"Tyler, what a nice surprise! I feel like I haven't seen you since you started college. I thought you abandoned me."

Tyler playfully rolled his eyes and kissed Karen's cheek. "Sorry mom. School has been crazy and track-"

"Mhm-hmm." Karen replied. "Visit your mother more often."

"Yes ma'am."

"So what brings you by on this particular Saturday?" Jade asked, knowingly.

Tyler sat down at the kitchen island next to Jade and kissed her cheek as well. "Well I heard we were having a special dinner guest and I wanted to be here. I'm not missing dad's head exploding."

"Dad's head isn't going to explode." Jade argued.

"Because he's going to play nice." Karen added. "I'll make sure of it."

"Where is dad?" Tyler asked.

"In his office, taking a phone call. He gets so worked up when he's on business calls so I shoo him away."

Jade's phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket. She unlocked it to read the message.

From: Chris

I'm in the elevator on my way up. Btw, what type of elevator has no buttons?

Jade put her phone down and walked out of the kitchen. She walked briskly to the foyer to meet Chris at the elevator.

The elevator doors opened and before Chris could even walk out, Jade shoved him back, stepped inside of the elevator, and closed the doors.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Before you go in there, I need to prep you. My dad already doesn't like you."

"Why?"

"You're older than me and you have a penis." Jade deadpanned. "Just be nice. Talk about Stanford, talk about business, talk about how smart you are, I don't know. And do not flirt with my mom."

"That's going to be really hard."

"Yeah, she's hot, but my dad will probably shoot you."

"But I'm naturally flirty. It's just who I am. I can't turn all of this natural charm off."

"Well stop it. It's not going to fly."

Chris nodded. "Okay." He held up a bottle of wine. "I brought wine. Is that what people do?"

"Perfect." Jade resisted the urge to snatch the bottle and down it all by herself. "Just as a heads up, my dad is from Los Angeles. He loves sports, and he hates the San Francisco Giants and the Warriors. If you manage to work that into a conversation, you'll probably be golden."

"Well, that won't be a problem since we're rivals. I can appeal to that!"

"Good. And by the way, I told my mom we met at a restaurant. They'd kill me and you if they knew you tried to recruit me to be a part of you harem."

"I was not!" Jade smirked. "Okay fine, I was trying to sleep with you. I won't tell them that."

"Thank you. I think we're good." Jade reached into her back pocket and get her key card to open the doors. She slid it through the slot. "Come on, it's time to feed you to the wolves."

"I think you're being dramatic. Your parents are going to love me."

Chris stepped out of the elevator, Jade following behind. "Holy shit, you guys have marble floors? Fancy."

"Don't curse!"

"This is coming from the Queen of Potty-Mouth Ville."

"Jade! Jade, where on earth did you-oh! Hello."

"Mom, this is my friend Chris." Jade said. "Chris this is my mom, Karen."

Chris extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Missus West."

"My name is Karen, and I'm a hugger." Karen said, dismissing the hand and wrapping her arms around Chris. "You're so tall. Jade, you didn't tell me he was so tall."

"Well he's a professional basketball player, that goes without saying." Jade quipped. Karen broke the hug to glare at her daughter.

"How tall are you?"

"Six-foot-seven." Chris replied.

"And so handsome. I'm sure the ladies are on you like crazy."

Chris blushed."Thank you, and sometimes." Not staring at Karen was going to be a challenge as Chris was completely star struck by her beauty. He looked in back and forth between the mother and daughter. "Wow, you guys are spitting images of each other. Right down to the glares."

Karen put her arm around Jade. "My lovely daughter is ninety-five percent me, five percent her father. My son is the exact opposite. You wouldn't know he's my son if he didn't have my eyes."

Chris presented the bottle of wine. "I got this for you and your husband."

"Oh, you are so sweet. Thank you, you didn't have to get us anything.

"My mom says you never go to someone's house empty handed."

Karen nodded. "I like your mom. Come on, guys. Let's go to the family room."

