Jade got out of the shower and wrapped her towel around her slim body. She went to her closet and stood there, deciding what to wear. She barely had anything business-like. The only button down shirts she owned were cropped, laced, or chiffon. None was appropriate for an interview. She slipped on a plain, simple, white shirt was fit, not tight. It barely revealed any cleavage. She didn't own any slacks, so she jumped into some dark washed skinny jeans. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she knew she was not appropriately dressed. She put her hair into a high ponytail, and sighed. She made a mental note to go shopping for some business attire.

She went downstairs to the kitchen, and found Cat sitting on the counter, eating some cereal, out of the box.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Cat asked Jade as she eyed her going down the steps.

"I have some errands to run," Jade answered, simply. She didn't want to tell Cat about her job search adventure.

"Like what? And why are you up this early?" Cat questioned.

"Why are you up early?" Jade retorted, grabbing a bowl out of the cupboard and the carton of milk out of the small fridge.

"Lover boy let the door slam when he went out this morning. The sound woke me up," Cat answered, referring Beck as lover boy.

Jade snatched the cereal box out of Cat's hands and poured some cereal into her bowl. She set the box to the side, and pour milk over her cereal, and then returned it to the fridge. She took a bite of her cereal, liking the crunch against her teeth.

"You two left early last night," Cat commented.

"You noticed?"

"Of course! Trina and I did some body shots with some hot college frat boys," Cat said, smiling.

"Leave the poor boys alone," Jade replied, taking another bite of her cereal.

"Hey! I don't do anything. They're the ones who think I'm just a cute redhead that they can rufi up. Hell no! I don't need drugs to sleep with them... or at least some of them," Cat commented.

Jade shivered as she thought about guys who rufi some girls' drinks. It's horrible and she was thankful to have never been in that situation.

"So, what's the story on the driver?" Cat questioned Jade.

"Who? Robbie?"

"Is that his name? The curly-headed driver with glasses. He's cute," Cat commented.

Jade rolled her eyes. She knew Cat's game too well. Cat had some sort of fetish for innocent guys, i.e. Robbie. "Leave him alone," Jade told Cat firmly.

"What's his story?" Cat questioned.

"Beck hired him as his driver. He's the same age as us. Twenty-one. He's been working for Beck since they were 18."

"He got a girlfriend?"

Jade shrugged. "I don't know, but we both know that wouldn't stop you."

Cat chuckled. "You know me oh-so-well, Jadey!" Cat shrieked. "I'm gonna go back to sleep," Cat said, hopping off the kitchen counter. "You're coming to Lo tonight, right?"

"We'll see."

"Kay. Kay!"

"Mr. Oliver, Ms. Vega is here to see you," Beck's secretary informed him over the intercom.

Beck pressed the button to talk. "Let her in."He put aside some important documents into his drawer.

His best friend was quick to walk from the front office, to his. She opened his door, and dropped her shopping bags. She walked over to him. "Beck!" she screeched. She gave him a kiss on each cheek, and then sat on the chair on the other side of his desk. "Where have you been? I missed you!"

"I've been busy," he replied.

"With what?" she asked.

"With work, meetings... planning your party," he said, subtly.

Tori's face lit up when he mentioned her party. "Ooo! What do you have planned so far?"

He smirked at her. "You don't want me to give away the details, and spoil your party, do you?"

She pouted in response. "At least tell me where it'll be!" she pled.

"The place you wanted," he answered.

She screamed in excitement and sprung off her chair. She jumped up and down like a little girl. "Oh. My. Gosh! I'm having my party at Lo?!"

Beck laughed at his best friend jumping with joy. "Yes. You're welcome."

She hopped over to his side of the desk and sat on his lap. She gave him a big smooch on the cheek. "Thank you! You're the bestest friend ever!"

He chuckled in response. "I know."

She got off his lap, and returned to the other side of his desk. Her smile was still bright. "Who's on the guest list?" she questioned.

"Just give me email Holly with your ideal guest list and I'll have her forward the invitations to their addresses," he instructed her. Holly was his secretary and knew almost everything and anything about his business life and personal life.

