by A P Gore
To his surprise, he didn’t find Max awaiting him. Was he sick or something? Should he go to the meeting alone?
No, that would attract trouble, and he would need Max for the legal things. Products, he could talk about for hours, but legal terms were not his forte. Max was best at those things, and he believed letting the perfect person for the job do their thing.
Max had never been late to a scheduled meeting. Not even once, in their three-year professional career together. He’d better call Max. Maybe not as a friend, but at least as a professional acquaintance. Anyway, Max was slowly entering his empty trust circle. He would be the first one to enter it in many years.
Exactly five years, in fact, since Alice left it.
Adjusting the room temperature with one hand, Jade pulled out his cell with the other and dialed Max’s number. His ears twitched when the familiar ringtone chimed from across his desk. Surprised, he walked around the desk and found Max’s cell lying on the chair and his black leather bag tucked under the chair.
Where was Max? Only a few dared to walk into Jade’s office, and those who passed that threshold were told not to enter any other room on their first day. No excuses.
Had he forgotten about the meeting at nine? They had to leave by quarter after eight if they want to reach the hotel before nine. Where could he have gone?
The reception? Was he with Alice again?
Crinkles spread across his forehead as he strode for the reception door. He was about to open it when someone from outside beat him to it. Before Jade could react, the door slammed into his forehead and knocked him backward. His vision blurred and his left leg tangled with his right and, before he knew it, his butt hit the ground.
“Mr. Parker!” Max leaped forward to help him.
Jade’s heart raced. Max’s incoming hand seemed like bacteria jumping at a white blood cell.
Jade wanted to shout, to warn him off, but no sound came from his dry throat. His nightmare was upon him. One touch, and panic would crash over him, bury him beneath it suffocating weight. All of the improvements he’d made in the last five years would evaporate, and his streak of not visiting a hospital would end in the blink of an eye.
“Max, no!” A female voice, as loud as a chemical explosion, filled his ears and the incoming hand froze in place.
Alice rushed forward and pulled Max away from him. “What the hell are you doing?” she shouted hoarsely at Max.
Max startled. “I...”
Turning away from him, Alice extended her hand to Jade. “Are you all right?”
Jade stared at her. No, he wasn’t all right. The possibility of Max’s touch scared the hell out of him. It was too close. He was too close to going into the ICU, maybe even death.
Instinctively, he grabbed her hand and slowly rose to his feet. Her soft fingers wrapped around his and a reassuring warmth penetrated his hand and reached his heart, easing its pain a little. Like it used to do six years ago.
Shaking her hand away, Jade moved away from them and slumped in his chair. That was too close, and somehow her touch still had a calming effect on him. But how?
“I’m sorry,” Alice said, shooting an apologetic look at Max.
Max shrugged, “That was...” He glanced at Jade.
“I-I thought you would hit him. Thinking he was a thief.” Alice clutched a pen in one hand with a white-knuckled grip, while her other hand rubbed the back of her neck.
“Alice,” Jade said.
Eyes wide, Alice spun and stared at Jade.
“Thanks.” Jade gave her a brief smile and then turned to face Max. “Max, I have Germaphobia and I can’t touch other humans, except Alice. Please don’t mind her, she was just protecting me.”
Max’s expression changed from shocked to amazed. His eyes jumped between Alice and Jade continuously before they settled on Jade. “Mr. Parker, do you mean...”
“Yes. If by any chance you had touched me, I might have ended up in the hospital. I guess now you get why I live like this,” Jade replied, sadness in his voice. Other people, even his employees, all thought him a rude antisocial jerk billionaire, but they didn’t know how much he hated acting like this. No one could know about his illness, not even his lawyer—until now, anyway. If word got out, that would be big trouble.
