"Where have you been Jasper?" A voice asked him as he stepped into the house.
He turned around and met his mother Miranda Smith standing beside her with a worried expression. He sighed and hugged her.
"I've been out mom. I didn't know it got so late. You don't need to worry about me, I'm thirty not thirteen." He said to her with a smile.
Miranda frowned, "Well your sister and I have been waiting for you to join us for dinner. You never said you were going to have dinner out, and you were not answering your phone."
"I forgot the phone mom. I am so sorry about that. Stop frowning, go to bed. I'm fine." He pushed her towards her room.
"Your food is in the kitchen if you're still hungry." Miranda said and walked into her room.
Jasper sighed and walked to the kitchen. He dished his own food and sat on the couch in the living room. He had been out searching for a job all day, he didn't find a satisfying one yet. Then he bumped into someone when coming from the restaurant where he had gone to ask for the vacancy.
She was very rude, even though she looked classy and rich. She wanted him to bow down to her, he chuckled at the thought. He thought he has seen stubborn girls, but this one is extraordinary.
He left when her nice friend whom he later found out is Carly spoke nicely to her. He wonders why girls like that have the nicest friends. How do they even cope with people like that?
He wasn't expecting to see her at that lonely road when he did. He was going back home when her car broke down. He watched her come out of the car and made a call. Then she checked the car before some bad guys walked over to her.
He saw how stubborn she was, he wanted to intervene but changed her mind. Then he saw her kick the leader and get chased by the gang. He decided to help her escape, he wasn't in the mood to fight the guys anytime soon. Yet she still proved to be stubborn.
"I wonder why I have to encounter a stubborn person like her. Who is she anyway?" He thought.
He went straight to bed after having dinner thinking his job hunt will start again. Strange circumstances is the reason why he is searching for a job despite having a degree in medicine. It's a sad past he hardly talks about or discusses with anyone. It's been three years already, so he has to move on.
His phone rang just when his eyes were closing to sleep. He already knows who would call him by this time of the night.
"Bella." He called.
"Hey Jasper. I just wanted to check on you since you haven't called all day. How is the job hunt going?" She asked.
"Fine." Was all he could say.
Bella sighed, that wasn't good news.
"Okay. I'll come see you tomorrow. I have to go now, bye." She said and hung up.
Jasper dropped his phone and sighed deeply. Despite all of Bella's persuasion to help him, he refused the help because he wanted to do it on his own. Bella comes from a very good and wealthy family, she has been a very good friend to him since he got back three years ago.
They met when he went for a job vacancy at the Tanner's Corporation. He didn't get hired but he met her, she liked him at first sight.
So they became friends from there. Bella offered to help him in all ways but he refused. He has gotten a lot of job since three years, but they all don't last more than two to six months. He always seems to be unlucky with the people he works with.
"This is so frustrating." He muttered closing his eyes to sleep.
••••
Morning came, Jasper woke up late. Since he wasn't going to work, he found it hard to leave bed early. His sister Stephanie came to wake him up. She tugged his shirt until he opened his eyes. Then she let go.
"What are you doing Steph?" He asked with a frown.
"Waking you up duh." She rolled her eyes.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Because mom asked me to. Move your lazy butt from bed. Breakfast is ready, I am just repeating what mom said." She ran out of the room after saying that.
Jasper shook his head and got out of bed. His sister is up early because she's going to help their mother at her small food stand. Stephanie is still a college student and nineteen, so she's not working much except for helping their mother.
He took his bath and got changed. Then he left for the dining table where his mother and sister are seated eating breakfast.
"Morning mom." He said to his mom ignoring his sister's troublesome stares.
"You finally decided to get out bed." Stephanie cut in.
He still ignored her and ate his breakfast in silence.
"I haven't seen your girlfriend in a while. Where is she?" Stephanie asked making Jasper choke on his food.
"Stephanie!" Miranda scolded and offered Jasper some water.
"I'm sorry mom. I didn't know talking about Bella Tanner was now a big deal." Stephanie scoffed.
"Bella is not my girlfriend! I keep telling you that. I'm done eating." He got up and left.
Miranda glared at Stephanie, "I think I'm full too. Oh I need to use the toilet." She ran away to avoid her mother's anger.
Jasper bumped into Bella just as he got out of the house. She smiled upon seeing him, then hugged him.
"Bella, I wasn't expecting you to come this early." He said.
"I actually wanted to give this to you, that's why I'm here the early. Sorry if I am bothering you." She stretched some papers towards him.
He collected from her and saw it's a list of job vacancies in the city.
"Thanks Bella. You're not bothering me at all."
"I figured that I should create another list. At least I'll be able to help with something." Jasper nodded, "That is very thoughtful of you. I am grateful for your help, thank you Bella."Bella smiled, "It's nothing compared to what I can do for you Jasper... Would you like me to accompany you to check some of those places out?" She suggested. "There's no need Bella. You have done more than enough. Let me take it from here." He declined. Bella felt a familiar feeling of disappointment. He always says that, even though he needs help, he rejects it. "Okay. Let me drop you off on the way then. I'll be going to the mall." She offered again. Seeing that he can't decline this offer again, he nodded in agreement and followed her to the car. "Could we have dinner together later this evening?" She asked as she drove away. "Are you asking me out?" He teased. Bella laughed nervously, "You're funny Jasper. You're acting like we're strangers and this is our first time going out.""I'm supp
"I said it doesn't ring a bell." Jasper said further making her more angry. She tried to cool her anger, thinking of ways to make him pay later after he accepts her offer. "Now that you know, are you willing to work for me or not?" She asked calmly. Jasper put his hand on his chin as if in thought. Raina looked at her watch and wondered what she was doing on the roadside talking to a nobody. She could get anyone else to do it, but she wanted to teach him a lesson. "Are you willing to hire me without investigating my background first?" Jasper asked her. "What's so important about your background? I don't see anything interesting with someone like you." She replied. He nodded, "Fine. I'll take the offer. But we must sign an agreement.""Do you think I'll be paying you that amount without making an agreement? This is my card, give me a call and meet me in a few hours. The papers would be ready by then." She stretched out her card to him. He collected it with a nod, "I'll call you.
