Jade was astonished by the sight before her as she walked out of the doors of Xenox. It was Jake leaning by the car door of a grey Audi R8 in all his glory.Jade didn’t know if she was shocked by Jake’s attitude of not discreetly waiting for her or by the fact that the car before her was too eye catching and glamorous.If she could, she’d love to reprimand Jake for being a little bit showy, but she also knew she could not. She feared what people would say if they should see him there and recognize him as the CEO of Acrosoft. There might be some misunderstanding about her and how she had got the contract right?Jade hastened her step towards him since she had seen him first. As she walked closer, Jake in turn spotted her. A smile spread across his face as soon as he saw walking towards him looking all professional and gorgeous in the formal wear she had on. Just yesterday, she was slaying in her ripped jean and tees, and now she looked different in her formal clothes.Jake could swear that this girl would have been one hell of a model if she had ventured into that profession. He had seen her in different outfits and every time, Jade seems to blow his mind away with how she owned each outfit and shone brightly in them, like she has just walked out of a picture frame.Everything about this girl was appealing to him. Her smile, her curves, the way she swayed her ass when she walked, most especially her full lips. When she bit them, it somehow ignite a feeling in him, feelings that were unfathomable. Jake was lost in reverie so much that he didn’t know that Jade was standing in front of him.”Mr Beau?” Jade called again, suddenly feeling cautious of the way Jake was staring at her. Jake’s eyes shot up as he snapped back to reality.”Sorry miss Jade, business thoughts” He said with a knowing smile, making Jade narrow her eyes suspiciously. For a moment there she had seen the way he looked at her as she walked closer. It wasn’t lascivious as it used to, but there was something there. Something she didn’t quite understand.”Good evening sir” Jade greeted courteously.”Good evening Miss Jade” He sweetly greeted back. He tried reaching for the door but Jade’s hand was already on it.”Let’s go” He said quickly turning around to the other side of the car.Jake was amused when he stepped into the car and he found Jade appreciating the interior of the car. Jade could tell that the car was remodeled to meet his taste.Just how much does this guy have that he spent so much on cars? The rich sure didn’t know what to do with money. But why was she complaining? Being a car fanatic herself, she was sure she might do same or maybe worse if she had as much money as Jake did.”You like this one right?” Jake asked with an amused smile as he stared at her. His voice jolted Jade back to her senses. She couldn’t believe she was doing it again, completely embarrassing herself in front of him as usual.”Yeah. It’s so cool” Jade replied honestly, her hands subconsciously running through the fabric of the seat. She retreated her hands when she realized what she was doing.Jake almost let out a laugh when he saw her actions but he stifled it in, because laughing would only make her feel more embarrassed than she already was, and that was far from his goal of getting her to feel comfortable and relaxed around him.”You don’t have to feel embarrassed, I’m sure I’ll do worse if I were you” He said smiling at her. Jade looked at him quietly and she also revealed a small smile of her own, though she was still feeling embarrassed.”So where are we going to?” Jade cleared her throat and asked.” Well since I’m bound to prove my words to you, we’ll have to continue our hunt today””Sorry sir, but don’t you think you have proved that already. I was being honest when I said that burrito was the best among all the ones we tasted. And those burritos we had last night was enough to last us a year don’t you think so?” Jade said politely, she didn’t want to anger him by interfering with his plans. But truth be told she was already feeling repulsed by the sound of the word burritos. She had eaten alot last night, that she had to skip breakfast and had a light lunch earlier because she still felt full. One more bite of a burrito, she was sure she would puke out her lunch.Jake gave her a thoughtful look. He was also tired of the burritos, but this was the only thing he could come up with so he could spend time with her. It was just Wednesday, meaning he had two more days before Saturday. He was beginning to feel that saturday was too far ahead. Jade was slowly growing on him, and he couldn’t help it even though he still hasn’t figured out why.”So what should we do? I’m already here” Jake said. Hopefully she won’t be send him home, it would be badbif she did. He’d rather eat a few more burrito with her than go home empty handed.”Erm..are you hungry?” Jade asked.”Yes” Jake nodded. He hasn’t eaten all day. Because he had suffered from constipation last night and had decided to starve a bit, and even when he felt hungry he was so engrossed with work that he barely had the time for a snack.”So why don’t you try something different” Jade suggested as she