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Trilogy No. 108: Just Desserts

my own.”

The two nodded their encouragement. If only she had

their confidence.

Glancing at her watch, Jade reached into her purse to

throw in some money toward the bill.

“I guess I should get going. He should be back at his

apartment soon and I want to take a minute to fix myself up

a bit before he gets there.”

“We got the bill, sweetie. All you had was tea. You

didn’t even touch the fries,” Donna pointed out.

“Yeah, I look forward to watching you get fat when this

is all over and you actually start eating again.” Grace

glanced at her with a less than friendly look that Jade knew

wasn’t meant seriously at all.

Jade smiled. She didn’t dare tell them how much trouble

she had keeping weight on even when times were good.

“Okay, I’ll look forward to it, too. Thanks for the tea. I’ll

call you guys tomorrow.”

Driving to Daniel’s building, Jade felt a sense of peace

she had not felt in a long time. She had been crazy lately.

Out of her head. Maybe it was PMS? She’d have to check a

calendar and try to remember the last time she’d had her

period. That was probably it. Poor Daniel. She’d make it up

to him though, starting tonight.

She parked under the streetlight in front of the apartment

building and fluffed her hair. Swiping on the flavored lip

gloss she knew he liked, she smiled and remembered her and

Donna’s big stakeout not far from this very spot. They had

been so silly, playing at being real private detectives. It all

seemed ridiculous now. She just loved him so much. Love

made you do crazy things sometimes.

Glancing around, she saw Daniel’s car already parked in

his spot. She smiled, glad she had decided to come a bit

early since he had gotten home early. Serendipity. Maybe

things were going her way. She flung open her car door and

practically sprinted for the building entrance.

They would have a great night tonight. Then tomorrow,

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she would admit to him about the stupid photo Sam had

taken after Donna hired him. They would have a good laugh

about the whole thing and then make up for it by spending

lots of time in bed. Perfect.

~

Daniel stared at the glistening piece of perfection in his

hand. Jade’s engagement ring was finally no longer a fantasy

but a reality, bringing Daniel one step closer to grabbing

hold of his own dream.

“So, do you like it?” Julie bounced on her toes in front

of him with barely contained excitement.

“Like it? I love it. It’s perfect. Oh my god, Julie. It’s

absolutely beautiful. You have outdone yourself. You will

have to make the wedding bands, too and then her

anniversary ring. Oh, and a necklace to celebrate the birth of

our first child…”

Julie laughed. “Okay, okay. I get it. I will. I promise.”

Daniel frowned. “You’ll probably be so famous you

won’t even accept my calls by then. That is, if I can afford

you.”

“I will always make special provisions for the clients

who were smart enough to hire me even before the oh-so-

famous Savannah Mitchell decided to wear my necklace on

the red carpet and make me famous, too. Don’t worry.

Besides, fame is fleeting, good clients who are as easy to

work with as you are forever.”

Daniel grinned. “Thanks. And thank you for this and for

dropping it off.”

“No problem. I better get going before Jade gets here

and I ruin the surprise you’ve worked so hard on.”

Daniel nodded and opened the door.

She stepped into the hall and smiled up at him. “Call me

after she says yes and tell me what she thinks of the ring?”

“You got it. Thanks again, Julie.”

“It was my pleasure, believe me. The whole thing is so

damn romantic it practically makes me tear up just thinking

about it.”

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Julie’s eyes glistened as Daniel laughed and pulled her

into a big hug. “Let’s hope Jade feels the same.”

“She will, Daniel. She will.”

Daniel was vaguely aware of hearing the elevator open

while he disengaged from hugging Julie.

“I better go. Remember, call me!”

“I will, don’t you worry.” He pulled back from Julie,

glanced down the hall and thought it strange the elevator

door had opened and closed again without anyone getting

off.

The fleeting thought did not last for more than a few

seconds as Daniel went back into the apartment to look at the

ring one more time before hiding it away in a safe place

prior to Jade’s arrival.

Afterwards he sat on the couch to wait anxiously for her

to get there. How in the world was he going to keep this

secret until Valentine’s Day now that he had the actual ring

in his possession? It was not going to be easy.

He glanced at the clock. She should be here soon. He

could hardly wait.

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Jade’s breath came in gasping sobs as she collapsed into the

driver’s seat. Her hand shook so badly it took two tries to

dial Donna’s cell phone number.

“Hello? Jade? Is this you? I can’t hear you, sweetie. Oh

my god. What happened?”

“Can you come get me?” Jade realized her voice came

out in a barely discernable high-pitched babble.

“Where are you, sweetie? I need to know where you

are.”

“I’m outside of Daniel’s.” Her voice cracked on his

name.

“Grace and I will be right there. She can drive your car

home. Just wait for us. OK? Don’t drive anywhere.”

Jade nodded even though Donna couldn’t see it. Then

she dropped the phone on the passenger seat and let her head

fall against the steering wheel as she sobbed.

She was barely aware of them coming for her. Of Donna

steering her into the passenger seat of her car. Of being

tucked into her own bed in her favorite pajamas and a hot

cup of tea shoved in her hands.

Donna and Grace piled onto the bed with her. It felt

good to be surrounded. It made her feel less alone.

“What happened, sweetie,” Donna asked.

The sobbing started again as she said, “She was there

again. He was hugging her.”