"Ok," she agreed. "Will you be inviting anyone?"

"Do you want me to invite anyone?" he asked her in return.

"No, but you're welcome to do it," she replied.

"Alright. Then I'll invite four people,"he informed her.

She arched her eyebrow at him, curiously. "Who are those four people?"

Beck smirked at her. "Don't worry. They'll be on their best behavior," he reassured her.

"Whatever. Whoever you invite better not look hotter than me at my own party," she warned him.

"I'll make sure that won't happen." He winked at her.

Jade went door to door at retail shops, but no one would hire her. She had no experience and she wasn't dressed in the proper attire. After spending hours walking in her heels up and down New York City, she took a break at a quaint little cafe. The waiter served her a black coffee with two sugars. She didn't crave coffee before as much as she craved it today.

"Why so down?" the server asked her.

Jade let out a sigh. "Because I can't get a job. I'll never get a job! And I don't blame anyone. I never worked a day in my life! I wouldn't hire me."

"Cheer up," the server told her. "Everyone has to start somewhere."

She sighed again and took another big gulp of her coffee.

"The sport bar and grill is hiring across the street, and I'm sure they'll hire you," the server informed her.

"You think?"

The server nodded. "I can bet on it."

Jade chugged down her coffee and set the mug down. She pulled out a few dollars from her wallet and set it down on the table with a tip for the server.

She hurriedly went across the street. The sign read Peaks in a glowing red and blue neon sign. She entered the sports bar and grill and took note of scenery. It looked like a typical sports bar and grill, dark with some lights. A big bar was set to the side, with a few tables and booths spread through the room. Several screens were on, playing different sports channels. A few billiard tables were located at the back corner of the restaurant. She took note of the servers. They were all gorgeous women, wearing tight white tank tops - that revealed their cleavage, - and short shorts that highlighted their long legs with apple bottoms.

She went to the bar to speak to a bartender. "Excuse me. Are ya'll hiring?"

The bartender eyed her, speculating her. "Come with me," he instructed.

He walked around the bar to exit and Jade followed. He grabbed her hand and led her to the back room. The hallway was dark and scary, but Jade tried not to panic. The guy opened the door to a white walled room. A blonde haired man, who seemed not too much older than she was, sat in a big computer chair.

The bartender finally let of her hand. "Mr. Wilson, this girl would like to audition," the bartender told him.

Audition? No. I wanted to apply, not audition. What the hell is going on? She thought to herself.

Mr. Wilson nodded at the bartender and bartender exited, leaving Jade alone with Mr. Wilson. He got off his chair and walked over to her.

"Tell me your name," he told her.

"Jade. Jade West," she answered.

He walked around her, checking out her body. He made a full 360, and returned back to standing in front of her. "You want to work here?"

"Ugh. I don't know. What would I be doing?" she asked, sounding naive.

Mr. Wilson gave her a smug look. He explained to her that she would be a server, and that servers were models and actresses; hence the term audition used earlier. Their uniform is a tight white tank top that read "Peak Me," in print, with black short shorts. The servers are expected to flirt with the guests, like sit on their laps. Once an hour, all the servers gather together and dance a little routine for the guests entertainment. He made sure to explain that this was no strip club. No guest was allowed to do more than a little spank on the ass. He stressed that the spank hand to be light and playful. If it was ever hard or if anyone manhandled her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable, she'd have to report it directly to him, and he'd kick the guest out. He ensured that he wanted the sports bar and grill to be a place of fun, but not a place to strip.

Mr. Wilson made it sound appealing. Though this wasn't her ideal place to work, she knew she had to start somewhere. She applied or auditioned for the server position, and he gladly pulled out the contract papers. She would be paid $10 an hour plus tips. Her uniform was provided for her and she was expected to be dressed with makeup and hair properly done. She signed the paper that stated that she would say something if she was a victim of harassment or witnessed anyone else being harassed.

She went home with a new uniform, some menus to memorize, and a new job.

Cat heard a knock on the door. She peeked into the eye view to see who was at the door. She shrieked when she saw that curly headed man with glasses. She quickly pushed her hair back and put on a seductive look. She opened the door with luring smile.

