I love that you love this story. and I am going to remind you that this is not my story. it is Melissa Good's story Hurricaine Watch. I have not changed a whole lot of the story at all. Melissa is brilliant and yes she has a knack for the romantic. this is why we love her. She writes this other series in sci-fi... crazy good... but I am just now discovering it so I won't be sharing it here.. gotta go pick up my kid so I'll leave this here... enjoy. S. K.
Fourteen
Tori stifled a yawn, as she trudged across the kitchen, headed for the coffee machine. She mechanically portioned the Irish cream-flavored grounds into the basket, and started the coffee going, blinking a little as she leaned against the counter.
She could hear Jade's voice as a low murmur coming from her office, and she guessed her lover was making the promised phone calls to their stubbornly missing staff. "Any luck?" She called in, as she heard her say goodbye.
"Oh yeah." Jade moved to the doorway of the office, stretching and catching the edges of the sill with her fingers as she rocked her head back and forth to loosen her neck muscles. "I got Sinjin.. he cursed me out because he was planning on working over one of his bikes, but he said he'd be in, and that he'd call the rest of his staff in so I didn't have to do it." The tall, dark-haired woman released the door and walked across to where Tori was standing. "Now I have to do the tough one... Mari."
"Ouch." Tori slid a hand up Jade's belly, feeling the warmth of her skin under the fabric. "You're hardly limping." She commented.
"Mm… yeah, it feels a lot better." Jade agreed, with a smile. "I think I'll use the crutches to get away with dressing down again today, though."
Tori snorted. "Jade, after having the CEO come and beg you to reconsider last night, you think anyone would say a word if you came dressed in shorts and a t-shirt?" She paused. "Wait a minute… forget I suggested that. They'd say words, all right, and I'd have to slap them all silly."
Jade laughed. "Thank you for flattering my ego." She gently kissed Tori's head. "Excuse me." She moved past the brown-haired woman and into the kitchen, retrieving a bowl and her Frosted Flakes from the cabinet. "Want some?"
A sigh. "Jade, do you think you could make me feel better by at least putting a little banana in that?" Tori asked, mournfully. "And no thanks.. they crunch too loud and hurt my ears this early in the morning." She bumped Jade out of the way and opened the refrigerator, snagging a fruit and cheese Danish from a neatly packed box. "I prefer a quieter, gentler breakfast."
Jade grinned, munching away noisily, and pressed a key on the kitchen console.
"Jade West, 656 new messages, 234 Urgent." The computer responded promptly.
"Oh, Jesus." Jade almost inhaled a flake. "Delete all unmarked." She told the computer. "Forget it.. they can resend the damn things."
"Deleted. Jade West. 234 new messages, 234 Urgent."
"Delete all messages and duplicate subjects," Jade instructed. "That also have the same sender." She glanced at Tori who was chewing her danish and had padded over to pull out two large mugs. "That should get rid of half of those."
"Deleted. Jade West 155 new messages, 155 Urgent."
Jade sighed. "Well, that's better than 600 plus, I guess." She examined the list. "Let's see…oh.. read 143."
Valentine, Cat Sent 7:32 am
Jade -
I just got this cryptic note from Alastair, which basically states:
"She's back, she's got something, she's got the authority to do whatever she's doing."
What is he talking about? I'm assuming he's referring to you because he left your resignation letter marked "Rescinded'" on my desk... I tried calling you last night, but there wasn't any answer... I'd like to talk to you. I know we've got some issues to discuss."
Mari
"He's such a pain in my ass sometimes." Jade rolled her eyes, and picked up the phone, dialing a number. She waited. "Good morning, Mari." She remarked into the receiver, keeping her voice more or less neutral.
A pause. "Oh… Jade…. God.. yes, good morning." The Personnel VP answered, somewhat hesitantly. "I just sent you that email, I didn't know if you were picking up, or… "
"I didn't until this morning," Jade replied. "Alastair was here last night."
