by Cynthia Dane
“Nice to finally meet the woman he’s spoken so highly of.” Am I smarmy? I bet I sound smarmy. Jasmine needed to check it. She didn’t need Ethan mad at her. Nor did she need this woman – her boyfriend’s new business partner – being flummoxed with her. Jasmine had a poor enough relationship with the last business partner. But… the jealousy…
“Well, this could’ve gone a lot worse.” Ethan sat back down. Adrienne turned to her seat and sat down gracefully, one leg curving over the other as she leaned back and rested her hands on her abdomen. Jasmine took the hint to sit in the other leather chair, next to Adrienne, the both of them looking at Ethan. He’s looking at us. The past and the present. Jasmine stared at Adrienne from the corner of her eye. She was so poised, so beautiful that Jasmine couldn’t possibly look good next to her. “Adrienne has offered to merge her business with mine. She’s also one of the most charming social butterflies on this planet, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
“Yes, I am here to make up for poor Ethan’s shortcomings.” Adrienne stifled a laugh with her hand. “Schmoozing is not his strong suit. It’ll be a challenge getting him to go out on business dinners.”
“Hopefully not too many,” Jasmine said. “I would like him home sometimes.”
“Oh, I’ll make sure he’s not kept from home.”
Ethan shifted in his seat. He probably didn’t spend a lot of time in his office uncomfortable. Yet… what did he expect, inviting his girlfriend in to meet the ex? It would be one thing if they weren’t a serious couple back then. I could handle that a lot better. But no, Adrienne was once someone Ethan referred to as the love of his life. Someone he loved so much, that her ultimate rejection left him unable to have healthy relationships with women for years. She’s the reason he started going through women like tissues. She was the reason he gave up finding a real girlfriend and instead hired them for the duration of contracts. I’m the first woman he’s truly been with since her. And I am a mess compared to her. Jasmine didn’t have a hope of competing with a woman like Adrienne, especially if a beauty contest sprung up somewhere. I joke, but I wouldn’t be surprised in a world like this. The next party Jasmine went to would probably turn into a national affair, complete with bathing suit portion.
“Good,” Jasmine said, flippantly. “Because we’ve got a cat that gets really uppity when Ethan isn’t around to curl up next to.”
Adrienne sucked in her lips. “I see. Never took you for a cat person, Ethan.”
“Oh, we’ve got, what, five, six of them now? I can’t keep track. I only intimately know the big one who starts crying if we’re five minutes late to bed.”
“I see.”
Aw, he referenced us going to bed together. Jasmine wasn’t sure why that made her feel giddy. “So, Adrienne…” What a strange name to say out loud. It sounded fancy, sophisticated, but it was also an unnecessary mouthful. A lot of people would say that about me. “What is it you do again? Ethan’s only ever told me that you’re also in business.”
“Why, yes. We were in the same class at Harvard Business School.”
“Naturally.”
“Our paths diverged afterward. He went on to create his empire with the help of the friend he met… who is unfortunately no longer contributing.” Adrienne inhaled, not wont to mention Jackson either. “I began cultivating my own contacts and accumulating my fortune as well.” When Jasmine continued to stare blankly at her, Adrienne explained, “I began with investments and worked my way up. I’m used to dealing with different holdings like Ethan does. Combining our businesses will be good for the both of us. He gets help, and I get…”
“She gets about $700,000,000,” Ethan filled in.
“That’s it?” Jasmine asked drolly. “Not a full billion?”
“She’ll have to work for that.”
It was the sort of joke that would go over with either one of them by themselves… but together? Even Adrienne looked at Ethan as if he should mind himself. Nobody is looking at him like I am though. Jasmine hoped that her boyfriend could feel her disdain miles deep behind her eyes. Let’s not make hooker jokes in present company. Either about her or Adrienne. Of course, if Jasmine brought that up, Ethan would say he meant literally.