Jade and Chris followed Karen into the family room where Tyler and Richard were sitting, watching a baseball game.

"Guys, we have company." Karen announced.

The men turned their heads and saw Chris standing shyly in their living room. "Hello."

"Well, well, well. Look at what the cat has dragged in."

"Richard..." Karen gave her husband a firm look.

"I'm just messing with him, Kare Bear." Richard stood up, and walked around the couch and over to where Chris was standing. He looked the younger man up and down. "I'm Richard West."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Chris extended his hand, which Richard grabbed. He gave it a tight squeeze. Tighter than necessary. "My hand."

"You're a basketball player, right? I assume your hand is extremely important to you."

Chris stiffened. Was Richard going to break his hand? "It's my livelihood."

"Daddy, let him go." Jade grabbed Chris' wrist and yanked his hand out of her dad's grasp.

"Sorry about that. I guess I don't know my own strength."

Chris smiled tensely and flexed his hand. "It's fine, sir. Nothing wrong with a firm hand shake."

"Call me Richard."

"Okay."

"Dinner is done, everyone. Chris, I hope you aren't allergic to any foods. I should've asked before you came over."

"No, ma'am. Nothing outside of seasonal allergies affects me, so whatever you cooked should be fine."

"Good." Karen smiled and rushed back to the kitchen. "I hope you like chicken."

"I love it."

A few minutes later, everyone was sitting around the West's dining room table.

"So Chris, tell me about yourself." Richard ordered. "Where are you from, where did you go to school, what are your hobbies?"

"I'm from Miami." Chris started. "My mom is from Puerto Rico, my dad is from New York, but they both went to school with Miami, met at college, fell in love, and never left."

"I'm from New York!" Karen exclaimed, excitedly.

"Really?"

Karen nodded. "Manhattan girl, born and raised until I moved to Philly for college."

Karen spent so much time in New York, they even had a brownstone out there.

"Awesome. My dad is from Brooklyn. I went to Stanford for college on a basketball scholarship."

"Excellent school." Richard said, nodding slightly. "You liked it?"

"Like isn't a strong enough word. I loved Stanford, I loved the Bay Area, I loved my major."

"What did you major in?" Karen asked.

"Broadcast journalism. Once I retire from the NBA, I'd love to get a job with ESPN. I also got a minor in business administration, and that's really helping when it comes to endorsement deals and contracts."

That got Richard to perk up a bit. "Really? You know, I got my bachelor's and master's in business."

"Where did you go to school?"

"Yale for undergrad, and Wharton for grad school. Which is perfect because Karen got accepted into UPenn."

"That's nice. There was no long distance."

"None at all." Karen chuckled. "I moved in with him the summer before college, and he's been stuck with me ever since."

"Well I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You guys are so sickeningly sweet. Stop it."

"How did you two meet?" Chris asked.

"This little rascal right here, my lovely wife," Richard pointed to Karen, "she snuck into a bar in Manhattan. At seventeen. And then she asked me to buy her a drink. What was it?"

Karen shrugged. "It was the 80s and cosmos were in, so it was probably that. Something cute and girly."

"Anyway, she lied about losing her ID, and she swore up and down that she was legal, but I knew better. I didn't buy her the drink, but I did charm her enough and she wrote her number on a napkin. And the rest was history, twenty fiver years of marriage and two kids later."

Chris lightly kicked Jade under the table. She too, wrote her number on a napkin for him. She kicked him back.

"But enough about us lovebirds, how did you meet my daughter?" Richard asked. "You're older than her, so it couldn't have been at school."

"We met at a restaurant." Chris lied.

"Mr. Chow's." Jade added. She looked at her brother across the table. "It was the day I went to UCLA to hang with Ty."

Tyler said nothing. He just put a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth to keep him from slipping up.

"I was with some people, and I saw Jade. She looked very pretty, and I wanted her to come to my table, but she said no so I went to her. And she was so enamored by me."