Longer pause. "Oh." Cat thought about that. "So.. you're back with us, I take it?" She asked hopefully.
"I kind of assumed from his note."
"Looks like it," Jade responded. "I had a few conditions, and he met them, so…" She shrugged, then smiled at Tori as the brunette woman handed her a cup. "I just called Sinjin.. he's calling his staff, and I'll see if I can get the rest of operations back in." She sipped her coffee contentedly. "I'm going to have them put their time in as worked."
Mari hesitated. "Okay." She murmured. "What about the whole situation with Fabricini… I inferred from Alastair that you're handling it?" She asked, cautiously.
"Yep," Jade informed her. "I'll forward you the documentation, but I'm going to resolve that all when I get there."
"Okay," Cat said again. "So you're coming in? I thought Tori told me the doctor sent you home to rest?" She gingerly asked. "I mean, Jade… this can wait a day or two… I really don't want to see you hurt yourself."
The dark-haired woman smiled wryly. "It's okay... I promised Tori I'd make it a half day, and take her out sailing for dinner." She told her. "And I don't break promises like that." She ran a hand through Tori's disheveled hair and scratched the back of her neck gently, causing the other woman to close her eyes and hum blissfully.
A soft sigh. "All right… I guess I'll see you in a little while… and, Jade?"
"Mm?" Jade took a swallow of coffee.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jade asked quietly.
"You were right… we did all stand back and let you get hit." Mari replied, just as quietly. "I don't feel very good about that."
Jade let her eyes flick to Tori's face, as the Latina regarded her, the sun coming in the window dusting her face with golden light. "It's all right." She finally answered, lifting her hand to gently stroke the soft skin. "It wouldn't have mattered before... I wouldn't have cared.. but I think I've been just a little off balance lately.. and you had no way of knowing that." She told Cat. "You assumed I'd just react like I always did before."
"Mm," Cat murmured. "Well, it's not going to happen again." She vowed. "I've set up meetings with both Jose and Elle today, and we're going to have some straight talk here."
Tori turned her head and kissed the palm brushing her cheek. "I'm going to go take a shower." She mouthed, rubbing Jade's belly.
Jade smiled and nodded. "All right.. let me finish making my calls, Kitten.. and "I'll see you in a little while." She paused. "How's Rob?"
"Grumpy." Cat chuckled ruefully. "I woke him up and told him you were coming back, and now he has to get out of his bathing suit and actually come to work. " She paused. "That was quite a tribute to you, by the way." She added. "It's the first day he called in sick in five years." She sighed. "All right…let's get this place back to normal… drive safely, my friend."
"I'm not driving, but I'll pass that on," Jade told her dryly. "See you, Kitten… listen, we'll have dinner… talk things out, all right?"
"All right." Cat sounded relieved. "See you, Jade."
Jade put the phone down and wandered over to the sliding glass door, pushing it back and moving out onto the stone balcony, letting the early morning sun warm her skin after the cool of the air conditioning inside. The sea was at low tide, and very green to her eyes, and she leaned on the railing, gazing out as the breeze blew her hair back.
She had, she realized, mixing feelings about going back to work. Part of her was glad, needing the excitement and the challenge, but there was another part, a guilty, hidden part that had been secretly hoping the resignation would stick… hoping that she and Tori could then take a few weeks off and just…
Jade's eyes found the horizon. She'd found herself wanting very much to take time out of life, and spend it getting to know her lover better, taking her places Jade liked.. maybe even out skiing… down to Key West.. all the things they didn't have time to do now.
She sighed and nibbled her lip. Well, one thing, if Alastair knew about them, and they decided to take off the same week, it would be all right. In fact, she decided, that's exactly what we're going to do. She straightened and went back inside. Pick a week, and take off. To hell with the company. She exhaled and headed for her own shower.
