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"I didn't know that," Jax says with surprise. "Your mother wanted you to be a jewelry designer?"
I sit silently in place, my eyes honed in on Madeline. I don't want to look at Jax. I don't want to talk to him or explain something this personal to him.
"Her mother wanted to be the jewelry designer." Madeline corrects him. "But she died right after Ivy was born so Ivy carries the torch for her. It's a beautiful story."
I search her expression trying to determine if she's being sarcastic or not. She's impossible to read so I wait for Jax's inevitable response. There's nothing.
"I know that I signed an exclusive contract with you but I'd like to rework the terms of that if possible." As I speak I notice Madeline's head subtly nodding up and down. My heart takes that as a positive sign. I may just get out of this meeting with the promise of a brighter future for my business without being tied exclusively to Veray.
"Absolutely not." His words are unconditional.
"Jax." Madeline gestures across the table in his direction. "Quiet down. I want to hear what she's thinking."
"It's not open for discussion." I can feel his eyes on me as he pushes his opinion on Madeline.
"It's still my company. It's wide open for discussion," she snaps back.
I can't resist the urge to turn and look at him. His eyes lock with mine and he raises an eyebrow. I don't flinch. I may have won this small victory but I don't assume I'll defeat him. His influence over Madeline is unmistakable but I came here with a mission and I won't stop until she at least hears me out.
"Tell me more about what you're thinking." She lightly taps my hand as it rests on the table.
I turn my attention back to her and clear my throat
before I begin my plea. "I'm very grateful for all the exposure you've given me over the years, Madeline. You took a chance on me when no one else would."
She smiles. "You have real talent, Ivy. It was an easy chance to take."
"That's kind of you." I can sense Jax staring at me but I continue, undeterred from my need to get out of my contract with Madeline so I can get away from Jax in every way possible. "I feel that my business will benefit if I make my pieces available to more people. You know, a broader audience. I want to establish an online presence. Maybe set up my own website to sell some things I haven't consigned to you."
"No." His voice is stern and the tone is unrelenting.
"Shush." She waves her index finger at Jax before motioning for the waiter. "I was once a young woman struggling to make a name for myself too. I wouldn't be where I am now if someone hadn't given me a chance back then."
I instantly feel a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I sit silently waiting for her to continue after she orders another drink. I'm startled when I feel a hand on my knee. My body impulsively darts from my chair and as my legs hit the table the glass of wine in front of me tumbles into my lap. "Shit," I whisper. "No. No. No."
"Ma'am. Let me help you." The waiter bolts to my side of the table, napkin in hand. He starts blotting my dress trying to absorb the quickly spreading red stain.
"Please don't." I wave his hands from me. I look down at my ruined dress. It was so expensive. This meeting was critical to me and now it's all for naught. "Excuse me." I push past the growing crowd of wait staff gathered at our table to help. "The washroom?" I question a young woman racing in my direction with a bottle of soda water in hand. She points to the left as she shoves the bottle into my open hand.
"I can't believe him," I mumble under my breath as I walk into the elaborately decorated powder room. I reach for a scented towel from the pile next to the sink. I drench it in soda water and begin the laborious task of trying to clean the bright red stain from my dress.
"You can't believe who? Jax?" I jump at the sound of Madeline's voice behind me. "What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing," I lie as I stare at my dress wondering how I'm going to find the courage to walk past him and out of the door of the restaurant. I'm tempted to climb out the small square window that is beckoning to me above the radiator. If I had even an ounce less pride I'd already have at least one foot firmly planted on it trying to hoist myself up.
"You slept with him, didn't you?" Madeline takes a healthy swallow from the glass she carried in with her.
"I don't want to talk about this." I glance up at her desperately wanting her to see within my expression that I'm on the precipice of falling apart.
She leans against the counter so she's facing me directly. I hear the faint echo of her empty glass against the marble countertop as she places it down. "I can tell. He's territorial with you."
"That's not all he is."
She laughs. "True. Obviously it didn't end well."
"It didn't really even begin." I become more animated with my unsuccessful attempt to clean the stain out of my dress. Maybe if she thinks I'm focused on that she'll go in search of another drink or a man to buy her one.
She reaches for my hands to stop me. "Ivy, look at me," she says tenderly.
