Chapter 7 #2
“I hope you told her she can stay here,” he said, glancing at me from beneath the lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead.
“Really? I don’t want to impose. We could just get a room for the night in Saint-Tropez. She was talking about going to a club there.”
His entire face hardened like he thought that was a terrible idea. “Do you have 500€ for night in town?”
My mouth hung open, and he laughed and gestured to the house. “There’s plenty of room here. Invite whomever you want. Make yourself at home while you’re here.”
“Careful, I might take you up on that and then you’ll never get rid of me,” I warned, only half-kidding.
“I’ll try not to get my hopes up.” He dimpled again, then turned his attention back to the car.
* * *
Toward the end of the week, all Jake’s obsessive fiddling with the car began to make sense.
Late Thursday afternoon, I’d just stuffed a book in my purse with the intention of heading to the café when Jin came barreling out to the garden.
He was dressed more casually today in a pair of off-white linen trousers, loafers, and a loose cream chemise, his fingernails painted the same coral pink as his socks.
“It’s a disaster! Let’s get out of here.” He looped his arm through mine and dragged me toward the gate.
“What disaster? Wait!” We started down the hill toward town, staying under the sliver of shade provided by the cypresses. It was hot today. The air was heavy and noisy with cicadas.
“We’ve lost a major contract. Jake is in a terrible mood, worse than yesterday. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” Jin gripped my hand. “I’m afraid he’s going to break something. It’s scary but kind of hot too.”
“Oh, Jin. I had no idea. Can I do anything?”
Slowing down, he peeked over his sunglasses at me. “Maybe.”
At the café, we sat at a table off to the side of the terrace and ordered two lemonades from Marie-Claude who ran the café. Her English was only slightly better than my French but despite the language barrier, we’d hit it off right away.
“You’ve made friends, I see. It comes so easily to some.” Jin pursed his lips and tore open two packets of sugar, dumping the contents into his glass.
“Not that easily. I don’t understand half of what people are saying.
It’s so frustrating not being able to express myself.
” My long metal spoon clinked against the glass as I stirred ice into my lemonade.
I loved how they gave you ice in a separate glass here, so you could put exactly the right number of cubes in your drink. “I think they feel sorry for me.”
“Please.” Jin waved his fingers at me dismissively.
“Everyone adores you. I knew within ten seconds of meeting you that I could tell you my worst secrets and you wouldn’t judge me.
There’s nothing fake about you. The French love that.
Even if they can’t tell what you’re saying, they know you mean it. ”
“I don’t know. Not everyone seems to like me.”
“Who do you mean by everyone?” He narrowed his eyes at me, and I could feel my cheeks warm under his scrutiny.
“Come on, you know.” I stared down at my glass.
“Honey, Jake is a master at concealing his emotions. He’s almost as bad as my own father. So don’t take it personally.” Jin sat back in his chair and contemplated me. “Anyway, he’s been hiding out in the office a lot more than usual. It’s like he’s trying to avoid you.”
“Geez, thanks for confirming my suspicions.” I hid my head in my hands.
“No, that’s a good thing. Nothing ever bothers him. You’re obviously making him uncomfortable.”
“Again, thank you for the confidence boost. You really know how to make a girl feel special.”
Jin drummed his perfectly manicured fingers against the glass tabletop. “Listen. If he were truly indifferent to you, he wouldn’t be acting like a bride-to-be two days before her wedding, pretending she doesn’t see that tub of Ben of course he’d had girlfriends.
“Lucie and Jake had a thing over a decade ago. Off and on, but neither one was the settling down type. Her father owns half the media in France.” Jin fanned himself. “She’ll no doubt be in town for Jake’s birthday.”
“Oh, when’s that?”
He shook his index finger at me. “Do I look like someone who remembers birthdays? And don’t try to change the subject.”
“I wasn’t,” I lied. Truth was, I was more than a little uncomfortable avowing my attraction to Jake. “And who is Magali?”
“He never mentions her, but from what I understand they were together for a while. Everyone thought they’d get married.” Jin leaned in to whisper as if Jake could hear us. “Then she left him for Thomas.”
“Thomas?”
“His ex best friend and business partner. They’ve always been super competitive.
I swear it’s a soap opera. And it gets worse!
Thomas is now a hotshot consultant for one of the biggest distributors in the Asian market and they’re going after those contracts we just lost.” Jin speared a green olive in the tiny bowl and leaned back while I took it all in.
“No wonder Jake’s been in such a foul mood.” So many puzzle pieces at once. It was overwhelming.
“Look, Olivia. I’ve known Jake for years now, and I’m getting sick of his lone wolf bullshit.
He could be such a slut, but he isn’t. That would at least be entertaining.
Now, it’s just starting to depress me. I should not be getting more action than him.
” He took my hand in his. “I need a vacation, and this latest catastrophe is only going to make him even more driven and intolerable.”
