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She looked at me with the softness in her eyes and said, “I know. I just hate to leave you with all of this while Leandro and I go off and handle business. It just doesn’t seem fair.”
“Listen, this is nothing new. I’m used to handling the housework.” We both shared a laugh. Jourdanne’s sweetness was hard to miss. “But seriously, you’re helping Leandro and I make sure that his next deal goes through so he can continue his work. That means that he can continue earning his income and our lifestyle doesn’t need to change.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but I stopped her as I tried to reassure her. “And you’re helping him to see how important it is to lean on others instead of taking on the world alone.” I ran my fingers through her bangs as I pushed them aside to look into her eyes deeply. She made me never want to be alone again. It hurt having to sit on the side-lines, but she had to be there for Leandro. “Jourdanne, you’ve shown him this, and I can’t thank you enough. The least I can do is pack your makeup.”
She laughed again, then let out a sigh as she lowered her shoulders in relief. “Okay. I guess it’s not so bad to ask someone for help.”
“Exactly.”
Jourdanne retrieved her shoes by the door and slipped them on. She hustled back into the bathroom to check herself in the long mirror, and then she emerged standing there in the doorway with her arms spread wide. “Well? What do you think about the finished product?”
What did I think? “Extraordinary.”
Leandro came inside from the balcony talking on his phone to persuade Joseph Franklin to meet him. There was already a meeting planned for the afternoon, one where Leandro would discuss his plans for the next charity event in Europe. Franklin, among many other philanthropists and investors, were scheduled to meet, but Leandro was worried that the meeting would be called off if word of the investigation spread. It was incredibly important for him to speak with Franklin and show his evidence before the afternoon meeting could be cancelled.
Leandro paced around the bed for a moment as he diligently tried to convince Franklin to meet him. At one point, it looked as though Leandro was getting frustrated and might say something he shouldn’t. He was very good at keeping his temper in check and being polite, especially when letting his emotions get the better of him would have no benefit whatsoever. But I knew he was steaming with irritation, and that he would do anything to prove his and his company’s innocence.
Leandro went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, and then he headed back out to the balcony, presumably for fresh air. The phone call was sounding positive at that point, as Leandro began discussing places where they could meet within the hour. Everything was ready and prepared. The papers were carefully organized and put into a folder on the dresser ready for presentation. And Jourdanne’s role in the whole thing would be to assist Leandro during the meeting, and to explain the unfortunate discrepancy of the two similar accounts.
“I just don’t exactly know what to say.” My eyes had just followed Leandro as he went out to the balcony, and then I had glanced over to the dresser to make sure that the papers were still there and ready for the meeting. Now, as I turned to face Jourdanne standing there in her dark green spring dress, I realized she had no formal training when it came to meetings and presentations. I had no doubt that she would find her way perfectly, and that was simply because of how smart and intuitive Jourdanne was. Nonetheless, it looked as though she needed a little bit of guidance.
I walked over to her where she stood by the bed, took her hand, and together we sat down. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but always address them properly and be respectful.” She nodded along with a brief smile. “Follow Leandro’s lead in all instances, and don’t speak over him as he explains things to Franklin.”
“Will other people be there too?”
“There’s a good chance that Fritz might be there. Randolph Fritz, that is, and he is a long-time friend of Franklin. From what I understand they grew up together in poverty and decided to change their lives through hard work and determination. They really are great guys. The minute they started making decent profits off their own personal businesses, they began charity work to help other people in their communities.”
Jourdanne tucked back her hair and then looked at me tenderly. “That sounds amazing.”
“All you need to do is wait for Leandro to look at you after he does his initial explanation, and then you will know to go ahead and talk about the accounts. Because you have experience with a mishap like this, it makes sense that you can explain what had happened. And I’m betting that Leandro has asked you to go along not just for this reason but also because of your heart.”
