaker. Her gaze landed on a bird clock on the wall, and she was shocked that it was only ten thirty. Seemed like more time than that had passed since she arrived in downtown Clementine.Like an eternity.
Jade eyed the menu. Everything looked fried, loaded, and mouthwatering, but there were also the requisite chef, taco, and side salads. She should get one of those, but the crispy chicken tenders were calling her name. She’d eat more strictly when she returned to Atlanta. Right now she needed comfort food.
“Here’s your coffee.” The waiter set a white ceramic cup in front of her. “Ready to order?”
Jade looked at his name tag. She got the tender platter, which included a side of fries. “Thanks, Tad.”
“Welcome.”
After he left to put in her order, she took a sip of coffee and watched as an older couple walked in, followed by a pretty young woman, and she realized it was the one she’d argued with this morning. She didn’t look nearly as angry or arrogant as she had earlier. Mostly just confused.
Jade watched as she sat down in a nearby booth and pulled a phone out of her expensive, soft pink leather purse with a gold Chanel logo on the front. Jade didn’t collect purses or wear designer clothes, but plenty of her coworkers did, and she knew Chanel cost a pretty penny. The woman flipped open the latest cellphone model and punched in numbers. When she put the phone to her ear, she jerked it away, stared at it in disbelief, and punched the keys again. She repeated the action two more times before scowling and tossing the phone back in her purse.
The young woman wasn’t just scowling. She looked scared and was trying to hide it. Jade understood that expression all too well.
Jade set down her coffee and frowned as she thought about her behavior this morning in front ofThe Timesoffice. Not one of her better moments. Normally she wasn’t snotty to strangers, but with her emotions already at the surface after coming face-to-face with Sebastian so unexpectedly, she lost her cool. She owed the woman an apology, although she wasn’t sure if it would be accepted or not. She rose and walked over to her booth. “Excuse me,” she said.
The woman looked up at her, her expression suddenly guarded. “What?”
Now that her nerves were more under control, she wasn’t offended by the snippy response. “I wanted to apologize for my earlier behavior. I shouldn’t have snapped at you the way I did.”
Manicured eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Uh, thanks,” she finally mumbled, looking down at the pale blue Formica table. “I’m sorry too.”
“I noticed you were having trouble with your phone.” At her questioning look, Jade pointed to her booth where Tad was setting down her salad. “I’m sitting over there. You can borrow my cell if you need to make a call.”
Once again the young woman seemed shocked. Then she shook her head. “It’s okay. I was just trying to reach my stepmom. I’ll call her later.”
“All right. Well...” She was about to say goodbye when an idea hit her. “Would you like to join me? I’m by myself waiting—” Shecouldn’t tell her that she was killing time until she went to Sebastian’s office again.
Three teenagers walked through the front door, one of them reminding her of Logan when he was young—tall, with tawny brown-toned skin, black curly hair, and a face dotted with freckles, all an appealing blend of his biracial heritage. He laughed with his friends as they sat at a table, and he stretched out his long, jean-clad legs. Seeing him happy reminded her of the good times she and Logan had amid the horrible ones.
But those good times had been nonexistent for a long while, and she had to keep her guard up when she saw him tomorrow. If he sensed any kind of opening to get to her, he would plow on through. He always had.
“Are you okay?”
She blinked and looked at the woman, not realizing she’d been staring at the wall in front of her, covered with old shoe advertisements. “Yes. Just a little distracted. It’s been a tough morning.”
“Tell me about it.” She paused. “Sure. I’ll join you.” She picked up her menu and they walked over to Jade’s booth.
When they sat down, Jade held out her hand. “Jade Smith.”
“Kalista Clark.”
“Nice to meet you.”
