“Harsh,” she remarks lightly, but something pangs in my chest as a memory resurfaces.
“All you care about is work, Jade. Does it even matter to you that I would cheat?”
“I don’t value disloyalty.”
Brendan scoffs. “This is what I mean. It’s like I’m talking to a robot, you’re so unfeeling.”
“What do you do?” Aanya asks, bringing me back to the present.
I suppress a flinch. This career has given me a lot, but it’s also cost meeverything. Life, friendships, relationships, time with my dad I’ll never get back. Making friends and keeping them has been impossible when everyone proves to be a snake in the grass.
“The answer to that particular question is a bit loaded.” I readjust my body so my feet are tucked beneath me on the pillow couch.
“Well, I sent the beast fucker packing, so it’s safe to say my evening’s opened up.” She says it so candidly, I snort out a laugh into my wine glass.
“I wear a lot of hats. CEO of several large lifestyle brands, but most recently, I became the majority shareholder of The Legends.” My neighbor’s mouth dropsat the first job title, but on the last, her jaw practically unhinges.
“The rugby team?” Her voice holds both shock and admiration.
“The one and only.”
“Holy shit. And you saidseveralbrands, as in more than one?”
I nod my head in confirmation, and she cocks her head to the side, studying me.
“Well damn. Color me impressed. My new best friend is a badass.”
I flush at the familiarity, at the ease with which she befriends me, and I resent that it makes me instantly skeptical of her. When I lived in Los Angeles, friends were hard to come by. I made some in my early years, typically other creators I met through collaborations or brand events, but I quickly realized those friendships were usually serving one side of the relationship, and it was never to my benefit. I wanted companionship with the only people I thought could understand me, but they wanted the advantage of my following. I eventually stopped trying to make friends altogether, preferring people believe I was stuck up, than to trust the wrong person and be let down again.
The irony of my brand being namedJadedis not lost on me.
“Like I said, I’m busy. Too busy to figure out the mess of this flat or to ream the landlord for pulling a bait and switch. I’ve only managed to get a couple things booked for a home reno.” The taste of my beverage goes sour on my tongue.
“I can help you with that!” Aanya is beaming ear to ear, full, rose petal lips stretched wide. Confusion must be written clear across my face, because she clarifies, “I’ve got a really bizarre work schedule, and I’m boreda lotduring the day. I can be your interim assistant, get your flat sorted while you’re out conquering the world.”
“Why would you do that? You hardly know me.”
The stare she gives me is gentle, and it makes me uncomfortable. I readjust my legs, pick at invisible lint on my pants—anything but look at her while she’s looking at me like I’m some wounded kitten. “I’ve got a feeling about you.” I look up then, and a sly smirk quirks the corner of her mouth. “Plus, you’re going to pay me, of course.”
A surprised laugh bubbles out of my mouth, slipping past my defenses. A refusal is on the tip of my tongue, a desperate need to do everything on my own rising to the forefront of my mind. But suddenly, a roach skitters across the stained carpet in front of me, and the vehement need for a clean apartment, or maybe even for a friend, has me agreeing at a speed that shocks me.
“Name your rates.”
From: [email protected]
Subject: Meeting
Jade McKallen has invited you for a one-on-one meeting to be held in her office at Knightsbridge Stadium on Tuesday at 9:30am.
I hopout of my cherry red vintage Porsche, bouncing on my feet in anticipation for the meeting I’m embarrassingly early to.
When the email invite came in late last night, my heart started to beat out of my chest. At first I thought she was reaching out to clear the air, but then I saw it was just a calendar invite. All the possibilities about what the meeting could be for kept me up well into the next day with excitement, and trepidation. Maybe she wants to sack me without the team around? Or maybe she wants to speak privately, and that’s why she was so aloof the day before? Either that, or our night together wasn’t as memorable to her as it was to me.
Not knowing was driving me mad.
The speed with which I accepted the meeting invite should probably be a mark against my character. Re: a too zealous wanker whose pride can’t take another hit. And itwouldtake a hit if Jade was able to let our night together slip from her memory, because it wasn’t just the sex—groundbreaking as it was. Ithoughtwe had a connection that went deeper than physical attraction.
