Chapter 39
Jamie had to shout over the spring breeze blowing through the open restaurant.
Mariachi music blasted on speakers a few yards away, and the rabble of other hungry patrons was enough to drown out a sonic boom.
Somehow, two old friends found it in them to converse across a checkered table full of nachos, taco salads, and some super fattening, over-stuffed burritos.
Not like I’ve got a wedding dress to fit into!
“Shut up,” Seena said, crunching on tortilla chips. “She totally did not say that! And you totally did not agree to that!”
“Of course I didn’t. My lawyer would have had a heart attack if I did.
” The worst part about “negotiating” a prenup was that Jamie was eternally on the defensive.
Etta’s lawyer tried to get away with shit, and her lawyer had to counteract with, “Now, you know that’s not fair.
Fix it.” Thinking about it made Jamie shove more cheese sauce in her mouth while rocking out to the mariachi music.
Purge that brain, baby! Not even two days between that shit fest and now could make her feel better. “I haven’t talked to Etta since!”
“Fuck, I wouldn’t either! What a douche move!”
“Right?” Jamie had been hyperbolic. Of course she had spoken to Etta.
They went home that night, her stewing in anger, and Etta unable to figure out why she was so mad.
When Etta ended up working late on Monday and staying in the penthouse, Jamie didn’t rush down to see her.
She would rather sit at home and clip her toenails while watching the latest episode of Real Housewives.
Now there were some women who knew the pains of prenups…
It wasn’t the fact that they had a prenup that angered Jamie so much.
They were going to have one at some point.
Etta was a billionaire, and although Jamie had almost no assets of her own, she was still a threat to Etta’s fortune should they divorce sometime in the future.
No, what pissed her off was how it was sprung on her like a mouse caught in a trap…
and the fact that her lawyer treated her like a gold-digging bitch the whole time.
Didn’t she know Jamie? Didn’t she know the trauma she had gone through thanks to Jacqueline Love?
Lawyers weren’t shit. Including her own.
“So, what happens if she cheats?” Seena didn’t bother to wipe salsa off her face. Loud and proud, right on the corner of her mouth. “You get her ass as compensation?”
“I should have put that in there.” Jamie kept fisting chips in her mouth as she spoke. “No. Instead, if she cheats, I get a 25% higher payout and an extra 20% in alimony payments.” The original negotiation was a 10% increase in alimony, but Etta insisted on doubling that.
“Damn. Not too shabby, really.”
“That’s not the point!” Jamie was going to upturn her basket of chips and not give a fuck.
“The point is that she didn’t even tell me we were going to do that…
all she said was we were going to ‘swing by’ her lawyer’s.
The woman claims we had discussed it before, but I sure as hell don’t remember it! ”
“I’m so sorry…”
“Oh, it gets so much better.” Jamie was on a tangent that wouldn’t end until her train ran off the tracks.
“If we have kids, the oldest has to be in her primary custody. At least. I might be able to take all the spares with me to whatever house she’ll buy me after the divorce, but she gets to keep the primary heir.
Or whatever one she chooses to groom as her successor. ”
“You guys are having kids?”
Jamie shook her head so quickly that it almost popped off her neck. “No, no, see, they put that shit in there to make the divorce proceedings smoother. If we don’t have kids, it will be moot. If we do, it’s supposed to make things easier. I dunno… but how awful is that?”
“At least they didn’t stipulate oldest son. I hate that shit.”
Jamie had to admit, she sort of liked the idea of having a gaggle of girls who all vied to take over Mommy’s company.
Or maybe having a son who showed no interest in it while his little sister became Queen of What-the-Fuck Capitalism.
Hadn’t even thought of that until now. Jamie knew that the first child – hopefully a son – was usually groomed, but parents could choose a different child to be made the heir to their fortunes.
It sounded like a nightmare. The right answer was to have only one kid, but what if it died, or was incompetent?
But having more than one child meant infighting over the inheritance.
This was probably why most of the big old money families stopped after two, three children at the most. Get that heir, and get the one spare who hopefully wouldn’t conjure too much of a stink and divide the family’s power.
Unfortunately, Jamie had thought a lot about such things recently.
