Caleb blew out a puzzled sigh and asked in a voice laced with confusion. "You kept Sophie on, even after Andrew returned to his job."
"Because your sister is good!" Her eyebrows drew closer together as she frowned up at him. "She has good social skills. She learns things fast. And our prospective customers love her. With her manning the desk, it leaves Andrew to deal with our company's files and tax and the jobs I hate! I am pretty sure your sister would be better off with a big company, they would encourage her to get qualifications, as it would open doors for her. But we cannot afford that. Your sister is clever, kind and she would be an asset to any PR teams."
More proof that Jena was exactly what he wanted in his life, he thought. "I think she is good at her job, because you instil confidence." Caleb said quietly. "You are an amazing woman, Jena!"
Jena blinked. And wondered if she was in an alternative universe.
Caleb realised he was running out of ideas giving her stance and the look on her face, suggested his compliments had not Caleb realised he was running out of ideas giving her stance and the look on her face, suggested his compliments had not engendered what he wanted. He thought Julie and Jena altercation was the problem, but the last few moments he thought the altercation did not explain Jena's behaviour. His reached the conclusion, it was him. Perhaps because he forced Jena to employ his sister.
But again, her reply dashed that reason away. "That is silly. You did not force me to employ your sister. And Sophie is good at her job. We know she is wasting her skills here, with my company, but we are grateful for her help. And she is cheap!" Jena said frankly and Caleb grinned but did not say anything. For seconds she waited for Caleb to say something. Jena announced, "And for your information, this has nothing to do with Sophie."
He narrowed his eyes, and other reasons surfaced in his head. In his business circles he is know for his quick thinking and could sift through mires, and find the kernel of the situation.
"And as I said," Jena glanced at her watch, muttered, "twenty minutes ago, go away!"
He stroked his jaw and said with a smile, "Are you tipsy?"
"What?" She blinked at the change in the topic. "Tipsy? Me?" Now what? She moved away.
"Are you tipsy, Jena?"
"Because you saw me sipping wine? Clearly, your girlfriends can't handle one glass of wine!" She grumbled with a huff. "Sipping wine, from one glass, for over an hour, rarely result in inebriation! So I am not drunk."
"Good." His smile widened.
"Good?" She blinked again. What is going here? Switch universes? Having a dream? She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
"Yes. Just wanted to be sure when I kiss you, that you will not use it to explain your reaction!" She blinked in shock. He took a step forward. Closing the gap between the two of them. And he was pleased to see that she had not moved backwards. More that pleased, because he read the emotions that flitted through her eyes. Shock. Delight. Anticipation. Bemused. Concern. Followed by alarm. He grinned.
"Kiss me? Are you mad?" She frowned and shook her head. "You want to kiss me? My reaction?" Then she laughed. "Would probably knee you in your balls!" She jabbed his shoulder, and pushed him away. "Because I am not stupid!"
"I know."
She declared, "Lucky for you, I know, that you have no intention of kissing me!"
"Are you sure?" His grin grew.
"Yes." She glared. "Because, apart from my intelligence, I also have a good memory!"
"And that means what exactly?" He folded his arms and watching the emotions flooding her eyes. She was still bemused but at the same time, was cross, and thrilled! Laced with expectancy and irritation.
Annoyance tinged her retort, "At our first meeting, a few months ago, you assured me," she glared and reissued her statement, "actually you said brusquely, you did not fancy me!" She said candidly. "Not your type," mumbled, "apparently," She vented her infuriation and it was heard in her tone, when she snapped, "and now you want to kiss me. As I said, I am not stupid." Her eyes were flooded with disenchantment. Clearly he was teasing.
"Why are you angry? And given your eyes, why the disappointment?" Caleb watched her eyes, and he knew she was disgruntled.
She glared, "Because, idiot-man, ostensibly your girlfriend, shared your view."
"My view?"
"Yes. Your girlfriend assumed I was trying to date you and she kindly told me, I do not meet your standards!"
Ah, he thought. That explains her altercation with Julie.
"Evidently you did not tell Mike that!" He nodded to himself
She missed that question and continued to ranted, "According to her, you were concerned that I was tracking you and shadowing your movements. Following you every where! Apparently I turn up at events where you are, because I am stalking you!" She groused loudly. "You told her that I am pestering you. Seemingly, I am a nuisance, causing you stress." She paced away and muttered, "She told me to stop my persecution of you!" With a space of a foot, she turned around, and said pointedly, "The best way you can avoid that is, don't come to my home!" She ran out of steam.
"Ah, that is why you told her she was in your way." That would explain her behaviour. Caleb said quietly, "Because Julie said, you did not meet my standards and Julie accused you of stalking me. I am right?" He replayed her recent livid statements. "You turn up at events where I am, according to her. That is why you walked away from her at the reception. Telling her she was in your way because that was the only way out and did not want to cause mayhem. Why didn't you tell Mike? He would understand."
She snorted. "Like you, with Melanie. In fact, give me a moment." She glared. What was the problem with this man! Her glare made him smile. She folded her arms, and thought for a second before saying with newly found calmness, "I think I should show you something. Wait here!" She ordered. Well, this was definitely not what he was expecting. She turned around and marched into the kitchen.
Now what? He wondered. He tracked her and followed her to her kitchen. He was just a step behind her.
She turned around and smacked a newspaper at his chest. He clutched the newspaper as she released it. "Page 6" She grumbled.
"Page 6? What is on page 6?" Why did she hand him a local newspaper?
She snapped, "See you for yourself. Read. On the right, mid way down."
"And see what, exactly?" His eyes were still on her, and he could see she was annoyed and upset.
He could help the smile when she mimicked his tone, "And you will see your name!"
His smile vanished. "My name?" He was in the newspaper? That was new to him.
"And mine. Actually your name linked with my name. Because, allegedly, I stalk you."
His eyes went wide. "Us. We are in the newspaper?" He thumbed through the paper looking for page 6, while his eyes watched her.
"Yes."
While he read, she said, as if she had memorised the text. "Your friend, kindly" she said with irony, "told a journalist, I am stalking you! And the proof is that I appear at events, apparently knowing you would be there." He narrowed his eyes at her tone. Jena continued, "And they were concerned, as I apparently have moved from the cricketer's wife to you! And you, superficially, a gentleman," she said with sarcasm while Caleb grinned at her, "was tolerating me. So would appreciated it if you told your girlfriend to stop using me as a punch bag."
He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, instead, he opened the newspaper, thumbed through the pages to page 6, scanned the article and he narrowed his eyes, as he read the paragraph. "Cricketer wife?"
"I think, your girlfriend made a mistake, or is confused by the fact that the story about the cricketer wife, was about someone called Jean, not Jena, or your girlfriend was deliberately being spiteful!"
"I thought my lawyer asked the newspaper to print a retraction." He was sure his lawyer had done something about that.
"Yes. He did. The editor eventually, correct it! I suppose I should thank you or should I say, your lawyer. And perhaps you can tell him to chase this recent post, courtesy of your girlfriend, because it involves you! And tell your girlfriend she is rocking her boat with you!"