"He tried and failed miserably to flirt with me, and I shut him down instantly."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay doll face. You entertained me a little bit. You would've shut me down if you didn't like me just a tad."

"You came out the gate trying to impress me with your money, and I told you I wasn't impressed."

"True, but just admit that you liked me a little bit, doll face."

"Yeah I liked you. We wouldn't be here if I didn't, but I also thought you were a bit lame."

Chris gasped. "You're so mean! Is she always this mean?"

"Yes." Tyler replied, not batting an eyelash. "She's awful." Jade stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"I'm not mean." Jade argued. Karen snorted in derision. Jade didn't think of herself as mean. She was just fiercely loyal and protective to those around her, and if you crossed her or anyone she loved, you'd be toast. It was a simple philosophy to live by in her opinion.

Richard shook his head. "Let it go, sweetie."

.

.

Thirty minutes later, dinner was over. Jade and Chris were in the formal living room, separated from everyone else. Tyler had gone downstairs to get a carton of ice cream, and Karen and Richard were in the kitchen.

"Your mom is an amazing cook." Chris groaned. "Can I hire her to live with me and just make me meals?"

"That would go over so well with my dad."

"Your dad is very scary. He tried to break my hand." Richard seemed like a nice guy, but something about him made a chill run down Chris' spine.

"I think he will eventually warm up to you. I think he likes you, and the fact that we aren't dating is working in your favor."

Chris nodded. "Hey, how did your parents even find out about me?"

Jade groaned. "Long story. Remember when I told you that one of my classmates got really hurt at the party we threw?"

"How could I forget? You called me on the verge of a breakdown."

"Don't remind me. Anyway, the headmistress of my school and a cop were asking me questions about the night of the party and where I went after I left. I had the perfect lie set up but my freaking god brother ruined it, so I had to tell the truth. In front of my parents."

"Harsh."

"Yeah, and now I'm grounded. No cash, no car, no social life, no freedom. You are the only person I've seen since I got grounded, and even this is pushing it." Jade shrugged. "I'm usually able to wiggle my way out of trouble, but my dad is super serious this time, and I'm not gonna be an idiot and test the waters."

"How long are you on lockdown?"

Jade shrugged. "Indefinitely. And my dad has also given me a job in the hotel as a waitress."

"Really?" His hazel eyes lit up. "Does that mean I have to come by and eat here?"

"Please don't."

"Why not?"

"You would distract me and I do not need it. And I just want to get through with this."

"Good luck. I was a waiter at a Cheesecake Factory my junior year of college. People are really rude to waitresses and waiters."

"You're a lot nicer than I am, so I'll need all the luck I can get."

"As long as you have a good memory and decent people skills, you'll be fine. Plus you're pretty, so guys are gonna tip you a lot."

"I doubt this will last long. My dad will probably let this go after a few days."

"What if he doesn't?" Chris challenged.

"I don't dwell in negativity."

"I like the confidence, jailbait."

Jade tucked her feet under herself and grabbed a throw pillow. She sat it in her lap. "Thank you. How have you been adjusting to LA? Are you getting used to everything?"

"Kind of, but not really. I spend most of my time in the gym working out, or I'm in my apartment. And I need to go shopping."

"Really? For what?"

"I need fancy clothes. Suits, dress shoes, sweaters, slacks. I have some stuff, but it's not enough. Does your dad know a good place?"

"My dad has his suits custom made and tailored. I can get some info for you."

"Thanks. I want to be known as one of the NBA's best dressed men."

"You're in luck, because if there's one thing I know, it's how to dress."

"You kind of know everything, don't you?"

"Your words, not mine."

Back in the kitchen, Richard was putting away all of the leftover food while Karen watched him.

"You know," Richard started, "this is an interesting turn of events. You're usually the one putting things away."

"Because you're lazy."

Richard shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. Lazy people don't make money, the one thing I do well."

"You're lazy once you step off that elevator."

"I'm sorry. You're just so good at all the cooking and cleaning, I don't want to disturb anything."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Okay, Rich."

