A Friend For Nolan
A/N: I'm hooked on the series Revenge and I'm a fan of the Nemily genre of ffic out there, but I'm more into Nolan than Emily. I think Nolan needs a sympathetic ear once in awhile so I'm giving it to him. He's got more potential than I think Emily realizes.
Nolan Ross pushed his blonde hair up with one hand tiredly and sighed. Looking out over the beach on Emily's porch, he saw a lone figure standing in the surf, short raven black hair being tousled gently by the wind. He knew it was a lady by the feminine figure and the way she had her hair pulled back on the sides. The lady wore a brown broomstick skirt, a loose denim t-shirt that was tied under her bust, revealing a svelte figure.
"I wonder who that is," he said to himself as he watched the lady stroll along the shoreside with the waves lapping gently at her feet. "never seen her before."
"Probably some straggler," Emily was dressed to the nines for a Grayson event, stuffing her cell phone into her clutch purse. "I'll be back later."
"Don't stay out too late now."
"Shut up." she said playfully and left the house.
The billionaire computer mogul decided to go down and see what that lady was doing. It was 8 PM, the sun was just starting to go down, and he was just curious.
Walking down to the beach, he saw the figure sitting on the sand with her feet in the surf, a pair of sandals discarded at her side. Nolan parked himself down next to her and gave a little sigh of contentment.
"Nice night, eh?" he started when she said nothing.
"It has its perks." her voice was light and singsongy. The wind whipped her hair a bit so she swore and used an elastic around her wrist to fasten her hair into a ponytail. Nolan saw a faint glimmer of light reflected and realized that she was wearing diamond trinity stud earrings.
"Like what?"
"Well, I don't have a boyfriend, no commitment, no drama, no tension. Dating is overrated."
"I hear you on that one." Nolan agreed. "It doesn't go too well for me either."
"Shame. I'm Jade."
"Nolan Ross." they shook hands and Nolan saw her clearly. Her face was round, she had a small nose, expressive brown eyes, thin lips.
"Of NolCorp, right?"
"Right."
"So, shouldn't you be lounging on a golden couch in a giant mansion while people do your bidding like the lowly minions that they are?"
Nolan laughed. Not anyone he knew would want to be in his domestic service. "Actually no. I've just bought a new house not far from here." it was uncomfortable for him to talk about his peculiarities and he hadn't quite faced the fact that the Hamptons in crowd didn't accept him for who he was.
Jade took the hint. "An oddball like me?"
"That's a good way of putting it," he admitted. "I'm just as wealthy and successful as the other highbrows and yet they still look down upon me as a screwed up weirdo."
"That is because they're a bunch of old fogies mired down in outdated beliefs and ancient prejudices," Jade sounded wiser than her years. "just because they frown upon you doesn't mean that everyone does."
"Do you?"
"I just met you. I am not going to judge you. Lots of wealthy people like you are generally scorned by the uptight crowd anyway."
"What about you?"
"Oh, I'm not wealthy," Jade grinned. "I'd like to be, but I knock out a decent living at what I do, plus I've done enough public events to know how the rich bitch society treats each other. We middle class people are more civilized and know how to treat people better than the snob crowd."
"What is it you do for a living?"
"I'm a professional photographer."
"Nice. Ever done anything for the Graysons?"
"Unfortunately," Jade scowled as Nolan smirked. "some family event a couple of months ago. I know there's something going on tonight but I told that old cow that I was sending someone else. She treated me like a fucking slave and acted like I should be grateful, but I rather lost my temper at her."
Nolan giggled. "What did you do?"
"Well, she tried to get out of paying my normal rate. I disclose how much they have to pay me by law before they hire me because that's good business. She hires me, then tries to weasel out of it with her dried up old conniving so called husband. I took the SD card out of my camera, erased the images in front of her, told her to shove the fee up her ass, then said karma would get her. It always does to bitches like her anyway. She could be a bitch all she wants, but what goes around comes around."
"I'd love to have seen the look on her face!" Nolan guffawed as he tried to imagine it.
"She was pretty pissed but you know, I don't work for free, I don't take shit from people either. Treat me nice, pay a reasonable fee, and you get good quality stills. It's that little formula that the snob crowd doesn't understand. They just do exploitation."
"Can't agree more."
"So what about you? What brings you down here to talk to a lonely lady at sundown?"
"About the same thing. I have no friends really to speak of, and the one I do have is so secretive and so set in her ways regarding work that it consumes her." fiercely loyal to Emily, Nolan did not divulge anything about her at all. "It's disturbing."
"Oh so now it gets interesting. Tell me more. What's her name?"
He hesitated a little bit. "Can I have your silence on this?"
"Just between you and me." Jade acknowledged. "Won't tell a soul."
"Her name's Emily and she was in juvenile hall for a long time, I met her getting released because her dad died some months before. She got a job and has been so involved in it lately she lets it consume her."
"How does she treat you?"
