No Choice
1078 Words
Jade stood rooted to the spot, staring at the doors Apple had just walked through.
“You’ll survive.”
Easy for her to say.
Jade exhaled sharply, pressing her fingers to her temples. She needed to think.
There was no way she was going on this date.
But she couldn’t just outright refuse—not without making things unnecessarily complicated. André Young was a walking disaster, but he was also a powerful businessman. She needed to be professional about this. Polite. Firm. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was flustered.
Even though she was flustered.
No. Annoyed. That was the word.
She was annoyed.
She ran through her options in her head. A straightforward rejection. A well-crafted excuse. Something along the lines of, I appreciate the offer, Mr. Young, but I’d rather not mix personal and professional affairs.
Personal affairs? As if. More like personal hatred.
Jade nearly laughed at herself. A fork in the eye would be less painful than a night with André Young.
Or better yet, she could tell him she’d rather have a root canal than spend an evening with someone so arrogant. The words lingered in her mind, amusing her for a split second before she quickly pushed the thought away.
Oh, if only she could say that out loud.
“Big words for someone who looks absolutely cornered.”
Her stomach dropped.
Jade looked up—only to see André Young himself standing in front of her, hands in his pockets, his signature smirk in place.
Her moment of mental preparation? Completely wasted.
She blinked, momentarily thrown off by his presence, then narrowed her eyes. “What?”
André grinned. “You were thinking so hard back there. Looked like you were about to give yourself a migraine.”
Jade’s heart skipped a beat. Had he just—
No. No way.
“I—” she started, but then froze.
Wait.
Had she… been thinking out loud?
Her mind reeled, retracing her last few seconds of thought. Surely not.
Right?
André took a step closer, his grin widening. “Let me guess. You were rehearsing some polite, professional way to reject me.”
Jade stiffened.
His eyes gleamed. “Something about not mixing business with personal matters. Something polite. Boring.”
She had been thinking that.
But there was no way he could’ve known—
Jade folded her arms and forced a scoff. “Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Young.”
André tilted his head. “Oh? So you weren’t debating whether to use the phrase ‘personal affairs’ or ‘personal hatred’?”
Jade’s stomach plummeted.
He did know.
Her lips parted slightly in shock. “How did you—”
André chuckled. “You, my dear Ms. Ventura, are not as subtle as you think.”
Jade’s face burned. “I wasn’t—”
“You were,” he cut in smoothly. “And I must say, your little inner monologue was fascinating.”
Jade groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead. This was not happening.
She had actually thought those things out loud.
In front of him.
André’s smirk deepened, as if he was savoring every second of her realization.
She could feel her frustration building, tightening her chest. This wasn’t just about the date anymore. It was about the power he seemed to have over her emotions, the way he could read her so easily. It was infuriating.
But she couldn’t show him that. She couldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“You really admire my passion for not going on this date, don’t you?” she deadpanned, trying to regain some dignity.
André grinned. “I do. It’s adorable.”
Jade inhaled sharply. Professional. Stay professional.
“I was just about to tell you—”
André cut her off, stepping closer. “Let me guess. You’re very busy. You’d rather not mix business with personal matters. Something polite and boring, right?”
Jade scowled. “Something professional.”
“Mm.” He tilted his head. “Or maybe you’re afraid.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
André’s grin widened. “Are you afraid you’ll fall for me, Ms. Ventura?”
Jade laughed. A sharp, incredulous laugh.
“Fall for you?” she scoffed. “In what world?”
André shrugged, completely unfazed. “You wouldn’t be the first.”
Jade stared at him, willing herself not to throw something at his ridiculously smug face. He had the audacity to look amused, like she was the one being ridiculous, when he was the one making this all so complicated. She’d never met someone so self-assured in her life. It was like he knew exactly how to get under her skin.
“I am not going on this date,” she said firmly.
André sighed dramatically, crossing his arms as if he were genuinely disappointed. “That’s a shame.”
His voice was light, teasing—too casual. But enough to stoke her irritation.
And that’s when Jade noticed it.
The flicker of something else beneath his easygoing demeanor.
A challenge.
A quiet certainty, as if he knew something she didn’t. It wasn’t just playful banter anymore. He seemed… sure. As if he knew she’d eventually cave in. And that made her angrier than she cared to admit.
Before she could ask, a voice interrupted them.
“Ah, Mr. Young!”
Jade turned to see the head administrator of the school approaching, looking positively delighted.
Oh no.
“Miss Ventura,” the head smiled at her before turning to André. “We are truly grateful for your generosity. Your support means so much to the children.”
André gave a charming nod. “I’m happy to help.”
The administrator beamed. “And I hear you and Miss Ventura will be spending some time together soon! That’s wonderful. Building strong relationships with our partners is always a great thing.”
Jade’s jaw clenched.
André looked way too amused.
“It’s an honor,” he said smoothly, glancing at Jade. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Jade forced a tight smile. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say the administrator was completely unaware of the tension in the air. Or maybe, just maybe, they were all in on it. Trying to make her uncomfortable.
She hated the idea that she was being cornered into this.
She was going to kill him.
But first, she had to survive this date.
- Writer
