“Sure. Sometimes he’s taken me and my daughter to Chicago for the Christmas tree lighting.”
Jennifer’s mouth dropped. “You have a daughter?” She looked over Melony again. The woman was thin, toned, and had no resemblance to a mother with the acclaimed “mom bod”.
“Yes, she’s 13,” Melony laughed. “I’ll call her down in a minute before you leave. She loves James.”
Jennifer eyed James. “That’s great,” she turned to Melony again. “Are you married?”
At the question, Melony’s face fell. James coughed and stepped forward. He wasn’t sure if he saw pain on Melony’s face or not.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jennifer tried quickly to backtrack.
“It’s okay,” Melony assured Jennifer. James touched his Melony’s arm and she smiled back. “I’m fine, James, really.” When Melony looked back to Jennifer, her smile softened, but was still genuine. “I’m widowed actually.”
A hand flew to Jennifer’s mouth. Melony continued, “It was 9/11,” she said softly. “He was one of the commuters, like many around here.” The darkness of her words caused a thick silence to fall on them, like a moment of silence for her lost husband.
“That was a long time ago, though,” Melony said softly with a weak smile. “James here has always been a great friend though and he comes back to see me,” she paused, “out of pity.”
“What?” James pushed Melony playfully in the arm. “There is nothing I’ve done for you out of pity,” he assured. The light air had returned and the three of them grinned and laughed easily.
“So what are you doing here?” Melony asked again, more to James, but Jennifer answered.
“He got a call early this morning about a potential new contract with a business here.” James nodded at the answer.
“So how’s Jerry in Colorado?” Melony asked.
“Screwing things up,” Jennifer said with a flat voice. James held his breath. Frowning, Melony looked to James curiously.
“Really?” She asked.
“Yes. Andrew was sent there earlier today to try and clean up some of the mess he made with our real estate options there.”
With every word Jennifer said as an answer to Melony’s questions, his face fell further and further.
“So Andrew was sent away?” Melony asked, an over engrossed interest taking over her tone. Whenever she met James’s eyes, her face fell flat.
Jennifer nodded with a sigh. She sipped from her cup for a moment. “Two weeks, right? That’s what he told me.”
“Two whole weeks in Colorado?” Melony held a look of disgust and turned from James to Jennifer. When she faced Jennifer, the look vanished like magic.
“So what happened?”
Jennifer shrugged and nodded towards James. “Last week everything was fine. This morning, Jerry had done nearly everything but burn down the place. Andrew’s there to do some damage control, repair the relationships and scoop out some real estate for our new office. We were almost blacklisted out the prime locations.”
“Oh, really? That’s terrible,” Melony said softly. Jennifer took another drink. Melony turned to James and scowled. When she spoke, her voice was calm and collected, but laces with feigned interest.
“If things are so bad in Colorado, how can you manage a new contract in Jersey?” She stared directly at James as she spoke.
Behind her, Jennifer answered again. “That’s the million dollar question.”
“The contract here isn’t as intensive as the other two,” James offered.
“I think we’re going to have to come back. With the way Tim was talking, we’ll need someone to help these guys pick out a good location within the city for their New York office,” Jennifer voiced her concern, drawing James’s telegraphing scowl, but she missed it, head still down as she leisurely enjoyed the home brewed tea.
“So you’ll have to come back,” Melony’s tone with Jennifer was exceedingly soft. It grated on James’s ears like nails on a chalkboard. This conversation needed to end. Before Jennifer could offer a response, James interrupted.
“We last ate at 11. I’m beyond hungry. I was thinking about something in the city,” he spoke to Jennifer. Melony was slightly in front of her and still scowled. James glanced at her momentarily. “You can come with,” those words slid out faster than he could pull them back. No, Melony couldn’t come with.
“Oh, no thank you,” Melony said quickly, immediately filling James’s with relieve. “I’ve seen enough shows.”
James pressed his lips together angrily and glared at Melony. She shrugged and didn’t even bother to hide the condescension in her tone. Jennifer watched the two of them, her expression growing with perplexing.
“Is everything okay?” Jennifer asked, looking at James. Melony faced James as well and held a less than enthused smirk.
“Oh, I’m great,” Melony said with a deflated voice. She turned from James slowly, and produced a wide smile for Jennifer. Reluctantly, Jennifer returned the gesture.
“I’m sorry,” James held himself in check, “but I don’t know what shows you’re referring to,” James found a smile when he looked at Jennifer. “But if you don’t want to come along—”
“Mom, who are you—James!” A thin voice broke through the group huddled in the kitchen. Melony’s face brightened as she saw her daughter, a younger version of herself without the red locks and freckles.
Her daughter pushed through Jennifer and connected with James, giving him a hug around his waist. The young woman didn’t let go though. She simply tipped her face back and grinned at him.
“You weren’t going to leave without saying bye, were you?” Her voice cracked, but her smile remained the same.
James smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on Lydia’s forehead. “Of course not. I’d never do that.”
“Never ever,” Melony agreed. She took a step back to include Jennifer in the moment and smiled at her.
“My daughter loves that man,” she whispered. Jennifer smiled and nodded.
