My Mr. Perfect, Imperfect

Chapter 60: Clarity

An awkward silence followed the introduction. Lucas know Chole very well, as they were also childhood friends in school. He knows what she's capable of and that she won't easily give up when it comes to getting what she wants.

"Um, do you want anything to drink?" Lucas cut in, trying to break the silence.

"I'm fine. I have to drive." Jade answered him and faced Sapphire. "Would you like to drink anything?"

"This has a really nice aroma, but it's a bit strong." Lucas held his cup at her. "Would you like some different, instead?"

"Oh, it's fine. I'll just hold my liquor." Sapphire said in style. Jade smiled at her while Chloe scoffed.

"Um, no. Never mind. Just water, please." She said to the bar man. I don't think I should get drunk today.

"Lucas. Let's chat for a sec." Chloe mouthed as he followed her to a corner, leaving Sapphire and Jade for a while.

Noticing she's left their presence, Sapphire let our an heavy breath. It suddenly looked as if an haven't weight was lifted off her shoulders.

A bit dad, yet anxious. Sapphire stared at the glass cup of water place in front of her. 'I could have preferred going to meet Gabbie but Jade dragged me up here to meet his girlfriend or whoever she is.' she pondered, still focused on the cup of water.

"You don't have to think about anything, dear. Just drink this." Jade muttered as poured an amount of Lucas's champagne into his cup. "Its fine if you confess to me again, like you did on that rainy night."

Sapphire turned to him, dumbfounded. She could help but to blush. Even though she tried not to. "What are you even talking about? I don't remember that at all. Which rainy night?"

Jade smiled at her, knowing she remembered.

"Aren't you drinking?" She asked him.

"No, I'm good." He replied. "I don't want Lucas to take you home when I get drunk."

"I haven't had a single sip yet, you know. I'm just sniffing it." Sapphire grabbed the big bottle of champagne, perceiving it's aroma.

Just then, a call came in. It was from Mr. Tim.

"Don't go anywhere until I'm back. You can only Mr drunk in front of me, okay?" He warned.

"I told you, I'm not drinking it. I'm only drinking water."Sapphire assured him.

"Whatever, I'll be back after this call." Jade replied her before walking away to receive the call.

Meanwhile, Sapphire took a glance to the corner of the room as her eyes met with Chloe's, again. Sapphire looked at the table in front of her, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention.

Immediately, she grabbed Jade's cup and gulped down all the campaign in it. Even though it tasted sour, she endured.

Well, it's no doubt that Sapphire has a thing for alcohol, even though she tries her best to abstain from it.

"That girl. Who is she?" Chloe started.

"She's Jade's girlfriend. And they're quite serious, too." He replied her.

Chloe turned to him with anger burning in her eyes. She looked scared a bit but she tried not to show it. Noticing the shimmer of hatred in her eyes, Lucas continued.

"They're both in love with each other, Chloe, so don't get in their way."

"Wait! Are you're telling me that those two are dating?" She faced their direction, realizing that they didn't even touching each other.

"It's confusing though. I mean... Why would my Jadee date a woman like her?"

"He probably loves her."

Chloe eyes Lucas with the same burning spark, not knowing what to do exactly. But all she wanted was to get Sapphire out of the way.

Jade's call.

"So you caught them?"

"Yes, um. But the issue is that nothing was stolen from Miss Sapphire's apartment. And they didn't get them on the CCTVs near her house, either."

"That's what I thought. Well, there's nothing missing from Sapphire's house, do... Maybe I should pardon them. with this... we're back to square one... Mr. Tim."

"Yes.. sir."

"Find out when BB Mall is holding their shareholders' meeting." Jade instructed.

"Okay, sure. I'll definitely do that sir." Tim replied while Jade cuts the call.

On the other hand, Sapphire went to the ladies room to wash her hands. She always wash her hands whenever she's sweaty or after a drink, else, they become sticky and she don't like it.

Well, Sapphire washed her hands properly and took a hand towel from the corner to wipe off the wetness.

Suddenly, the door went open and Chloe walked in with a smile. A crooked one.

She looked cute with her chubby cheeks and red lipstick but Sapphire turned away, trying to act as neutral as possible. Chloe raked her eyes at Sapphire again and nodded.

"You're dating Jadee now, right? He's not an easy guy to date, right? In case you don't know, he's not the type to treat women well, after all. He's good at spending money and he's handsome. He's also from a good family too." Chloe blushed as she explained to Sapphire. Then she stopped abruptly. "My Jadee is the type of man most women are attracted to. But don't go overboard, okay? Because he doesn't have any real feelings for you."

Dumbfounded at her words, Sapphire let out a soft scoff.

"Can you be more clear and say what you actually want to say? Because I don't get you."

"Looks like you're a dummy, anyway so, I'm not surprised. What I'm saying is, don't be too caught up in your one-sided feelings for him. But you know what..." Chloe stared at Sapphire's chest that was looking kinda flat and smallish. "It seems like Jade's taste in women has gone downhill."

She wore an awkward smirk at Sapphire's face and hissed. Before turning her back.

