Page 27 of Jade: Chance Are

“But …” His phone starts to ring, causing me to take more steps back from him.

He looks at the phone and I see a baffled look. “Hello,” he barks into the phone.

“What, that’s not acceptable. I’m on my way,” he says. He hangs up and dials another number. “We are leaving tonight get the plane ready” he turns to me. “Jade, crisis on hand, not optional, let’s talk when I return,” he says and walks out without looking back.

I lock the doors and head to bed. Climbing into my bed, I’m reminded that getting close to Naseer is waltzing with danger. I need to do better at staying away from him.

nineteen

Naseer

Rilwan is waiting when I walk out, we head to my place, grab a few files, and out I go again for the flight to resolve this madness. Once airborne, I get a minute to think about my wife who keeps asking for a divorce. What am I missing? Does she have any idea what I became after she left? No way am I giving her a divorce.

When Jade stopped by today, happy was an understatement of how I felt but I hid it well. Then she invited me to dinner, still wondering how I didn’t know she cooked. Guess it’s something I would have found out had I not returned to an empty house.

I canceled my evening with Ken without a second thought. I’d enjoyed the meal but the anger I felt when she talked about the guy that impregnated her and the fact, she almost died carrying his children. It took a lot for me not to release my evil twin on her.

I don’t know how I would have felt if she’d died birthing that crazy guy’s children. I don’t care if she can’t deliver any more children. That’s why I have more money than I can spend in a lifetime. I want children with Jade so badly that I would dine with the devil before I divorce her.

Her children with this mystery guy are something I’ll have to live with as much as it hurts me. I’ll adopt them though they are a freaking hard pill to swallow. They are living evidence another man slept with my wife and impregnated her. Since she loves them and I love her, I’ll have to be open and accept them. Divorce is not an option.

My mind continues to have a backseat brawl with itself over Jade and her children and how things could work for us. By the time the flight lands, I have to end my mental brawl and face the chaos to resolve this riot that’s causing millions of dollars in losses and a few injuries I’m told.

Luca is already waiting, when I arrive. Our earlier business dealings have grown significantly, now we want to expand, we are now getting pushback from every angle.

From local workers to local gangs and everyone in between.

twenty

Jade

Arriving at my desk the next morning. I brought some food for Lucy, who’s thrilled, I didn’t forget. I face the day head-on until Ken sends me a reminder of our dinner. Since Naseer traveled earlier than planned. Here I was hoping he’d wait a few days before I started to tell him about Naseer and me.

The day goes by as expected nothing out of an ordinary day. I called the number Naseer gave me for James but didn’t get any response I left a message that we needed to talk, and He should please call me back.

Ken sent me the restaurant address of our meet-up. He did his homework to pick a Thai restaurant.

He is already seated by the time I arrive to join him. We both order our meals.

“So, Mariam, I’m all ears about how you met Prince Naseer,” he says with a mischievous boyish grin.

“Where do I begin?” I exhale.

“As you know, Naseer had that accident that put him a plaster cast for months, when no one knew what the possible outcome would be. I had just lost both my parents in a fire accident and my only living relative or maybe the only one willing to take a sixteen-year-old worked at Rhanaz International School as a teacher. I left everything behind and moved to Rhanaz with my aunt and uncle. Not like I had any better option.

I started school, in between the school year and I was the new girl in town also African. No long blond hair just long braids with brains”

“Lots of brains I would say,” he says smiling, making me chuckle.

“We had a school project, and I was in Taimani’s group, our first meeting was at the Darabi’s residence. I already knew my classmate got a kick out of calling me names and I was the only black and poor by the standard in the group. I was quiet and didn’t say much. To be honest I was a little intimidated by the size of the house and the last name of most of my classmates. I was fish out of water, completely out of my element.” He nods.

“I was silent in the group discussion because they kept shutting down my ideas, so, I kept drinking the juice that was served and as you can imagine, I needed to use the bathroom and now that I think about it, my next action may sound stupid but then I was a teenager and stupid can sometimes be ones middle name at that age. One or two of the group members had just walked into the house to use the bathroom, I guessed and instead of asking where the bathroom was, I decided to find it myself. How hard could it be to find a freaking toilet?”

“Sure, how hard,” he says sarcastically.

“I’m guessing you’ve been in the Darabi’s residence.”

“Yes, and I know the bathroom is not located where you expect it to be.” He snickers.