by C. R. Ellis
“I know, JP. I really appreciate your patience and understanding with me. I’m sorry I’m such a high maintenance friend and business partner.”
She shook her head. “You’re family, Jasmine. And that means you’re stuck with me, so knock it off with the apologies.”
My smile grew. “Okay. So, where do we start with plans for finding a new assistant?”
“After breakfast I’ll call the temp agency and have them send over résumés. We should be able to find someone by the end of the week. I figured we could work in a few quick interviews between meetings.”
“Perfect. I’ll call my dad and let him know I’m coming.”
After we finished breakfast, Jade excused herself to the home office she shared with Emmett, and I knew I couldn’t put off calling my dad. I checked my watch – 11:45 a.m. here meant it was 6:45 p.m. in Madrid. My dad traveled almost constantly for work, but his home base had been in Madrid for eight years now, and he loved it.
He answered on the third ring. “Jasmine? Hey, honey. What a nice surprise to hear from you,” his deep voice bellowed through the phone.
Tears sprang to my eyes, and I realized how much I missed my dad. We spent every Christmas together, usually in whatever foreign country he occupied at the time, but we didn’t often get the chance to visit other than that. “Dad, hey,” I choked out, forcing myself not to break down. “Are you going to be in Madrid next week? I’m hoping to come visit. I’m not sure how long I’ll stay.”
“What’s wrong, Jasmine? I’ll be here, and I’m happy to have you, of course, but this isn’t like you. Is everything okay?”
I hesitated, but decided to hold off on spilling everything. “Yes, Dad, everything’s fine. I just need a break, and Jade and I have figured out how to make it work. It’s okay if you’re not there the whole time, or if you need to leave at some point. I hate to intrude.”
“Honey, you’re not intruding. You’re my daughter, and I love when you visit. I’m just worried. You’re not in some kind of trouble, are you? I can come to you, and be there first thing in the morning.”
“No, Dad, I’m not in trouble. It’s nothing like that. I promise I’ll explain when I get there.”
“Okay, Jas. I can’t wait to see you,” he said.
“Can’t wait either, Dad. I’ll let you go though; it sounds like you’re busy. I’ll send you the details when I know more about my flight and everything.”
“Okay. I’ll come pick you up at the airport, and we can go to that tapas place you like.” I could hear the smile in his voice, and I was actually looking forward to my visit now, even if it felt like my heart was breaking all over again at the thought of not being across the hall from Dean.
“Dad, you don’t have to if you’re working. I can get to the apartment on my own.”
“Not a chance. I’ll see you next week, honey. Love you.”
“I love you too, Dad. See you soon.”
I breathed a sigh of relief after I hung up, knowing that my dad was going to be home when I needed him. We were close when I was young, but our relationship became strained after my mom died. When Jade’s parents told him about my downward spiral, he immediately dropped his work and came to be with me until I was on the right track. In the years since, we’ve somehow maintained a close relationship, even with him traveling the globe for work most of the time. It wasn’t always easy, but I knew he loved me, and I wanted him to live a life he was happy with. My mom was his whole world, and after she died, he needed to get away and establish a new life without constant reminders of her everywhere. I totally understood.
Luckily for me, he kept a condo in Austin for his visits home, so I decided I’d go stay there until I left for Spain. I loved Jade and Emmett for offering to let me crash with them, but after finding out how non-soundproof their bedroom was, I definitely couldn’t stay the whole week.
Jade and I were meeting Elliot at Rae of Light for happy hour after wrapping up our last interview. We’d met four equally-qualified candidates, but none of them particularly impressed us during the face-to-face interview.
“Well that fucking sucked. We might as well draw a name from a hat,” I half-jokingly suggested as I pulled open the door for Jade.
“The last girl seemed okay,” Jade countered as we walked toward our usual spot in the corner.
“You know what ‘okay’ gets you, Jade? Mediocrity. I wouldn’t trust her to help plan Triton’s wedding.” I dropped dramatically into the chair across from Elliot and only then realized she wasn’t alone at the table. I sat up and forced a friendly smile onto my lips.
