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Authors: Cheris Hodges

BOOK: Betting On Love
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Jade nodded, and within seconds she and James were rushing out to his car.
 
 
The next morning Jade woke up before James. Her body tingled from the night of lovemaking that they'd shared.
Is this real?
she thought.
Can I really be this happy with him?
She gently stroked his arm and said a silent prayer that this thing with James wasn't an illusion and that he cared for her as much as she cared for him. Looking over at the alarm clock on his dresser, she realized that she needed to get out of bed and call Devon's manager so that they could set up a meeting. As she stole from the bed, James opened his eyes. “You leaving me, woman?” he said in a sleep-filled voice.
“Just to take care of some business. I need to make some calls.”
He nodded and went back to sleep. Jade grabbed her cell phone and dialed Kandace before calling Devon's people.
“This better be an emergency,” Kandace said. “It's way too early for you to be calling me when you should be in bed with your man.”
“First of all, it's a little after seven. You should be getting ready for work.”
“I took the day off. Don't you think I deserve it?”
“Yes, I do,” Jade said. “Guess who I talked to last night?”
“Who?”
“Devon Harris. As a matter of fact, he invited James and me to be his guests for dinner at Mez. The things that man can do with food are just amazing.”
“Uh-huh,” Kandace said.
“He asked about you,” she said.
“What did he say?”
“He said to call him,” Jade fibbed. “Maybe you should come to Charlotte and join us for the meeting today.”
“What time is the meeting?” Kandace asked, with a hint of excitement in her voice.
“One o'clock, so if you get out of bed and get ready, you can be here right on time.”
“Where are you all meeting?”
“Ah, at James's office,” Jade said, silently reminding herself that she needed to ask James if they could use his office.
“I don't know why I'm doing this, but I will be there before one.”
“Great.” Jade hung up the phone and headed back into the bedroom. She realized she needed a place for this meeting. “James,” she said, shaking his shoulder.
“Hmm?”
“Are you going into the office today?” she asked.
“I guess. Damn, lady, you trying to get rid of me?”
She shook her head and kissed him on the cheek. “I need a favor,” she said. “Can I use your conference room today to meet with Devon and Kandace?”
“Sure,” he said as he sat up in the bed. “But you're going to have to do something for me after your meeting.”
“What's that?” she asked as she slipped back into bed with him.
James pulled her into his arms. “Meet me in my office when you're done, and leave your panties at the door.”
“How did you know I was wearing a skirt today?”
He nodded toward the outfit she had laid out on the chair next to the dresser. “That's not exactly my style,” he joked.
“Well, Mr. Goings, I think I'd be more than happy to meet you in your office,” she said, then kissed him quickly on the lips. “I've got one more phone call to make.” Jade leapt out of bed, nearly dragging James with her.
CHAPTER 23
James and Jade walked into his office around 12:30.
About two minutes later, Kandace burst through the door. “I'm here,” she said.
“Good afternoon to you, too,” Jade said to her friend.
James waved to her and headed into his office and closed the door.
Kandace looked toward the conference room. “Is he here?” she whispered.
“Not yet,” Jade replied. “You look nice.”
Kandace looked down at her fashionable gray pencil skirt and white ruffled blouse. “You like it?”
Jade nodded. “Very chic,” she said as she rose to her feet, walked over to Kandace, and pulled the price tag from the blouse. “Very new, I see.”
“You know me. Sometimes I need retail therapy. I was going to take this blouse back, but I figured I needed to look my best today,” Kandace said.
“You always do,” a silky voice said from behind her.
Kandace and Jade turned around and found Devon standing in the doorway, with a basket of goodies in his hands.
“You're early,” Jade said.
“Yeah,” he said as he walked in. “I thought I was going to get lost, so I left a little too soon.”
Kandace smiled at him but didn't say anything. Jade took Devon's basket and headed into the conference room. Neither Kandace nor Devon moved.
Jade took a muffin from the basket. “We need coffee,” she called out. “I'm leaving to go get some.”
Still, Kandace and Devon stood in the middle of the floor, not saying a word. Jade walked out to the entrance and asked Amber where she could find a Starbucks.
“I'll go for you,” Amber said. “It's not a problem.”
“No,” Jade said, with a smile. “I think I need to leave the chef alone with Kandace while I get some lattes. Do you want something, and what's James's favorite drink?”
Amber smiled and told Jade that James was a regular-coffee man and he didn't like sugar in his coffee, just three packs of Splenda.
“And he gets his coffee from the gas station some times, doesn't he?” Jade questioned, with a laugh.
“He sure does.”