"Fine for the most part, but sometimes I feel used. She asks me to help her with some work but we don't even really see each other socially. I do sometimes feel like she's been taking me for granted."
"Really? I don't think that she's being a friend to you, just an acquaintance."
"She's letting me use her house while I'm shopping around for a new place." he meekly defended Emily.
"But you say you feel used. It doesn't sound like this Emily is the type who is in tune with her emotions. If she lets things overcome her then she doesn't know her own boundaries or when to quit," Jade stated confidently. "sometimes you become obsessed with something you become that obsession and forget to think of yourself as human. This so-called friend sounds more like an antifriend; you are more likely someone who is disposable to her."
"You don't know her," Nolan was wounded by her little speech. "you don't know what she's been through."
"That I don't," Jade allowed. "but it shouldn't matter."
"No, she'd lost her dad, everything was taken from her, she was in juvie for no reason really."
"Doesn't matter. How old was she when she was released?"
"Eighteen."
"Right. So she wants revenge." Nolan flinched at the word. "See when a person's 18, they may think they're ready for the world and everything it entails, but their brain is not emotionally ready for it. The Bible teaches us to forgive and I believe in karma. Dirty dealings can only go on for so long anyway."
"Are you an armchair therapist as well?"
"No. I did study psychology but only as an amateur. Being obsessed with revenge is ugly. She won't know where the limits are, she will take it too far and without a thought for the consequences." Jade saw Nolan's grimace and smirked. "Gone past that point? Answer me this: has her revenge gone on longer than what was originally planned?"
"Yeah."
"I can tell you that she's becoming the emobodiment of revenge and has been doing it for so long that she can't imagine anything else."
"Are you saying that she's become so obsessed with revenge she's intentionally dragging it out for as long as possible so she'll be able to accomplish her goals?"
"That and she won't know what to do with herself once it's finally over. It's like preparing for a stage role, excitement, anticipation, acting, conclusion, then the big slump as she realizes it's all over, there's nothing left to do, so what does she do for the rest of her life?"
"I never ever thought of it that way," the billionaire noted the wind turning a bit chilly and he saw the sun fully descend. "want to come in for a drink?"
"I'd be glad to." Nolan stood up and took her hand, guiding her to her feet. Jade slipped on her sandals and walked with Nolan as he led her over to the house. Sitting down at the island counter, Jade welcomed the drink Nolan handed her and admired him in the light.
"So I heard some about your friend and her obsession, but I don't know much about you."
"There's not much to tell."
"Lovers?"
"A couple."
"Girls? Guys?" Jade teased. When he didn't laugh, her smile faded. "Both, eh? Like to walk on the wild side?"
He snorted. "Only a few of them were real enough and then they didn't turn out real at all."
"Oh yes, the say one thing do another date night," it was Jade's turn to snort. "one time I was on one of those dates, the guy turned abusive, so I pulled out my Swiss army knife and threatened him. Haven't heard from him since so maybe he learned a lesson."
"You don't seem like the rough type," Nolan teased, leaning over across the counter to her. "you look harmless enough."
"I have the what my relatives call female balls," Jade said mildly enough. "it takes me awhile to get riled because I can contain it."
"Think you can contain yourself with me?" Jade blinked but then again she guessed that being subtle wasn't one of his strong points.
"Oh, in the mood for a girl tonight?" she teased, giving him a peck on the cheek.
"Let's just say I'm glad you're not obsessed with anything and seem like a very smart and talented woman." a shadow crossed his face momentarily as Jade put her hand to his cheek.
"You've been hurt too many times in the past, I can see it in your eyes," Jade softly told him, getting up and closing the gap. "as a rich person you always have people taking advantage of you left and right and you don't know who to trust."
"I hope you're not one of those people."
"Perish the thought, Nolan. I know how to live in the moment. You've been used and abused, I will be your totally nonjudgmental friend if you want me to be."
"What if I want something more?" he brought her chin closer to his face, leaning down to kiss her lips.
"If you want it, you can have it." Jade wondered what it was about her that Nolan was attracted to, seeing herself as plain and simple minded in her workday life, but if he could help her feel like a true lady, she would do the same to him and it would be a mutually beneficial liaison.
Nolan woke up the next morning with the morning sunlight shining through his window and falling across his face. He grunted and rolled over, reluctantly opening up one eye as he saw Jade next to him. She looked completely relaxed and happy as Nolan reached over and moved back a strand of hair from her face.
Feeling a bit romantic, Nolan grasped Jade's hand and kissed the back of it, causing her to awaken sleepily and smile at him. Back at the beach she had seemed like a nice lady and attractive, but now in the pure light of the sun, he thought she was a knockout. Jade had large dark eyes, a round face with no color in her cheeks, a few beauty spots on her face, one near her left eye and the other on the right side of her neck. Her lips were rather thin, but Nolan didn't care.
"Well, good morning, sunshine," Jade smiled and blushed.
"Back at you. I had great fun last night."
