annoyed and more than a little angry. I don’t have to ask why she wants to go the airport, but Jackie does, “What on earth are you talking about? Why do you need to go the airport?”
Kitten sounds on the verge of hysteria. “I have to stop Lord Fyre before he ruins everything!”
“Lord Fyre? Lord Fyre?” Jackie squeals. “Do you honestly think I would betray Garrett’s trust for the likes of that man? Are you insane? I won’t be party to this madness!”
“Then I’ll call a taxi.” We both hear the audible click as she hangs up the phone, but I am not sure who is more surprised that Kitten would hang up on Jackie.
I sigh heavily, dialing my pilot on my own phone. I confirm that it is he on the phone before asking, “Did Celia Brentwood by chance call you?” I have to hold the phone away from my ear as he swears on his mother’s grave that he was just getting ready to call me and that he is furious Celia put him in this position. An Irishman, his temper is terrible, but I’ve never found a more loyal man. I try to offer him reassurances.
“I’ll be there in an hour. Make her comfortable, but do not take off.” I hang up and start giving my apologies to Jackie. “Do you need me to get you a taxi?”
“No, I need you to eat birthday cake with me.”
“You’re right. Tonight is your evening and I’m sorry that Kitten has interrupted us, but cake is going to have to wait until I can get her home.”
Jackie gasps and throws up her hands, dropping her napkin on the table in a very practiced, dramatic response. “You would leave me on my birthday? Before I even have chocolate? A woman must have chocolate on her birthday.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a cliché, even for you? Not all women like chocolate.”
“Hormonal women do and yesterday I got my shot…” she pauses to fan herself with a small oriental fan whisked from her small shoulder bag, surprising me yet again at her preparedness for all moments, “…and I want you to know that I am just bitchy enough to make sure that you do not leave me on my birthday until we have chocolate!” She gets louder, calling attention to our table. “The nerve of that girl.”
I lift my hand, signaling the waiter, growling at Jackie. “I’ll stay for chocolate.”
She smiles triumphantly. “Thank you. Besides, you need to think of a plan before you just go charging off to the airport to drag her home.”
“I wouldn’t drag her. If she would rather be with him than me…”
Jackie holds her hand to my forehead, “Are you feverish? Allow her to choose him over you? Who are you and what have you done with my boy?”
I smirk. “It isn’t a competition. I understand how she feels, she’s in love with him.”
“Oh pah! I suppose next you are going to tell me that you love him too.”
The waiter arrives at our table and I order a trio of chocolate specialties for us to share, waiting for him to clear our dinner plates and walk away before answering, “I found parts of him that are very lovable.”
“You should both be committed.” She taps her fan on the table. “If I’ve said it once…”
I interrupt her, “There’s no reason to say it again.”
“Well I am! Nothing good will come of this ménage a trois you have insisted on encouraging. Hasn’t your life gotten ten times more complicated since you’ve added that man to your happy little home?”
“I really don’t need an I told you so now, Jackie…”
“Well I think you do, and while I’m putting in my two cents, I think you need to get a ring on that girl’s finger and a bun in the oven as soon as you can!”
I snort on my drink. “You want me to make a baby?”
“I did say marry the girl first,” Jackie reminds me, but it doesn’t delineate the surprise or soften the sting when she adds, “You know, if I am turning the big…” she mouths “Four-Zero” instead of saying it out loud, “…then you are coming up right behind me.”
“Dear God, Jackie.” I
Kitten sounds on the verge of hysteria. “I have to stop Lord Fyre before he ruins everything!”
“Lord Fyre? Lord Fyre?” Jackie squeals. “Do you honestly think I would betray Garrett’s trust for the likes of that man? Are you insane? I won’t be party to this madness!”
“Then I’ll call a taxi.” We both hear the audible click as she hangs up the phone, but I am not sure who is more surprised that Kitten would hang up on Jackie.
I sigh heavily, dialing my pilot on my own phone. I confirm that it is he on the phone before asking, “Did Celia Brentwood by chance call you?” I have to hold the phone away from my ear as he swears on his mother’s grave that he was just getting ready to call me and that he is furious Celia put him in this position. An Irishman, his temper is terrible, but I’ve never found a more loyal man. I try to offer him reassurances.
“I’ll be there in an hour. Make her comfortable, but do not take off.” I hang up and start giving my apologies to Jackie. “Do you need me to get you a taxi?”
“No, I need you to eat birthday cake with me.”
“You’re right. Tonight is your evening and I’m sorry that Kitten has interrupted us, but cake is going to have to wait until I can get her home.”
Jackie gasps and throws up her hands, dropping her napkin on the table in a very practiced, dramatic response. “You would leave me on my birthday? Before I even have chocolate? A woman must have chocolate on her birthday.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a cliché, even for you? Not all women like chocolate.”
“Hormonal women do and yesterday I got my shot…” she pauses to fan herself with a small oriental fan whisked from her small shoulder bag, surprising me yet again at her preparedness for all moments, “…and I want you to know that I am just bitchy enough to make sure that you do not leave me on my birthday until we have chocolate!” She gets louder, calling attention to our table. “The nerve of that girl.”
I lift my hand, signaling the waiter, growling at Jackie. “I’ll stay for chocolate.”
She smiles triumphantly. “Thank you. Besides, you need to think of a plan before you just go charging off to the airport to drag her home.”
“I wouldn’t drag her. If she would rather be with him than me…”
Jackie holds her hand to my forehead, “Are you feverish? Allow her to choose him over you? Who are you and what have you done with my boy?”
I smirk. “It isn’t a competition. I understand how she feels, she’s in love with him.”
“Oh pah! I suppose next you are going to tell me that you love him too.”
The waiter arrives at our table and I order a trio of chocolate specialties for us to share, waiting for him to clear our dinner plates and walk away before answering, “I found parts of him that are very lovable.”
“You should both be committed.” She taps her fan on the table. “If I’ve said it once…”
I interrupt her, “There’s no reason to say it again.”
“Well I am! Nothing good will come of this ménage a trois you have insisted on encouraging. Hasn’t your life gotten ten times more complicated since you’ve added that man to your happy little home?”
“I really don’t need an I told you so now, Jackie…”
“Well I think you do, and while I’m putting in my two cents, I think you need to get a ring on that girl’s finger and a bun in the oven as soon as you can!”
I snort on my drink. “You want me to make a baby?”
“I did say marry the girl first,” Jackie reminds me, but it doesn’t delineate the surprise or soften the sting when she adds, “You know, if I am turning the big…” she mouths “Four-Zero” instead of saying it out loud, “…then you are coming up right behind me.”
“Dear God, Jackie.” I
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