Just the way I liked it.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MAX
The morning passed, and I still hadn’t heard from Gary Wells. I was checking my phone every minute thinking maybe I missed the text, or I had a missed call. Nothing. Fuck, the wait was driving me nuts. I tried not to let it bother me by spending time with Jada. We had a relaxing day by the pool and we ordered a luxurious Mediterranean grazing platter for lunch. I suggested we head up to our room to work it off with some hot sex, but Jada had a hair appointment at the hotel hair salon. Damn it! Looks like I’ll have to wait until tonight.
It was five-thirty, and I still had not received any news about the bid.
I tried to remain optimistic, reminding myself that no news was good news, right? I’ve still got a couple of hours to kill; maybe I can go buy a surprise for Jada for tonight. The type of shopping I have in mind will definitely take her by surprise. I just hope she enjoys it. What am I saying? I want her to love it.
***
I nearly swallowed my tongue when Jada stepped out of the bathroom. Holy fuck! She was a goddess in that red dress.
Her hair was elegantly swept to the side with a silver clip behind her ear, and her makeup was minimal, definitely not overdone. And those shoes? Fuck, those shoes were every man’s fantasy.
She approached me with a cautious smile. “Do I look okay? I thought maybe it might be too…”
“Shh,” I silenced her. “You look exquisite, babe. Like a Princess, my Princess.” I reached for her and kissed her gently on the lips.
“You are such a charmer, and thank you for taking care not to smudge my lipstick.”
“Let’s go. I can’t wait to show you off to Gary Wells and his son. They are going to love you, babe.”
Her green eyes sparkled with excitement. “I hope so, Max.”
The restaurant was close to the hotel, so we walked there; Jada didn’t even complain about her heels. When we arrived, the friendly hostess led us to a small function room filled with people. I felt Jada’s hand tighten around mine.
“Are you nervous, Max?” Jada asked.
“Believe it or not, I am. I’ve never been stressed over a bid before; I’ve always oozed confidence. I really want this, Jada.”
“I know you do. There must be a good reason why they haven’t announced it yet.”
“Yeah, we’ll soon find out, I suppose,” I agreed, noticing Jason Wells, Gary’s eldest son, approaching us.
‘Max! My man, how are you? How was your day?”
I greeted him with a smile. Jason was a middle-aged man but looked older than he really was. He thrust out his hand to shake mine vigorously. “It was great, thanks, Jason. We had a very relaxing day.”
“My father and I are pleased to have you back in Darwin, Max.”
“I have enjoyed being here, and I appreciate the second chance to present my bid.” I wrapped my arm around Jada’s waist and brought her forward. “This is my fiancée, Jada Sinclair. Jada, this is Jason Wells, son of Gary Wells and Vice President of G.W. Holdings.”
Jason took Jada’s hand and gently kissed it. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet a celebrity like yourself, Ms. Sinclair.’
Jada giggled and answered confidently, “I’m not too sure about the celebrity status, Mr. Wells. I’ve decided to reduce my modelling schedule to spend more time with Max and family.”
She made sure she emphasised the word ‘family’. I was so proud of her; she knew exactly what to say to win these guys over. Optimistically, I squeezed her against me even tighter, letting her know I approved of her comment.
“Here is my father now,” Jason beamed. “He is eager to meet you, Jada.”
“Max, I was eyeing this beautiful lady from across the room,” Gary Wells announced as he greeted us. “I must admit to being surprised when Jack told me about your engagement, but it is lovely to meet you, Jada. Max tells me he’s a changed man since meeting you.”
Jada blushed. “Yes, we surprised everyone; even our own families, Mr. Wells.”
Gary chuckled. “Well, Jada, I can certainly see why he’d want to keep such a beautiful woman like you all to himself.”
“Have you set a wedding date yet?” a petite blonde asked from behind Gary. “I’m sorry; I should introduce myself. I’m Gary’s wife, Martha.”
“That’s okay, Martha. We have the wedding scheduled for the end of the month. Although, we did have an engagement party a few weeks ago back home in the Barossa.”
“That’s wonderful. If I had known, I would have sent down a gift.” She sounded a touch disappointed.
“Oh, we don’t expect a gift, but I can show you some photos from the party. I have them on my phone.”