36:26 A Chase Encounter

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Daddy!" Isabelle hurried to Brian's embrace. He's been leaning on his car while waiting for her arrival at the school gate which just a few feet from the school building. He hardly shows up to pick her at her school- the driver or Khloé does- but today is different.

"Came to surprise my birthday princess" He bends down to meet her height.

She gives him a tight hug.

Isabelle climbed into the back seat and Brian closed to door to start the car.

"Mum brought me cake"

"Where's my chunk?"

"Ms Jayda shared all of it to my classmates"

"Ms Jayda?" He asked, curiously looking at her through the rearview.

"Yes, the woman from last time who saved me. She made the cake mum ordered and brought it to my school. We took pictures, danced and had so much fun." The little made so many happy gesticulations while narrating her experience.

"That's so kind of her" Brian said absentmindedly while the thought of his Jayda briefly crossed his mind.

"She said no princess deserves to spend her birthday all by herself. She's really cool dad and I want to see her again. Please" she begged "Can she come to visit? If you say yes, I'll tell mum to tell her to order another cake"

Brian chuckled loudly. This is the first time he's seeing her so carefree, and pleading to see someone again because the Isabelle he knows doesn't like to hang around people that much and most certainly won't be so excited to see someone again- or maybe he doesn't know he that well like he thinks.

"Please daddy, can Ms Jayda come?"

"You know what, Why don't we surprise her instead? I can ask your mum for her address and we go there right away"

"Yes!" Isabelle screamed in excitement.

**********

Jayda got back to the shop looking like someone who'd been deprived of rest for days but, in the end, it was worth every second. She briefly remembered her fun moments with Isabelle, it's been a long time since she felt that way, makes her wonder if it's time to have another child again?

It's just five in the evening and the shop doesn't close till eight.

Euphoria is having a lucrative opening day and Jayda can't be more excited right now else she'll explode.

Khloé had placed a call through earlier that she make the shop empty for her husband and daughter's visit stressing that her husband is a public figure and with a*****e that's just opening, Jayda can't be making that kind of special treatment. Everyone is equal here and if no one's cool with that, they can take the exit.

She decided to oversee the workers at their post while expectant of Isabelle- even the mere thought of her name makes her smile- and her so-called celebrity husband's arrival. For some reason, Jayda feels the husband must have passed on that order to the wife and then the wife to her and that makes her dislike him even more. Knowing she could have turned Khloé down, Jayda couldn't possibly hurt Isabelle on purpose, she just couldn't pull through with it.

"Ms Jayda!!!" Isabelle hurriedly entered Euphoria and as soon as she saw Jayda's back through the glass from outside.

"Princess!" Jayda lifts her up from the floor and rains kisses on her face.

"I have the most beautiful princess in my shop"

Brian walked into the store almost immediately, looking very cold at the display in front of him. He can't see the woman's face because Isabelle's head is doing the obstruction but he knows who that is. He'd put a call through to Lucy to know if Jayda owns a business here knowing she used to bake when he was still living under her care so, if there's any slight chance that Isabelle's Ms Jayda is his Jayda, he can't be unprepared to meet her.

Although this was not how he imagined to meet her again, this however is not that bad. She won't see it coming at all. As soon as Jayda's face came into full view and their eyes lock, Brian couldn't be more proud to witness the look on Jayda's face while she on the other hand looks like she'd just seen a ghost.

"This is my dad" Isabelle hurried to Brian's arm and then back to hold Jayda's.

Short of words, Jayda continues to look oblivious of the presence of her workers and the few customers in the shop. This is Isabelle's dad and Khloé's husband, Brian. She didn't know why that last part made her sick to her stomach.

"You are most welcome to Euphoria" Jayda snapped out of it and played strangers, a move that deeply hurt Brian's ego. If that's how she's going to play this, he won't allow it.

"Can you please show us around before we order? I've never been to a shop like this before" Isabelle asked with pleading eyes. Who would turn down a child looking like that?

Jayda obliged and took Isabelle on a little tour while Brian followed behind. He had a strong urge to pin her against the wall, grab on to that butt of hers and transfer all the pain she'd made him feel in one kiss. Even after so many years, Jayda still looks the same if not better. Beautiful, charming, and delicate but not the type that needs saving.

"And this is my office" Jayda mentioned as they step into her small office.

Isabelle left their midst to go check out Jayda's desk.

"Is this how you want to play this?" Brian said with a hand stuffed in his side pocket.

"Play what?"

"You damn know what I'm talking about"

He's messing it all up and he knows it. This was not totally how he planned their encounter. The beginning went well but now, it's all going somewhat a way he didn't like.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jayda said with a fake smile.

"I want to pee," Isabelle said and Jayda pointed at the door that leads to the toilet.

" ten f*****g years" Brian takes big steps towards Jayda and stopped only when he can smell all of her in one breath.

"Ten whole f*****g years and this is how you treat your best friend's son?" Brian said over her head as he towered above her.

Jayda became weak all of a sudden. It feels like a supernatural force is stopping her from walking to another part of the office.

"Maybe you will remember this" Brian raised her chin up to meet his eyes and was about to kiss her when Shawn interrupted with a throat-clearing sound.

"Hey babe" Shawn took Jayda's lips into a dominating kiss and she understood what that meant.

"This is Shawn.." Jayda begin the introduction

"Her boyfriend," Shawn said, cutting off Jayda.

"And this is a client"

Brian arched a brow at Jayda for the unpleasant way she introduced him.

"My name is Brian Chase, President of the Chase app company and I am here to steal your girlfriend away and I don't mean temporarily, I will make her mine permanently and if I were you, I'd stop kissing her just to prove a futile point. Isabelle," He called out.

Isabelle came out shortly after and both dad and daughter leave the office leaving Shawn and Jayda to fill up the rest. This was by far better than what he planned. He walked out with a smirk on his lips.