Jack was unusually quiet Elise and Jack sat in the back of the car while Donald drove to the hotel Henry had instructed Jack to meet with him"Hey. Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet" Elise noted"Yea, I'm okay. I just have a lot on my mind" Jack replied"Do you want to talk about it?" Elise asked. Jack hesitated"It's okay if you don't" Elise said"I'm really nervous about meeting Mr Harkin. He used to intimidate me so much" Jack said truthfully"I understand why you feel that way, but I think you'll be okay. It's been a while since you've seen him, right?" Elise asked"Yeah, it has been a while, but I still remember how he used to make me feel. He was always so aggressive and dismissive" Junior said"I can relate, he was the same way with my family before we finally escaped from his grip. I get that, but try to remember that you're not the same person you were back then. You've grown and changed, and you don't have to feel intimidated anymore" Elise said encouragingly"I kno
"Not again!" Elise said out loud. Her phone rang for the tenth time that morning and she was already fed upIt was weekend and she decided to help her parents out at the bakery, everything had been going well until a particular number kept calling repeatedlyElise decided not to pick after the person had called the first two times, she assumed the person would get the memo that she was busy and would return the calls later but the person didn'tElise held her phone and watched it ring, she was contemplating if she should pick up the call when the customer in front of her spoke up"Excuse me, can I pay for my purchase?" The customer saidElise quickly looked up from her phone"Oh, yes, sorry about that. How can I help you?" Elise asked"I'd like to pay for my items, please" the customer answered"Of course, I apologize for the delay. Let me ring up your items" Elise respondedThe customer handed Elise her goods and after costing it, Elise handed it back to her"That comes out to $50
"Xavier!? What do you want?" Elise asked. He was the last person she expected a call from"Hi, it's me. Can we talk?" Xavier asked"I don't really want to talk to you right now" Elise responded"Please, just hear me out. I know things didn't end well between us, and the last time we saw, it wasn't under the best of circumstances but I need to talk to you" Xavier said"I don't think there's anything left to say" Elise replied"I understand that, but I just want to apologize for everything that happened. I messed up and I'm sorry" Xavier responded"I appreciate the apology, but it doesn't change anything" Elise said "I know, but I want to make things right between us. Can we at least talk about it?" Xavier asked"I don't think it's a good idea. I don't think you should even be talking to me right now considering the way things are between your family and the company I work" Elise said"I understand that, but I just need to know that we're okay" Xavier answered"Yes we are, if that's
"You did what?" Junior screamed. He couldn't believe what Elise was telling him"I agreed to be friends with Xavier" Elise saidJunior was confused about the whole thing"Elise, can you please go over what you told me again? It seems I missed something" Junior requestedElise repeated how Xavier had called her repeatedly on Saturday and how they had met up on Sunday, she told Junior what Xavier had said and her response"You agreed to hang out with him again because you feel he would play the same game his dad did" Junior stated"Exactly" Elise replied"Elise, I highly doubt that's what Xavier is up to. He knows he would fail miserably if he tried, I'm sure he's up to something else" Junior said"Well, we will never know what his plans are until I go out with him" Elise said"Are you sure there's no other way?" Junior asked"No. You don't have to worry about me, I can handle Xavier" Elise answeredJunior was worried and it was obvious from his appearance. His brow was furrowed, ind
Junior turned his chair so fast to look at the source of the voice that he almost fell off"What!?" Junior asked"I said, who aren't you jealous of?" Jack repeated the question he had asked and walked into Junior's officeJunior didn't know what to respond. He could deny and say that Jack heard wrongly, but he was sure Jack would not buy itJunior didn't know what to do, he suddenly felt embarrassed and self conscious for being caught while soliloquizingJunior considered apologizing, but then, why should he apologize to Jack for walking in on him while he was having a moment alone?Would humor work? Junior thought about trying to make light of the situation by joking about it or making a self-deprecating comment, but his brain felt empty, so, he decided to use another approachDefense! Junior decided to become defensive and argue that talking to himself is not abnormal or that everyone does it from time to time"It doesn't matter who I'm not jealous of. I was having a moment alone an
"Xavier is engaged?" Junior asked "Yes" Jack answered"That family is really something else. Why would Xavier ask Elise out when he already has someone he intends to marry?" Junior asked"Why would Elise even agree to go out with him in the first place? I can't wrap my head around it" Jack said"He reached out to her and just like his father, Elise is convinced Xavier is up to something. I'm convinced of that as well, but I wasn't expecting this" Junior said"What do you guys think he's planning?" Jack asked"We have no idea. That's why Elise agreed to go out with him, she's convinced she'll figure it out" Junior said"And you didn't try to convince her otherwise?" Jack asked"Trust me, I did. But once Elise has her mind fixed on something, she won't rest until she gets it" Junior answered"That's true. Well, she's a strong woman and I believe she's capable of handling things on her own. But one can never tell with that family" Jack said"You're right. I already told her she should
Junior ran He wasn't sure about the direction he was heading, but he knew he needed to get out of that bar fastHe was uncertain but it felt as if he had seen a flash of recognition in Jasmine's eyesJunior ran and he came across a door, he quickly got in and walked throughAs he was walking, he felt a variety of emotions starting with Anger. It had been over a year and Junior thought he was over it, but clearly seeing the Bank family again evoked certain feelings in himJunior felt angry about how his relationship with Jasmine ended. He felt angry about Jasmine's actions that led to the divorce. Junior felt a sense of injustice, betrayal, and this led to feelings of resentment and rageAlso, he felt sadness. He remembered how Jasmine had treated him when they first met, he felt sad about the loss of that close friendshipJunior felt a sense of grief and mourning for what Jasmine's actions cost both of them to lose. Did Jasmine really lose anything?She did. She lost an errand boy.
"That was close!" Elise exclaimed "Yea it was" Junior concurredIt was the start of a new week and they were both sitting in Junior's office, he had just finished telling her about his encounter with Jasmine"Some people never change, I guess. Money seems to be the only language that can make them nice" Elise said"Yes and it's really sad" Junior said while shaking his head"By the way, I didn't know you like going to bars" Elise commented"I don't, not really. I prefer staying in door at weekends" Junior said"So this weekend was an exception then" Elise said"No. I went there for a reason" Junior said"And what's the reason?" Elise asked"I went there to meet with Bianca White" Junior answered"Who's Bianca White? Is she a new business partner?" Elise questioned"No. She's Xavier's fiancee" Junior statedElise couldn't believe what Junior just said, she was in shock, she was feeling so many emotions at the same time that she didn't know how to reactShe didn't say a word either,