“Thanks, Amber,” Jade said, then headed out the door, even though part of her wanted to stay near Kandace and Devon to see what was going on with the two of them.
“Hey,” James called out after Jade. “Where are you going without me?”
“Starbucks. Devon brought some muffins, and I figured coffee would go great with them.”
“I hope you're getting decaf, because those two outside of my office don't need caffeine.”
“What's going on up there?” she asked.
James shrugged. “A lot of finger pointing, some name calling, and a bunch of questions. What? Are they divorced or something?”
“They never made it down the aisle,” she said. “They were close, but something happened and Devon went to Paris and Kandace started the marketing firm after she went away for a few months.”
James shook his head. “It's a good thing you're going to handle the day-to-day operations, because I think those two would kill each other.”
Jade fought the urge to go upstairs and eavesdrop. She just prayed Devon would still want to work for the restaurant.
After getting the coffees, James and Jade headed back to the office, wondering if the place would still be standing. It was, but Kandace and Devon hovered in separate corners of the conference room like wary warriors.
“Here's some coffee for you guys,” Jade said timidly.
“This isn't going to work,” Devon said as he took a cup from the center of the table. “I'm sorry, Jade, but I can't go into business with you.”
“That's right,” Kandace snapped. “You're the liar that I always knew you were.”
“Kandace, let it go. I made a mistake and you want to hold it against me after all these years?”
James cleared his throat. “Guys, I have clients coming in, and this isn't the time or place for your personal war.”
“There is no war,” Devon said coldly. “Jade, sorry I wasted your time.”
Jade cleared her throat. “Devon, look, we need you and—”
“Don't you dare beg him!” Kandace exclaimed.
Devon slammed his coffee cup on the table. “You know what? I know you need me,” he said to Jade but looked pointedly at Kandace. “But some people can't let go of the past. I'm sorry I cheated on you.”
“Devon, you promised me a year,” Jade said. “Please, if for no other reason than to beat Stephen at his own game.”
James shuddered, then stepped out of the room.
Jade immediately regretted saying anything about Stephen. “Come on. You two need to think about this from a business aspect. Kandace, we won't find a better chef.” Jade turned to Devon. “Kandace won't even be here that much.”
“I won't be here at all,” Kandace snapped, then stormed out of the conference room.
“Why did you tell her I wanted her to be here?” Devon asked.
“Because I know you two still have feelings for each other, and whatever happened between the two of you is in the past. Can't you just move on from it?”
“You don't understand, and I'm not going to try and explain it. Just stay out of my personal life from now on. My business manager will be here with contracts shortly.” Devon blew past Jade, leaving her confused but happy that he was still going to run the kitchen.
James sat in his office—pissed off. He'd thought that Jade had gotten over trying to get revenge on Stephen, yet she was pulling more people into her web. He flipped through a file on his desk, not focusing on the words on the papers. It was one thing for Jade and her friends to open the restaurant because they wanted to cash in on Charlotte's growth, but she was still on this revenge kick, and he questioned whether he was a distraction for her and if she was truly over Stephen.
A knock at his door broke into his thoughts. “Yeah,” he called out.
The door opened and Jade walked in.
“Hey,” she said.
He nodded in acknowledgment.
“Is something wrong?” she questioned.
“No, just busy. Did your meeting turn out to your satisfaction?” he asked, sarcasm peppering his voice.
“Kind of,” she said, then leaned against the desk.
“Jade, I have work I need to take care of.”
She stepped back from the desk, with a confused look on her face. “I thought ...”
“Something just came up,” James said.
“Are you upset with me?” she asked, with her arms folded across her chest.
James slammed his file on the desk. “Don't I have a reason to be? Beat Stephen at his own game? What am I supposed to think? This guy came here and I defended you, but you still have this urge to get back at him. Why is that?”
“Are we really going there again?” she asked in an exasperated voice.
“Why don't you go in the conference room with your friend? I have work to do,” he said dismissively.
“How about I just leave, period,” Jade snapped. “For whatever reason, you won't take my word about Stephen. Do you really think ... Forget it, James.” She stormed out of the office, and part of him wanted to go after her, but he had his own anger to work out.
After a few minutes, James left the office and headed back to his place, hoping that Jade was there. However, when he arrived home, Jade's car was gone. James rushed inside, knowing that her things would still be there because she didn't have a key.
Maybe she'll come back,
he thought but didn't call her.
 