“The woman from the photo?” Donna asked.

Jade nodded miserably.

“Did you confront him?” Grace asked.

Jade shook her head. “No. I couldn’t. I got back in the

elevator and left. Then I called you.”

Donna rubbed Jade’s back. “It’s okay, sweetie. You did

the right thing. I’m glad you thought to call me. You are in

no shape to drive. You are too upset to confront him now

anyway.”

Jade nodded, thankful for a good friend like Donna.

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Then a horrible thought crossed her mind. “He’s going to

wonder where I am. I’m supposed to be there already.”

“Good. Let him wonder and worry. Serves him right!”

Grace pronounced.

Donna shook her head. “He might call, though, looking

for her. What are you going to do if he calls, Jade?”

Jade felt undeniable panic. “I can’t talk to him tonight.”

“I can answer and say you are sick,” Donna suggested.

“He saw us together tonight, it wouldn’t seem so strange that

I would stay with you if you were ill.”

Jade nodded vigorously just as the phone began to ring,

then she didn’t need to pretend to be sick. She ran for the

bathroom and the little bit of tea she had in her stomach

came right back up.

It seemed far too easy how Donna answered the call, lied

smoothly and then hung up. Something as momentous as

lying to a cheating boyfriend should feel larger, more earth-

shattering somehow. But it didn’t.

Jade crawled back into bed and supposed she fell asleep,

because she woke up alone and in the dark hours later. Then

it all came rushing back to her and the heartache began all

over again.

Finally, she crawled to the couch, flipped on the

television and tried not to think anymore. She was hovering

between overwhelming pain and numbness. Given a choice,

her vote would be for numb, if not total oblivion. Tomorrow,

she would ask Grace for one of her sleeping pills.

~

The sun had already risen high in the sky when the

ringing of the phone woke Jade. Still half asleep, she

grabbed the receiver and said “hello” before realizing what

she had done.

Daniel’s cheerful voice filled her ear and her stomach

twisted. “Hi, baby. Do you feel better today?”

“Hi, Daniel.” Her voice sounded so breathy she could

barely hear herself over the pounding of her own pulse in her

head. “Yeah, I’m…” What could she say? Fine? She was not

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fine by any stretch of the imagination. “Um, we need to

talk.”

“Okay. About what, baby? Are you all right? You don’t

sound like yourself.”

“I…uh…think we need to stop seeing each other.” Bile

burned the back of Jade’s throat.

There was a pause and then she heard him say with

disbelief, “What?”

“I can’t see you anymore, Daniel.”

Silence again before he said, “May I ask why?”

“It doesn’t matter why.”

“It sure as hell does!”

Jade cringed. Daniel had never raised his voice to her

before. Stunned, Jade sat in silence.

“I’m sorry, baby. I just…I don’t know what to say. What

happened? Is it the shooting thing? Do you need space for a

little while? Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it,”

Daniel begged.

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. She had to

remember he had cheated on her; he still was. The other

woman could be on her way over there for all she knew. Jade

had been a doormat her entire life and it would end now. If

hanging out with strong women like Donna and Grace had

taught her anything, it was that you had to stand up for

yourself.

“No, Daniel. There is nothing you can do except leave

me alone. Please, don’t call or try to see me. It’s over.” Jade

could not stand to listen to what he might have to say. She

hung up the phone, made sure the call had been disconnected

and then picked it up again. She dialed.

“Donna? Can I come over?”

~

“You need to get revenge. It is the fastest way to heal a

broken heart. Trust me. I know.” Grace accepted the coffee

mug Donna handed her. “Thanks.”

“Get revenge how?” Jade asked, slumped in a kitchen

chair and not all that interested in drinking the tea in front of

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Trilogy No. 108: Just Desserts

her.

“Really, Grace, she’s barely standing, she is in such bad

shape,” Donna agreed. “What kind of revenge do you have

in mind?”

“A date with another guy in a place where you know

Daniel will be so he is sure to see you,” Grace said.

“I don’t know. I’m not really in the mood to date.”
For

like another ten years or so,
Jade added to herself.

Grace shook her head. “Oh, it won’t be a real date.

You’ll just be using the guy to get back at Daniel. Then you

never have to see him again.”

Jade frowned. It didn’t seem very nice. “Even if I was

willing to do this, who would I date?”

“I have the perfect guy. He works in my office. He’s a

real player, you know, different girl every weekend, rarely

the same one twice.”

Donna screwed up her face. “Sounds great.”

“I know, I know. But he is absolutely gorgeous. I mean

cover model should be gay but isn’t kind of gorgeous, which

is how he gets away with being such a dog. He walks into a

room and all eyes turn, men and women. I’m telling you, he

is the perfect guy to get Daniel jealous and show him what

he gave up by cheating on you.”

Jade was cold on this whole idea of revenge against

Daniel. What she really wanted to do was put on her pajamas

and curl into a ball with the television clicker.

“So where will Daniel be that you know of? A public

place that it wouldn’t look too obvious if you show up with a

date,” Grace asked, obviously scheming.

Jade sighed. It was all she could do to not burst into tears

again, forget about plot the intricacies of a revenge plan.

“Um, he goes for coffee everyday at the same coffee shop at

the same time. He’s like clockwork.”

“Perfect. You tell me what time and where, I’ll grab the

guy from my office Monday morning first thing, set it up