“Guys, this is my friend Carleigh. We went to middle school together. We just ran into each other a few minutes ago when I got here. Carleigh, these are my bosses and friends, Jade and Jasmine,” Elliot explained, gesturing between us.
We all took turns exchanging handshakes and greetings before giving our drink order to our waiter.
Over a round of mango margaritas, we learned more about Elliot and Carleigh’s friendship that dated back to childhood. They’d been inseparable until Carleigh moved to California when they were in high school and they lost touch. Hearing stories and learning more about Elliot as a teenager was a welcome distraction from all the Dean chaos threatening to break loose in my mind and send me spiraling over a cliff. My situation with Dean was never far from my thoughts, but sitting around talking about anything but Dean was exactly what I needed.
“All right, you guys, the next round is on me,” Carleigh called as she got up and headed toward the bar. She was about Jade’s size, but her fiery strawberry blonde hair made it impossible for her to go unnoticed.
“I like her, El. She’s welcome to crash our happy hours anytime,” I commented after she was out of earshot.
Jade nodded. “I do too. She seems great.”
Elliot smiled and nodded in agreement. “She is. And I’m glad y’all think so. Look, I know you guys don’t know her well, but I think she could be a good fit at FMK, to take over my position. She just moved back and needs a job, we need another person, it makes sense. What do y’all think?” she spouted quickly.
“El, I don’t know. Would she even want to work in the wedding business?” Jade asked.
“She was always the planner for everything when we were younger, and always super organized. I doubt it’s a stretch to assume she’d do well in our crazy world. Did y’all find a better candidate in any of the interviews?”
I snorted. “No. Not even close. She’s got a point, JP. I like Carleigh, and she’s probably our best option if she’s interested.”
Jade agreed, so we made the proposition as soon as Carleigh returned with a new pitcher of mango goodness. She was flattered and happily accepted our offer. We spent the next hour talking about all things FMK and giving Carleigh a rundown of what our day-to-day schedules looked like. By the end of the night, Carleigh had a clear picture of what her workload would be and was ready to hit the ground running tomorrow.
The transition for Elliot was perfect timing now that she was taking a sabbatical from dating and insisted that she wanted to focus on work; she was as eager to take on her own clients as I was to get the hell out of Austin for a while. She spent the rest of the week training Carleigh and going over the notes for the upcoming meetings I’d miss while I was gone.
By the time the weekend rolled around, I felt completely at ease with leaving my work in Elliot’s capable hands. She was ready for this, and Carleigh had proven to be a quick learner. Jade assured me no fewer than ten times that they’d be fine while I was gone, and that she didn’t want to see my face in the office again until I came back with a tan from the Spanish sun and hopefully some much needed clarity in my heart.
Chapter 34
Dean
Can someone please explain the purpose of ‘decorative pillows’ to me? Who’s going to see them, the bedroom police?
Dean Preston, proponent of practicality over frivolity
Living without Jasmine felt l
ike a twisted form of torture. I knew I’d done the right thing, but that didn’t comfort me at night when I missed her most. It had been a week since the wedding, and I questioned my decision to give her space every minute of the last seven days. I missed everything about her—the way her smile reached all the way to her eyes when she looked at me, the way she threw her head back when she laughed, how soft and sweet her skin tasted, and how painfully perfect she looked in the throes of passion when she screamed my name.
I couldn’t even look at my bed—at the ridiculous polka dot pillows that showed up one day (something about needing to personalize the space or some shit)—without missing her.
I’d accused Jas of pushing me away, but wasn’t that exactly what I’d done to her?
I called Jade the Monday after the wedding, knowing she would tell me how Jasmine was. My sister wasn’t happy with me, but once I explained my side of things, she was more understanding. She also said she wasn’t going to get in the middle of our issues, which I appreciated, but it also limited my ability to check up on Jas. I’d expected to see her coming or going from her apartment, but after a couple of days without seeing her car in the parking lot, I realized she wasn’t coming home at all. I told myself it was for the best, but I hadn’t actually meant for her to leave her fucking apartment.