“I can see. Is he good with all kids?” Jennifer asked, crossing her arms with amazement.
Melony smiled brightly. “Pretty much,” she turned to Jennifer then and looked her over carefully. “You are very beautiful,” she complimented genuinely.
Jennifer gushed. “Thank you. You too. You look incredible. I would have never guessed that you had a child.”
Melony laughed. “Well, it’s been a few years,” she chuckled. “I’ve had a bit to work out and get back in shape.” Silence lulled between them. After a moment, she continued, “So how long have you known James?”
“Five years,” Jennifer answered quickly. Jennifer’s eyes darted from Melony to James. “You two seem close,” she commented awkwardly. Melony laughed and turned her attention to James. She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath.
“I guess we are,” she paused, “but never have we been more than that,” she turned to Jennifer. “He’s a great guy though. I don’t know too many people that don’t like James for who he is.”
Jennifer grinned. “He’s a bit of a workaholic.”
“Little bit.” The women giggled.
“So you’re sure you and your daughter don’t want to join with?”
Melony smiled, something that seemed more forced. When she glanced at James, it was clear he was watching them. Lydia had let loose of his waist and had left the kitchen. Now it was just the three of them.
“I’m positive. You two should enjoy the time you have together,” Melony stressed with a grin. Jennifer’s eyes narrowed at the remark, but she said nothing more.
“Well, I guess we’ll be heading out then,” James said a bit loud. He grabbed the attention of both women.
Jennifer was shocked. “So soon?”
“It’s getting late,” James said quickly.
Melony nodded. “It’s quite alright, Jennifer. Besides, jet charters are faster than commercial flight so if you ever find you need to come to Jersey again,�
� she paused and smiled widely, “we’re just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Isn’t that right, James?”
James forced calm over himself and ignored Melony’s jab. He turned to Jennifer. “Are you good with that tea?”
She nodded and sat the glass down. There was still a quarter of the liquid left. James hadn’t even come close to finishing what Melony had given him. With their glasses on the table, an awkward silence came to fill their missing conversation. Jennifer glanced between James and Melony. On her second pass through the group, James met her eyes.
“Something on your mind?” He asked.
Jennifer tried to shrug nonchalantly, but a thin grin broke onto her face. “Are we really not in a hurry?” She asked. Melony smirked at James from Jennifer’s side. James ignored her.
“Depends,” he said with a chuckle that made Melony roll her eyes. He glanced at her momentarily before giving Jennifer his full attention. “Why do you ask?”
“You said you wanted to eat in the city. You mean New York, right?”
James laughed. “Is there any other big city around here?” At that, Melony chuckled genuinely. Locking hair behind her ears, Jennifer nodded with less enthusiasm and played with the tips of her fingers.
“You want to see a show in the city?” James asked at length, a bit confused. Jennifer laughed, but shook her head.
“It’s just that I have a friend who lives there. I was thinking maybe I could see if,” she paused and swallowed back before continuing, “maybe she could meet us for dinner?” She smiled sheepishly. “But if Melony isn’t coming then it might not be a good idea.”
James grinned. This was perfect. “Of course! Give your friend a call, the more the merrier,” he turned Melony. He really didn’t want to offer her another chance to come out with them, not after the stunts she kept pulling, but he had to now.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come? We could get a sitter and be a bunch of adults in the Big Apple.”
Melony grinned. “I thought you were here on business,” it was a flat statement. She was challenging him. He needed to leave by minutes ago.
“I can just call my friend real quick,” Jennifer offered. She frowned and glanced at Melony. “The front door is back this way, right?” She pointed towards the hallway that led to the front of the house and glanced between James and Melony. James postured for her attention and nodded at her with a gentle smile.
“Sure, go ahead. I’ll say bye here and we can be on our way.”
Jennifer grinned and turned to Melony. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I’m just going to step outside.”
“That’s great. Straight through the hallway, you can’t miss the front door,” Melony stepped into Jennifer for another hug and held a smile that seemed plastic as she watched Jennifer exit the kitchen.
With Jennifer gone, James watched Melony with growing anger. As soon as her eyes drifted to his, he scowled. Seconds later, when the front door opened and closed, he nearly growled at her.
“What the hell is your problem?” James stared at Melony with bewilderment. She wasn’t fazed and met him with stern eyes and a grave expression.
“What are you doing, James?” She asked in a strained voice. The sweetness from Melony’s tone and demeanor had all but left. The tone took James back. She had never spoken to him like that before. His brows dimpled together.
“What are you talking about?”
“James,” Melony said his name softly, but her face didn’t relent, “what are you doing?” Anger began to swirl within his chest.
“Why do you keep asking me that?”
“Because you have yet to answer me,” Melony crossed her arms. “What are you doing?” She asked again. “You told me she was with someone,” Melony spread her hands out before James, her harsh tone had suddenly become a whisper. “Andrew, remember? Your new partner.” James rolled his eyes.
“I’m not doing anything, Melony,” James stared at her blankly. “Is that what your little issue was back that? Is that what this is about?” Melony ignored his questions.
“You say you’re not doing anything yet you brought her to Jersey like you’re touring the world together—”
“We are here on business.”
