Chapter 8

ASHER

I open the folder and flip through the pages of the extensive background check I requested on Jade. Nathan, the head of my security department, brought the folder to me earlier in the day and I haven’t been able to stop staring at it ever since. Jade’s beauty and feisty attitude drew me in initially, but I have business interests to protect and one can never be too careful.

She’s a nanny. A new nanny to an infant.

I’ve never gone out with anyone outside of my circle, which is both a good and bad thing. I welcome the change of pace, but I’m not so sure I’m ready for a nanny per se. She can’t possibly make very much money and I’ve seen far too many of my friends get caught up in similar situations. The men always end up broke and the women end up having a major lifestyle enhancement. I refuse to allow anyone, no matter how beautiful, use me as a leg up in society.

I hold the paper with her employment listed to the light trying to decipher who her actual employer is. The fact that it’s blacked out is a pretty good indication she works for the upper echelon of society and I know firsthand they prefer their privacy.

Joe knocks twice on my open door before inviting himself inside my office.

“What do you have there?” he asks, taking a seat in the leather chair I have seated across from me.

I put the paper back in the folder and close it. “It’s a background check for my date tonight,” I say. “She’s a nanny.”

Joe shakes his head and turns a bright shade of crimson. I should have known saying she’s a nanny would trigger him.

“You do not want to date a nanny. I’m still going back and forth to court with Crystal. Married less than three years, and she thinks she deserves half of the money I have left,” he says.

“I understand your reservations, but to be fair, Crystal was nineteen when you married her. What did you expect?”

Joe snorts and folds his arms across his chest. “I expected the third time to be the charm, and I expected to have empty balls every night. But she turned out to be way worse than my other exes. Now I have three ex-wives and they all have their hands in my pockets. I’m just happy I never had kids with any of them.”

I shake my head and sigh. “I don’t understand why you didn’t request a pre-nuptial agreement.”

“Simple,” says Joe. “Love.”

I run my fingers through my hair and stare at the folder on my desk. Jade is beautiful, but I’ve worked too hard to throw away my success.

“That wasn’t love, that’s called thinking with your dick. And in any case, I’m only going on the date to feel her out and see what she’s about,” I reason.

Joe gets to his feet and shakes his head again. “Protect your balls and your wallet. She’ll suck them both dry and leave you standing there blowing in the wind.”

I watch Joe walk out of my office, the ultimate cautionary tale, and pray I don’t fall victim to the same fate.

Shoving the folder holding all the details of Jade’s life into my briefcase, I finally prepare to leave for the day. I walk by Amelia, who’s still at her desk on the phone with a notepad and several folders spread out in front of her.

“Pack it in, Amelia,” I say. “Whoever is on the phone can reach us tomorrow.”

If I don’t usher her out of the building now, she’ll stay until midnight trying to get everything done. I refuse to replace another secretary. The last one quit due to exhaustion after being severely overworked. Working for me is very demanding but I try to make the compensation worthwhile.

She hits the mute button on the phone and looks up at me. “Mr. Tanaka is in town and is requesting a meeting. I’ll have this wrapped up within the next thirty minutes or so.”

“Thirty minutes,” I say. “No more. Then I want you to go home and relax.”

She nods and returns to the call, effectively ending our conversation. I check the time and quickly walk to the elevator. I need to head home and shower before my date. I hope Jade likes French food, because our reservations are for Mon Amour, a restaurant I’ve been wanting to get back to.

I had to call in several favors to get the reservation at the last minute. I love the authentic atmosphere of the place, mainly because it takes me back to the vacations I’ve spent in Paris.

Ed is waiting for me outside. He flicks his cigarette on the ground before stepping on it.

“All set, boss?” he asks, holding the door open for me.

I nod and slide inside the car with my mind still on Jade. Does she wear a lot of make-up? Will her hair be up or down? What will she wear? Shit, what am I going to wear?

Since I typically go to the gym, home and then the office, my options at the condo are limited.

“Ed, let’s go to the Hills, I need to go through my clothes,” I say.

“Roger that, boss,” says Ed, taking a sharp right turn.

I watch as the outside world starts to look more familiar the closer we get to my house. The buildings are spaced out and we’re suddenly surrounded by impeccable landscaping.

A few minutes later, we pull into my driveway and Ed types in the gate code. I feel a wave of relief. Everything is just like I left it, not that I was expecting anything less.

Ed pulls up to the front door and lets me out. The doors fling open and Yvette rushes outside to meet me holding a feather duster.

“Mr. Jordan, I wasn’t expecting you to be home today. I haven’t cooked anything, but if you give me an hour I’ll have something whipped up for you.”

