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Chapter Fifty-Four
At 5:00 P.M. the tall door to the suite promptly cracked open. Jade hadn't heard the soft tapping coming from behind it because she'd been sitting in the dressing room at the time, applying the finishing touches of her makeup. Yvonne had informed her that they'd be traveling with some of Miguel's business associates, and she would need to make herself presentable. "You'll sit at the rear of the plane," the woman's voice mimicked in her thoughts, "You're to remain quiet but vigil. Don't sleep, don't slouch, and do not interrupt." The soft bristles of a powder brush swept across her stained rosy cheeks one last time before she tucked it away into a soft carrying case. She was more than happy to follow along with the rules if it meant she would get to spend Christmas with Miguel.
"Ms. Jade?"
Her eyes darted up into the reflection of the vanity mirror, noticing the slim figure now standing in the doorway. "Cassandra," she smiled
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Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Five
Cassandra stepped out of the SUV, happily stretching her cramped limbs. The private airfield was only a few miles from the estate, but she'd already spent most of her day in the sitting position. Now she'd have to endure a plane ride with more of the butt-numbing activity, only this time she'd have extensive legroom. The door to the aircraft was already opened, with its staircase descending towards the pavement. Her feet shuffled in the direction of the car parked in front of them. Even though the other staff members were already headed for the aircraft, she had an assignment: act like a friend, not the help. She decided a friend would wait for Jade.She stood near the rear of the vehicle, crossing her arms over her chest. The evening air chilled her. Neither Jade nor Miguel had exited the vehicle yet. He was giving the staff time to get settled. She turned when she heard the driver's door open a few moments later. Jade's door was the closest to him, so she was let out fi
Rendezvous Chapter Fifty Six
Jade bent her neck, staring up at the hotel. It was nothing short of modern, located on what was known as Billionaire's Row on 57th Street. Every level of the large tower was made of reflective glass that cast off prismatic gleams from the surrounding city lights. She could barely make out the brightly-lit night sky between the narrow spaces of the surrounding buildings."Welcome to the Park Hyatt, Mr. Santos," The bellman greeted, propping the door open as they neared the entrance. Her feet followed, holding onto Miguel's hand as another uniformed man led them to the elevator, only he was wearing what appeared to be a butler suit. She could feel the stares as they crossed the lobby, everyone wondering what made her so special that she would be the lucky girl on his arm. It made her proud, anxious, and bothered all at once. Once inside the lift, the hotel staff member pressed the button marked PH.That's when she noticed they were on a private elevator, reser
Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Seven
The next morning Jade wasn't surprised when she had found herself alone. Miguel always left for work before she woke, and today was no different. She had woken up several times throughout the night to find him clicking away at his keyboard. She unraveled the soft sheet from around her limbs and pushed herself out of bed, the kitchen now being her primary target. Skipping dinner had left her hungrier than usual. Her feet padded across the cold hardwood floor, slowing to take in the view of varying-height rooftops spread out in all directions.As she rounded the corner, her eyes fell onto a thick envelope on the countertop. Her fingers hesitated as she picked it up, examining the contents. Inside she found a stack of cash along with a black Amex card and instantly knew Miguel had left it there for her.Great!Her chest instantly sighed with dread. Jadehad hoped that he would've changed his mind or maybe forget about the idea altogether.
Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Eight
It was well into the afternoon when Jade felt her feet dragging along, tired of walking and being stepped on by other tourists. Last-minute holiday shoppers were a whole different level of aggressive. They had stopped at almost every store along the way, starting withArmani, where Jade picked up a silk dress with tulle sleeves, a leather handbag, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. They circled back to East 57th Street, where they continued ontoLouis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Burberry, Chanel, Dior, andFendi.In total, Jade had calculated that she had spent roughly over twenty-thousand dollars, and by the amount of bags on Cassandra's arms, she had a lot to show for it. Although Jade made it a point not to focus on price tags, she also didn't want to buy everything just for the sake of proving a point. The items that had caught her eye were few and far between, but they also were exceedingly expensive. Still, she never blinke
Rendezvous Chapter Fifty-Nine
Jade lifted her hands, inspecting the wrinkles that had developed on the beds of her fingertips, and then pulled the plug, allowing the dirty bathwater water drain out. The liquid had gone cold. While she was warming herself from the outside-in, Miguel had wandered off, leaving her to unwind from the day. The television was playing at full volume in the other room, and she wondered if he had decided to look at his credit card statement. She hoped not. Placing a dripping foot onto the bathmat, Jade reached for a towel. She wrapped it around herself and then headed for the closet in search of something to wear to bed.Miguel was in the bedroom where she anticipated him to be, going through the items from her bags. "You bought more than I was expecting," he said over his shoulder, holding up a chemise teddy with lace trim. His tone sounded approving. "I don't suppose you'd model this for me, hm?"She smirked, "If you like that, just wait until you see what I picke
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty
It was Christmas morning when Jade emerged from the bedroom, sleepy-eyed and feet dragging like a child waiting to see what Santa had left her under the tree. "Miguel?" she called out, wondering what all the ruckus was about. Voices had woken her up, and even though they had only been loud whispers, sound traveled easily through the apartment. She tightened the belt on her robe before rounding the corner and then stopped, her jaw slack in astonishment. There was a Christmas tree, not a real one and not very big, but it had white twinkling lights and an assortment of beautiful ribbons, balls, and beads. All the staff members were there as well, standing around the four-foot-high tree, trying to help arrange the decorations that had been messed up during its relocation to their apartment. Miguel was crouched down on the floor, his back turned to her, placing something underneath it.Jade let out a low laugh, recognizing it. "Did you steal this from the lobby downstairs?" Sh
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-One
Jade steadied a foot on the side of the boat, clutched the wooden post with one hand, and then maneuvered herself onto the dock with the help of Miguel. Her hair, which she had fought to keep pulled back against the strong wind, was disheveled and tangled from the boat ride. She spat out a strand that had been caught in her mouth and walked to the edge of the pier, studying the scenery. A little way up the shoreline, on the top of a hill covered in the undergrowth of botanical plants and an orchard of fruit trees, there was a white-washed stucco house with a rustic-red, terracotta rooftop. Along the face of the house, she could see a blackened hollow where the front door should've been and several sets of opened shutters that allowed panels of sheer white curtains to escape out into the breeze.Miguel guardedly looked behind him, noticing that she had suddenly stopped and was now squatting on the edge of the pier. He patiently watched as she gripped a sneaker
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Two
Jade crouched on the end of a craggy boulder that was partially buried under the large dune, welcoming the warm and rough texture as she pulled her knees into her chest, resting her chin across her folded arms. Looking out over the water, the sun had begun receding into the horizon, casting a vermilion glow over the rolling swells of the ocean. The calming rhythm of the water that lapped against the shoreline filled her senses, easing the stress-induced tautness of her shoulders.Glancing back at the face of the house, a kaleidoscopic of warm hues saturated the landscape. It looked unbelievable, like one of those places that most people would only ever see while thumbing through a travel brochure. It felt too overwhelming to be at the house right now, to be anywhere near Miguel. Jade had to excuse herself during their earlier conversation, aware that it would be impolite to confront him in front of the D'aguilars. The last thin
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