"What do you think of Jade's new friend?" Richard asked. He stopped trying to clean the kitchen and leaned against the countertop.

"He's really nice, I like him. What about you?"

"I was pleasantly surprised." Richard said. "He's smart, he has manners, he seems like he has a good head on his shoulders, and he isn't dating Jade."

Karen bit her bottom lip. She wasn't too sure about that. "Huh."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I watched Jade and Chris tonight, and there's something I can't place my finger on."

"You think they're dating? You think Jade would risk it and blatantly lie to us again?"

Karen shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't get a platonic vibe. But she says they aren't, so only time will tell."

"Well, I don't know about you but I will go to bed happy and at peace, thinking that my daughter is single."


That Monday morning, Jade was walking through the halls of her school. It was still early and not too many people were on campus.

She was actually glad the weekend was over because that meant she would be able to interact with other people. Being grounded sucked. Not that she didn't love her parents, but she was tired of seeing only them.

After grabbing a cup of coffee from the kiosk in the cafeteria, Jade walked to her home room. The classroom was empty, save for one other person. Beck.

He looked up from his laptop when her heard Jade enter the room, and they locked eyes.

"Hi."

Jade looked down at her shoes awkwardly. "Hi."

The exchange was actually cringe worthy. If a stranger were to walk in, they would never know that Beck and Jade used to date.

Jade cursed herself. She used to sleep with the guy and have dinner with his family, and now she can't even look him in the eye for a greeting.

"You're here early." Jade said, checking her watch. Class didn't start for another thirteen minutes.

"So are you."

"Touché."

Jade finally mustered up enough strength to look up from her heels and walked to her desk.

The silence between the exes was bordering on unbearable. Jade absentmindedly fiddled with the dial on her watch to keep herself occupied. She silently prayed that another person would walk into the class.

It didn't happen.

"Look, about what happened at the party-"

"Poor Cam, right?" Jade cut in. She knew what Beck wanted to say, but she wasn't in the mood. "Your mom is his doctor. How is he?"

"She says he's doing okay." Beck shook his head. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I was a jerk that night."

"You were a complete asshole to me."

Beck took a deep breath. "I deserve that."

"Yeah, you do. What gives you the right to get all judgmental about people I choose to hang out with?"

"I don't have the right, I know that. But the thought of you being with someone else makes me crazy."

"Why?" Jade challenged. "You didn't have a problem with Tori trying to suck the teeth out of your mouth."

"Look, Tori got drunk off of her ass and she stupidly kissed me. She apologized the next day."

"Did you kiss her back? Or did you just lay there like a board?"

"I kissed her back." Beck admitted truthfully. "And then I kissed her after I saw you kiss Chris."

Jade bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. While she respected the candid answer, she didn't want to hear it. "That's not nice, considering she's dating André."

"Harris?"

"The one and only."

"When did they start dating? And why hasn't he told me? I tell André everything."

Beck actually felt hurt. André was his best friend. When did they start keeping things from each other?

"I don't know why he hasn't told, but yes they're dating."

"Oh man." Beck ran his hand over his face. Now he felt like shit.

"Don't feel bad about it." Jade said, actually softening towards her ex. "You didn't know."

"You're right. Now back to us-"

"No." Jade shook her head. "There is no us. You do know that, right? You took me out to dinner, and then you dumped me the day before school started, without warning. And I was a complete wreck over it. I missed the first day of school because I spent the entire night crying."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You and I were Beck and Jade, and we were getting to a place where it was hard to tell where you ended and I began. Whether you realized it or not, we were morphing into one giant, codependent person. That scared me, so I ended things. I just didn't want to look up one day and resent you and our relationship."

It hurt like hell when they broke up. Jade thought she was going to marry this guy and he thought they were spending too much time together.

Jade looked down again, this time to dig around in her bag for her sunglasses. She grabbed them and put them on her face, putting another barrier between herself and Beck.

