Chapter 47 #2
They excused themselves to an empty room near the rest area. Adele slammed the door shut behind them and immediately pulled out a cigarette to calm herself. So much for the sweet demeanor.
“What’s this?” she demanded, gesturing to business partner and fiancée. Specifically, she motioned toward Jamie’s collar. “Why are you playing your games at these dinners? You think I don’t know what this thing means?”
She puffed on that cigarette as if her lungs craved it more than her brain. Jamie turned her nose away from the smell, but Etta remained facing Adele. “There are no games afoot.”
“My ass!” How had she become so angry so quickly?
What had they even done? “Do you know who is out there? Important clients that we can’t afford to lose.
” She was mostly shouting this at Etta, but occasionally she glanced at Jamie, eyes going straight for the collar around her throat.
“I was willing to overlook the first time it happened, but this is getting out of hand. I can’t have you two making fools of yourselves in front of these types of people. ”
“You have to admit that Jamie has done admirable both times.”
Adele took a step back. “What?”
“You heard me. What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time? I’m training my future wife.”
“Training her? What is she? Your bitch?”
Jamie gasped. Etta furrowed her eyes. “Do not call her that. Ever.”
“Come off it.” Nevertheless, Adele was flustered, finishing off her cigarette and squishing it in a glass ashtray. “I was asking if that’s what you thought of her.”
“What is this really about?” Etta asked. “You’re better than this, Adele. Don’t insult my fiancée, let alone in front of her.”
“Look, I don’t care what you two pervs do in private, but keep it separate from business. For the love of… do you think you get to flaunt who you are in front of these people?”
Etta had a lot more patience than Jamie would have given her credit for. She must like her still, because otherwise she would have no taint by now. Etta did not take well to being talked to like this. It was a miracle her blouse collar wasn’t smoking in anger. “Works for Tad and Johnny out there.”
Adele’s jaw dropped. “Don’t you dare go there.”
Jamie was officially lost now. What did Tad and Johnny have to do with what Etta got up to? Were they kinky too?
Adele excused herself, swinging the door open and not paying a single bit of attention to the woman standing on the other side, eavesdropping as if it were her favorite hobby.
“Well, well,” Lara Anderssen said, eyes fluttering toward Jamie’s collar. “Thought that’s what that was. Knew you were a mess like the rest of us, Coleman, but a love triangle with the ol’ missus? Hinky. I like it.”
“It’s not like that, and I would appreciate you not spreading slander.”
“I would never. I stick to facts.” Lara entered the room, her svelte figure intimidating in every situation – including this one.
“Like how I would love to throw a few grand at you to prove that you really are training this precious little whelp to be your perfect bride. I heard from my spouse what Richard Blake is saying about your girl’s ass. ”
“My girl is right here. You can talk directly to her.”
Jamie froze as Lara approached her. Holy shit, she’s tall. Jamie did her best to not shrink in her Roman sandals.
“If you really want to fit in with everyone playing along the vanilla/chocolate divide, you’ll have to do more than wear a collar and a wedding ring. If you don’t own both, everyone will take you for the fake you are.” Lara dropped the gravitas and shrugged. “That’s my take.”
“Thanks for the unsolicited advice,” Etta muttered.
“Anytime. See you later?”
“Perhaps.”
Once they were alone, Etta tightened her hand around Jamie’s side.
“Are you really training me?” Jamie asked. That wasn’t a word they used in their relationship. Sure, maybe it came out once in a while during a scene, but they weren’t the kind of couple who trained. Were they? That sounds… too much for me.
“Don’t take what just happened seriously. A lot is going on.”
“You’re telling me!”
“Jamie.” Etta embraced her, although her hands quickly held her by the shoulders so Etta’s eyes could pierce into hers.
“Every single one of those people plays mind games. They all have ulterior motives, whether it’s business, sex, or boredom.
Don’t fall into their traps. They want nothing more than to play with and treat you like an amusing toy to mock and get to me. ”
Jamie snatched back her arms. “So you see it!”
“I’ve seen it since the day we became public about our relationship. I was hoping you could ignore it.”
“You can’t ignore something like that, Etta! Even your ex-girlfriend thinks I’m a mess!”
“What?” Etta stood back, releasing her. “That’s not what that was about at all.”
Jamie’s brief anger dissipated. “Then what was it?”
“She’s insecure.” Etta looked as if she regretted blurting that out so quickly.
“She’s not that much different from you, Jamie,” she said, softer.
“She’s insecure in her own ways. It has nothing to do with us, I promise.
Definitely nothing to do with you. Didn’t she take you to Italy to buy you a wedding dress? ”
“I know, but…” Jamie knew how these people worked. What was a weekend in Italy swooning over designers when it could be used to humiliate Jamie down the road? “Never mind.”
“Do you trust me?”
Jamie looked her in the eye, tall and proud even though she wore a collar. “I’ve always trusted you. Maybe to my own detriment, but I have always trusted your sorry rich ass. You think I’d marry a woman I didn’t trust?”
Etta’s tender touch to her face almost calmed her, but by now Jamie was so irate over the whole situation that she merely wanted to turn away with a huff.
“Then let’s get out of here. I’ve done my talking for the night.
I want to go relax with the love of my life before we’re too busy to give a fuck. ”
Jamie lowered her guard. “Say that again,” she pleaded.
There was nothing better than feeling this woman gather Jamie up in her arms and nuzzle her throat, collar on or not. “You’re the love of my life. Let’s go show the world what we mean to each other.”
Jamie grinned against her shoulder. Damn right I am. She always loved how confident Etta made her. Confident enough to do this…
She got up on her tiptoes once they were back in the main room, kissing Etta’s cheek. More than one person glanced at them, but didn’t care. Just how Jamie liked it.