Hearing the sound of water running as she entered her bedroom, and spotted the naked, patiently waiting figure leaning against the door, arms crossed, darkened brown eyes watching her with seductive intent.
Oh yeah. Jade sucked in a breath as a sensual jolt hit her right in the groin. To hell with the company. "Well well.. what do we have here?" She inquired, moving closer and sweeping her across the lithe body in front of her. Tori's appearance had changed quite a bit since she'd met her three months prior. Her indoor pallor had deepened into a golden tan, and the painful thinness had disappeared, replaced by an addition of a solid twenty-five pounds of smoothly sculpted muscle covered by a comfortable layer of softness. Jade had always found her attractive, but the changes had also brought Tori a new self-confidence that seemed to glow inside her, rendering her almost mesmerizing in Jade's appreciative eyes.
"Gotta make sure you don't slip and fall in the shower, Jade," Tori informed her cheerfully, Never mind that there was a bench in the shower. Reaching up and unbuttoning the top button on her shirt. "I just got my boss back... I don't want to lose her again." She unbuttoned the second button. "Do you mind sharing a shower?"
"Heh." Jade slid both hands down her sides and traced the now barely visible ribs with gentle thumbs. "Oh, I think I could suffer through that all right." She ducked her head and kissed her. "Somehow.. "
"Mm.. " Tori unbuttoned the third and fourth buttons, sliding the shirt up and over Jade's shoulders and letting it fall to the ground. Then she traced a gentle pattern down the tall body and got to the shorts, sliding those down as well. "I bet you could" She nibbled the soft skin over Jade's jugular and stepped forward, brushing their bodies together. "You taste so good." She murmured.
Jade felt her heart jerk, and start pounding. "Do I?" She moved closer and slipped her arms around Tori, feeling her shoulder blades move as she reciprocated and the warmth of the contact between them surged. She ducked her head and captured an ear, tracing its curve with the tip of her tongue. "So do you." She purred softly, hearing the gentle intake of air as Tori's breathing caught.
Slowly they moved into the shower, trading the chill air for warm mist, and the spicy scent of the soap Jade preferred flowed around them. Jade squeezed a little of the gel onto her hands and began to lather Tori's back, moving her fingers over the strong shoulders and down across her hips.
A soft sound escaped the brown-haired woman, who had started spreading soap down Jade's sides. She pushed away a little, allowing the fairer woman's hands to continue their motion up her belly as she let her fingers trail down along Jade's thighs. "My pastor always taught me... " She murmured, moving back against Jade's soapy body. "That cleanliness is next to godliness.."
"Oh yeah?" Jade inclined her head and nipped at the skin on Tori's shoulder.
"Mm… I gotta send him a card sometime and let him know how right he was." Tori uttered, starting a slow, tantalizing progression right down the center of Jade's body, with a few east and west detours.
Jade just chuckled.
It was a very weird experience. Tori paced quietly alongside Jade's crutch-assisted steps, carrying her lover's briefcase along with her own. Usually, they split up when they entered the building, but today… no. Today she kept her head up, and regarded the people around them, knowing they were without a doubt, the center of attention.
"Morning, Ms. West, Ms. Vega." The guard greeted them, giving Tori a wink.
"Morning," Jade answered, as she moved past him and towards the elevator. Fortunately, everyone else seemed to have gone upstairs already, and they were alone in the elevator. "So." Jade eyed her. "You ready?"
Tori studied the mirrored doors of the elevator and took a deep breath. "More or less… I'm going to go to my office and just see what I have on my desk… you going to call a meeting?"
"Of operations?" Jade inquired. "I'd better…probably around ten or so.. you want to send out a note?" Jade eased out the door as they got to their floor, and waited for Tori to join her. "That should give me enough time to get a few things settled." They walked down the corridor and Tori opened the door for her, waiting for the taller woman to enter.
Jade paused in the doorway, and looked back at her, a gentle smile crossing her face. "Thanks." She commented simply before she turned and continued on into the room.