"Why didn't you talk to me?" Jade asked, her voice cracking. "We talked, all the time, about everything. We weren't the passive aggressive couple, who lied to each other's faces and then subtweeted about it. If you were having all of these feelings, you should've told me."

Beck got out of his seat and walked over to where Jade was sitting. He sat next to her. "This isn't an easy conversation. And I thought we could both benefit from some alone time."

"You weren't being fair."

Jade closed her eyes, feeling the tears pool in the corners. This was not supposed to be happening. Crying in home room was unacceptable.

Beck reached out and took Jade's glasses off. He folded them and placed them on her desk. "Don't cry."

"I can't help myself." Jade hated that Beck had this much power over her. She hated that she felt like she needed him to function like a normal human being.

Beck ran his the pad of his thumb under Jade's eye, collecting the unshed tears. "Come on, you're going to ruin your makeup. And I know you spend a lot of money on your makeup."

"Waterproof mascara and eyeliner." Jade countered.

Beck cracked a smile. "Well you're too pretty to being crying."

"That's true."

"I hate it when you cry. You know that."

Jade didn't reply to that. She looked down at her wooden desk.

"Jade, I don't want things to be awkward between us. I meant it when I said I want to be friends with you."

"We can't be friends."

"What?"

"You and I are built to be all or nothing."

"Why do you say that?"

"Come on, Beck. You spiraled at the mere thought of me moving on, which I have not done. The thought of dating someone else right now gives me anxiety. You can't handle just being my friend, and I know for a fact that I can't do it."

"But we were friends before we started dating."

"Yeah, and then we crossed a line that we can't turn back from. Backsliding is stupid. And I want all of you, not just a part."

As ridiculous as it sounded, Jade needed black or white when it came to Beck. They didn't know how to be platonic and one encounter deemed too "friendly" would send Jade into a tailspin. She didn't need any more confusion.

Before Beck could speak, the bell rang and the door opened, a crowd of kids rushing in. They all slowed upon seeing Beck and Jade in the back of the room, so close together. They felt like they were intruding on an intimate moment. They were.

Jade pushed Beck off of her. "Go back to your seat."

"Can we finish talking later?"

"We're done, Beck."

Beck stood up and walked back over to his desk. Jade slid her glasses back on, so no one would see her red and puffy eyes.

Robbie slid into his seat next to Jade. "You okay, Jade?"

"Never been better, Rob."


"Has anyone talked to Tori?" Cat asked. "How is she handling her suspension?"

The gang looked at each other around their table. André nodded his head.

"I talked to her this morning. She's bored out of her mind."

"She kind of did this to herself." Robbie said. "None of us were going to get in trouble. André, did she tell you why she told?"

André shrugged. "She just said she felt guilty and wanted this off of her conscience. I understand and respect that, but it's going to be ugly applying for colleges with this mark on her record. And Cam's parents might press charges."

Beck turned his head to look at André. That was interesting. "They can sue her?"

"Yeah, she's the one who threw the party. And they might sue the school and Kevin's family."

Robbie rolled his eyes. "But no one forced Cam to come to the party, drink and do drugs, and climb on top of a goal post. I'm not blaming him for what Kevin did, but for anything, but blaming Tori is a bit much."

"I agree with you."

Beck bit his lip. "My mom says that Cam's doing better, if anyone wanted to know."

This entire situation was scary and a much needed moment for reflection. These kids were so used to everything going their way, and for something so extreme to happen really shook them up. They weren't invincible.

"When is he going to get out?" Cat asked. "Does your mom know?"

"If she does know, she isn't telling me. All I know is that he's alive. I doubt he's getting out any time soon, though. I went to visit him, and he's not in the best condition."

The heavy conversation was put on pause by Gemma excitedly walking over, her blonde hair in her face. "Hi guys!"

Everyone looked over at her, and they all mumbled greetings.

"So, I don't know if you guys know this or not, but Jade is on lockdown."

André raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"She's grounded, locked up in her hotel like Rapunzel in the tower, save for school."