gazed at him. “There must be something you’ve been craving for other than burritos right?” Jade asked, patiently waiting for his response.”Well, I don’t really have much to crave for. I eat whatever the chefs prepare” He shrugged.”Why don’t we go for whatever you’d like. There must be something you’d want” He said, as he waited for her to reply. Left to him, he didn’t want anything other than her time. He was fine, even more than fine when she was around.. Eating burritos or whatever was just a ploy to spend more time with her.Truth be told Jake was beginning to fear Jade might refuse going out with him if he brings up another silly idea such as food adventure or something of that sort.”Actually I wanted to grab a box of Eddy’s pizza. It’s my brothers favorite and I wanted some too. I think you should try it out. And they also serve this delicious banana split. You might like it” Jade said.”Okay then, let’s go check it out” Jake said with a happy smile. Happy that they were still on for tonight. “Where’s the place?” He asked.”Its just a few blocks ahead” She said pointing with her finger.”Okay buckle up” Jake said as he turned on the ignition.It wasn’t up to a five minute drive from Jade’s office to the restaurant. Jake was feeling a bit regretful that he didn’t know it was this close when she had said a ‘few blocks’. He would have asked them to walk there, that way he would get to spend more time with her.Only if the night would go slowly, that would be a great opportunit, but he also knew that was lame thinking.A waiter approached them as soon as they walked into the restaurant, and she directed them towards a seat, but Jade requested for the seat at the far end of the restaurant close to the window. Jake raised a brow when he saw that.”Anything special about here?” Jake was curious. He was determined to know every tiny detail about her.”No sir, I just like the view from this angle” Jade replied with a good-natured smile.”Miss Jade can I ask for a favour?” Jake asked with a serious expression making Jade anxiously glance at him. ‘what so of favour could that be’ was what she wanted to say, but instead she said “Yes’ as she nodded”Can you please stop calling me sir, it makes me feel old. Too hold for my age”Jade didn’t expect that to be his request. She thought it would be something more serious, but hearing this simple request made her uneasy. She knew the social distance between them. Not only was he an influential personality, he was the CEO of a multi-billion compaby and she was sure he was older than her. So how would she be comfortable not calling him sir. What was she supposed to call him? Address him by his name? Jake could see the conflict in her eyes, and he understood her perfectly.”Don’t be so shocked” He smiled. “I’m not asking you to call me just by name, but I’d appreciate it, if you stop calling me sir like my subordinates do. It makes me feel like a tyrant who people are too scared to take his name with their mouth. They are overly cautious around me” He said with a slightly pained expression.”So how should I address you then?” Jade asked politely. She was being careful not to cross her boundaries.”Anything other than my last name and sir” Jake told her. Jade was confused by his last statement. Anything other than his last name would be his first name.Were they on the first name basis now? Jade didn’t think it was a nice idea being familiar with someone of his caliber. Jade was quiet for a while as she couldn’t think of what to call him. She felt like calling him by his first name was being too familiar with him. Obviously she hasn’t Jake addressing more as miss Jade than miss Peterson.”Miss Jade?” Jake softly called out when Jade remained quiet. He has sure dealt her a complicated puzzle to solve.”I can’t call you by your name, it would be disrespectful to do that. But if it will make you comfortable I’ll call you Mr Jake. I can’t call your name without the honorifics” Jade stated assertively. Jake revealed a small smile, this was what he aimed for. Though he wanted to make Jade feel comfortable around him, he also didn’t want to rush things and probably scare her in the process. He was going to take things slow.They both turned when someone cleared his throat behind them. It was the waiter standing with a menu in hand.”Sorry” Jade apologized smiling to the waiter, while Jake was totally enthralled by it. He would love to tell her how beautiful her smiles, but that would be moving too fast.They ordered their food and ate in silence. Jake stole quick glances at her while they ate, and his heart fluttered every now and then from the sight of it.Jake was experiencing so many feelings that he never knew he could experience since the day he met Jade. And frankly, he was enjoying every bit of it even though they were all new.”How’s your friend doing?” Jake asked out of curiosity. He still hasn’t forgotten about Amy. He had noticed Blake was a little bit perplexed, but other than that he seemed fine. He doubted that would be the case for Amy, since she was the one who was interested in Blake.”She’s fine” Jade replied.”That’s good to know.” He nodded.”Well I enjoyed having