"Hey handsome," she greeted him.

The curly-headed man laughed nervously. "Ugh... I'm here to pick up... umm... Miss West."

"You're not here to see me?" she flirted, touching his arm.

Just then, Jade came downstairs and saw Cat making Robbie nervous. "Leave the poor guy alone," Jade chided Cat.

"Cats need to play, too!" Cat retorted.

Jade rolled her eyes and put on her coat. "I'm ready, Robbie."

Robbie nodded and led her out the door.

Sitting in the back of limousine was nostalgic. Her family frequently rode in limousines. She hadn't been with family in years so she hadn't experienced this in years. It was strange. She pressed the down button to lower the window.

"Yes, Miss West?"

"Robbie call me Jade."

He nodded. "Yes, Jade?"

"What do you think of Beck?" she askes, hoping he'd give a genuine answer.

"Mr. Oliver is a good man," he answered. Although it seemed like a standard answer from an employee talking about his boss, Jade could tell he was sincere.

Jade entered the restaurant, feeling a little out of place. She wore a short and skimpy black dress that showed more skin than appropriate. Beck sat at the table looking down at his menu. He dressed in his usual attire, a black suit. She walked over to him and he looked up to see her smiling at him. She took her seat, not saying anything.

"I'm glad you came," he told her.

She gave him a small smile. She grabbed her menu and looked at the contents. She barely understood what any of these things were. They were in french. She tried her best to decode the language, like it was some top secret FBI code. Beck noticed her furrowing her eyebrows a lot, and automatically assumed she struggled to understand it. He let out a laugh, and she glared at him. He didn't need to say why he laughed, because she knew he laughed at her for not understanding french. It wasn't her fault she didn't take a french class in high school. The waitress came to their table and asked what they'll have. Jade scanned the items again and played iniminimo.

Meanwhile, Beck ordered the appetizer and his entree.

"And what will you be having, miss?" the waitress asked Jade.

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but Beck answered for her. "She'll have Coq au Vin."

The waitress wrote down their order, repeated it to them for confirmation, and was on her way to place the order.

"You looked like you had some trouble over there," he commented, with a smirk.

Jade rolled her eyes. "Sorry I wasn't raised to speak french!"

Beck laughed at her little sassy retort.

"What did you get me anyway?" she wondered.

"Chicken in red wine," he answered.

Jade nearly spit out the water in her mouth. She swallowed ot hard to prevent herself from attention and embarrassment. "I can't eat that!"

"Why not?"

"I'm a vegetarian!" she rose her voice.

"Why are you a vegetarian?" he asked her.

"Because I don't like the thought of eating something that's been slaughtered!"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's the way of life. It's the circle of life. Humans need to eat meat to survive," he stated, as a matter-of-factly.

She scowled at him. "Shows what you know! I've been a vegetarian since I was 16, and I've survived without meat since then!"

"Why would you deprive yourself of the protein and fat necessary for your body? It's no wonder you're so thin with pastel skin," he remarked, with a tone of arrogance.

"Excuse me?" she hissed with her teeth clenched.

"You need meat in order to survive," he declared.

Jade was ready to stand up and leave, but the waitress came with their food. She placed Beck's entree in front of his and Jade's in front of her. The appetizer sat in the middle. "Enjoy," the waitress said, before leaving them along.

Beck placed the napkin in his lap and dug in. After a few bites, he noticed Jade hasn't taken a bite out of her food. Jade just stared at the poor little chicken that rested on her plate.

"Eat it, Jade," Beck encouraged her.

Jade shook her head. "I'm not eating that."

"Eat it!" he said, with a more stern tone.

His tone of voice did not intimidate her. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Eat!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"No!" she yelled back, loud enough for the people around them to hear.

Beck displayed a fake smile to the people around them, to reassure them that there was no need to make a scene.

"Jade. Please. Don't be difficult. Just eat the chicken," he said, in a calmer voice. "Please, Jade."