"What did she do?"

Gemma shrugged noncommittally. "Long story. Anyway, she's grounded and as part of her punishment, Jade's dad is making her work at the hotel."

Cat perked up at that. "Jade West and work?"

"Yup. She's the new waitress in the hotel's restaurant, and Ryder and I were going to eat there after school to help make her first day memorable. Are you guys down?"

André nodded, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Of course."

After his talk with Jade earlier, Beck didn't know if going to see her would be the best idea. She made it clear that she was not okay with him.

"Where's Jade now?"

Gemma looked around before focusing back on the group of people in front of her. "She's in line for coffee with Ryder. She doesn't know we're doing this so don't tell her, okay."

"We won't tell." Robbie promised.

"Great! I'll see you guys at the hotel at 4. This is gonna be so much fun."

Gemma smiled at everyone one last time and walked back to her own table.

"I like her." Cat said, watching Gemma leave. "She's nice."

Beck nodded. "Yeah. Too bad Ryder is her boyfriend."

André rolled his eyes and nudged his friend. "Play nice."


"You're late."

Jade checked the time on her watch. It was 4:05 PM, and her shift started at 4. "By five minutes. Traffic was awful and I had to rush upstairs and change."

Faith, the restaurant's manager, looked Jade up and down in disapproval. But Jade didn't care.

"Your shift started five minutes ago. Be on time."

Jade decided to bite her tongue on this one and she just nodded. The last thing she needed was Faith tattling to her dad.

"Sorry."

"Don't let it happen again." Faith pointed to a cluster of tables in to center of the room. "You're going to be handling tables ten through fifteen tonight. You smile, you greet them warmly, and you don't argue. The customer is always right, and if they're not, you tell me so I can handle it. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good." Faith tossed Jade an apron, which she tied around her waist. "And button up your shirt. This is a five star hotel, not Hooters."

Jade wished she was at a Hooters. The people were fun and the wings were delicious. She sighed and buttoned the top button of her red shirt.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. Don't need me."

Jade gave the older woman a fake smile and walked off to her section of tables. One of them was occupied by a group of five forty-something year old men.

"Hello." Jade greeted, smiling brightly. "My name's Jade and I'll be serving you today. Can I start you guys off with some drinks?"

"Diet Coke."

"Three waters, please."

Jade knew from experience that the waiters always asked if she wanted a lemon wedge in her water if she ordered one.

"Would you like lemon in your water?"

"No, thank you."

Jade quickly scribbled down the orders, and turned to the last guy at the table, who was staring at her chest.

"And for you, sir? What can I get you to drink?"

The guy didn't hear her, so Jade crouched down so she was at eye level with him.

"Sir? Can I get you something to drink?"

The guy cleared his throat and blushed. "A Chardonnay for now. I'm having fish."

"Okay, I'll be right back with your drinks."

Jade turned around and headed straight for the kitchen, when she stopped dead in her tracks. She spotted a head full of bright red hair in front of her and instantly knew it was Cat.

She turned and walked over to the table where Cat, Robbie, Beck, André, Gemma, and Ryder were all sitting. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

"What?" André asked innocently. "Can't a group of friends go out to eat together?"

"André is using the term 'friends' loosely in this situation." Ryder added, wryly. "I manage to tolerate the other people at this table."

Gemma glared at her boyfriend. "We came to support you, Jade."

"Why? I don't need support!"

"Because we thought it would be fun." Ryder replied. "Lighten up, sis, and take our drink order."

"I'll be right back. And you guys better tip me like crazy."

Jade bit the inside of her lip. Could this get any worse?

.

.

It was about an hour and a half later, and things were getting hectic. People were now getting off work and it was getting closer and closer to dinner time. Usually Jade was pretty good with a bit of pressure, but this was a bit much. And on top of that, her friends were sitting at their table. They even ordered dessert to prolong the visit.

Jade walked back into the kitchen and leaned against the steel countertops. Chefs and waiters were running around her but she didn't care. This was the first time since her shift started that she was able to relax.