“I have every intention of bringing my A-game to Cole Enterprises.” Adrienne smiled again, her pearly white, perfectly straight teeth gracing the world with only a hint of tongue between them. “Soon to be Thomas-Cole, as we agreed.”
“Heaven forbid my name ever come first.”
“Cole-Thomas sounds like some Hollywood snot who is in the tabloids all the time.” Adrienne looked to Jasmine. “Don’t you agree? My name sounds better first.”
Jasmine didn’t want to agree, but she had to. “It does sound better,” she mumbled. “Also fits your personality.”
“How so?”
“You prefer the face of the company to be someone else.” Jasmine shrugged. “Why not be someone you trust? You clearly trust this woman here.”
Adrienne bristled, her carefully constructed façade threatening to come down. “At least you agree with me.” She pasted her glistening smile back on. “If Ethan isn’t careful, we’ll become the most formidable team in his life.”
Don’t get your hopes up. Jasmine was going to have a long talk with her boyfriend that night. Lots and lots and lots of talking and not much else.
***
“I know you’re not happy about this.” Ethan sat on a couch on the far side of the bedroom, drinking scotch and ignoring Jasmine’s eyes stabbing into him. Look at me, asshole. All those words about how she was the best woman in the world… how he had never loved someone as much as he loved her… and for what? Bullshit. Ethan was good at being full of shit when it was most convenient. Then he went and brought his ex-girlfriend-almost-fiancée in as his new business partner. Jasmine knew this jealousy was irrational, but this was worse than Amber prancing around the office in short skirts and boosted cleavage. This was Adrienne Thomas. Jasmine sent herself down a toxic rabbit hole on her way home earlier, sitting in the back of the Town Car with her thumb scrolling through her phone. “Ethan Cole and Adrienne Thomas,” she had punched into Google. Sure enough, a million results came up, including high resolution photos of a younger Ethan and a glamorous Adrienne attending formal functions together, his hand around her waist and her hand constantly on his shoulder, or, worse, his knee. Old articles hailed them, “The best looking couple to start hitting Page 6.” This was back when Ethan made his first millions and started gaining public attention. Now he was a billionaire, and Adrienne Thomas had her own Wikipedia page that listed her numerous feel-good charities and linked her to Hollywood actors and European princes in recent years.
Adrienne was a beautiful woman with a shitton of money. An article from that January predicted she would be the richest woman in the region by the end of the year, beating out even Kathryn Alison, who currently held the title. “And it’s more impressive,” the writer said, “because unlike Ms. Alison, Ms. Thomas has accrued most of her wealth on her own. Not bad for a woman who had to take out student loans to go to Harvard.”
Blackbeard brushed up against Jasmine’s legs as she thought this. Right now I’ll side with Kathryn because she took a kitten. Speak of the devil, a kitten emerged from beneath the bed, swatting at Blackbeard’s tail and making him leap five feet in the air before hissing at the bedroom around him. Neither Jasmine nor Ethan laughed as they usually would.
“Happy? I am happy that you found a partner to take a load off for you… I just don’t want her taking a load out of you.”
“What are you talking about?” Ethan drank more. “There is nothing between us anymore. This is strictly professional.”
“Like you two used to be strictly personal before?”
“She has her own private life now, as I have mine. I wanted you to meet her before it hit the press. We’re making a formal announcement on Monday before initiating the legal side of things, but… can you blame me for going with someo
ne I trust and know will work well with my business? Not to mention the amount of new business she is bringing with her. I’m sure you’ve Googled her by now.”
Jasmine didn’t comment.
“She has one of the biggest publishing firms on this coast. Outside of New York, anyway. International audiences. Presses, books, textbooks. It’s her passion, and I want a piece of that pie. Our current publishing house is floundering a bit.”
“Sorry to hear that.” Jasmine plucked the kitten off the floor and held him out of Blackbeard’s reach. “I’m not going to pretend it’s the happiest news I’ve ever heard, though. You wanted me to be honest with you when we got serious? I’m being honest with you. It makes me uncomfortable. I’ll get over it, though. Probably.”