But whenever he saw the disdain in their eyes when he treated them like untouchables, he hated himself for being like that. He hated that he couldn’t tell them that he was not capable of human touch. The things they did easily could turn fatal for him. He had everything. Money, a private jet, a manor on a Caribbean island, whatever other people dreamed of. But what use were these things when he couldn’t have such a simple thing? Human touch. How could he tell them that he missed something they didn’t even consider precious? Little things like shaking hands, hugging a loved one, patting the back of a friend. He missed everything. Everything a normal person could do, but he couldn’t.
Max’s eyes widened further. “I’m sorry, Mr. Parker. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay, Max. Let’s reschedule the meeting for tomorrow.” Jade rubbed his forehead, The aftershocks of the event were slowly catching up to him. According to previous experience, it would turn into a hellish night of nightmares.
Max nodded and left after retrieving his leather bag and phone.
Letting his head rest against the back of his chair, Jade closed his eyes. He needed peace, but that would be the last thing he would get tonight.
“Jade.”
Jade blinked his eyes open to look at her. She was still standing across the desk, clutching that pen. She looked tired and exhausted after a hectic day of work he put her through, her charcoal black business suit too looked untidy, in need of a good laundry. Maybe he shouldn’t put her through so much work. Seeing her like this, his heart would end up hurt.
“Sorry. Mr. Parker. Shall I get your favorite coffee?” Alice asked.
Her voice stabbed him like a knife. Mr. Parker, really? Was she distancing herself from him? Then why the hell had she tried to save him just now, calling him Jade and acting like she cared for him?
“Alice...” He paused. He was about to lash out at her in frustration but decided to let it go. There was no use for that now. She was not his girlfriend. Not even a friend. He had no friends, no family, no one he could rely on. Empty life, empty heart. That was all he had.
Time passed. He wasn’t even aware she’d left until the thud of ceramic hitting wood reached his ears. The scent of sugary latte swiftly followed.
“Do you have cards?” Alice asked.
He opened his eyes. She looked like she had reached a decision. But what was she trying to say?
“I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll stay here and play cards with you, but I need to grab some clothes from my apartment. Will you be okay until I get back?”
Jade nodded. He was in no condition to say anything else. His brain was shutting down on him, and she was the only way to make through the night.
Chapter 17
“Am I mad?” Alice asked herself for the hundredth time as she dug through her closet, but she had answer. Because there was no answer. If she wasn’t crazy, then she had definitely lost her mind when she walked into the office today. Why did she offer to stay with him and keep him awake? Why did she even care? That man had made her work like a donkey all day. He’d made her call fifty different coffee shops to ask for recipes and file everything using pen and paper. She’d never used her voice so much, not even when she used to practice singing for hours. Her throat burned like someone had poured hot coffee down it.
And yet, here she was, going through her closet to pick out a casual t-shirt and jeans for the awake-over. Yes, it wouldn’t be a sleep-over.
She patted her chest, trying to reassure herself that everything would be okay. She just had to remain awake and play some cards with him, and she would be back to her apartment in the morning. It would be over in no time, and they would both forget about it like it never happened. And it was for a
good cause, to keep her boss sane and awake and nothing else.
Then why was her heart all a-flutter?
No, Alice, no. It was for humanity. Nothing else.
Yes, for humanity’s sake.
Jade had a twisted phobia, and she didn’t know why, but somehow she was the only person who provided him peace of mind.
Was it fate?
No. It was more like a curse.
But today when he’d called her name like that, she’d lost her conscious reasoning and her heart slammed against her chest, driving her to say those words to him. All she wanted was to pull him in her arms and comfort him like she used to.
That wasn’t going to work anymore, so she chose an easier option, to stay with him.
“Al, where are you going?” Medusa’s breathy voice at her back startled Alice.
“Nothing, nowhere.” Alice put her nightgown back, but she doubted Medusa would believe her. But why was Medusa here? Didn’t she have a shift? She was an intern at a big shot hospital, and she regularly worked twenty-eight hour shifts.
Medusa pointed at the bag in Alice’s hand. “No, you’re going somewhere. And you’re hiding it from me. Are you going to stay with Batman?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m just...”
