From Cradle to the Grave

Chapter 47

I smacked her arm playfully. A throat clearing caught our attention.

"Am I really that invisible ladies?" Alex asked with a pout.

"Yes." Both me and Bailey said in unison and laughed.

Alex huffed. "Laugh. Laugh all you want. But remember I'm more hotter than these men of yours."

Bailey and I looked at each other with a bored look and then at him.

"Impossible. Have you seen Ashton? I was a fool to not realise sooner how sexy that man is." Bailey said and fanned herself. I laughed at her antics.

"And I'm happy with Chris, thank you." Alex pouted angrily and plopped himself on the couch, mumbling how no one loves him.

We soon settled into a comfortable conversation and I told them everything, from meeting Chris again to the date last week. They listened attentively and Bailey squealed in between.

Alex was silent even after I finished telling everything. A part of me was afraid he would storm out just as Jasper did. Thinking about Jasper brought a pang of sadness in me. He hadn't replied to my calls or texts. He was still upset about it. I decided to give him time. If he really cares about me, he would come around. I was done begging people to stay.

"Alex?" I asked tentatively.

He looked up at me and seeing my worried glance smiled softly at me and opened his arms, gesturing for me to go to him. I smiled and leaped at him. He chuckled.

"I'm happy for you Jasmine. I see how he makes you happy. You haven't been like this since.....well since forever. Since I met you. But now, now I see this beautiful smile on your face and it brightens everything around you. And as for Jasper, well he's a douche. But he'll come around."

I was so happy Alex understood. I wanted nothing more than my loved owns accepting me and Chris.

"So......are you guys back together? Like, together together?" Bailey asked.

I sighed. "No we are not. I decided to give him a chance but he still needs to work for it. That's why I was thinking whether to text him a 'thank you' for the flowers or not."

"You should girl!" Alex exclaimed. "But make it sound like he needs to up his game."

Bailey agreed and nodded.

I thought about it for sometime and realised it was a good idea. Well, a girl can have fun, right?

I took my phone and sent Chris a text.

Jasmine: Thank you for the flowers. They're lovely.

His reply came within a few seconds.

Chris: I'm glad you liked them.

Jasmine: Yeah it's always a pleasure to receive gifts from potential admirers.

He didn't reply after that and I felt satisfied at getting him where I wanted. I looked up to tell Bailey and Alex but found the office empty. Strange. I shrugged. Maybe they left when I was too busy thinking of ways to torture Chris.

Just then my phone rang and the screen flashed Chris's name. I grinned. As soon as I picked it up, his voice growled through the device.

"Who are they?"

I stifled my laughter. "Who are you talking about Chris?" I asked innocently.

He growled again. "Don't play games with me Jasmine. Don't even try to make me jealous."

"Why? Is it working?"

Suddenly his voice changed and caught a teasing tone. "Are you challenging me love?"

My heart skipped a beat when he called me 'love'. It has been so long since I heard him call me that. I squeezed my eyes and tried to reign in the feelings it evoked.

"What if I am?" I said.

He chuckled. "You're playing a dangerous game Princess." He said huskily. It sent shivers down my spine and I had to take a deep breath to control myself. I fisted my hands. He was right. I was playing a dangerous game. But I honestly didn't care anymore. If he was fire, I wanted to burn into him.

"Are you afraid Christian?" I said in a low voice.

His voice growled and groaned at the same time and I resisted the urge to moan. This was getting out of hand.

"Challenge accepted love. Soon you'll be in my arms." He said.

"Best of luck, you'll need it."

"Oh honey, you'll need it more than me." He said haughtily.

"Cocky much?" I fired back.

"For you, always." I could almost hear the smirk in his voice. I shook my head.

"I'll talk to you later." I said and hung up. I took deep breaths to calm my erratic heartbeats. Just then my phone rang again. I cursed lowly and looked at the screen. Mom.

I frowned but picked up the call nevertheless. She never called me during work time.

"Mom."

"When were you going to tell me?" She said accusingly.

"Tell you what?" I tried to scratch my brain to find out what I hadn't said to her but came up blank.

"That you and Chris were back together! Why do Katie have to say this to me? My daughter doesn't even tell me anything anymore." She sniffed for more effects.

I sighed. I was used to the drama. But Mrs.Robinson knew about it? What had Chris even said to his mother?

"Mom. We're not back together. We're just testing the waters."

"When are you going to bring him home for dinner? To meet the parents?" She said, completely disregarding what I had just said.

I huffed. "Mom! I said we're still not together. We still have things to work out. Once everything's settled I'll bring him home."

"Okay." She said but I could detect the sadness in her tone. "But don't forget young lady. We want to meet him as your boyfriend soon."

"Yes mom."

"Dad misses you."

I smiled. I moved out of my parents house after I made enough money from the publishing house and moved to a cosy apartment. I would still visit them from time to time though.

"Tell him I miss him too. I'll see you guys soon." I said.

"Okay honey. Take care. Love you. Bye."

I chuckled. "Love you too mom. Bye."

I looked at my desk and at the amount of work piling up. I sighed.

Time to get back to work.