“And yet you were just in my kitchen with her trying to convince me to enjoy a night out Midtown with you two,” Melony’s tone was beyond harsh. It grated James’s ears and pressed into his conscious. He clenched his fists and remained silent.
“So I ask you again, James. What the hell are you doing? You’re better than this.”
“I’m not doing anything, Melony,” James finally managed, but the look in his friend’s face didn’t change. Instead, a grimace grew and spread.
“When this blows up in your face, please don’t call me about it.”
James was stunned into silence. He had never seen Melony so furious before. Well, there was that one time Lydia was picked up at a youth party that had gotten out of hand. She was furious about that, but this was different. He was a grown man and yet she stood before him like she had the authority to lecture him. The scene might have been comical, but in reality, the anger he felt from her only pierced his gut with pain.
“You sent Andrew away for two weeks?” Melony asked, but it wasn’t for confirmation. Her voice fell along with her expression and disgust laced seared her words. “And are things really that bad in Colorado? Just yesterday you told me everything was fine. Are you living in some alternative universe the rest of us know nothing about?”
James sighed and lowered his gaze to the floor. He forgot he had spoken to Melony the day before. They spoke so often during the week he never gave it a second thought until the conversation had gone south.
“And then you bring her here to flaunt in front of me?”
“I didn’t bring her here to flaunt,” James retorted quickly. He wanted to tell her that it was just for them to meet. Melony was the next most important person in his life and this whole encounter was a terrible idea. He shook his head and turned.
“It was great to see you too,” he grumbled. He walked towards the door and forced his eyes to stay focused. He wasn’t going to look back. He knew Melony was watching him; he could feel her eyes bearing into his back. He reached for the doorknob and stopped when he heard Melony behind him. Her voice was softer.
“James, wait,” she paused before continuing. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m out of line. Maybe there are things I don’t understand. All I know is what it looks like on the outside, and I don’t like what I see.”
James turned to Melony. He looked her over, taking in the sight of her softened face. With the anger subdued, her stone expression softened and broke, revealing the beautiful woman he had known for so many years.
“What do you see?” James asked curiously.
Chapter Eleven
Sweet Dreams
It took her a while to realize that the unease in her gut was the fear of several different things. Her mind was too frazzled to just focus on one, so she decided to think of her friend, Nicole, instead.
Ever since Jennifer realized they were going to be so close to the city, the idea of seeing her friend was itching on her mind. She never would have asked James about it if he didn’t first ask Melony about joining them for dinner. She thought they would probably eat a meal on the plane on the way back.
The very idea that she might soon see one of her best friends made her giddy with excitement. But it also left her feeling worried. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had spoken with Nicole. Could it have been close to a year? No, maybe six months at the most. Still, they hadn’t spoken at all. She wondered if Nicole’s number would still be the same.
Jenifer rolled her phone around in her hands before she decided to call the number. After three rings, she hung up quickly and began to pace along the front porch. She glanced to the front door and wondered what James was still doing inside.
His friend was a gorgeous woman, and her daughter, nearly a fully-grown adult.
That sight shocked her. Melony said she was only 13? It seemed young girls these days were getting fuller figures younger and younger; it was unreal! Jennifer didn’t look like that when she was a child! Good riddance.
She glanced at her phone again and turned it over in her hands. Andrew had sent her an email earlier, right after they finished meeting with Tim. She hadn’t opened it or read it yet. She wasn’t sure why. Andrew couldn’t know what she was doing or what she had been up to—and she really wasn’t up to anything, other than work, right?
Jennifer dialed her friend’s number again with a flick of her finger and held her breath. What were the odds that she’d actually catch Nicole at a good time? They fell out of touch as she took on more and more work for James. She had no idea what had been going on in her friend’s life since then. She lost count of the number of rings, but in the middle of one, a thin voice answered.
“Hello?” A woman answered tentatively.
“Nicole?” Jennifer’s voice picked up considerably.
“No, this is Jamie. Who is this?” Jennifer frowned and pulled the phone from her face to double check the number.
“This is Jennifer. Jennifer Rhodes. Is this Nicole’s number?”
“Yes, I work with her. We answer each other’s phone so that we don’t miss calls. She’s in the bathroom, hold on a moment…” the woman’s voice drifted from the phone, giving way to muffled speech and background noises. After a second, another voice answered, one that was warm and familiar.
“Jennifer Rhodes? Are you freaking kidding me, girl?” Jennifer laughed happily. Her eyes grew moist at the fondness in her old friend’s voice.
“It feels so good to hear your voice,” Jennifer said, choking back a tear. She heard cackling on the other line. “I’m so glad you kept your number!”
“Well, yeah. I had to, in case you remembered me and finally called me back,” Nicole squealed. “How are you? Finally stopped working for that crazy boss man?”
“What?” Jennifer chuckled. “Why would I do that? And he’s not crazy—”
“He just had you working so much,” Nicole responded. “Right? That’s what you always told me, always working, always busy.”
Millionaire Romance: In Love With My Personal Assistant - A Contemporary Romance (Millionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Comedy Romance Book 2) Page 10
