In Love With My Personal Assistant(20)

"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."

Jennifer nodded and began to double back on her steps along the porch.  "Yeah, I was working a lot. He pays me well though so," she shrugged at  her own poor excuse. "Anyway, I still work for him."

"Okay, well," there was a pause, "well, tell me what's been up? I  haven't talked to you in so long," in an instant, Jennifer was beaming.

"Well, I called you because … " she tried to draw her announcement out,  but found she couldn't hold it back anymore, "guess where I am!"

"No way, are you here? In the city? Oh my god!"

"Oh, no, not in the city. I'm in New Jersey, in Summit."

"Summit? Is that near Jersey City?"

"I dunno. We're coming to the city for dinner though. Think we can meet up?"

"What time?" Nicole asked eagerly in a breath. "I'm on a short break right now but in the middle of rehearsal."

"You're in a show?" Jennifer exclaimed. Nicole gasped.

"Oh my god, that's right! I never told you! Look, if you can wait until 7:30 for dinner, I can come and tell you everything."