How to love

twelve: Jase

"Please, let's not talk about business tonight." She pleads, setting the plates in front of each of us before taking her own place facing us and beside her husband who sat at the head of the table. "I really want to know about why my son has been hiding Frankie here away from us while their pictures have been plastered everywhere."

"Wait - so you're the girl Jason missed Soho for?" Colin speaks, knife and fork freezing as he begins to tuck into his feast.

"Dad."

"Colin."

I felt winded. Every word erased from my mind and I was now a human puddle of nothing. Colin's eyes remain on mine and for some reason, a unknown feeling settled within my stomach giving me somewhat newfound confidence to reply.

"Yes sir, that's me." I reply. "In my defence, I didn't know Jason had a meeting."

"But you are his receptionist, no?"

"Dad, please." Jason's raspy but strong voice speaks out.

I nod, bringing a smile to my lips. "I am sir, but I only find out meeting's that happen within the office and not elsewhere."

Colin hums unconvinced, piercing his fork with a piece of beef as Jason's knee touches mine from beneath the table. I jerk my leg back, my trembling hands picking at the food on my plate as I purposely avoid the curious gaze.

"I didn't get my answer." Rachel interrupts the awkward atmosphere that was slowly building. "Why have you been hiding her away?"

Jason shifts uncomfortably and I stiffen. "I haven't been hiding her mom, there just isn't anything to tell. I told you, she's my receptionist. She invited me to her sister's Halloween party and I went, that's all. We just happened to be photographed in a wrong angle and everything was blew out of proportion."

"You missed your meeting for a Halloween party?" Colin asks.

Jason nods small. "Yes. The meeting in Soho wasn't important."

"And a Halloween party was?"

"That's enough Colin." Rachel pleas. My shoulders hurt with stiffness and my stomach was clenching that hard, I was afraid I wouldn't finish Rachel's dinner and I would seem rude. Colin drops his head, stabbing his food again with a fork and a grumble beneath his breath. Rachel smile was apologetic. "Does your sister always celebrate Halloween?"

I nod. "It's her favourite holiday. Our moms was Christmas - she passed away a few years back."

"Oh I'm so sorry, honey."

I wave my hand. "It's fine. But, uh - Mr Hayes, I apologise for Jason missing his meeting but I honestly didn't know about it. If I did, I probably wouldn't have invited him. I know how hard he works and how much his business means to him. I wouldn't jeopardise anything new and upcoming for him."

"Frankie." Jason warns firmly and lowly. He reaches his hand under the table and hesitantly rests it atop of my thigh, letting the heat burn through the thick material of my long-line dress. "You have nothing to apologise for. I made the decision to miss Soho and come to Flo's party - I don't regret it either."

My chest rattles with the flutter of my heart and I shyly blush, cheeks stinging with heat. While I anticipated him removing his hand just as quickly as he did earlier, he didn't. In fact - he left it. He let his hand rest there, not moving, not attempting to move. 

Like he was comfortable.

"Jason tells me you have a niece." Rachel interrupts the thick tension between her husband and son. I nod, sipping at the water in the beautiful crystal glass to quench my throat that was drier than the Sahara. "That must be exciting with Christmas coming."

I nod with a small laugh. "Yeah. We usually all fit into my old home, my dad of course telling us every year it's the last time because there wasn't enough room but it never happens. It's our family tradition, I suppose."

"That's lovely." She replies softly. "When Jason was younger, we had all our family gather here for our own tradition. However everyone grows up and traditions fade, now Colin and I tend to go on vacation over the break. Switzerland we're trying for this year, right honey?"

Colin grunts in response, still not lifting his head from his dinner. I mask a frown for different reasons. One, Colin didn't seem to happy with my presence and two, it sounded like Jason would be spending Christmas alone. Was this the first year?

Rachel was a lovely woman, sweet and warm, and very curious about me and my life. Jason was answering when he needed too and Colin didn't speak for the rest of the meal. He was quick to leave once his phone rings and I could see slight disappointment etching its way onto Jason's features as he did. With my mother's manners ringing in my ears, I offer to help Rachel with the dishes.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart!" She waves, swatting her hand in the air. "But thank you so much for your offer - see Jason, manners."

He rolls his eyes jokingly as he leans against the open arch in the massive kitchen. With marble worktops and a fridge that was three times the size of mine, I was in awe - again.

"I'm taking Frankie to the garden." He tells her. I excuse both of us, watching as Rachel smiles wide and returns to the washing up in front of her. The patio doors to the right of the kitchen lead us out onto a spacious porch, I follow him down the stone steps that were lit with lanterns and down the brick path. "Sorry about my father."

His steps started to slow until I was by his side. Now I nudge him with my elbow and smile. "And you said your mom was the scary one."

He laughs. "She usually is. I don't know what's wrong with him, I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologise." I tell him quietly although my inner conscious squealed to tell him what I was really thinking. "I understand where he's coming from."

He stops and looks at me with eyebrows furrowed and nose slightly wrinkled in a very confused but undoubtedly adorable way. He pushes his hands into his pockets and raises his shoulders slightly. "You understand?"

"Of course." I say. "Your dad is only looking out for you and your business that you have so successfully built. He doesn't want you slacking for some girl. He's afraid of you losing it all for me - or anyone in that matter. Your dad met Natasha, and your past girlfriends - correct?"

He nods.

"Then he's saw how they treat you, how they use you. He's probably also saw how much you try to impress them by taking them on vacations, missing workloads and possibly being a bit slack on the career front for your relationship and he doesn't want that to happen again. You did miss a important meeting in Soho just for a Halloween party - which you didn't tell me about or else I wouldn't have asked you to come. So yeah, I can understand why he's being cold to me."

Silence.

"But hey." I smile although my stomach was hurtling downwards. "I'm just your receptionist so he has nothing to worry about, right?"

And although I was so use to his smile, I wasn't used to his one.

"Sure." He replies. "Just my receptionist."

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I hate winter and all the germs it brings! Is anyone else sick at the minute? My whole household is down with the flu. So since we're all poorly and we currently have a weather warning for floods and strong winds of 65+MPH, I'm bulk writing chapters so I hope to post again within the next day or two!! 

If you are sick, I'm sending lots of healing. If your not, I'm so jealous. 

Please comment and vote xoxo