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"I love you, and I know you have feelings for me, too," he said.
"I just told you I'm in love with Michael. I have been for a very long time, which was why our relationship didn't work the first time," I informed him. "I have told you a couple of times that our relationship was strictly a friendship – nothing more. I can't believe you just crossed that line."
I gathered the menus in front of me and picked up my purse.
"This isn't going to work. Obviously, you can't, or won't, respect my request for the relationship boundary between us to be just friends. From now on, our relationship has to be simply professional. I will finish this project and email everything to you," I said firmly.
"Jade, please don't leave. I'm sorry. I care for you so much, and I didn't think," he pleaded with me, trying to grab my arm.
"I'm sorry," I said as I yanked my arm out of his hand and left.
I really was sorry. I had cared a lot about Jordan. He and I had been good friends even after the breakup, and I was very sad that our friendship had also ended. However, I couldn't be friends with someone who didn't respect my feelings and relationship limits.
My life had become one giant tangled mess, and I couldn't even see the end of the string to figure out where to start loosening the knot.
32
Michael
I sat, in stunned silence, as I watched Jade walk out the door with my son. I still had no clue as to what had happened. Running my fingers through my hair, I opened a beer and went through our conversation.
After a couple of replays, I was still confused. I wasn't sure if Jade was mad at me because I asked Daisy to help her or if it was because I didn't ask Jade if she wanted or needed help. I figured that it was both.
I was also thoroughly confused about why she was so upset about what Mother said.
The only thing I figured I could do was to call Mother and ask her what she thought about the situation. So, I decided to make a trip home.
"Honey, I'm surprised to see you here," Mom exclaimed when I dropped a kiss on her cheek. "Is everything okay?"
"No, but I'm not sure why," I told her.
"What's wrong?" she asked in concern, cupping my cheek with her hand.
"So, you know how I asked Daisy to help Jade with her business plan?"
"Yes," she replied slowly, wondering where I was going with that question.
"Jade was upset about that. She said that Daisy had come in and just started working on it. Jade said that she had to force Daisy to tell her about the changes she was making," I said.
My mother nodded. "Well, I guess I could see how that could be upsetting. If someone, especially someone I didn't know well, came into my house uninvited and took over a project I had been pouring my heart and soul into, I would be miffed. Wouldn't you be?"
After mulling it over for a minute, I realized Mother was right.
"I would be angry," I said slowly. "Especially since Daisy didn't provide any kind of explanation or give Jade a chance to either accept or reject the assistance."
My mother smiled at me the way she always did when I finally understood a point that she was trying to make.
"She was also upset about what happened at lunch," I said, deciding to be direct.
"What happened at lunch?" Mother asked, thoroughly confused.
"Jade said that you complimented Daisy's hair and clothes but then insinuated that hers wasn't quite up to par," I told her, watching her face for any cues.
Mother's eyes widened as a look of shock covered her face.
"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed. "I can see how she could have taken everything wrong. I only meant to help, but she must have thought I was comparing her to Daisy, not to her benefit. I must have hurt her feelings very badly. You shouldn't have defended what I said. I was in the wrong."
This time, it was my turn to be shocked. I can count on one hand the number of times my mother admitted that she was wrong.