 
Jade drove aimlessly around Charlotte. She had no idea where to go or if she should head back to James's office and demand that he give her his house key so that she could get her stuff and leave. Why couldn't he just get Stephen out of his head? She didn't want anything to do with that man; she just wanted her money and a successful restaurant. Was that so wrong?
Jade looked out the window and saw SouthPark Mall. She was lost and had no clue how to get back to James's place. The last thing she wanted to do was call him, so she called Kandace instead.
“What do you want?” her friend snapped.
“I'm sorry about everything.”
“Sure you are. What were you thinking? What was
I
thinking? Devon and I have run our course, and there's no way we're getting back together.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said so, damn it. I'm surprised you and James aren't doing that thing you do.”
“James and I aren't talking right now. For whatever reason, he can't get past the Stephen thing.”
“Great. Everything is falling apart,” Kandace said. “Are you coming back to Atlanta anytime soon?”
“Yeah. As soon as I get my things from James's. I refuse to set myself up to be hurt again, so it's best that we just stop doing whatever it is we're doing.” Though Jade said the words, she didn't believe them, and she wasn't ready to leave James behind when she knew she'd fallen head over heels in love with him.
“This love addiction is worse than heroin. Maybe we need to take a page from Serena's book and just say screw it.”
Sighing, Jade agreed. “You know what? He can send me my clothes. I'm hitting the highway and heading back to the A. From now on, when I come to Charlotte, it's going to be strictly business.”
“Sure,” Kandace said. “You're just going to let a misunderstanding end your relationship?”
“I can't keep fighting the same battle with him. For whatever reason, he keeps thinking that I'm either using him for a rebound romance or that I'm harboring some secret feelings for that asshole Stephen.”
“Well, I'm in Gastonia, at the Waffle House. Do you want me to wait for you?” Kandace asked.
“Yeah, and order me a patty melt with extra onions. I should be there in about thirty minutes.”
 
 
When Jade arrived at the restaurant in Gastonia some twenty minutes later, she found Kandace sitting at the counter, eating a piece of pie. When Kandace saw her friend walk in, she waved for the cook to start the patty melt.
“You got here quickly.”
Jade shrugged. “I had no reason to stick around Charlotte. I guess I'll go back next month to start talking to some contractors about the renovations.”
“Are you still going to move there?”
“Yes. I said I was going to run the place. I'm just not going to sell my home in Atlanta in a hurry.”
Kandace nodded. “I don't blame you for that.”
A waitress walked over to the women and refilled Kandace's coffee cup. “What can I get you to drink, hon?” she asked Jade.
“A Coke will be great,” Jade replied. When the waitress left, Jade turned to Kandace. “It's time for you to spill.”
“What?”
“That scene with you and Devon was pretty intense. What happened between the two of you?”
Kandace sighed and shook her head. “It's really stupid, but I've been holding a grudge for ten years. I was supposed to be by Devon's side in Paris. Instead, I found out about him and Jolisa Covington.”
“Ugh, not her.”
Kandace nodded. “That's what I saw when I went to his house after graduation and his father was so happy that I caught them. Devon Sr. never thought I was good enough for his son. I can't say that I was sorry to hear that she didn't go to Paris either. I thought I could let it go and seeing him today was supposed to be about burying the hatchet.”

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