“I don’t see how this has anything to do with me.”
“You need to distract him, honey. Show him what he’s been missing. I want to see that man happy for once.”
“Wow, Jin. I don’t think I’m the person for that role, as much as I’d like to be. I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m too young and, given his relationship to my dad, off-limits.” I could feel panic rise in my gut. It was one thing to fantasize about the guy, but going after him for real was frightening.
“Forbidden fruit. It’s so hot!” He covered his mouth with both hands. “Seriously, though. You know how good I am at pairing wine with food.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I’ve gotten to know you over the past two weeks, and I’m sure you’d be good together.
You’re sweet, he’s sour. You’re a good listener with a big heart, and he has a lot of baggage he needs to work through.
You both had complicated childhoods. You’re inexperienced and easily intimidated . . .”
“Hey!” I tried to look outraged, but he was right.
“Whereas he never flinches from a challenge and has loads of experience.” Yeah, I’d already thought about how I could benefit from that experience.
“It’s like a cupcake with a late harvest wine. A Viognier with softshell crab. A crisp Riesling with some hard old cheese.”
I snorted. “Am I the cupcake in that equation? You don’t know me that well. I’m not that sweet.”
He cocked his head at me.
“Okay, I’m a recovering people pleaser. At least I’m aware of the problem and am trying to set boundaries.”
“You know what would be the perfect therapy? Going after what you want for a change!” Jin slapped his hand against the table for emphasis, sending my spoon flying.
Despite Jin’s optimism, I wasn’t convinced that Jake wanted me. “This isn’t the kind of thing you can force anyone into.”
“He already wants it. He just won’t admit it to himself.” He reached over the table and plucked at the sleeve of my plain black shift dress. “But, honey, if you’re going to do this, we need to get you a new wardrobe. I can’t work with the sale rack at the Gap.”
So much for the simple but professional summer look I’d been going for.
“Don’t you have anything a bit more fun? Like that sexy outfit you were wearing the first day I met you?” I could feel my cheeks warming again.
“I don’t know, Jin . . .” It was a big risk, and I was not used to taking those.
“Well, I do. Just leave it to me.”
* * *
Jin didn’t waste any time. The next day, when I went to the kitchen to make some coffee, he and Jake were standing across the island from each other, arms crossed. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
“Hi, guys. What’s going on?” I asked as blithely as possible as I snuck a cup from behind Jin’s head. He was dressed all in red today, from his sunglasses to the toenails that were peeking out of his leather sandals, like he was geared up for battle.
“Not much. Just the end of our world as we know it.” Jin lowered his sunglasses dramatically over his eyes.
“Jesus, Jin, don’t exaggerate.” Jake’s deep growl reverberated through my bones. “It’s nothing we can’t handle.”
Another moment of intense silence passed while I sipped at my coffee, not knowing whether I should offer to help or slip back out the door.
“Olivia,” Jin said finally. “When you look at me do you see someone capable of handling a crisis?”
I was afraid this was a trick question. Quite honestly, in our brief acquaintance, Jin had twice lost his shit over some poorly filed bottles (my fault entirely) and gone into a twenty-four-hour depression because he’d eaten an entire bag of salt and vinegar chips after downing a small pizza.
“Um, sure, of course you can handle a crisis.”
Jake shot me a warning look over his shoulder, and I knew I had given the wrong answer.
God, did he have to look so sexy when he scowled?
His triceps flexed as he leaned against the sink, his hair falling over his forehead.
I tore my eyes away from him to peek at Jin whose mouth now held the slightest hint of a smile.
“Fine. You win. Buy your ticket.” Jake grunted, snatching up his coffee. Without another word, he left the room.
“What was that about?” I asked, plucking two eggs from the iron basket on the counter.
“We just found out that our contract with the Shangri-La Group is officially dead and that Sungate has picked it up,” Jin explained. “Thomas is out for blood. He’s been contacting our winemakers with exclusive deals to outmaneuver us.”
“Oh no! Is there always this much drama in the wine world?”
“Only if you’re lucky. That means you’re doing something right.” Jin flipped the ends of my hair. “I’ve got some argan oil for these ends if you need it.”
I swatted his hand away. “So why all the talk about you handling a crisis?”
“I had to convince Jake that I can handle this. I have a good relationship with the COO of the Shangri-La Group.” He sipped his tea.
“Jake wanted to go himself, as usual. He’d already bought a ticket to Shanghai, but I told him if I was ever going to become a worthy partner for him, I should handle it. And, grace à toi , I’m going.”
“You mean, that one sentence from me convinced him?” I laughed. “No way. I think he believes you can do it. He just needs to let go.”
“Amen, sister.” He gave me a peck on the cheek and whispered into my ear. “And you can thank me later.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I can’t go to Burgundy with you, so Jake has to.” He gave me a little hip bump. “I’ll pack your suitcase if you pack mine.”