Mariela was there, seated precisely behind her desk, her hands folded on the top of it. She stood when Jade entered and took a breath. "Bom dia, Jade."
The executive stopped and leaned on her crutches. "Good morning, Mari.. thanks for coming in." She gave the secretary a smile. "Did you have a nice day off?"
Mariela beamed back at her. "Si.. si… my daughter took me out on the Sea Escape... I play the arm machines, and win fifty dollars." She stated. "But I am glad you called me.. glad you came back."
Jade laughed. "Now, that's the way to spend your time…" She looked at Tori. "We've got to try that one weekend." Her eyes went back to Mariela's, seeing the faint look of startlement. "I'm glad you agreed to come back… I'd really hate to have had to replace you, Mari." She moved into her office, leaving her secretary and her lover looking at each other.
Tori felt herself blushing, as Mariela gave her a knowing smile. "Um. I think I'd better go get some work done." She cleared her throat. "I'm… going to... uh... get some coffee... you want any?" She asked, rubbing the side of her face and feeling the heat against her fingertips.
Mariela walked over and took her hands. "Victoria."
Honey brown eyes peeked at her uncertainly. "Yes?"
"You have been such a gift to her," Mariela told her softly. "God bless you."
Tori dropped her eyes and felt her blush intensify, almost making her light-headed. She sucked in a few breaths and finally looked back up. "Thanks." She whispered. "I think this feeling is God's greatest gift to anyone." She managed to get out. "I'm glad I was in the right place at the right time."
"Si." Mariela smiled. "Go to your office... I am going downstairs... I will bring you some coffee, and some of the little pastries." She released Tori's hands and gave her a little push. "Go… I make faces like this... " She poked her tongue out. "At all the other secretaries."
Tori laughed. "Okay…" She surrendered. "Thank you." She ducked out into the hallway and started towards her office, only to be stopped by Sinjin. "Oh.. hey.. "
"Hey." He cuffed her lightly on the arm. "I heard you kicked ass yesterday… way to go." His face was tinged with sunburn, and he bore a faintly smug look. "I take it the boss is here?"
She exhaled. "Yep.. just got to her office… I'm sure we'll be a week just straightening out the email bombs." This sudden, casual recognition of her and Jade's attachment was, she had to admit, a little unsettling.
But kind of nice, too. It sort of relaxed a tension she'd hardly been aware of. "Thanks for coming in so fast."
Sinjin chuckled. "Yeah.. well… I guess the bike will have to wait for the weekend…I've got so much crap piled up on my desk, I need an elephant-sized pooper scooper to dig myself out of it." He patted Tori's arm again. "See you later."
Tori lifted a hand in goodbye, and walked down the hallway, going into her office and dropping into her chair, as she flipped the power switch on her computer and waited for it to boot.
What would Jade do, she wondered. She knew it would end up with Steve Fabricini leaving, but… how? Was Jade going to simply threaten him, or did she have something else up her sleeve? Her boss wouldn't go into the details, stating only that she'd told Alastair she had a way to fire him for cause, that would absolve the company from any litigation.
Tori drummed her fingers on the desk. The lack of forthcoming information was aggravating. Jade had assured her she wasn't worried about Tori telling anyone, it was just that she hadn't worked out in her head exactly how she was going to do things, so…. But it was frustrating because she was so curious as to what Jade had found.
Was Steve really a felon, and Sinjin had unearthed a long criminal record on him?
Maybe he was really a spy from EA?
An undercover operative for the CIA, just pretending to be a disgusting slimeball? Nah. She decided. He wasn't that good an actor. He really was a slimeball.
Maybe Jade's father had discovered he was really a Cuban terrorist.. sent here to disrupt the American economy.
Hmm. She turned her attention to her email, which had spawned frighteningly overnight. Parent email now had multiple child emails, some of which had died and left the original subjects lonely orphans. "Jesus." She paged through them. "I wonder if I could just kill them all?"
