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JADE
“Jade!”Oliviacriedoutwhen I called her. “You’re still alive.”
I giggled. “I didn’t die. I just went away.”
“Yeah, and then there was radio silence. You didn’t even answer my texts.”
“I was snowed in,” I said.
When Olivia sounded shocked, I laughed. It was the reaction I’d hoped for. I told her what had happened and how things had been going.
“At least Aaron has a satellite connection, so I could still send Hannah my work daily. I sent you an email, too. I’m guessing you didn’t read it.”
“I never read my emails,” Olivia said solemnly.
“I know.” I laughed. “I’m okay, though.”
“Tell me everything,” Olivia breathed, and I told her as much as I could, describing the house where we stayed, telling her about the storm and Ben staying with a friend.
“So, what have you been doing if you’ve been off work?” Olivia asked, and I could hear the confusion in her voice. “Didn’t you go with them because of Ben?”
“Yeah, the part where he was invited to his friend’s house was a surprise. I’ve been doing…” I giggled. “Aaron.”
“What!?” Olivia cried out after a beat.
I giggled again and glanced toward my closed door to see if Aaron was on the other side, listening to my conversation. I knew he was on a conference call in his office with some big shots at the bank he owned, but I dropped my voice a little, anyway.
“We’ve been together this week,” I admitted. “But it’s just this week,” I added it quickly before Olivia could question me about what it would mean when we got back.
“You’re going back to normal after it all?” she asked when I explained our arrangement.
“It’s better that way,” I said. “It will never work between us.”
“Why not?” Olivia asked.
I opened my mouth to answer her and couldn’t come up with one. Why couldn’t we be together? Why couldn’t it work? I had a list of reasons when I first met Aaron, but things have changed.
Did the list mean anything now?
“I don’t know…” I admitted. “It’s what we agreed on, though. And I don’t think he feels the same about me as I feel about him, you know? I might be falling in love with him, but he doesn’t––”
Olivia interrupted with a squeal so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear for a moment.
“What?” I asked.
“Are you falling in love with him? Is that what you just said?”
I blushed hard. “Well, yeah. But it doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t go both ways, right? Besides, I’m just being silly.”
“Or you have good taste, and this is something that could actually work. Come on, Jade, you know that you need a good man in your life. He’s a good man.”
I laughed. “You don’t even know him!”
“I know that he has good taste. He always orders my food. And he likes you. If that isn’t good taste, I don’t know what is.” She giggled. “Besides, his money doesn’t hurt.”
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see me. “It’s not about his money. It’s never been about his money, not outside of my working for him.”
“I know, I know. You’ve always been such a noble person, going for what’s on the inside. I wouldn’t have what it took, but you’re such a saint.”