“Good.” Ethan finished his drink and tossed his empty glass on the other side of the couch. “Because you’ll be seeing a lot of her in the coming months, and hopefully years. The goal is to keep this partnership going for a good, long time. You know. How my last one was supposed to go.”
Jasmine didn’t want to think about it, and she didn’t appreciate him bringing it up. “As long as it means you being home more often, and less stressed.”
“Well, I will still be busy in the coming weeks. Merging businesses as large as ours is not a simple process.” Ethan rested his elbow against the arm of the couch and glared at Jasmine. “What do you want me to say? I didn’t expect this when I started looking for a new partner. She wasn’t even the only woman who approached me, but when I heard she was back in town, I took interest. How could I not?”
“Indeed? How could you not?”
Ethan ignored her. “She was the one who approached me first. I was just as surprised as you when she showed up at my office a few weeks ago. After I got over my shock, I was able to listen to what she was saying. She heard I was looking for a new partner to share the load and said we should talk about it. I wasn’t going to at first. Like you, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but I decided to humor her, partly because I was curious about how she’s doing now, I admit. If nothing else, I could do our world’s version of Facebook stalking.” Scoffing, Ethan flung himself against the back of the couch and covered his face with both hands. Blackbeard meandered that way and hopped up on the couch next to him. When Ethan did not pay attention to him, the cat sank down with an unhappy merf. “She immediately went into why we should go into business together. I listened. I mulled it over for weeks, Jasmine. Had a lot of other interviews during that time period, but none of them clicked like Adrienne did. Probably because we know each other so well already.”
“Yes. So well.”
“Stop doing that. There is nothing existing between us any longer. We have both moved on. I’m with you now. Adrienne is a part of my past, and now a part of my future… just in a different context.”
“Yes, yes, I read all about that prince from Monaco. Or Malta. Maldives?” Jasmine shook her head before she made a bigger fool of herself. The kitten squirmed out of her arms and landed with a light plop on the floor. Blackbeard immediately began whining. “I’m not saying you’re going to cheat on me. Nor am I saying that she’s going to try to seduce you. I’m sure she is a brilliant woman who has earned every penny she has. I’m sure she will do wonders for your business, and I’m sure all of your investors and employees will love her because she’s stunning and charming.” Jasmine sighed. “Except I can’t help that it makes me uncomfortable. I also can’t help that you sprang that on me. I think that’s what bugs me the most. You brought me in there, knowing how shocked I would be. No warning. Next time, give me some warning in private. I’d appreciate it.”
The kitten tore across the bedroom and thumped right into Blackbeard’s tail as it hung over the edge of the couch. The moment they met, Blackbeard reached down and swatted the top of the kitten’s head. What ensued was a giant monster cat nearly suffocating a skinny kitten with his big, burly body. Ethan watched for as long as he could before cracking a smile.
“What?” Yes, it was cute, but Ethan didn’t smile unless there was some ulterior thought going on in his head.
“Cat fight.”
“Men,” Jasmine muttered, leaving the bedroom and heading into the bathroom. She left the door open. “You will all be the death of me.” More than likely. Statistically speaking.
Ethan got up and followed her, standing in the doorway while cat carnage continued behind him and Jasmine rubbed lotion into her skin in front of the vanity mirror. “Let’s talk about something else.” He sauntered into the bathroom, one arm looping around Jasmine’s midsection while his mouth searched for her shoulder, then her throat. “I’ve got some time off this Saturday night. I have a function earlier, but I want you to meet me downtown for dinner.”
“A real date, huh?”
“What are those other dates we go on, hm? Fake ones?”
“Just haven’t done something like that in a while.” Jasmine shrugged. “Was starting to wonder if we were getting stale over here. Too settled.” She huffed, squeezing too much lotion from her bottle. “You’re getting bored with me.”
His hands cupped the underside of her breasts. “How could I ever get bored of this?”