Medusa’s small mouth spread in a wicked smile. Pushing her short messy hair back, she adjusted her red T-shirt for some air. She looked exhausted, but she still had enough energy to tease Alice. Clapping her hands, she said, “Don’t lie. I knew you would fall for him again. I checked up on him with my colleagues, and they said he owns a billion-dollar company that produces chemical products. I’m jealous! I wish I could have a billionaire boyfriend like him.” She clasped her hands together and twirled around. “I want to fly in a private jet too, and dine on the top floor of a hotel in Paris.” She paused and glanced at the clothes Alice was packing. “Why are you packing this stupid stuff? Pack something classy and trendy.” She grabbed Alice’s hand, pulling her toward the door. “Come with me. Choose something nice from my closet.”
Alice stumbled along in horror. This was so Medusa. She went with her impulses without trying to understand anything.
Alice dug her feet in. She had to stop Medusa’s bulldozer somehow. “Medusa, please listen to me for once. I’m not going to sleep with him. I’m going there to keep him awake.”
Medusa halted and turned back. Her brows lowered into a thin straight line. She grabbed Alice’s shoulders and shook them hard. “What?”
Pushing Medusa’s hands away, Alice grabbed the nightgown and stuffed it in her yellow bag. “It’s like this. He had a close physical encounter with a colleague today, and he’s in shock. He needs me with him to keep the nightmares at bay.”
Her throat closed up at the thought of his pain. It had been so hard for him when they were together, and if he still had the same kind of panic attacks, tonight would be worse. Even though she hated him, she didn’t want him to be in pain.
Shaking her head, Medusa grabbed Alice’s ears and pulled tightly. “Wake up, girl. What the heck is going on with you? I thought you said you hate him. Why are you going to help him?”
Medusa’s sudden mood swing was a shock. Just a moment before, Medusa was hooting and hollaring about dating a billionaire, and now, she was tugging on Alice’s ears and giving her the third degree.
“What’s wrong with you?” Pulling away, Alice grabbed her bag. She had only packed one nightgown, a pair of jeans, and a T-shirt. She didn’t need much; she wasn’t going to live there. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning. There’s pizza in the refrigerator. Eat it and get a good night’s sleep. You look exhausted.” She brushed past Medusa and waved goodbye. If she stayed, Medusa would bury her in questions she didn’t want to answer. It was wise to get out.
Ten minutes later, she stepped off the elevator on the thirty-first floor and paused to take in the view through the glass wall. The New York streets bustled with cars making their way toward home. Husbands going home to hug their wives, wives going to hug their children, children going to meet their parents. Everyone had someone to take care of.
Gleaning meaning from the moving traffic warmed her heart and gave her the answer to the question that’d been going around and around in her mind since she left the building earlier. Right now, that man in there needed her, and there was nothing wrong in going in there. Absolutely nothing.
Chapter 18
Intense cold chilled Alice’s exposed skin when she entered Jade’s office, sending shivers down her legs and making her crave whiskey’s comforting burn. She licked her lips as the remembered fragrance lingered in her mind. Pushing the urge away, she flicked the lights on. Curtains covered the glass wall, and the dim lighting made the room gloomy and uneasy. And the man who didn’t need to sleep didn’t need to dim the lights either.
Jade sat in his chair in his pajamas, his legs propped up on the desk. He was fast asleep. His T-shirt hugged his chiseled muscles. Six years ago, he wasn’t a skinny youth, but he wasn’t the muscled dude he was today either.
A moan from the hunk’s mouth pulled her out of her thoughts. His twisted lips and grimacing face exposed his condition. It was definitely start of the nightmares.
Why was he asleep?
Alice walked around the desk and lightly slapped Jade’s cheek.
That was a bad idea.
Touching his clean-shaven cheek was the worst idea she’d had all day—even worse than agreeing to stay with him.