I smile and fall in step with Yvette as we walk inside. “This is just a quick pit stop for a shower and a change of clothes, so there’s no need to cook anything.”

She fusses at me for a few more minutes before returning to her work. I head to my bedroom and close the door. Walking through the bathroom and into the adjoining room I had remodeled into a closet, I consider my options.

I stand back and stare at my wardrobe. Nothing jumps out at me, so I hit the button and shift the clothes around, searching for my favorite black shirt and deep gray slacks. I don’t like my clothes overly flashy and prefer darker colors to compliment my eyes and hair. My outfit choice is simple, but it’s much better than wearing a three-piece suit everywhere.

I take a quick shower, get dressed and say my goodbyes to Yvette. Ed is waiting right out front with the car and has the back door open for me.

We ride in silence as I replay my conversation with Joe. His personal life is the main reason he works so hard, having several ex-wives to support. I feel bad for him, but he made his bed. I sigh and stare out the window.

I need to stop overthinking this. I’m not planning to marry this woman tonight so I just need to slow down and stop putting the cart before the horse.

It’s not long before we pull up to Jade’s building and park right in front. Normally, I prefer to escort my date directly from her home, but since I’m not exactly sure which place is hers, I wait anxiously in the lobby near the elevator. I twist and turn the paperclip in my pocket to calm my nerves. It’s my lucky paperclip and I never leave home without it. An old college professor taught me the trick after I expressed that public speaking makes me nervous. It doesn’t anymore, but I still carry the paperclip with me.

Every time the elevator doors open, I perk up momentarily, and then slump back in disappointment. I check my watch for what seems like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. To help occupy my mind, I grab my phone from my pocket and check my messages. I have several emails from Amelia, a few text messages from Mr. Tanaka, and a text from Joe urging me to come out for drinks with him instead of going on my date. I’m so focused on my phone that I don’t notice Jade until she’s standing in front of me. Her perfume greets me first, with its light flowery scent. I notice her shoes next, black with straps around the ankles and a high heel. Her toes are painted fire red, and while I’m not into fetishes, I can’t ignore how cute her little feet are.

My eyes travel the short distance from her ankle to her upper thigh where her dress ends. I take my time taking in every inch of her, like I’m unwrapping a highly anticipated birthday present. The dress hugs her body, making her curves stand out on her petite frame. My gaze finally reaches her face and I’m speechless. Her make-up is minimal and compliments her features perfectly. The long blonde hair I’ve seen wrapped in a bun is now flowing freely over her shoulders.

She shuffles from one foot to the other and clutches her purse in her hands. “Am I dressed okay? I wasn’t sure where you wanted to go so I just guessed about the dress code.”

I reach out, take her hand and kiss it. “You look amazing,” I say.

She smiles and pushes a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, you look quite handsome yourself.”

I glance down at my outfit and look back up at her. “I pale in comparison standing next to you,” I say walking her to the door.

Ed is ready and waiting at the back door.

“This is Ed, our driver for the evening. Ed, this is Ms. Sinclair.”

“Miss,” says Ed, tilting his hat at her.

“Hello, Ed,” she says.

“All right, let’s head to our reservation,” I say.

Jade slides in first, I slide in next to her, and Ed closes the door behind us.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“It’s a surprise,” I say, reaching for her hand again.

We make small talk during the ride over to the restaurant. Nothing too deep, just enough to break the silence. We pull up at Mon Amour and I help Jade get out. She looks around for a moment then smiles.

I offer her my arm and we walk inside and head straight to the maître d’.

“I have a reservation for two under the name Jordan,” I say.

The man nods and motions for us to follow him to the private dining room I have reserved. Jade is the kind of woman I don’t mind having a little bit of privacy with.

I pull out Jade’s chair and ensure she’s settled in before taking a seat myself. We’re sitting right next to a colorful saltwater fish tank, one of my favorite parts of the restaurant. We receive our menus and I slide closer to Jade.

“Everything is in French, but if you tell me what you like, I can help narrow down the options,” I say.

“I think I’ve got it covered,” she says with a nod.

Feisty, gorgeous and confident. Three of my favorite things.

The server comes back, ready to take our order. Before I open my mouth to offer help again, Jade starts to order her food… in French. She stumbles over a few words a couple of times, but otherwise she orders her food without my help.

I place my order and hand the menu to the server before returning my attention to Jade.

“Someone knows French,” I say.

Jade carefully unfolds her napkin and places it in her lap. “Yes, I’m chock full of surprises.”

I can’t disagree with you there.

“You most certainly are, Ms. Sinclair,” I say. “I wonder what other little surprises you have in store for the evening.”