Saving jay, p.7
Saving Jay, page 7
part #3 of Breaking Free Series
“Not yet, but I think they’ll accept our offer. At least, I hope they will. It’s a great location.”
“Make sure you keep me posted. I’ll have Kristine arrange another meeting sometime next month.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I think we’re done for now. Any questions? Everyone on the same page?”
“I’m good,” Megan replied.
“Good to go here, sir.”
“All right. I’ll be in touch.”
Hanging up, I sat down in my chair and loosened the tie around my neck.
A few seconds later, there was a knock on my door.
“Come in.”
My assistant, Kristine, came in with an iPad under her arm, ready for my instructions. She was the most organized person I’d ever met. I’d be lost without her. She took her usual seat across from me.
“I need you to set up a meeting with Megan next month. I also need you to clear May fifteenth for me. I’m taking that day off.”
Kristine’s brown eyes lifted from her tablet. “A day off? I wasn’t aware you took those,” she said with a smirk.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
She grinned and continued typing.
“I would also like you to call Faith and see if she can meet me at Clara’s for dinner sometime this week.”
She nodded. “Your flight for Los Angeles leaves this evening, and you won’t be back until late Thursday night. Would you like to meet with her on Friday?”
I sighed as I leaned back in my seat. I’d forgotten about my trip to LA. Flying across the country was the last thing I wanted to be doing right now.
Kristine watched me for a few seconds before placing her tablet down on my desk. “I don’t want to overstep my boundaries, Mr. Clarke, but may I say something?”
“Jay, please,” I said although it was pointless.
No matter how many times I’d told her to call me Jay, she’d still insisted on remaining professional. It was actually one of the things I loved about her.
“I could take the trip to Los Angeles—if you trust me to do so, of course.”
Leaning forward, I laced my fingers together and rested my elbows on my desk. It hadn’t occurred to me that I wasn’t allowing Kristine to live up to her full potential. She was certainly capable of handling a lot more than the duties I’d given her. Maybe giving her a little more responsibility would help us both.
“That sounds like an excellent idea, Kristine.”
Her eyes lit up as a smile appeared on her face.
“If this meeting in LA goes smoothly, we’ll discuss a promotion. I’ve been wanting to make some changes around here, and perhaps having you handle more responsibility will benefit us both.”
Kristine’s smile grew. “I won’t let you down, Mr. Clarke.”
Just as I was about to respond, my cell phone began to ring. It was Jade. “Please excuse me.”
Kristine nodded and excused herself from my office.
“Hello?” I said, turning my chair around to face the windows behind my desk.
“Hi. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all. How are you?”
“I’m great actually. How are you?”
“Better now,” I said, grinning.
Jade laughed. “Well, aren’t you sweet?”
“Well, you know, I try.”
“I’m actually calling on official business.”
“Is that so? Well, how can I assist you, Ms. Holliday?”
“Well, Mr. Clarke, I just received some top-secret information. It seems that a certain tattoo artist had a client cancel his appointment for tomorrow afternoon, which means she might have an early opening. If you know anyone who might be interested…”
I smiled at the coincidence. “I do actually. I also happen to know that he just cleared his entire schedule for tomorrow, so he’ll be free to take that appointment.”
“Sweet!” Jade said, clearly done with our role-playing.
“Will you have enough time to finish your sketch by tomorrow?” I asked as I peered at the sky outside my window.
“I actually finished it this morning. I worked on it all night.”
“Ah. So, you thought about me all night, huh?”
Jade laughed. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“I thought about you all night, too—and this morning,” I admitted.
“Oh, yeah?”
I could hear the smile in her voice, and it made me smile, too.
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’ll let you get back to it then. Your appointment is at two tomorrow, Mr. Clarke.”
“Thank you, Ms. Holliday. I’m looking forward to it.”
Jade
After hanging up with Jay, I tried to stop blushing before leaving my office and going out into the shop where Dustin, Jackson, and Trix were waiting for me. When I walked out, Dustin was lying on the couch in the waiting area, Jackson was sitting at the front desk, and Trix was looking at himself in one of the mirrors.
“Hey, guys. Sorry for having you come in on your day off.” I watched Trix as he tilted his head back and started looking up his nose. “Trix, what the fuck are you doing?”
“Dude, my nose hairs are getting longer. Seriously, come look at this!”
Jackson and I shook our heads.
“Not happening,” Dustin muttered as he sat up.
“I just wanted to let you guys know that I plan on hiring a new assistant for the shop. Our appointments are piling up, and Dustin is going to need some help around here soon.”
I paused, and as soon as I did, Dustin lifted half of his ass off the couch and farted.
My arms dropped to my sides, and I stared at him. “Seriously?”
Dustin’s eyes got wide as he looked around the room. “What? I’m gassy. It’s unhealthy to hold it in.”
“Could you at least go to the restroom? Jesus,” I complained as I scrunched up my face and started fanning the air in front of me with my hands.
“So, let me get this straight. You expect me to walk all the way to the bathroom just to fart?”
