I didn’t want to come across as an uncivilized simpleton so I cleared my throat and said, “Mr. Vandervaal.” What was this, the eighteenth century? “I wasn’t expecting you,” I said looking at my watch. It was a little after nine.
“Weren’t you?” He asked coming forward. “I believe Jasmin informed you that I’ll be calling.”
Yes, Jasmin had said he’ll call me. Call. So I was expecting one over the phone, not call like show up in person. It confirmed my theory that he mentally still lived in the eighteenth century.
“So have you eaten?” He asked again. “If not, I was on my way to get some dinner if you’d like to join me.”
I opened my mouth to refuse but the traitorous whale in my stomach decided to give a loud groan. And the cup noodles waiting for me at home wasn’t appealing either. “Sure,” I said, embarrassed. Jake’s lips curved in an amused smile. Go on laugh at me. Boo. “I’m just going to lock up and meet you outside.”
“You might want to freshen yourself too.” He said.
I look at him blankly. Did I look that bad? I wondered. He lifted his right hand and gently grazed his thumb under my eye and it came off looking black. Shit. My eyeliner had spread all over my eyes after I’d rubbed them. I must look like a freaking panda. Nice, Emma. Nice way to make an impression on him. Now he can remember you as the panda eyed girl. “Yeah, I’ll just . . .” I rush to the washroom. Looking at the mirror in there, I huffed. Yes, I did look that bad.
Once on the sidewalk, I see Jake waiting by his sleek and shiny white BMW. Looking at the beauty, the car radiated class, unlike my second-hand red bug which looked like it was on its deathbed. He opened the back door and waited for me to get in. I resisted the urge to look at my car that was parked nearby. I didn’t want Jake ‘monstrosity’ Vandervall to make fun of it again.
My mother did teach me never to get into cars with strangers but I think that hardly counts in this situation. He was a globally known business tycoon. If he planned to murder me I’m pretty sure he can easily get away with it. So I got inside the car with a gut feeling which told me I wasn’t going to die tonight. At least not by violent means. Of embarrassment, yes.
Jake joined me from the other side and instructed the driver where to go. After having a pleasant dinner at Parmalina’s, eating prawn and pasta, and what not because Jake thought me a starved orphan. I wasn’t complaining nor was the whale in my tummy because the food was delicious. We discussed the vendors that he knew in India and he told me he’d come to know them during the construction of the chain of Vandervaal hotels and had a good understanding with them and were the best in business. I worried that they only spoke the local tongue but Jake offered to help me coordinate with them on my behalf because he knew the language. I thanked him and took a sip of red wine. “I’ll have my secretary send over the list to you by tomorrow. Just let me know who all you wish to contact.” He said as the waiter cleared the table. “When do you plan on meeting them?
“After the selections are done, I’ll fly out the day after I guess,” I tell him. “We’re short on time anyway so I don’t want to waste any by procrastinating.” I take another sip. “I’ll look at the available flights and accommodations tomorrow.”
Jake shook his head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“No?”
“I’m flying out there for a business trip anyway. You could just come with me in the private jet and stay at my hotel.” He said casually.
And that is how I ended up choking and ruining his shirt with the wine.
Chapter Four
Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I’d be sitting next to the crush of my life in his private jet. Destroying his shirt with wine stains had messed up my chances of refusing the offer to go with him without being rude. And now, here we were. With him sitting across me as I observed the ocean below and he gazed into the depths of my soul. Well, not really. I’m sure there must be some rogue pimple near my eyes that the light makeup hadn’t covered. We made small talk before the topic of our love life arrived.
“So, you and Joseph?” He asked, face revealing nothing of his thoughts. I frowned at my reflection on the window. Oh right, I was dating his brother. I give Jake a single nod. “Since when?”
Since yesterday. “Been a few days.” I figured if he knew about Sarah, he would know they’d only broken up a week ago. So I didn’t want to screw up the timing by saying anything else. But Jake didn’t care about that.
“Do you love him?”
Like a brother. “Yes.” He turned his face to look out the window.
“Do you plan to marry him?” There was a hardness in his voice that wasn’t there before.
Yuck. No. You on the other hand are a different matter. “I don’t know yet. It’s too soon to tell.”
“Did you have feelings for him when you came to my house years ago?”
What was this, twenty questions? And no you genius, I was too dumbstruck by your beautiful face and that tiny smile you threw my way. I didn’t want to answer any more questions about Jo & I, so I decided to ask him some instead. “How is Victoria’s Secret?”
He gave me a confused look with a tiny wrinkle between his brows for a moment before smoothening out again. “You mean Camilla?” I shrugged. Camilla Shamilla. “You know about her?” He sounded surprised. Didn’t he know his dating life was no news for the public?
“Jo mentioned it.” And I’d stalked every social media profile of the model but let’s not discuss that.
“Camilla and I are . . .” He paused taking in my reaction. I waited breathlessly. “. . . Complicated.” That made my heart sink like Titanic. Slowly but surely, it went down to the Atlantic ocean that my tummy had become. Which was also where the whale rested. Just like that time I had found out Channing Tatum had tied the knot. “Does it bother you?” Jake asked, studying my face. “Mine dating Camilla?”
Yes. “I don’t think it should,” I said without thinking.
“But it does.” He stated, with eyes taking on a darker shade. Did he want it to bother me? I wondered. “Why?”
Damn Jo for dragging me into this dating mess. I shake my head. “It doesn’t. I’m dating your brother. You can date whoever you want.” I could see his face close up and blank out whatever he was feeling.
“Yes.” He said. “Of course.”
Since it was going to be a few more hours before we reached India, I decided to get some rest. God knows I won’t get any with Jake so close, but I could try. And it would be best to evade talking to him to avoid any awkwardness. “I’m going to get a cat nap if I can,” I said standing up. Jake nodded but said nothing. “Just call out my name when we’re about to land if I’m not out by that time. I tend to doze off.” I closed the door behind me so I could curse my destiny in solitude for the remainder of the journey.
The few days we spent in Rajasthan were so were busy that it was a miracle I had time to breathe. Time passed in a blur of meeting the vendors, assessments of samples, and contracts. Jake was kind enough to accompany me to these visits and introduced me to the wholesalers and retailers that he had done business with. He helped translate the conversations since he had leaned the local language. Coming back to Boston, days passed in planning, preparations, and timely executions. I had to fly out to the venue more than once after that trip with Jake but the latter ones were with Jo. We took the jet again because Jake wouldn’t hear otherwise.