Her phone buzzed, and she hit the answer button. "Operations, Vega."
A panicked voice answered. "Oh…great… uh… Ms. Vega.. this is Roger, in Boulder... uh… we've got a problem?"
"Okay." Tori leaned forward, kicking her problem-solving brain cells into gear. "What is it?"
A loud sound of splashing came through the phone. "Uh… ow!" Roger yelped. "Um.. the sprinkler system went off over here.. and umm. Yeeoww!" The phone fumbled and clattered, then was picked up. "Damn chair hit me in the.. uh… well, anyway, we're flooded."
"Flooded," Tori repeated carefully. "As in underwater?"
"Shit!" He yelped. "Uh.. sorry.. yeah.. the control room is three feet deep.. and it's not getting any…wow!" A loud popping and snapping was heard. "Yow.. I think that was the main breaker panel going… "
"Roger?" Tori spoke loudly into the phone.
"Yeah?" He answered. "Oh.. wait I gotta get up onto the desk.. "
"Get out of there!" Tori yelled, then put him on hold and dialed Jade's extension, waiting for her boss to pick up. "Help!" She barked into the phone, then switched back to the other line. "Roger?"
"Uh… I've got a problem, Ms. Vega." The man answered nervously.
"More than one," Tori told him. "What is it?"
"I can't swim." He answered. "And I think I just saw a 3270 float by." The phone suddenly disconnected.
"Shit." Tori glanced up as she heard running steps, then half stood as her inner door burst open, and Jade pounced inside, her pale blue eyes snapping, and every inch of her bristling with unreleased energy.
"What's wrong?" She snapped.
The brunette woman drew in a breath. "God, you look sexy when you do that."
Jade was obviously knocked off stride. "Wh… buh… " She exhaled. "Tori! You yelled for help... what the hell's going on?"
"Oh.. right… Boulder's been flooded out." Tori quickly explained. "Sorry about that.. they're in big trouble." She walked over and put an arm around her lover. "Sorry, Jade... I didn't mean for you to think that I was.. um… " She rooted around for a phrase.
"In mortal danger?" Jade relaxed a little. "You know I just knocked the copier repairman so far back onto his butt they're probably going to have to remove the toner drum from his throat surgically." She sighed and rubbed her face. "Okay.. so we've got a potential disaster, right?"
"Mm… the guy from Roger just told me he thought he saw a 3270 mainframe floating in the control room," Tori advised her.
"Anyone check to see if they're burning hemp around there again?" Jade snorted. "3270's don't float." She exhaled. "Okay.. let me go start working on the problem… try to get them back on the phone, or call the cells… " She muttered, as she walked back out, shaking her head.
Tori smiled a little, as she heard the interested, but muted excitement in Jade's tone. She loves this, the Latina realized. She loves when things are really tough and hard, and she can go in and fix them. With a soft chuckle, she turned back to her desk and called up a network schematic, wincing at the flashing red dots that indicated down sections. "Oh.. that bites." She started dialing emergency numbers.
"Look.. I don't give a damn about what you have to do to release that." Jade growled into the phone. "I need your damn president on this phone in five minutes, or the next call is from our legal department. Your choice." She glanced up as Mariela stuck her head in, and waved a small cardboard tray. One hand lifted and waved her forward. "I'll hold."
Mariela came over with the pastelitos and offered them to her. "I have three of those little queso ones." The secretary whispered. "I know you like them."
Jade's eyes twinkled gently as she nodded, and put her hand over the receiver. "Thanks." She mouthed, as she accepted the pastries and the steaming cup of creamy-looking coffee, glancing up and meeting Mariela's eyes.
It was an odd feeling, somewhat naked, somewhat embarrassing, and Jade found herself blushing a little. by the little chuckle Mariela gave before she backed mercifully out of the room the older woman had noticed Jade's embarrassment.