"Me too," Nolan mounted her, drawing one of the sheets over Jade's prone form. She lay supine beneath him with a teasing look in her eyes. "it was the first time in a long time I actually had fun."
"Your obsessive friend working you to death?" Jade started making out with him, smooching his neck and shoulders.
"Well, she helps to keep me busy at least," he allowed. "other than that, I am a bit lonely."
She paused to look at him as he snaked his arms behind her back, rising her up a little bit. "Really? You can call me if you want. I'll prevent you from being lonely."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Why not? We're already friends with benefits," Jade winked. "I like you."
"I'd like to see where this goes."
"Only one thing, I like to be dominant and submissive. You'll know which one I am any given day because I usually tell you. No surprises."
"Oh, kinky," the billionaire let Jade straddle him as she necked him again. "what else do you do for fun?"
"I'm not giving it away until you work for it."
"Now that's mysterious. I like it." just then the doorbell rang. "That'll be Emily."
"Why don't I answer the door and give her a little shock?" Jade pulled on one of Nolan's shirts which came down to her knees. "You get cleaned up."
"Oh all right." he pouted as she went downstairs and answered the door, inwardly admiring Nolan's art collection as she traversed down the main hallway.
"Hi," she greeted a very surprised looking Emily Thorne. "Nolan'll be down soon. Want to come in?"
"Um, sure," Emily was prepared to go out, her hair back in a French braid and she was wearing a light green sundress with a white bolero and matching shoes. "and who are you?"
"I'm Jade." Emily stepped into the kitchen as Jade opened up the solar shades to let the sun in. To Jade's eyes, Emily appeared the very epitome of cold and calculating like Nolan had told her about. There was something else in Emily's eyes as well, old hurt, a determined nature, and a tiny grain of affection for Nolan. He'd described her with warmth in his voice of her being mostly a calculating bitch who'd lost everything when she was a child, though Jade knew that wasn't all of the story. Not inclined to pry, Jade said nothing as she opened up the refrigerator door. "Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks," Emily sat at the island counter as Jade took a few items out of the fridge and set them on the counter. "so what do you do for a living?"
"Me? I'm a lowly professional photographer. Just your average run-of-the-mill lady making a decent living." she deliberately chose not to divulge the organization she worked for, not even her last name. Jade reasoned if she managed to cross Emily in any way that Emily would come after her and given what Nolan had told her, would ruin her personally and professionally.
From what she said, despite that it had been very little, she could almost see the wheels turning in Emily's head for ways on how to use Jade. The photographer would have to give Emily credit if she tried get Jade in on any of her schemes.
"Oh come on, surely you've had some exciting adventures." Emily needlessly wheedled, putting Jade on guard.
"Nah. My life's pretty average."
"You know, I'm off to an event for Grayson Global. I'd like to hire you as my photographer for the day." Emily spoke suddenly. "What's your going rate?"
"Usually it's about 65 bucks an hour," Jade set the coffeemaker to work. "but I can't today. I've been scheduled in for the country club regatta in two hours and I'll be there all day."
"Do you freelance?"
"That depends on the type of work you might want to offer me. I'm purely legitimate, I do not spy on people and take pictures that way. I leave that to the private investigators."
Emily said nothing as Nolan entered the room, looking as suave as always. The two of them exchanged pleasantries, then said goodbye to Jade as Nolan told her he'd be back in an hour and to make herself at home.
"I will. Don't worry, I don't snoop." she winked playfully as Nolan smiled and left the house with Emily.
In Emily's car, Nolan got in the shotgun seat as Emily started the car and drove down the driveway to the main road. "So this Jade person seems a bit aloof."
"You're the one to talk," the tall blonde giggled. "I like her."
"She could be dangerous to us, Nolan. What if she stumbles upon your work or accidentally reveals one of our plans-"
"Ems, I trust her and I don't think she would do anything like that, all right? God, I'm getting a headache already." his antics last night really didn't help any, but he wouldn't have traded it for the world. Jade was a bewitching creature and he wasn't going to let her go so easily.
"Even so-"
Nolan decided to take Jade's advice and stand up for himself more. "There is no even so, Ems. I like her, I will date her, and she will be at my house any time she wants to be. You will not drag her into your schemes-I don't want her to end up like Padma." a twinge of remembered grief flashed through his mind.
Emily sighed. "Nolan, we've come too far to suddenly give up."
"I'm not giving up, it's just that I want someone I can talk to about my day, a real friend, who doesn't harp on about plans for revenge. Jade is a sweet and innocent lady and I'm not giving her up."
"What if she finds out something?" Emily's voice went cold and she gripped the steering wheel with unnecessary force.
"She won't. Jade takes privacy very seriously."
"I've noticed that much," her voice was tart and disapproving. "she didn't tell me anything about herself except she's a photographer and she'll be at the regatta today."
"Exactly. Let's leave her alone and not get her involved."
Emily said nothing and continued to drive, the silence between them getting stony.
END
