“Don’t miss your break time,” Andrew told Jasmin as her alarm went off.
She smiled at him, grabbed her phone from him before heading out to get lunch. Her relationship with Anita was on a rocky path and it became that way last week after she came out to her with the news of her pregnancy and told her Cainan was responsible for it when she asked. They still spoke to her from time to time, but she knew something changed and feared it was never going to be the way it used to be.
Being talk buddies with Andrew was fun but Anita was better and Jasmin wished that someday they could all work out some sort of friendship amongst themselves. Anita didn’t share any bad blood towards Andrew and if she wasn’t withdrawn with her, it wouldn’t have been difficult for them to form a trio.
As Jasmin ate, Anita walked over to her table and dropped her lunch tray beside hers and sat and quietly they ate.
When she finished, she spoke, “There is an event tomorrow and George already got me placed in to wait and I wanted to ask if you are interested.”
“Of course I am interested,” she exclaimed with a wide smile and eager eyes.
Anita carefully stared at her, “Do you think Cainan will let you come?”
“Cainan would let me, he is my boyfriend, not my father,” she replied, frowning slightly.
“I didn’t mean to stir you up in the wrong way, it’s just he is your boyfriend and the father of your unborn child, so I don’t think it might sit so well with him. Still, I can’t not tell you because you will feel hurt and betrayed when you find out about it.”
Anita was right but even just reaching out was good news and she didn’t want it to end.
“Cainan and I have an understanding about these things, he respects my job and I do the same for his.” she elaborated.
“Jasmin…”
“If you’re not going to give me the job say it, do not bring Cainan into it.”
She got up and picked her tray but Anita got up after her. “Fine, you can come along, but one condition, you will talk to Cainan about it. George insisted you do that and get his consent because he doesn’t want conflict or fall out and I agree with him. Cainan is a powerful billionaire and could take all our job with just a phone call if he feels crossed.”
Cainan had a temper when crossed and she had witnessed it when he handled the reporters many weeks ago but she didn’t think he would go as far as getting people fired… He only said that to the reporters to make them back off.
“Fine, I will talk to him, but I know he is going to agree to it.”
….
“No way in hell am I granting you permission for that.” was Cainan’s flat reply and he dropped his cutleries on the table.
They were at her favourite local restaurant, getting bean cake, pap and bread but unlike the last time, Cainan was having a grilled beef and hot sauce which Jasmin had been tempted to take ever since it was delivered to him ten minutes ago.
“Your permission? What am I, ten?” her brow rose at the flatness of his tone as though he expected no contradiction. “I do have a say, don’t I?”
“You do, and as long as “your say” is rejecting the offer, then it would be great. ”
She glared and cussed at him in her head for being an asshole. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“How come you have had the contract for over five weeks yet fail to read and understand it? I CAN tell you what to do. It is stated in the terms that I can choose to decline a request that doesn’t sit well with me and this request is one of such requests.”
“Asshole!”
He gulped the glass of red wine beside him, “That’s one of the many names I’ve been called, at this point, it’s more like a compliment.”
“I gave Anita my word, Cainan, I cannot just go back to her and say, I’m sorry, my boyfriend doesn’t like it because it would tarnish his reputation and bruise his ego.”
“Yes exactly, use those words don’t forget the ego and reputation, it would go so well together.”
There was a huge difference between the man that was at her apartment a week ago and the one sitting across from her now and yet they were the same person.
How was that even possible?
She glared at him folded her arms across her chest, “You don’t control me.”
His darkened green eyes locked in hers, “You signed the contract that said that I do.”
Sometimes Cainan was gentle and nice and other days he was a complete asshole and today was asshole day.
“Screw you! You probably only want things done your way or no way, I can see,” she bit out at him.
“The fact that you’re still working at that damn restaurant goes against what you just said. I never wanted you working there, but you got your way with that, the same can be said for your neighbourhood. Let’s not forget you’re pregnant!”
She rolled her eyes, “Let me worry about the pregnancy but did you think changing everything about my life was going to make our story more believable than it has been? No! It was only going to make me look like some golddigger or slut, whoring herself at you for money and with the pregnancy, everyone will believe I’m the one stringing you on with it.” She paused a while to try and rephrase, but the words were out, she might as well carry on. “All I’m saving is that we both need this to work, and I’m doing my part.”
He growled at her, “Your part is to do what I say, Ms Whyte and if that means no to your request of serving at some goddamn party, so be it. Do you understand?” He asked his voice commanding and rigid.
Her hand on the table clenched into a fist as she glared at him, his stone-cold nature was so unlikable, “I understand.”
She did understand but he didn’t understand, she had already given her words to Anita, in fact, she pressured her into giving her the job and Cainan was here barking orders and telling her to turn down the offer like he was her father. Backing out was going to crush Anita and George and they will never tag her along again and that was what Cainan was asking for.
“Aren’t you going to eat the rest of your meal? He asked, after observing that she was no longer touching her food even though she had always finished it before.
“I lost my appetite,” she told him, her voice cold and unfriendly.
He dropped his cutleries beside the plate still having much beef in it before him and rose to his feet, “Then let’s get you out of here.” He offered her his hand but she got up without taking it and walked past him.