"You tired already, Jade?"

Jade looked over and saw one of the cooks, Jesse staring at her in amusement. He was a thirty-something year old who had been working at the hotel for about ten years. Jade liked him. When she was younger, he would always give her extra maraschino cherries when she got ice cream sundaes. "Yes."

"What time is your shift over?"

"7:30. Two more hours to go."

"Oh man, if you're tired already then this is gonna be hard for you. You're just getting started sweetie. Just wait until you're working on the weekend. Or a holiday. This place is a mad house on Valentine's Day."

Jade groaned. "You aren't helping."

One of the chefs rang a bell and called Jade's name to get her attention. "Your table twelve boxes are ready!"

Jade sighed and pushed herself off of the counter. That was too quick of a break in her opinion. She grabbed a paper bag to put the to-go boxes in. She neatly stacked the boxes in the bag by size and added small things like mints, napkins, and plastic utensils.

"Thanks."

She grabbed the bag and pushed open the swinging double doors. She headed straight to the table her friends were sitting at.

"Our favorite waitress is back!" Cat exclaimed.

Jade put the bag on the table. "Here are your to-go boxes. Is there anything else you want me to get for you?"

"No." Ryder replied, looking around the table. "We're all pretty stuffed. Just the check."

Jade was sure they all racked up an enormous bill because they ordered appetizers, dinner, dessert, and food to-go, just to keep her running back and forth.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Unbeknownst to Jade, her dad was in a corner of the restaurant, watching her. He wanted to see how she was doing without being too close and stressing her out. So far, he was pleasantly surprised. Jade was doing well, and nothing disastrous was happening.

Before going to get her friends' check, Jade stopped at another table, the one will all of the grown men. Their check was sitting at the edge of the table, waiting to be picked up.

"Are you guys all set?"

"Yes."

"Great. Will you guys be needing any change?"

The guy who Jade caught staring at her chest earlier shook his head. "No. You keep the change." He reached around Jade and slipped a $50 in her back pocket, letting his hand linger on her backside.

Without even thinking of a more appropriate reaction, Jade reached onto the table, grabbed a half empty glass of water, and threw it in the man's face.

He jumped up in complete shock and anger. "What the hell is your problem?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Jade countered. "You been a creepy, sick perv ever since you got here."

The guy angrily snatched Jade's wrist. "Where is your manager? I want you fired! You're done here."

"Sam, let her go!" One of the men hissed. Everything in the restaurant stopped. All eyes were on them.

Jade struggled to remove her wrist from the man's, now known as Sam, grasp. His grip only seemed to get tighter the more she struggled. When she couldn't, she just propelled her knee forward into his groin. That worked instantly. He let her go, and Jade wrapped a hand around her left wrist, which was turning an ugly shade of purple.

"You're going to pay for that, you little bitch!"

"What's going on?" Jade looked up and saw Beck, Ryder, and her dad were all surrounding her. Oh no. The scene was getting bigger.

"This creepy old man was trying to cop a feel." Jade answered, turning to her dad.

"Are you the manager?" Sam asked of Richard. "I want to speak to him about this girl assaulting me."

"I'll do you one better. I own this entire fucking hotel, and now you explain to me why you're trying to feel up one of my waitress, who also happens to be my under aged daughter."

All of the color drained from Sam's face upon hearing that. "Look, I didn't mean to-"

Before he could finish, Richard punched him in the face. His nose made a nasty cracking noise, and Jade cringed. That was definitely broken.

"Listen to me, you disgusting piece of shit." Richard started. "If you think it's okay to sexually harass waitresses because they're younger, and you are wearing a cheap suit, own a BlackBerry and feel superior, think again. I want you to remember this face, okay? Because I'm going to haunt your nightmares. I am going to ruin you. I am going to destroy you. Whatever life you think you have, it's gone. I will make your life a living hell, and for the rest of your days, you will wish you never set foot in this establishment." He looked at the man in disgust. "Security! Get this man out of my hotel before he gets blood everywhere. He looks disgusting."