“I’m so sorry she did that to you. I thought you guys were getting along great.”
“We were!” Jamie gestured for Seena to meet her halfway across the table so she could lower her voice.
“We had the best sex Friday night. I’m not lying when I say I let her pop the back door open for the first time, and it was the best.” Not something she was itching to do all the time, but she would be up for it again sometime in the future.
“I was riding an orgasmic high all weekend. We went and picked out wedding rings!”
“Wow. So she popped your pucker and surprise attacked you with a prenup negotiation?” Seena shook her head. “I know she’s loaded, but I hope she’s loaded enough to keep you interested in marrying her. Because neither that nor a nice body is enough to put up with that.”
“You’re telling me…” Jamie mumbled. “Look, it’s not the end of the world that we had to do a prenup. I knew it was coming… eventually. Like I said, I’m mostly pissed that she sprung that shit on me like the worst surprise party in the world.”
“People are so dumb sometimes.” Even with all the ambient noise around them, Seena’s voice still carried to Jamie’s ears.
Helped that she was naturally loud, like her brother Tosh.
“Why in the world didn’t she tell you that’s what you were going to do?
Did she think you weren’t going to find out? Or care? Was she thinking at all?”
Jamie shook her head, shaking chip crumbs from the bottom of their basket. “Let’s talk about something else. Like how I gained five pounds from this lunch.”
“I love this place. Almost as good as my mom’s food. Her nachos aren’t as oily, though.”
Jamie paid for their lunches before they parted ways, Seena going back to work at the garage where she and Tosh were employed.
I don’t miss having jobs to return to, but I do wish I had more friends who didn’t have jobs, too.
Jamie was left alone in her red Corvette, Etta’s birthday gift to her many months ago.
Corvettes weren’t the most upscale or money-loaded vehicles around, but Jamie had always drooled over the smooth curves like weirdos drooled over hers. And red! Her favorite color!
She also liked that it was flashy without being too rich.
It said she was a woman with some means, that she was flirty, liked to have fun…
but that she wasn’t some stuck-up snob with millions at her disposal.
Even if that’s true. It wasn’t like being driven in the Town Car.
Jamie only got out the Corvette from the garage when she wanted some extra freedom and didn’t have upscale social commitments.
The way the Corvette clashed to hell and back in a garage full of Italian luxury cars, though… ha!
Jamie had plenty to keep her occupied that afternoon, however.
She had an open invitation at The Ruby Peacock for measurements and fittings for honeymoon clothes.
Etta (the ass) had graciously arranged it after they decided to split their time between Hawaii and Europe for their honeymoon.
It was tried and true, after all. They would be there during Independence Day, and Etta had it on good authority that their rental would have a fantastic view of fireworks.
“I want you to start married life with me with the perfect clothes. You’ll be beautiful and comfortable, regardless of the situation or weather.
” That’s what she told her two weeks ago when Etta informed her that the tailor at The Ruby Peacock was salivating to turn bride Jamie into her summer model.
Monique had become the face – and stomach – of maternity fashion, even though the boutique wasn’t exactly known for any size above a six.
(Yet, somehow, women of larger sizes still managed to get dressed there. Money could accomplish anything.)
So with no other commitments and a burning desire to spend a wad of Etta’s cash, Jamie pulled right up to the boutique and sauntered inside.
It was not a busy afternoon. Even so, there was a small wait since Jamie did not call ahead, and she was asked to sit in a waiting area. She hadn’t sat down for two seconds before someone texted her.
“Please meet me at the penthouse tonight. I’d really appreciate it.”
Jamie was not quick to respond. She didn’t respond at all, in fact.
Oh, she would go. She would listen to whatever Etta had to say, whether she remembered their incident at her lawyer’s place or not.
She would probably apologize. Give Jamie flowers or jewelry.
Order them some fancy dinner before trying to make love to her.
The woman was upping her game over the past year.
She might have drawn a bath again. Or volunteered herself to be subjected to video games.
Jamie sighed, staring at her written words. I both hate her and love her right now. Of course she loved her, but because she loved her didn’t mean she liked her at the moment!
“Ah… fancy seeing you here.”