Not that Mariela hadn't known before, but… Jade sighed and took a bite out of one of the pastries. She was used to keeping her private life private, even her brief interlude with Elana had been under wraps, until that last, very public, scathingly sarcastic encounter.
Maybe that's why she was feeling a little skittish, hmm? It had taken her a long time to get to the point where she could think about that, and not cringe inside, though outwardly she'd shown as much emotion as if Elana had merely been turning over a report.
Stoneface.
Rob had told her later that it had pretty well cemented her reputation as the company's premier iceberg, the way she'd brushed off Elana's pointed rending with a mere lift of a brow, and a twitch of the lips.
Oh god if they'd only known.
Jade regarded her desktop for a moment in silence, then looked up as a voice came back on the line. "Well?" She snapped.
"Ms. West, we have a team of people heading out that way… I'm not sure... " The voice hesitated.
"Look," Jade growled, sending her voice down to its lowest pitch. "I need to know what chemicals were in that sprinkler mixture and I need to know NOW!" She punched up the volume, feeling the sound reverberate in her chest. "Or you're going to take responsibility for the bill when I have to fly a chemical hazard team in there on my goddamned Gulfstream!" The insurance company was refusing to allow any employees to enter the networking office until the dangers were evaluated, and they had fully taken down the team that built the extreme Sports game out in Colorado.
"Jade.. " Mariela poked her head in. "Cat on linha número dois." She called, in a low voice.
"Not now." Jade muted her current call. "I'm in the middle of a disaster." She watched as Mariela disappeared, then she propped her head up on one hand and released the mute button with the other. "Do I get that, or do I call my legal department? I'm done screwing around with you people."
Rustling papers, and low mutters. "Where do you need the information sent?" The voice stiffly answered. "We can pass along our usual information, but you have to understand that the composition will vary depending on local water quality, and the types of pipes... and... "
"Just send it." Jade interrupted him and repeated the fax number at their insurance company's branch office in Colorado. She looked up as Tori entered, suppressing a smile. "And I'd like to know why that system discharged."
Tori circled her and picked up a pastry, nibbling it as she perched on the corner of Jade's desk, listening to the agitated muttering coming from the phone. "Everyone's screaming." She mouthed.
Jade lifted her hands and let them drop. "Bite me." She mouthed back. "I didn't set off the god damned sprinklers."
Tori obligingly put her pastry down and captured Jade's fingers, lifting them and nibbling on a thumb instead. "Okay."
"Ms. West, we just don't know what caused it yet." The hapless voice came through the phone. "It could have been a false heat reading, it could have been a mechanical error... There's no sense in speculating since we don't really have any data. My team is on their way there.. as soon as they get there and figure out what happened, believe me, I'll call you."
Jade felt an enjoyable tickle as the neat white teeth scraped lightly across the sensitive skin on the side of her finger. "All right." She agreed. "But I have an entire data center down, and they can't even get in there to start cleaning up… so they'd better move their asses." She hung up, then noticed the other line was still lit. She punched it. "Mari?"
A loud argument filtered through. "Oh.. what? Jade… yes." Kitten cleared her throat.
"Listen, you said you were going to handle a certain situation.. well, I think... " Steve's loud voice was heard in the background, demanding something.
"Send him up here," Jade spoke quietly, but forcefully into the phone.
"What?" Cat asked.
"I'll take care of it. Send him up here." Jade repeated, a slow, dangerous smile crossing her face. "After this morning, I'll enjoy it."
A hesitation. "All right." The Personnel VP agreed, reluctantly. "But- "
"Just do it." Jade overrode her, then disconnected. She leaned back in her chair and smiled without any humor. "Oh yeah... I'm going to enjoy this all right."
"Okay…"
"Jade." Tori regarded her quietly. "What are you going to do?"
Pale blue eyes lanced into her. "Fire him," Jade answered, coolly. "And watch him squirm his little ass right out of this office between two nice, big security guards."