“You know what? Just forget it. Do any of you know anyone who might want to work here?”
Dustin raised his hand like he was in a classroom.
I raised my eyebrows as I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes, Dustin?”
“I know someone—my little sister. She’s nineteen. She’s smart and way better at holding in her farts than I am.”
“Celeste? She’s nineteen?”
“She likes to be called Cee Cee now.”
I glanced at Jackson, and he shrugged.
Trix stopped messing with his nose long enough to ask, “Is she hot?”
Dustin narrowed his eyes at him. “I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”
“Okay. Well, see if she can come in one morning this week, and I’ll talk to her.”
Dustin nodded. “You got it, boss.”
“They’re coming to install our sign this week, and I’ve got a few T-shirt and bumper sticker designs that I’ll try to get printed, too. Dustin is also sending out a supply order tomorrow, so if you guys need anything, make sure you let him know.”
They all gave me nods and chin lifts, confirming they understood.
“Thank you, guys. Seriously, I would not be able to do any of this without you.”
“It’s our pleasure, kid,” Jackson said as he stood and put his arm around my shoulders. “We’re proud of you.”
After spending all day trying to organize the shop and my apartment, I was looking forward to a relaxing night. I sat down on my couch with a chicken salad, a glass of wine, and my television remote when my cell phone started ringing. It was my old boss, David.
“Hey, David. What’s up?”
“What’s up, lady? How’s the new shop coming along?”
“Busy for sure. How are things up there?”
“Fuckin’ crazy. You know I got people taking pictures of me on the street now?”
“Are you serious?”
“I wish I were joking. People are going nuts out here. You were smart to get out when you did.”
I laughed before taking a sip from my wine.
“Well, look, I wasn’t sure if I should tell you this, but I thought you might want to know.”
I put my glass down and could feel my heart thumping in my chest with the change in his tone.
“Damon got arrested soon after you left, and the judge made him go to rehab.”
Sighing, I closed my eyes as I waited for him to finish. As much as Damon had hurt me, I still wanted him to get better.
“He’s been in for a few weeks, and from what I hear, he’s doing really well.”
My eyes opened, and I fell back onto the cushions behind me.
“I know you’re trying to move on from all this, sweetheart, and I don’t blame you. I just thought you should know that he’s doing better.”
“Thanks, David. I appreciate it. I’m glad he’s okay.”
“You’re a good girl, Jade. He was the one with the problem, not you. You stuck by him when no one else did—and for way too long, if you ask me. I want this news to help you move on. He’ll be all right. Now, you need to get happy again.”
I nodded and took a deep breath as a tear slid down my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I was crying. “I know,” I muttered, wiping it away.
“You need anything from me, you let me know, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Love you, kid.”
“I love you, too.”
Dropping my phone onto the couch next to me, I groaned as I let my head fall back. I was relieved to hear that Damon was getting help, but talking about him had only brought up all the old feelings I’d been trying to forget. He hadn’t just broken my heart. He’d broken my spirit.
Maybe now we could both start healing.
Jay
Tuesday morning, I woke up from a nightmare at four a.m. Sitting up in bed, my skin was coated in sweat, and my heart was thumping hard in my chest.
I’d dreamed that I was trapped in a glass tank that was slowly filling with water. I could see my parents standing outside of it. My mother was dressed in a white ball gown, and my father was in a tux as they laughed and talked with their guests. I slammed my fists and kicked against the walls as I shouted at them to save me, but they never did. This wasn’t the first time I’d had that dream, and it always ended the same way. Surrounded in water, fighting to stay afloat, I could feel the burning in my lungs, the utter despair and desperation to stay alive, and just as my vision began to fade, my father would turn around and see me. Then, I’d wake up.
I sat there, panting, my eyes squeezed shut as I tried to steady my breaths. It had been years since I had that nightmare. I guessed the thought of losing my father was bringing back all the old demons I’d thought I killed. I didn’t need a shrink to tell me what the dream was about. It was obvious that, despite my best efforts, I still had a lot of unresolved issues when it came to my parents.
Rational or not, it angered me to know that our lack of a relationship still lingered in my thoughts. I was a twenty-eight-year-old man. I should’ve been past all of this. I should have accepted the fact that I’d never hear my father say he loved me. He’d made me weak. I was an entrepreneur. I had over two hundred employees, and I had millions of dollars. I kept tight control over all of it, but I couldn’t control this, and I hated it.
How can a son of a millionaire ever ask for sympathy? How can a man who has everything complain that he never got the one thing he needed?
Isolated and alone, I was too ashamed to admit that a part of me still needed saving.
Getting out of bed, I pulled on a pair of shorts and went to work off my frustrations in the gym. I ran ten miles and did enough pull-ups and push-ups to ensure my body would ache well into next week.
I stood in front of the mirror, my chest moving quickly with my breaths and sweat dripping from every part of my body, and I looked at myself. My internal anguish had made my body stronger than ever. I had muscles now that I’d never had before, and despite the reason for my vigorous workouts, it felt good to do something positive with my aggression.