While the security detail was escorting the man off of the premises, everyone else was still looking around, speechless.

Richard straightened his tie, cleared his throat, and smiled. "Everyone gets a free dessert, and if you've already bought one, it will be taken off of your bill. I apologize for the interruption."

There was a light cheer all around. Nothing made people happier than a free slice of cherry cheesecake or chocolate mousse.

"You okay, princess?"

Jade nodded. "Yeah. Are you okay? You just broke a guy's nose!"

"I'm fine. But you're done for the night. Go upstairs."

.

.

"You didn't have to come up here with me."

Jade was currently sitting in her kitchen with Beck. He was holding an ice pack on her wrist.

"Are you crazy? Yes I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Just shut up and let me be here for you."

Instead of snapping at Beck, Jade reluctantly gave him. "Fine."

"Are you okay?"

"This is so just really embarrassing. My first day at work and it's fucking chaos. I mean, how are these people going to look at me now?"

"Fuck what they think. Who cares?"

Jade also got a kick out of Beck cursing, and she couldn't help but smile. "I'm going to be running this place one day. I don't want them to think of me as a weak little girl who needs daddy to come fix everything."

"Don't sell yourself short. Some creep tried to feel you up, and then got way too aggressive. And you gave as good as you got."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Aside from what your coworkers and future employees think about you, are you okay? That was crazy."

It was a bit scary, because it was so unexpected. "That guy was gross. He stared at me the entire time he was here. And I can handle that, but when he touched me, I freaked. It was creepy. And then he had the audacity to grab me! He deserved that broken nose, and some!"

"Okay, let me see your wrist." Beck removed the ice pack from Jade's wrist. It had turned a deeper shade of purple and was swelling. The guy grabbed Jade harder than she realized.

"You need to take an anti-inflammatory. An Advil or Aleve will suffice. You keep them in your bathroom, right?"

"Yes. You remember where that is?"

"Of course. How many times have I had to sneak in and out of here?"

"Hundreds."

"Exactly. I'll be right back."

Beck stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Jade heard him go up the stairs.

A few minutes later, Beck was back downstairs, a tiny bottle of Advil in the palm of his hand. He went to the refrigerator and got a bottle of water.

"Take some of these."

"Your mom is rubbing off on you." Jade noted. "Look at you, Mister Doctor."

"I can't help myself." Beck opened the bottle for Jade and poured out two of the tiny red pills. "Growing up with a doctor as a mom has made me a bit of an expert in all things medical."

"It's cute."

"Yeah, and it comes in handy." He put the pills in Jade's hand and slid the bottle of water across the island. "Hey, why is it so quiet in here? Where are your parents?"

"My dad is downstairs dealing with the restaurant, and my mom is on his heels, yelling at him."

"What did he do?"

Jade rolled her eyes playfully. "He threw that creep out of the hotel before she got the chance to kick his ass."

Don't let the pretty face and nice smile fool you. Karen may be not be as brash as her husband and daughter, but that didn't change the fact that she was a tough girl from New York, and an intense mama bear who would kill for her kids without batting an eyelash.

"Your mom is so awesome."

"She is." Jade agreed.

"Hey, have you eaten anything? Are you hungry?"

Now that Jade thought about it, she was starving. "Yes. But I'm not in the mood to order room service."

"I can order you something. Do you want a pizza?"

"Pizza sounds great right now. I want-"

"Pepperoni pizza with extra pepperoni, and garlic bread."

"Exactly."

"I know what you want, babe."

"You're paying."

"Of course." Beck reached for his cell phone and dialed the number to Jade's favorite pizzeria. "Just keep icing your wrist."

Jade put the ice pack on her wrist. Despite the shitty circumstances, this was...nice. Beck was in her apartment, they were actually talking, he was buying her food. It felt like old times. Him being so protective over her was amazing. But she wasn't going to let him know that any time soon.


:) Love you guys.