Sapphire watched Chloe leave, in total shock. No one has ever embarrassed her in such a way, before.

Pissed by what she just heard, Sapphire threw the towel away.

"He likes tacky things, you know!"

She grabbed her head in frustration. "Man! Why didn't I say that to her face? I'm such an i***t! Mtcheeeeeew! And he said there's nothing going on between them?!" Sapphire stared at her angry reflection on the mirror.

Meanwhile, Chloe went to take a seat next to Jade. Jade took a sip of champagne before turning to her with a what-are-you-doing-here face.

"I want painter Pedro Rosales to have his gallery show at your hotel this time." Chloe gently rubbed his arm tro and fro, seductively. She could imagine tracing the veins on his muscles as she blinked an eye at him.

"You should talk to the marketing team about that, not me." Jade jerked her hand away from any more touch as Sapphire walked out of the ladies room. She caught a glance of both of them and decided to watch for a while.

"Jadee, darling. You know I recommend your hotel only because of you. We're besties and we should help each other, no matter what." Her stubborn fingers managed to crawl up his body, again.

"Thanks, but my hotel is doing just fine without your help." He replied her, earnestly.

Seeing this, Sapphire narrowed her eyes at the awkwardness of seeing them together. 'And what the hell is this?' Sapphire wondered, wearing an eagle eye at both of them.

"Look, we only know each other, Chloe. We're not besties." Jade took her hands off, again. "And stop doing things like this." His voice sounded a little offended. Chloe looked at him in disappointment too, as they share an awkward eye contact.

Sapphire boldly walked in, making both of them uncomfortable. She grabbed her handbag as Jade stood up to her.

"It looks like you're in the middle of a conversation. Should I come back later?" Sapphire started.

"No, it's fine." Jade replied her.

"Can we leave, then?" She wore a furious eyes at him. Something only Jade understood. She smiled at Lucas who was seated at a corner and bade him good bye.

Jade turned to look at his friend's face as his smile dropped, immediately.

Jade twinkled an eye at Lucas, as a sign they'll catch up later. He left Chloe on the chair to keep wondering how close they are and figure out if she'd be about to come between the both of them.

***

Behind the wheels, Sapphire looked outside again, unable to face Jade or utter a word to him. Jade turned to her from time to time, unable to concentrate on the driving. He packed up his car by the side of the road and gently turned her face to him as she glared at him. Looking so mad and provoked, yet, she didn't say a word. She just turned away, looking so bothered and unsettled.

"What's up, Sapphire. Can't you tell me at least?" She kept quite as Jade continued moving.

When they got home, Sapphire threw his car's door open and jumped out of his car. Unlike before when she awaits him to open up for her.

Without looking back, she walked towards his door but Jade abruptly grabbed her arm and pushed her to his jeep. Facing her, eye to eye but she still looked away.

With this, he studied her for a moment. "Spill."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me why you're so mad at me. And what's it with this look? Why the enraged character?!" He asked in confusion, that his eyes needed desperate answers to.

Enraged. Thinking about the word, enraged. That word enraged made Sapphire realized she haven't felt enraged for a very long time. A wide, broad smile spared on her pink lips as she blushed

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Jadee, my dear." She mimicked in Chloe's seductive voice.

"What?" Jade questioned with a puzzled look. He couldn't understand why she would act and make a drama out of nothing.

"Tell that lady not to refer to you like that."

"What lady?" He raised an eyebrow to the question.

"The woman who was next to Lucas. Chloe or Koko or whatever you call her. I don't want to see you close to her anymore... And I'm sure you go to see her every morning. Am I wrong?"

"What are you even talking about?" Jade frowned.

"Isn't she the one that left that smell on your face? The one that gave you a romantic back hug." Sapphire poured out at him and paused for a moment, leaving Jade in a confused state.

"Let's get this clear, Jade! Because now, I have to call Roman 'My bestie's brother' because of your temper. I couldn't even attend Gabbie's program because of you! I can't even refer to Gabbie comfortably, either... All because of you. I stopped going on arranged dates and quit extra job activities, all because of you! I'm risking a lot being with you, Mr. CEO so, let's make this fair between the both of us. Tell that woman to stop calling you Jadee!

"So, are you getting angry at me right now?"

"We have to make things clear regardless of how we're seeing each other. I don't care if you love her or not, you have to stick to the rules of the contract! Okay?"

Jade looked at her for a while, trying to understand what she just said but a sexy smirk spread across his lips.

"Are you getting jealous by any chance?"

"Umm... Is that it? It's that what it's called?" Sapphire glum, and then glared at him with an irritated look.

"Well, yes. Maybe. She confessed. Damn it! It pisses me off more now that you said that!" She pushed him away with full force and got inside.

Almost making Jade fall to his butt.

"Wait! Could she possibly be a ninja?" Jade wondered and burst out into an uncontrollable laughter.

"OMG! What's with her? I'm loving her cuteness even more. She's f*****g adorable, even when she's mouthing off because she's drunk." He ended his laughter with a smile and pressed the doorbell.