this pizza, I never knew it would taste that good. The chef is sure blessed””I told you” Jade said with a smile.”Thanks for doing this miss Jade” Jake said with an appreciative tone.”You’re welcome. And thanks for this” Jade said raising the box of pizza towards him as she smiled broadly. Jake had insisted on paying for the pizza she had gotten for Kevin. Though she had refused his offer but Jake was insistent. Jake was dumbstruck again by her smile. He could swear he had never seen a more beautiful smile than hers.”Mind if I drop you off?” Jake reluctantly asked as they walked out of the restaurant.”No that won’t be necessary. I want to walk a bit before taking a taxi. I’m quite full”Jake didn’t want this to end so soon. If Jade should leave now he won’t be able to see her till weekend. What should he do? All through their meal, Jake has been storming his brain for ideas on how to keep Jade to his side for the next couple of days before the weekend. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to come up with something tangible.It would be a pity if Jade left now. Maybe he should take the stroll with her. But that wouldn’t solve his problem. It might grant him few more minutes of being with her, but what about tomorrow?Jade slowly walked behind Jake, when he suddenly stopped. Jade walked up to him and gave him a concerned look when she noticed the distorted look on his face. His face was scrunched up and he looked like he was in pain.”Mr Jake, are you okay?” Jade asked with a worried look.___________*The next morning*Jade was confused on what to do. Last night she had observed that disgruntled look on Jake’s face, but when she had asked what was wrong with him, he flashed her a stiff smile and muttered ‘nothing’. No matter how hard he tried to hide it Jade was vigilant to note the change on his face.Jade was certain something was wrong with him, but she wasn’t bold enough to press him into telling her what’s wrong.Jade picked up her phone, the temptation of calling him was strong and she was battling it like no like other. What was she going to say when she called? That she was concerned about him since he wasn’t looking too good before he left? Would he be angry if she did that? The last thing she wanted was offending someone like him.Maybe she should just call him or maybe not. Jade was still trying to make up her mind when she heard Simon call out to her.She dropped her phone on the desk and hurried over to his office.”Sir, you called” Jade said when she walked into Simon’s office.”Jade what did I tell you about calling me sir” He asked with a mock frown, while Jade looked down with an embarrassed look on her face.”Just call me Simon just as everyone else does. Everyone here is a colleague not a god okay. Save the honorifics for the higher ups” He scolded with a smile. He couldn’t remember how many times he had corrected Jade about calling him by his name.”Okay Simon” Jade said with unease.”You have to go see the big boss, she called for you” Simon told her making Jade’s eyes shoot up to him. Simon could see the unsettling and worried look in her eyes. He perfectly understood her worries, who wouldn’t be when you’re unexpectedly summoned by the frozen queen herself.Simon didn’t need Jade to ask him questions about why she was being called because he could see all the silent questions in her eyes.”I don’t know why she has called for you, but I’m sure you’ll be fine. I heard she has taken a liking to you” Simon said with a soothing smile. He didn’t know if his attempt to calm Jade had worked or not, but Jade simply responded with a simple nod before heading out of his office.Jade made her way directly to the vice president’s office. When she drew closer to her office, she could feel her heart beat frantically like she was about to suffer a panic attack. What could have happened? Why was she being summoned suddenly? Did Mrs Tracy probably see her and Jake yesterday?Oh no! If that was the case, what was she supposed to do about that? Should she come clean about the condition which she had agreed to get the contract sighed? Would that make the woman she admired so much look down on her?This was what she most dreaded when she saw Jake waiting right in front of the company doors. Couldn’t that man be any more low key? Why did he have to do things extravagantly. And someone would ask her why she was sometimes wary of rich people. They didn’t know how to do things right at all.Jade was drowning in fear when she saw Mrs Tracy beautiful secretary flash a pretty smile at her.”The Vice president is waiting for you” The secretary said and Jade subconsciously nodded her head. She was scared because she didn’t know what to expect the moment she walked through that door.Jade took in few deep breaths, rubbed her sweaty palms against her skirt before wiggling the door knob.”Good morning ma” Jade greeted, her voice imperceptibly shaky as she took a step into the room.”Good morning Miss Peterson” Mrs Tracy greeted back as she gave Jade a full look. Jade’s fear began to increase as she studied the inscrutable look on the woman’s face. Her face showed nothing, so Jade couldn’t tell if she was