Nate stayed with my parents during the week because I threw myself into work to distract myself from thinking about Jasmine nonstop, and when I wasn’t working I was pretty shitty company anyway. I usually loved going to work and thrived on it, but the sharp pain in my chest made it impossible to not think about Jasmine constantly. Work should’ve been a welcome distraction, but I kept thinking about all the time we’d lost because of our stubbornness in the past, and work didn’t change that. I’d already wasted too much time not noticing what was right in front of me, not realizing how fucking perfect Jasmine was for me.
I stopped replying to Nate, Emmett, and Jade’s texts, and had no desire to see any of them either. I knew they were only concerned about me, but I wasn’t in the mood. Jade had been calling nonstop since Friday, so I wasn’t all that surprised when she texted that she was bringing Nate and Emmett over and I “better have showered in the last forty-eight hours” or she’d spray me down with a hose herself. I didn’t see how my personal hygiene affected her, but whatever. Coincidentally, I had not showered in her timeframe, so I jumped in the shower, knowing the cavalry was coming. I’d just stepped out when there was a knock at the door.
“J, I’m shocked you actually knocked,” I called, pulling the door open without paying attention. I wasn’t in the mood for their pep talks, and I knew if I let my eyes find Jasmine’s door I’d have a staring contest with a piece of wood.
When they didn’t walk in behind me, I turned back around. “This used to be your apartment, you don’t have to ask to come in.”
I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized why they hadn’t come in. They weren’t there. “What the fuck are you doing here, Natasha?” I barked, moving to slam the door in her face. “No, I don’t even care.”
“Dean, wait,” she begged, blocking the door from closing. “Just let me in. I need to apologize.” She pushed her way into the apartment, and it took a helluva lot of restraint not to pick her up and put her back outside my door.
“I don’t want your fucking apology. Get out,” I barked, gesturing to the door that remained open after her unwelcome intrusion.
She shook her head and approached me. “I’m sorry. I was drunk and missed you so much. Please forgive me. How can I make it up to you?” she purred, batting her eyelashes at me and putting on an almost-convincing act of remorse. But I wasn’t buying it.
“You can make it up to me by staying the hell away from me! I don’t know why you’re here, and I don’t care. You’ve already done enough damage, so fuck off.”
She seemed hurt by the harsh tone of my voice, but quickly recovered as she took in my appearance. Fuck. I thought it was just my family coming over and forgot I was only wearing a towel.
“She’s not worth it, you know,” she huffed. “I know I can make you happier than she ever did. Especially in there,” she added, nodding toward my bedroom and waggling her eyebrows.
“Really, Natasha? What don’t you get? Jasmine is worth everything to me. And, just so we’re clear, she’s so much better in bed than you could ever dream to be.”
I stormed into my room and grabbed the first shirt and shorts I saw, knowing I shouldn’t leave Natasha unattended. For all I knew, she’d set my couch on fire. I walked back out seconds later, and she launched herself at me, into my arms.
“Un-fucking-believable,” I groaned, steadying myself. I walked her to my door, prepared to slam it in her face this time.
I pulled open the door and roughly dropped Natasha to her feet. “I swear to God, Natasha. How many times do I have to tell you it’s never going to happen before you understand?” I shouted, probably drawing unwanted attention from neighbors, but I couldn’t stop myself.
Before I could slam the door in her face, I was blindsided by the one neighbor I didn’t expect to see. Jasmine. She stood in the doorway of her apartment, her eyes huge and mouth agape, seemingly on her way out, judging by the suitcase behind her.
Fuck. Why is her timing always so shitty?
I cursed under my breath and tried to keep Natasha’s eyes from following mine.
Too late.
Natasha turned around and snorted in disgust at the sight of Jasmine. “What the hell are you doing here? Did they not already come by and pick up last week’s trash?” she trilled.
