If You Stay Right Here

chapter 8

“You got to be kidding me” Stacey said “What do you mean he is going with Jaydeen?”

“Ask your boss” JR said

“Excuse me I am right here and why can’t I be the one to go?” I said a little annoyed at the way they were speaking about me.

‘Yeah why can’t she go?”

“Are you seriously asking that question like hello” JR responded rudely. “First of all look at her and look at Stacey; there is absolutely no comparison there. I mean I don’t know what you are trying to prove but you have dropped the ball on this one and you should have kept me find a more suitable candidate.”

“JR stop it, I will not have you speak to her and about her like that”

“Like what dad? Do you know that she nearly bumped my car this morning and she was so rude about it”

“Well I wouldn’t have if you didn’t act like you own the road just cause you drive a fancy car” I retorted

“And yes I was rude and that’s cause I give back what I get” I continued

“See what I am saying, I don’t think that this is a good idea”

“The feeling is mutual” I said then Stacey shot me a shocked eye.

“Both of you stop it” Charles said raising his hand. “My decision is final, the two of you will go to France and I will meet you in London next Monday” “But dad” “I don’t want to hear of it ok, you will represent the company and you will do a damn good job at it. I need you to take Jaydeen under your wing cause I may need her to be more than just my PA” Stacey gasped

Charles looked at her, I looked down. “I don’t know how you are going to do it, but I need you to move past your differences and get along cause you will be in each other’s faces for a very long time” he said as he walked to the mini bar where he poured himself some whiskey.

“Charles, its too early” Stacey said

“No its not, an old man like me needs a boost to kickstart the day” JR rolled his eyes and sat on the board table.

“Let’s all get to work, Stacey call the pilots make the arrangements. Jaydeen I need you to go home and get yourself ready, cause you will be leaving this afternoon. Pass my regards to your mum and tell her you will be gone for a week or two” he said.

“Great” JR said shaking his head unimpressed

“Ok, thank you” I said as I stood up, my mind going round in circles as I was thinking about the fact that I was going to be stuck with JR for that long. I picked up my bags and did not even bother to wait for Stacey who was still in Charles’s office fuming and complaining. 

I got into my car and drove straight home. I had a lot of thoughts going on in my head, I had been holding back a lot of my words and responses because it was my first day but as I drove home ell the nasty comments came flooding back. I hated the fact that Stacey and JR made me feel exactly how my mother made me feel all the time. Thoughts of my dad came flooding back, how he loved me in whatever I chose, how he encouraged me to not fit in if I did not want to. The emotions and memories got the better of me and a flood of tears came pouring out. 

I just wanted to get home and lock myself in my room and just scream but I did not want to trigger my mother who was very fragile since she felt she had lost my sister as well. I parked my car, switched off the engine and cried my heart out. I did not even notice Mike coming. 

“Jaydeen, are you ok” he said as he gently knocked on the window.

I looked up and felt embarrassed to have been caught by him in that moment of extreme vulnerability. “Open up” he said calmly

“Come on open up” he said again. I opened the door and fell straight into his arms. I cried long and hard and as I did he held me with a firm gentleness that for the first time since my dad had died four year before; I felt I was in the arms of the safest person around. I did not want to let go of that feeling and I felt as though he too did not want to let go of me.