He gave her an innocent pleading look, that Jade could not resist. She groaned as she placed the napkin over her lap and picked up her fork. Hesitantly, she sliced a small piece of chicken and slowly stabbed it with her fork. Beck observed her, while she gradually lifted the fork from the plate to her mouth. She slightly parted her lips and inserted the piece of chicken into her mouth. Once in her mouth, her face contorted to a disgusted and unpleased expression. She chewed the chicken, as slow as ever. She fought the urge to spit out the chicken. That would have been disrespectful to Beck, the guests, and the restaurant workers.
Still angry over dinner, Jade made no effort at a conversation. Beck tried, but failed. She'd simply answer with as little words as possible. In most cases they were one-worded answers.

"Don't be mad," he told her, as they sat in the back of his limousine.

Jade scoffed. "You made me eat meat!" she yelled.

"You need meat!" he shouted at her.

"No. I don't!"

"Fine. You say you don't eat meat, right?" Jade nodded. "Because of the animals being slaughtered. Well, do you drink milk, eat eggs, fish, any of that?"

"I drink soy milk and I rarely eat eggs," she informed him.

"And fish?"

"I eat sushi."

"Ok. How is fish being fished any different from eating meat? Just because there may be more fish than cows or chickens, doesn't mean it's completely different. Hell, there are some fish that are endangered, but that doesn't stop people from fishing and eating them."

Jade didn't know how to defend her stand, at this point. She was dumbfounded by his excellent argument.

"And oreos. Don't you like oreos? Don't you know the cream is made of cow. Why eat that but not it's actual meat?" he argued.
Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. After his superb stand and well-illustrated points, she knew there was no way to defend her side to win. He was right. She stood against slaughtering cows and chickens, but not against poor fish. She resisted meat but not the cream. She sighed, realizing she hadn't been entirely against animal slaughtering after all.

Robbie held open the car door. Jade went over Beck and exited the limousine first. Words weren't necessary to let him know she was still upset. Without waiting for him, she walked toward the entrance of her building. Beck scurried over to catch up with her. Once in the building he pulled her by the elbow to stop her in her tracks.

"Don't be mad," he told her.

She glared at him and removed his hand off her elbow. She turned around to begin walking again, but he stopped her, again. Instead of talking her to calm down, he pulled her in for a kiss. Though her blood boiled with rage from tonight's events, his kiss, somehow, put her at ease.
She pulled away and a small hint of a smile formed on her face. "I'm still mad at you," she informed him, with a lighter tone now.
Beck leaned his forehead against hers and gazed down at her. "I know." He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Ya'll coming out tonight?" Cat asked as Jade and Beck entered the loft.

"I don't know. I'm not really in the mood," Jade confessed. She still felt her stomach unsettled from the chicken.

"No! You have to come tonight. Some hotshot is renting Lo out two nights from now," Cat said.

"Who would rent out Lo?" Andre asked Cat, joining everyone in the living room.

"Me, actually," Beck spoke up. Everyone turned their attention to him. "The reason I was at Lo in the first place was to check out the place for my friend's birthday party," he explained. "Speaking of which, I am allowed a few guests, so you all are invited to come, even your other friend."

"Trina?" Cat asked.

Beck nodded. "Yes. I've already ran the idea by Tori, and she's fine by it."

"Tori?" Andre questioned.

"Yes. Her name is Tori Vega. She's been my best friend all my life," he informed them.

Jade scoffed, in a light tone. "Yeah. They did everything together," she teased.

"Will you all come?" Beck asked, ignoring Jade's comment.

"Of course!" Cat shrieked.

"Fa' sho," Andre answered.

"Good," Beck replied.

"Now, let's dance and get drunk bitches!" Cat yelled as she exited the door.

Will Jade, Cat, Andre, and Trina fit in at the party?
Will there be a big scene at the party?
Will Tori actually be ok with Beck's guests?
How will Tori and Jade's first encounter go down?
Stay tuned to find out.

Please, give me reviews.
I love to read what you think about it.
If you have suggestions, I'll take it under consideration.

I am really excited to write this upcoming chapter.

It will not be released until probably a week from now.

I want to spend some time writing and perfecting it.

In the mean time, check out "The Night Out," by beckettjade.
I just finished reading it, and I'm sure you all will love it.