Jasmine didn’t miss a beat. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite understand what you said. Those fake lips must be impeding your speech. The Botox isn’t doing your facial expressions any favors, either.”
Natasha threw herself at Jasmine, tackling her to the ground. Before I could react, Jade burst up the stairs to the second floor. “You bitch! Get off her!” she screamed, flinging herself into the mix of flailing limbs and wild, tangled hair. I’d forgotten they were coming and couldn’t stop her in time. In the span of seconds, all hell had broken loose. With Jade in the mix it really wasn’t a fair fight, and I immediately rushed to pull them apart.
Emmett and Nathan broke into a sprint when they saw what was happening, each trying to grab a female body from the pile. “Ladies, enough! Stop!” Emmett called, trying unsuccessfully to get through to them.
Emmett finally managed to pull Jade off, picking up her small, flailing frame completely, leaving Nate and me to grab the other two wild banshees. I grabbed Natasha by the arm just before she could land a punch to Jasmine’s face, and pulled her away. Nate leapt forward and restrained Jasmine from launching herself back at Natasha.
I didn’t even bother checking to see if Natasha was hurt, I was too concerned about Jasmine to care. I’d grabbed Natasha to block Jasmine from the blow of her fist, but I wished I’d been the one to pull Jas away. She immediately distanced herself from me when Nate finally calmed her down.
To my horror, she had a bloody lip and a few scratches on her arms, and her hair was going in every direction. She felt her lip and spit a mixture of saliva and blood when she realized she was bleeding. I glanced at Natasha and wasn’t all that surprised when I saw that she’d probably have a black eye soon and a few scrapes.
“Natasha, you should really get the fuck out of here unless you want a repeat of that debacle,” I spat, halfway hoping she stuck around for round two.
Jasmine shot her a death glare and braced herself for another fight, but I blocked Natasha’s path toward her, knowing I’d never let her get close to Jasmine again. She seemed to realize I was right and nodded in acceptance.
“You’re making a huge mistake, Dean. You’re going to regret this.”
“No, I won’t,” I replied forcefully.
“Nate,” she pleaded. “You know he’s making a mistake. Tell him.”
He shook his head. “The only one who’s made a mistak
e here is you, Natasha. You should go.”
She gasped in shock that Nathan wouldn’t be on her side of things. “Fine. If I walk away now, neither of you will ever see me again,” she warned, crossing her arms.
“Look, bitch, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that if I never see your face again, that will still be too soon. You need to go back to whatever plastic surgeon’s office you spawned from,” Jas said, stepping around me to emphasize her point with another heated glare.
Natasha glared back, but must have finally gotten the message because she turned to leave. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when she was gone.
After Natasha’s departure, none of us really knew what to say, so we all stood around awkwardly. I couldn’t stop staring at Jasmine, wanting to pull her into my arms. She looked up and met my gaze, but I couldn’t read her expression.
She seemed to read mine easily and answered my unasked question. “I’m fine, Dean. Just glad she didn’t ruin my shirt.”
I nodded, but didn’t reply verbally.
“Jas, we should get going,” Jade called, looking at her watch.
I looked from Jade to Jasmine to the massive suitcase that was tipped over, sitting just inside Jasmine’s apartment. “Get going where?”
“To the airport. I’m going to Spain to see my dad.” She stepped back, righted her suitcase, and picked up her purse before locking her apartment door.
Spain? What the fuck?
Jade quickly pulled out her phone and actively diverted her eyes. Nate and Emmett looked like they’d rather be sitting in a delivery room for triplets than standing in the middle of this right now. I stepped closer to Jasmine, effectively trapping her between my body and her door before turning back to our audience. “Can y’all give us a minute?”
Jade looked back and forth between Jasmine and me, silently asking her if that was okay. Jasmine nodded subtly and let out a breath she’d been holding. Nate and Emmett muttered yeses and stepped into my apartment, relieved to be anywhere but here.