Electricity zapped through her hands, up her arms, and into her core when their skin touched. She yanked her hand back, trying to sever the connection, but the energy kept humming through her body for few seconds.
What the heck? She’d had the same feeling six years ago, and it didn’t end well. Touching him was a bad, bad idea.
The slap hadn’t woken him, so she grabbed the back of his chair and shook it.
Jade’s eyes popped open. At first he seemed a little fuzzy, like he was dreaming with his eyes wide open. In a swift movement, he caught her hand and clutched it like he was afraid to let go.
For a moment, she thought the electricity between them reached her heart music, the music she’d missed for the last three years.
With a little shiver, Jade released her hand. Did he feel it too?
With shaky legs, Alice turned around. Her brain screamed at her to run away from Jade, far away. Instead, she walked around the desk and let her heartbeat settle on its own. Maybe she should have run away when she had the chance, because the little tingles of music didn’t stop for a while. It kept pounding in her ears, making her go dizzy, constantly reminding her of the electricity of his touch.
“I,” she began, but didn’t know what to say. The tension that had built between them lingered.
“Sorry, I fell asleep.” Jade faked a yawn. He totally faked it, and she knew it. There was nothing natural about that yawn, not at all. It was like watching a mechanical monkey trying to open its mouth.
“That’s okay, sleep is common you know.” What a stupid answer. Was she here to sing a lullaby for him? No, she was here to keep him awake. Why was she spouting stupid stuff?
Wake up Alice, wake up.
“No, no, what I meant—” she stammered.
“Let’s play cards.” Jade pulled a card box from one of the drawers of his desk. For a billionaire, his choice of office desk was quite lame.
“Cards. Yes, let’s play cards.” She reached for the box, but she caught his hand instead. The dance of electricity started again; little tingles danced through her body like wheat in the summer wind. The melody reminded her of the first song she wrote, the night of his confession.
Alice’s heart froze as all the walls she’d put around her heart tore like paper walls in a gust of wind. Why was this happening to her?
The sound of the metal card box dropping on the desk brought her back to her senses. She glanced at Jade. He stared at their hands, frozen in place.
Shooting him an apologetic smile, she l
et his hand go. “I’m... sorry.”
His hand remained in the air, even though she had let it go. He seemed to be in the same condition as she was.
“Lightnings?” Her mouth once again spouted nonsense.
Jade gawked at her like he she was a fortune teller who’d just recounted his past with unerring accuracy.
“No, no,” he said. “No sparks, no electricity. Let’s watch an action movie. Endgame, how about that? I recently rented it.” His words skidded together.
Superheroes. She wasn’t a fan of those, but Jade was. He made her binge-watch the first three Spider-Man movies, and that was terrible. But it was better than playing cards, and zip-zapping with the electricity.
She nodded.
Jade jumped to his feet. “Did you bring something to change into? Or do you want to use mi—” He snapped his mouth shut.
She glared at him. “I brought something with me. I’ll use your bathroom if you don’t mind.”
“No, use the guest bath. Mine is a mess. Unless you want see my dirty laundry.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. Going into his room? What was she thinking? Okay, so she’d been there before, when he cut himself, but that time didn’t count. And she didn’t want to see his room again.
Clutching the edge of her skirt, she shook her head. “Okay, where’s is it?”
“Attached to my medical room. You’ve seen that room, right?” He extended his hands as if to push her toward the door to his private residence.
Her legs ran on their own, and in less than a second she was at the door. It was better to change in his room than to touch him again.
Trying to swallow her anxiety, she trudged through the door.
She had been mistaken. It was a bad idea. Staying here was the worst idea she’d come up with in years.
Chapter 19
New York never slept at 11 P.M. Actually, it woke from the day’s exhaustion and went out to get some life. Jade envied those who could do that, but he never thought himself as pitiable. He hated pity. That was the second reason he wouldn’t tell anyone about his phobia. Long ago, he had found that pity brought sympathy, but no respect.