Tori exhaled, as she studied her lover in silence for a moment. "Jade… listen to me a minute." She slipped off the desk, and knelt, resting her hand on Jade's thigh for balance. "He still holds a grudge from ten years ago, right?" She asked. "That's' what started this whole stupid thing."
Jade's brows knit. "Yeah, so?" she leaned closer to the phone. Kitten, Hang on a sec…"
"Sure," the Personnel VP sighed as she was put on hold yet again.
Tori gently traced an idle pattern against the cotton fabric. "Isn't there some way you could do this so it didn't perpetuate the hatefulness?"
"What?" The dark-haired woman stared at her.
A sigh. "He hates you because of a thing that happened half a lifetime ago.. that's a long time to keep that anger inside... now this… it's just more anger, and more hate, and more need for revenge."
"Who cares?" Jade asked. "Tori, there's no way we're ever going to not hate each other.. and frankly, I don't give a damn if he does. I just want him out of here." She told the brunette woman. "You'd better scoot before he shows up.. no sense in getting you involved in it."
Tori took a breath. "Jade, I am involved in it." She told her lover firmly. "If he hates you, then he hates me." She looked right up into Jade's eyes. "And I don't like being hated." A pause. "Even by someone like him.. my family's enough for me to handle right now."
Jade blinked at her.
"You're so smart.. can't you find a way to get him out without escalating this?" The brown eyes gazed sadly at her, reading the stunned look on the taller woman's face. "So it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass someday?"
"Tor. That's how business works," Jade said. "You can't be everyone's friend."
Tori rubbed her temples. "I Know that," she said. "But what's he going to do if you fire him, Jade? He's going to do his level best to get back at you, and at us. Do you really want those pictures in the Chronicle because you know he's going to do it?"
Jade crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.
"Besides, Didn't Alastair say the board would rather not be sued over the firing?" The brunette went on gently. "Jade, I'm not trying to be a Jerk, I just want things not to get worse here."
"Shit…" Jade muttered. She relaxed her posture and leaned an elbow on her desk, resting her head on her hand. "I should have taken a few days off to let this defuse." She reached over and punched the hold button. "Kitten?"
"Still here," Cat answered.
"I need to hold off on Steven. I've got a bit of a flooding situation right now, that takes precedence." Jade told her. "Just tell the idiot to go do what we pay him to do and leave you alone for right now."
"Right." Surprisingly Cat sounded relieved. "I stonewalled him and told him if he had an issue with personnel policies he could go talk to The Board," She said. "And I warned him he should thread lightly since Alastair was the one running the show on this." She hesitated. "But I thought you-"
"Has to be done right," Jade interrupted. "That needs some time to arrange, and right now I don't have it."
"Got it…" Cat's voice turned brisk. "I'll get off your line now. Thanks, Jade."
"Yeah…" Jade hung up and regarded Tori.
Tori gently brushed the side of Jade's head, where a slight bump could still be felt, then she got up off the desk and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 'I love you." She whispered in the perfect, curved ear, then turned and left quietly.
Jade sat in a pool of filtered sunlight, the slanted rays dusting her cotton pants in warm ochre panels as she stared at the empty place where Tori had knelt mere moments before. Her cheek tingled with the soft pressure, and she could still smell Tori's distinctive scent lingering in the air that surrounded her.
Her savage resolve of just five minutes prior was gone, dissipated into a somber confusion, that knitted her brow as she slowly turned in her chair, resting her elbows on her desk and surrounding her coffee cup with a pair of loosely interlaced sets of fingers. It. had been so easy. So cut and dried. What did she care what he thought about it?
She didn't, Jade sighed and shook her head. She didn't give a rat's ass what he thought or what he'd do about it. "But I do care what she thinks," she spoke aloud to the sunlight. "And I do have better things to do.
The phone lit up again and she put aside the issue to deal with this far more urgent problem. "Probably easier to solve anyway."