Grabbing a towel from the stack by the door, I wiped my face as I made my way to the shower. I had my first appointment with Jade today. Soon, my back would be covered in her art and my deepest secrets. I was both anxious and excited to finally get this piece.
Since I rarely shared my feelings with anyone, tattoos had become a way for me to express myself to the world without ever speaking a word. The sound of a tattoo machine still gave me a rush I couldn’t explain and the piercing of the needles in my skin provided an indescribable release. My tattoos weren’t a way to gain attention or make a statement. They were my way of claiming my own skin.
Jade
I’d barely gotten any sleep last night. I couldn’t get my conversation with David out of my mind. I thought about my appointment with Jay. While I was excited to spend more time with him, Damon had left a lingering fear in my heart, and I hated it.
The old me would have dived headfirst into this new crush without worrying about the consequences. I used to live in the moment, confident enough to know I was strong and could handle whatever came my way, but now, I wasn’t so sure. Heartbreak had made me weak and scared, and no matter how hard I’d tried to fight it, I couldn’t seem to undo what had been done. I could only heal what was left of my heart and try to move forward.
It was nine a.m. when I finally gave up and decided to get out of bed. Sitting up, I looked around my room and wondered when this place would start to feel like home. Tossing my blankets aside, I made my way toward my kitchen to make some coffee. It wasn’t until I opened the cabinet above my coffeemaker that I remembered I’d used my last filter yesterday.
“Shit.”
I sighed and started making my way back to my room to change when there was a knock at my front door. Pausing, I checked my watch. It was nine fifteen, and most of my friends knew not to bother me before ten in the morning. Running my fingers through my hair, I tried to make myself look as presentable as possible before unlocking my door and opening it.
A young man was standing there with a bouquet of flowers and a large cup of Starbucks coffee. My eyes widened.
“Good morning, ma’am,” he greeted me with a smile.
I looked at the bright beautiful flowers as he handed them to me. “What’s this?”
“Delivery from…” He paused to look at a paper in his hand. “Mr. Jason Clarke.”
I felt my face break into a smile as I took the cup of coffee in my other hand. “Oh my god. Are you kidding me?” I took a sip from the paper cup.
He chuckled. “No, ma’am. Have a great day.”
“Thank you. You, too!” I called after him as he made his way toward the elevator.
I smelled the pink lilies in my bouquet as I stepped back and closed the door with my foot. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I pictured Jay and his beautiful smile. I didn’t know how, but he’d seemed to know exactly what I needed, and with this incredibly sweet gesture, he’d made me feel like myself again.
Grabbing my phone off the kitchen table, I opened the camera app and held it in front of me. I took a few pictures of myself smiling with the coffee in my hand and the flowers tucked under my arm before picking the best one and sending it to him with a text message.
Best gift ever! Thank you.
I took my phone with me into the kitchen as I searched for a vase large enough to hold the flowers. After taking another sip of my delicious coffee, I grinned when I heard my phone chime.
Wanted to make sure you were happy and wide-awake before you started stabbing me with needles.
I laughed as I texted him back.
Smart man.
A few seconds later, he texted me again.
You look beautiful this morning, by the way.
I smiled and felt my cheeks getting warm. Is this guy for real?
It was hard to believe someone like Jay could possibly be single. He had to have women lined up and waiting to get into his bed. Not only was he rich, but he was also one of the sexiest men I’d ever met. He’d also managed to make me totally smitten in a matter of days.
I knew if I wanted a real chance with him, I’d better make that decision soon because I was sure this was an opportunity I’d probably never find again. Jay was one in a million, and somehow, we’d found each other. I couldn’t let my fears get in the way.
Thank you. Will to go to lunch with me? Before your appointment?
I bit my bottom lip as I hit Send, and waited for his response.
Absolutely. I thought you’d never ask.
I actually giggled as I read his response. I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. “Holy shit, girl. What is this man doing to you?”
I texted him back.
LOL. Can you meet me at the shop at noon?
Yes.
I put my phone down on the kitchen counter before looking at my flowers again. My cheeks were getting sore from smiling so much. Grabbing my coffee, I rushed to the bathroom to get ready for our second date.
Jay
I saved the picture Jade had sent me to my phone before finishing up the spreadsheet I’d been working on.
I had plans to talk to Faith later this week about her taking over the club full-time. I’d already spoken to my lawyer and planned on making Faith the sole owner, if she was willing to take it on. After much thought, I’d decided that it was time to let Red go, and I couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more than Faith. She was a single mother of three teenage boys. She was a hard worker and very business savvy. I had no doubt that Red would continue to be successful with her in charge, and it was time I moved on. This would also give me an opportunity to free up more of my time. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do once I had it, but I was looking forward to finding out.
I made a few phone calls, including one to Kristine in LA to discuss her upcoming meeting, before finally finishing up and getting ready for my lunch with Jade. I put on an old pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt before grabbing my wallet and keys and heading out of my apartment. It was unusually warm, and I welcomed the change.
