After work, Jade hurried home and thought about calling James just to see if he would answer the phone. She didn't. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him or how she was even going to approach him. She sighed out loud as she looked through her closet for something to wear.
"Hey there." Nicole said popping her head in.
"Hey, are you getting ready to go to the party?" Jade asked.
"Yes, although I couldn't find anything." She frowned.
"You couldn't find anything? Well, let's see what I can find for you in here."
"Nothing that shows too much, I don't have much cleavage to parade around people." Jade shook her head trying not to laugh out loud.
Nicole sat on the bed, twiddling her fingers trying to think about the best way to say what she wanted to say next. She has been noticing how her sister doesn't smile like she usually does. There was no better way but to come right out with it.
"I miss James." Nicole said and she saw how
Jade's body tensed, "I know I'm not supposed to, but I do. I just don't think that he would do anything like cheat on you. He's a great guy. You are happier with him. I have never seen you smile as much as you do when you are with him."
"I know." Jade whispered, "It's complicated."
"What's so complicated? You love him and he loves you."
"I am going to talk to him and hopefully I will get everything straight."
"Good, because I did talk to him and he misses you a lot. I can tell; he's a lot grumpier."
"You visit him? Did he tell you that?" Jade said turning to face her.
"Only occasionally; he has stopped me a few times when I go running and he doesn't have to tell me for me to notice it. Do you think that he will be at the party?"
"I don't know. It's being given by his captain's brother-in-law." She sighed.
"Do you think Ramon will be there?" Nicole asked in a small voice and Jade started smiling.
"Do you want him to be there?" she teased.
"No, I-I was ju-just asking." Nicole stammered and looked back down at her hands.
"Okay well, let me see what I can find for you to make Ramon look your way."
"You don't have to make me noticeable." Nicole said shaking her head, "I think I will just wear one of my long skirts with a button down shirt."
"So, you can look like an old 50 year old teacher? No, I'll find you something nice." Jade said as she went on search again.
After finding a nice black, long sleeve dress for Nicole, Jade went ahead and started getting ready. If there was a chance that James was there, she wanted him to notice her in this dress, she thought pulling it out. It was a red form fitting dress that she bought some time ago that she loved that was also long sleeve with the back out. She smoothed the dress over her body as it brushed the top of her knees.
After waiting on Gale and taming Nicole's hair, they finally made it to Mr. Butler's party. His parties always turned into such a big turn out with a lot of Mr. Butler's friends from Wall Street. It was something that he threw almost every year to have everyone mingle with each other. Jade sometimes loved going to the parties. It was a good way to get some good deals for the restaurant, but today, it just seemed like everyone around her were all talking gibberish.
Jade wanted to be there with one person on her arm but he wasn't her so she kept her self busy mingling with some of the people while Gale was kind of sitting off to the side. She still hasn't said much and every time she looked like she wanted to say something, she would back down at the last minute. It must have something to do with Ryan, Jade thought to her self as she reached for a glass of champagne.
"You are looking good tonight." She didn't have to turn around to know whose voice that was.
"Thank you Dante." She said turning around smiling.
"I just thought I would check on you. How have you been?"
"I could be better." She smiled.
"Anything I can do to help." He said flashing that pretty boy grin.
"I'm afraid not. It's just stuff going on in my life. Can I ask you something Dante?" he nodded, "Why? Why did you cheat on me?"
"Jade." He sighed.
"No, I deserve an answer because I'm trying to think about what I did do or what I didn't do."
"I just wasn't ready to give you what you wanted." He shrugged.
"I wanted you at the time and that's what you didn't want to give to me. Your time, your devotion, your heart, your love; I think that's something I deserved."
"You did and so much more. I was just..."
"Being stupid." She said crossing her arms across her chest.
"You can say that." He nodded, "But I have changed now and I'm a better person. I want to give you all that."
"You know Dante, I want that." She said with a smiled and he took her hand in his, "I want devotion. I want time to spend with each other. I want love, but not yours." He looked at her as if she had slapped him across the face, "I had that and I do intend to do everything I can to get it back, but I'm tired of getting my heart broken by you. So, I hope who ever you end up with next, you will give her all that and more. And I pray that she doesn't hurt you like you hurt me, because karma is a bitch." She said taking a long sip of her champagne before walking past a shocked Dante leaving the click of her heels echo in his ear.
Jade didn't know why, but that felt so good. She had told him off before but never like that. It felt really final. She was smiling all the way to the balcony but stopped as she opened the French doors. There he was leaning against balcony, smoking his cigarettes. She smiled not realizing how much she even missed that. She dusted herself off and walked slowly towards him. She could tell from the back that he looked good in his black suit and she wanted to rip that off of him.
"Hey." She said behind him and his head turned towards her.
He quickly turned back around as if he didn't notice her. She walked over to stand next to him and he still looked straight ahead. He tried to ignore the way the dress hugged to her curves and how his mind replayed the way her skin felt. She was already the cause of his sleepless nights; he didn't need to see her.
She took a good look at him and her heart soared. He has trimmed up since the last time she saw him, but still had the remnants of his five o'clock shadow. He was silent as she continued staring at him searching for what to say next. Just say what's on your mind Jade, she said in her head and nodded. He glanced over at her quickly and saw something glitter around her neck. He took a second glance while she wasn't looking and realized what it was. His dog tags, tucked under her dress. Fuck, he had to get away from her.
"Jade." She heard as soon as she opened her mouth.
She looked at where the voice was coming from and saw Gale walking towards them.
James sucked on his bottom teeth and quickly put out his cigarette. It was bad enough that she came out here looking like she did but he was not going to deal with her sister too.
"Excuse me ladies." James said walking past Jade and she watched as she walked closer and closer to the door.
Gale watched her sister's lip quivered as James walked away from her. She took a hard swallow and realized she couldn't do this anymore.
"James, wait." Gale said, "Please, I have something to say." James slowly turned around to face them both, looking at Jade's confused expression.
Apparently she didn't know what was going on either, so he just leaned against the door waiting for this one.
"Okay, I have to admit something. Deborah and Dante worked together to break the two of you up. He was the one that helped her put you to bed and make it look like you two slept together." James pushed himself from the door as his face started to turn three shades of red.
"How the hell do you know this?" he said in a low tone.
Gale's mouth quivered as she stared into his cold blue eyes and then looked over at Jade's confused face, "Because I helped them." It came out in a whisper and all the air in Jade's body left her with that statement.
"Are you fucking kidding me? How the hell did you help them?"
"I knew about the plan and they told me to keep Jade busy and to make sure that she doesn't answer her phone if you call so that Deborah can be the one to meet you." Gale quickly explained, "I'm sorry. I didn't want this to go this far."
"How far did you expect it to go!?" he screamed, "You can't play with people's emotions like that. Lady, you have a serious problem. Stay the fuck away from me before I do something I regret." That statement chilled Gale to the bone along with his cold hard look.
James had to get out of there and get a drink. He just shook his head and stormed away from both women ready to tear someone's head off. James walked back into the party pushing past everyone. He happened to look up and his eyes zeroed in on him. Dante looked down and back up as he saw James approaching.
He didn't notice the fire in James' eyes or his fist balled at his side. James just narrowed in on his target, as he felt his blood pumping and his fist tighten at his side.
"James, I'm sorry man. She's all yours, man." Dante said throwing up his hands. James didn't even say anything; his fist shot out and connected with Dante's face as if thunder struck. Dante fell to the ground which stopped the whole party. Dante looked up at a seething James holding on to the side of his face.
