"James, what do you have planned for this weekend?" Jade said holding the phone to her ear, smiling to herself.
"Well, you just have to wait and see baby. I just want to make sure that you have cleared your plans for this weekend." He said.
"Yes, I have."
"Not a girls night?" he asked and she laughed.
"No."
"No sister time?"
"Well, actually yes. Gale is going back to close a deal on a decorating job and leaving Nicole here. I mean she will be okay at my house by herself as long as I leave her a car."
"That's okay, because I was thinking of having Ramon join us."
"What? This isn't a 'me and you' thing."
"Jade, please trust me to take care of this. I need him for something so being around Nicole will keep him occupied."
"And so you are using my sister?"
"Don't start that, you are acting like Gale." He said in a low tone.
"No, I like Ramon, it's just Nicole tends to get really nervous and shy around guys."
"Clumsy too, don't forget clumsy." He reminded and Jade smiled to herself at how well he knew her little sister.
"Yes, that too but she should be alright."
"Good, then I will see you tonight."
"Alright baby, lo..." she stammered biting her tongue.
"What was that baby?"
"Um, can't wait. See you then."
It almost slipped out, she thought as she quickly hung up the phone. She had never been so close to saying it before like she did right then. It was just the fact at how well things had been going for the past couple of days. Not only that, but him and Nicole getting along tremendously. Him and Gale? That was another headache, but ever since that last time they went out to eat, Gale had been laying low. They hadn't really hung out with each other and every time she called, Gale would quickly get off the phone. She figured it was just Gale being Gale and left if alone. Besides, everything with her and James has been going great.
They spend every night together constantly pleasing each other. She hated to sound corny but she was floating on cloud nine around him. That was her man and no one could tell her any different. She loved being around him and even with his chauvinistic ways, which she would quickly put in check. Nicole loved him though, he promised her the first good car that he can find and he was going to see about working on it to get her a car for college. She was just so shocked by that along with Nicole. Her response was just jumping up and down and stammering. That was the moment Jade realized she loved James. She knew it for a long time but it had never really been concrete till that moment.
There were plenty of times when she was close to saying it, like when he surprised her with a pint of ice cream a couple of weeks ago. She was in one of her moods where she was ranting and raving about how she looked and James just showed up with some ice cream. She remembered she told him that this was going to make her fat and he told her that she looked great just the way she was.
After he said that she just stared at him while he ate the ice cream as he watched television. Not to mention the one time he took her to the art museum when they opened a new exhibit. She was already planning to drag Katrina or Dominique with her since he kept complaining that he didn't do museums. Then that morning he came over to the house with two tickets that he stayed in line to buy the night before. Oh it almost slipped that morning when they went for breakfast but she changed it to loving one of the paintings that she saw. She felt that this was right, exactly like Katrina always told her.
"You must be thinking about James." Jade quickly turned towards the door and saw Dominique and Katrina.
"And if I was?" Jade replied shyly.
"Well at least she isn't denying it." Dominique said with a smile.
"I guess we can let you do that, you finally got yourself a good man." Katrina said sitting down, "I finally got some time away from the kitchen."
"You know it's always busy around this time. Do you mind me leaving early today?"
"Do I? I guess there is something special going on between you and James."
"Actually yes, he has something planned for me this weekend. I don't know how exciting it could be though. Nicole and Ramon will be there too."
"Why you keep throwing your man in your little sister's face?" Dominique said and Jade threw a piece of paper at her.
Dominique ducked, laughing along with Katrina, "You just wait till you get a man and I'm going to tease the hell out of you."
"Well, wait on my sister." Dominique said, "I don't think that's coming anytime soon."
"What happened between you and Nik?"
"I got wind of the Italian Stallion and his hot new thing at this bar the other night." Dominique said rolling her eyes, "Anyway, I have to get ready for this big client."
"New client?" Katrina asked.
"Yea, some big wig business man that's going through mid life crisis or something. I don't really know."
"Yea, I can see you really care." Katrina replied sarcastically.
"I care, it's just that everyone wants to keep it down about it because he's supposedly that well known. He said he got my number from one of his friend. I just hope I can help him, he seems really torn up about a mistake he said he made."
"Well if he is as successful as you say he is, there is no telling how many throats he cut just to get where he is." Jade said, "Now back to happier things, I have something to admit to you guys." Dominique and Katrina leaned forward waiting on the news, "I think I am in love." She looked at their face gauging for a reaction and they both just stared at her.
"Like we didn't already know." Katrina finally said after a long silence.
"What?"
"We are your best friends, of course we know." Dominique said, "You get that glazed look in your eyes. You ditch me because you spending time with him. It's the same thing this one did when her and Scott became serious."
"Well this is so different for me. I mean I didn't even think I would end up with him and I like him, just the way he is. That's the strange part. I just wish Gale would come around and see him for who he is."
"Does it really matter? I mean Gale has some serious problems that she needs to work out on her own. I mean I know I say stuff about not being with someone of your own race but I won't stand in the way of someone's happiness. I like James so I think you being spoiled and him being stubborn is a good match." Dominique smiled and Jade just shook his head.
"Well, back to other matters, we have to find that specific type of cake that Queen Kendra wants."
"I thought we were going to make the cake?" Jade asked.
"We are, but she wants it some crazy flavor. We'll see what we can do. About today, go ahead and take off early so that you can go hang out with your man." Katrina said.