angry or not.”Take a seat” Mrs Tracy ordered. Jade eyes dashed to the opposite seats across the huge mahogany desk before returning her gaze to the woman before her. She took slow and heavy steps closer to the seat before pulling one to sit.”I’m sorry Jade but we have a problem” Mrs Tracy said as she looked at Jade. Jade was really trying to hold herself from outrightly bursting out and telling Mrs Tracy about the deal between herself and Jake. Maybe she should come out clean before she says it out herself. This woman was someone she adored and looked up to, and it would be very disappointing if she lost her trust and respect. Those kind and encouraging words she had offered to her, and her words of how much she saw herself in Jade, was something Jade didn’t want to lose. Gaining this woman’s respect and admiration was something she had not planned for, but now that she did, it meant alot to her.”Ma, wh-at problem?” Jade asked with great difficulty.”The people at Acrosoft called and they want to review the contract again and their president has specifically asked for you” Jade’s eyes nearly popped out when she heard her.Mr Jake asked for her? So this was the reason why she has been called? and not because she was seen with Jake yesterday? Jade could feel her nerves getting relieved. Her racing heart was finally calming down.She didn’t need to ask why Jake had specifically requested for her, she wasn’t surprised at all. As a matter of fact she felt glad he has asked for her. This way she’d be able to confirm if he was doing well because he didn’t look like he was last night.”So what should I do?” Jade asked.”Here, you’ll have to take the contract and the new drafted one over” Mrs Tracy said, heading over a file to Jade which she received.”Okay” Jade said with a nod.”Thank You Jade” Mrs Tracy Lin said. It would seem unnecessary for her to appreciate Jade for this since Jade was a staff of the company, but Mrs Tracy felt like she should. Currently she was under a lot of pressure from the president who has been outside the country for weeks but would be returning soon.Mrs Tracy was obligated to get this contract signed and to get a few game apps up and running before his return. Unfortunately the contract was suddenly meeting with some unforeseen challenges which weren’t planned for. Thus she was grateful to Jade for being good at her job and for impressing a strict businessman like Jake Beau.Jade responded with a slight bow. She also didn’t expect Mrs Lin to thank her, so she could respond that way.”You’ll have to go immediately. They have sent someone to pick you up, so you have to hurry” Mrs Lin said with a hint of urgency.”Okay ma” Jade said as she stood up to her feet. She gave a curteous bow before taking her leave. Mrs Lin gave an approving nod as she watched Jade leave. The girl mannerism and professionalism was something to be admired.*********Jake was anxiously tapping his feet as he kept looking at the time.”You have to make it look real okay. I’ve got one chance at this so you can’t blow it up.” Jake warned for the upteenth time.”Yes sir” The young lady replied with trepidation. Firstly she didn’t know what this man was up to. There were millions of people who were praying not to be here at the moment, but here he is booking a whole room to himself like it was some sort of hotel that he has come to receive hospitality services. But who was she to ask him such questions, she was just an insignificant somebody.”There it’s done. Sir you can lie down now.” She said motioning Jake to lie on his back. Jake looked at his hand and the infusion line which was attached to it. He nodded in approval when he saw it looked real enough to fool him.Patrick, his secretary was at a loss at what was happening as he watched his boss in silence. When he received a call from his boss last night requesting to contact Acrosoft that he wanted to review the signed contract he thought something was wrong. Because Jake was not someone who made hasty business decisions or would sign a contract which was not satisfactory enough to him. Jake was a well known playboy who was at the top of his game, but he was still an efficient business man. He was meticulous when it came to business deals, so what was it that he had over looked when signing a contract for the project he was so keen about.His suspicions were confirmed when Jake asked for a two day leave and ordered him to bring important documents to the hospital, where he was healthily lying on a bed.”Have they picked her up?” Jake asked as he quickly signed on the documents Patrick had brought over.”Let me confirm” Patrick said as he pulled his phone to make a call. It was then that the word ‘her’ finally registered in his brain. He silently peeked at Jake.’So this was because of a woman?’ Patrick was baffled. He wouldn’t have suspected all this was related to a woman, if his boss hasn’t used the word her. How did he know they were sending a woman, except he requested it himself.Should he begin to fear for the future of the company?His boss has sure leveled up his game.. This was something different.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 55