"None."Bella's smile dropped. If none of the company hired him, who did then? Those are top notch companies that she piled up with hopes that he would get hired. She has even talked to the managers of some of the companies. "Then how did you get a job?"Jasper felt he needed to tell her the truth. After all, she's more than a friend already. She could keep his secret even if he wanted her not to. "I got hired as Raina William's personal bodyguard." He blurted out. Bella's brows furrowed in a deep frown. Raina Williams? The same popular Raina Williams?"Is this who I think it is?" She asked again unable to believe it. "Yes, she is." He nodded with a reply. Bella felt annoyed inside thinking about the fact that he just got a job with the devil's advocate. She has come across Raina a few times before and nothing good has been said about her. They once had an encounter where Raina drained her with red wine. She has hated Raina ever since, the rumors about her are very true. "What?!
The fact that he was too daring made her more angry. He wasn't scared of her at all. She checked out his dressing and frowned. "You're not dressed officially for work. You're now working for a very respectful and prestigious figure, you should know better than dress like this."Jasper narrowed his eyes, this woman was making him mad seriously. She didn't inform him beforehand and now she's complaining about his dressing? She just loves to nag for no reason doesn't she?"You don't expect me to dress like a clown everytime because of you. I was having dinner when you called me. Besides it's evening, why are you complaining?" He replied. "That's not for you to decide. I will not accept any useless behavior from you starting tonight." "And I won't work with someone as arrogant as you. You're too proud, you can have your job back. Get someone else to control." He fired at her. Raina was taken aback, she stared at him in shock. "You! How dare you talk to me that way?!" She fired back.
He remembered that he quitted working with her. He always plays his cards right, he felt like she would call him back. Though he didn't give himself very high hopes. "Get along? You should dump her ass while you still can. She will make your life a living hell, you don't want to get into trouble again do you?" "Steph that's enough. It's your brother's decision to work with her and I will respect it. As long as he is careful and doesn't get himself too involved with her, there is nothing to worry about." Miranda stopped her. "But mom, they don't know about his background yet. What if someone frames him after finding out his background, what will we do then?" Jasper glared at Stephanie. "You should mind your business Steph. That's my problem so let me deal with it.""You...""That's enough Stephanie. We should be happy for your brother and pray this job lasts for him. We should celebrate this." Miranda suggested. Stephanie rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. She is happy
~The next morning~He woke up early and got dressed in his suit. He dressed like a normal person working in a big company, secretly hoping his looks will please Raina this time around. He stared at himself in the mirror. He had good looks and a great feature, his blue eyes and brown hair match together. He knows the reason why a lot of girls drool over him. Girls except Raina, that girl is like a rock. She has never even acted like he has good looks or anything at all. He walked out of his room into the dining room. Stephanie already set the table, she smiled at how handsome her brother looked. "Why are you smiling Stephanie?" Jasper asked noticing his sister's mood. "I am imagining how your boss would drool when she see you." She replied. Ptff. That's impossible. Raina Williams won't even look at him as human, and now she will be drooling? Too impossible. "Nah. She's not interested in things like that. She is a very busy woman and would find it hard to check me out." He informe
"I'm going to make sure I uncover everything fishy about you. I know something is not right about you and I will find out what that is."Jasper bowed, "Be my guest."Jasper was confident in himself that he doesn't care if the world knows the truth about him anymore. If Raina finds out and refused to continue the contract, he will look for another job elsewhere. Life can't be that hard for a person. Kelvin felt something was fishy about Jasper. He didn't want to raise the question yet until his suspicions are correct. He wanted to tell Raina about it when he has gathered enough evidence to back up his claim. For some reason, he did feel like Jasper was right. He does have a crush on Raina but he has never let it show because it won't yield to anything. Raina seems to want no man in her life, and especially not her employee. Raina would only see him as a lowlife, so he is discouraged. However seeing Jasper made him feel inferior. He wanted to send Jasper away because of his gut feeli
Bella slept on Jasper's bed with him. She kept looking at his face till she fell asleep. The storm made things easier for her. Jasper hugged her due to her fear, she felt very happy about it. They didn't talk much after dinner as Jasper was very tired. Bella's main goal was to spend the night beside him even if they do nothing together. And Jasper being a gentleman did nothing to her, or perhaps he doesn't find her attractive?Morning came and Jasper woke up when his alarm rang. He stretched his hands opening his eyes only to find Bella gone. He thought that perhaps she was in the bathroom but she wasn't. He decided to take his bath and go out. He met his mother and sister getting ready for breakfast as usual. There was no sign of Bella. He went back to his room to properly dress up, he found a note under his pillow finally. ~If you found this, I already went home. I didn't want to wake you up. Thanks for the hospitality, I'll see you later. Bella~He smiled in satisfaction, at lea