Chapter forty-six: Nice Gesture

Chapter forty-six: Nice Gesture

Jeffrey

"I can't wait to see what he looks like if all you have got is a bum hand."

"He didn't fight back, he was drunk. I kicked him out and took Jessica home with me."

"Should I step out of the office while you meet with him?"

I thought for a moment, if I was alone with Steven, I might beat the ever-loving shit out of him. Jorge could make sure that I stay calm but this is between me and Steven and I don't want Jorge to get the slightest idea that we were related so I shook my head.

"Don't worry, I would rather do this alone. I can handle it."

"Are you sure? Should I keep an ambulance on standby?" I chuckled and waved him off.

"No, it will be fine. I will drop by your office later to discuss the transfer paperwork." He nodded with a small smile and started walking towards the door.

"I will see you later then."

He left and I sighed, leaning back in my chair and thinking about Jessica immediately and what she was doing right now. I bet she was a nervous wreck thinking about Steven being with me and the possibility of me throwing another punch. Of course, I am going to listen to her voice in the back of my head telling me to stay professional. I was in the middle of scribbling down notes when Juliet rang me.

"Mr. Craig, you have Sam on the line." I glanced up at the clock and I had a few minutes before meeting Steven.

"Make it quick, Sam. I am a busy man."

"Did you know that you and Jessica are on nearly every cover of the magazine right now?" I frowned in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Has Jeffrey Craig fallen for his new model? And the new model for Jeffrey Craig has already stolen his heart just to name a few titles." He responded to what I assumed to be on the magazine cover page.

"What the hell!"

I quickly typed into my laptop, searching the titles and sure enough, multiple magazines had pictures of Jessica and I from when we went out shopping together and even pictures from the party when I first asked her to be my date.

"Oh my goodness!"

"Dude, these articles aren't bad but they definitely are not good."

"What are they saying? These crap websites aren't giving me anything."

"Some of them are talking heavily into the age difference and also the issue of her being an employee of your.."

The door opened and Juliet's head poked in.

"Mr. Craig, Steven David is here to see you."

*********************
Jessica pov

I couldn't help but bounce my leg anxiously as I waited for Jeffrey to contact me in any way. Sitting in lecture and praying for nothing more than a text or a call from Jeffrey was eating me away. It was almost ten and I wanted to send him a text myself to see how things were going but I knew he wanted me to stay out of this and let him deal with it himself.

After classes, I went by the convenient store to grab a snack on my way back to my hostel. I noticed a new magazine had come in and I glanced at one for a moment before taking a double look. My face was on the cover as well as Jeffrey's

I hastily scanned the title, seeing the claims that I am Jeffrey's new mystery lover and I am a complete one-eighty from his last real relationship. I quickly flipped to the article, scanning words like model and fresh face but all I could think of was why someone felt the need to write an article about us.

"Hey, are you the girl on the cover?" The girl working in the counter asked, I shook my head while putting the magazine down and quickly left the store without another word.

As I was walking back to the hostel, I began to notice the stares from students on campus, muttering quietly as I passed by and l tried to avoid eye contact. I finally made it to my room but of course, Olivia was there with a magazine in her hand and a death glare on her face.

"What the hell is this?" She asked.

"I don't want to talk about it…" she tossed the magazine down and crossed her arms.

"I don't care. Is this where you have been going off to on the weekends? You lied to me about it."

"Olivia, it is not a big deal, okay? I said but she wasn't having it.

"Jessica, you lied to me and Steven. You never once mentioned being in a so-called relationship and you always made me feel like such a shitty person for wanting you to go out with us. If you had just said that you had a boyfriend, I wouldn't have done all that stuff….."

"Olivia, seriously. I don't want to talk about it!"

"Well, you are going to have. You are on the cover page of nearly every magazine out there. No one is just going to let this fly. He is like forty-nine and… "

"He is just forty, don't over exaggerate."

"He is still an entire decade older than you. What? Is it because of money? Is that why you said yes?"

"Are you serious?" I asked, bewildered at her accusations.

"What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Oh my goodness!" Her eyes widened.

"He is the one that bought you that laptop."

"Olivia…"

"He bought you that expensive laptop. What else? Is he playing for your education fees too?"

"No, Olivia. It was just a nice gesture…."

"A nice gesture? She laughed and shook her head.

"No one buys someone an Apple laptop as a nice gesture. You are so far up his rich ass, I can tell."

"It is not even any of your business, Olivia. You don't know my life…"

"No, you are right! I don't, you know why? Because you close yourself off all the time and you don't talk to me about anything." She sneered and gave me the most condescending look I had ever seen.

"I don't even feel bad about trying to get you and Steve together."

"Excuse me?"

"You never told me that you were seeing someone else. I would have put a stop to Steven before he could get close to you but you brought all this on yourself by keeping everything a secret."

"Olivia… "

"No, I tried being a nice person and inviting you out and trying to get you to make friends so you wouldn't be alone but here you are lying to me and going to see some old guy who buys you expensive things. What the hell!"

I was quiet, she was partially right. I hadn't ever told her about Jeffrey and I never told her where I was going and why I didn't want to hang out with Steven or her or even Harry. But it couldn't entirely be my fault, could it?

"I felt like I was always doing the wrong thing. I thought you were straying away from me because of the parties and the drinking and everything. But you were actually going to him, gosh, Jessica. I am done, I am done trying with you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked as she grabbed her phone and keys off her bed.

"It means I am done with you. I am not going to try and be your friend if you are just going to lie and go behind my back. See you later."

She swiftly walked past me and out the door, slamming it shut and leaving me in silence.