Tingles flooded Jasmine, but she refused to show him how aroused she was getting. Nevertheless, her damned nipples betrayed her by hardening beneath her T-shirt. She met Ethan’s lecherous gaze in the mirror. “One thing I can say about you, Mr. Cole… you’re loyal.”
“I’m a big fan of monogamy.”
“Serial monogamy.” Jasmine turned in his arms. “At least when you were schtooping your personal assistants, you could say you were monogamous. What a guy.”
He didn’t talk. He growled, lifting Jasmine until her ass leaned comfortably against the sink. Is he going to do me right here? Probably. Wouldn’t be the first time.
“I have big plans for us.” Ethan lightly kissed her shoulder before diverting to the tip of her nose. “Things are about to get really interesting. In great ways.”
“I can’t tell if you’re talking about the next five minutes or the faraway future.”
He kissed her, a beautiful gesture that made Jasmine peak in more places than just her breasts. “Both. I can’t contain my excitement.”
She felt something hard hit her leg. “Apparently,” she mumbled, suppressing a grin.
Ethan took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “We good now?”
“We’re good. Especially if you keep making your way down on your knees, Mr. Cole.”
He leered at her, sinking as promised. His hands brushed against her thighs, her knees, and her calves as he urged her legs open, lips meeting the same soft skin his fingers recently touched. “Yes, ma’am.”
When his teeth snatched the seam of her shorts, Jasmine gasped, her eyes widening and head leaning back against the bathroom mirror. Oh, yeah. They were definitely good.
Chapter 15
Jasmine awoke Saturday morning at the manor in the Hills, without Ethan, even though it was early enough for him to still be in bed. Yet he had called her late last night, apologizing that something had come up and he would spend the night at their downtown penthouse. She offered to come meet him – for surely he couldn’t sleep without her – but Ethan told her to stay home, and that he would see her for their date the next day. “We can definitely stay in the penthouse then,” he told her.
Since she trusted him too much for her own good, Jasmine went along with it. What she never expected was waking up the next morning to Belinda holding a silver serving tray with a cream-colored card on it.
“Good morning,” she nearly sang. Jasmine was taken aback, her hair matted on top of her head and her armpits in her face and smelling like body odor death. I am a picture of femininity. That’s what she told herself when she returned the greeting and took the card.
“What’s this?”
“Don’t know, Miss. Was told to deliver it to you at this time.”
Jasmine sat up, pushing hair and sleep out of
her eyes as she unfolded the card. The words were written in Ethan’s careful, cursive handwriting, although she had no idea if they were his original words or something he copied from somewhere. Knowing him, it was probably a translation of an Italian poem.
Sweet daffodils bloom in the garden.
Suppose you should go tend to them?
Your next clue awaits there.
All right, that was definitely not a poem.
“What in the world?”
Belinda shrugged, although her smile did not disappear. “Like I said…”
“Yeah… well, think I should have breakfast first, before I go rooting in the garden?”
“I have it all ready.”
“Did Ethan tell you to?”
“Indeed he did.”
What is going on? Jasmine pushed back the covers and got up, walking past Belinda and opening a bureau drawer. She put on a simple green dress and a pair of flats suitable for going downstairs for her breakfast of waffles and berries and then heading out to the garden where the only batch of daffodils bloomed.
The sun rose almost violently in the east. Streams of sunlight blinded Jasmine as she stepped out, yawning, avoiding the messy kitten that always caused problems in the kitchen – Belinda was taking him out for a morning walk, his rhinestone-studded leash adorable. Does she own that kitten now? She had offered it to Belinda, to keep in her house out back, but she still dawdled on whether or not to become a cat mother. More likely Harold can’t be bothered. Wherever he was.
Jasmine bent down to find another cream-colored card in the bed of daffodils. She picked it up, fingers flipping it open and eyes searching Ethan’s handwriting.
In the back of the car is your next clue.
Pack lightly, my flower.
Tonight we spend the night in the city.
