Chapter 9
2121 Words
Jessica
Today was the day.
My first date with Jason.
Maybe since it’d been a long time since I had a date, a proper one, now I was confused about what to wear.
I was going out with Jason and I was sure Jason wouldn’t mind anything I wore. And we were only going to Aquarium. The dress was out of my option. Or maybe I should wear a dress? I didn’t know what Jason’s preference was as I snapped out of my mind. Shaking my head mildly, I pressed my palms on my cheeks. “You can wear anything, Jess,” I told my reflection. Jason wouldn’t mind with anything, period.
I looked into my wardrobe again. Scanning my eyes from left to right. I took a deep breath and moved clothes after clothes. Honestly, my sense of fashion was not that good. Terrible. I wore anything I wanted. Converse was my favorite. Casual was my style. I didn’t like to doll myself too much and make myself unrecognizable. Something that I used to do when I was still with Christian because he looked happy when I did that. And I was too scared to show him what I usually wore.
Was Jason going to do the same? Oh, my God, Jess. Just stop!
In the end, I grabbed anything and I had the blue denim jacket. I grabbed the white tank top and black ripped jeans. These should do.
When I had covered my body with the clothes I randomly chose, I glanced at my shoe collection and my eyes found their way to the black ankle boots. I hadn’t worn it again for a long time. Those Gucci ankle boots. The expensive brand I bought with my own money, the only one. I rarely wore it, only for a special occasions.
I decided to wear that as I looked at my reflection again. I was ready. Surprisingly, I looked good. I let my blonde hair cascade down. I just hoped I wouldn’t screw it up. I put on a little make-up and sprayed my favorite Coco Chanel perfume when my phone rang. I grabbed it from the bed and saw Jason’s message.
I’m in the lobby.
I texted him back saying I was on my way and I grabbed my light grey backpack and put my phone in also wallet as I walked out of my apartment. I rode down the elevator while feeling so nervous.
It was not like I never had a date before, but how lucky I was my date today would be Jason Ross. I could imagine we would be in the spotlight while on our date in the Aquarium park.
I arrived at the lobby and saw his gorgeous McLaren parked beautifully in front as I detached myself from the metal cubicle, heading to him. As Jason saw me from inside, he jumped out of his luxurious car, looking as gorgeous as he was. Matching his expensive car. Surprisingly enough, he was wearing denim as well.
Oh. My. God.
Jason looked at me and even though he was wearing sunglasses, I could feel the burning stare coming from the older man. Wait, he was not that old. How old was he? He was definitely older than me. Around Ricardo’s age?
He slowly took off his sunglasses, revealing his hypnotizing blue eyes while looking at me up and down. Maybe he had no idea that I would be wearing denim as well. And with my backpack hanging on my back, I looked like a high-school kid ready for school. Even a high-school girl wore a purse, not a backpack.
And then, he smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. “Damn, you look hot,” he said. Was I? Which part? “I’m surprised you’re wearing denim, too. This is so cute, it’s like we’re connected, isn’t it?”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“I don’t, bunny doll. I just randomly picked what I’m going to wear today and I made the right choice for choosing denim.”
I examined him from his head to his toes. Blue denim jacket. Grey t-shirt underneath. And indigo blue jeans. Even they were ripped! With his black and white Air Jordan shoes. Damn, this man screamed luxurious. I didn’t want to think what his t-shirt brand was. Maybe a Louis Vuitton. His car was a McLaren, I shouldn’t be surprised with how much money Jason had in his pocket, and his bank.
Jason walked toward the door and opened it for me. Again? “You don’t need to do that, you know?”
“I know but I want to. Today you are the queen, Jess.”
My cheeks scalded. “Please don’t say that.” I hurriedly pushed myself to get inside his car, putting my backpack on my lap as Jason closed the door. He headed to his door, igniting the engine, and making it roar. Supercar’s sound; absolutely different.
He began to drive the car where he asked, “Have you had breakfast?”
“I haven’t. I was too busy looking at my clothes.”
“Wow, I’m honored. I haven’t eaten, too. Should we go to Starbucks first before we start our date?”
“You really think of it as a date?”
“What, you don’t think the same? Because here I am thinking that I’m connected with you to the point of us wearing the same outfit.” Wow, the nerve.
“It’s just a coincident,” I counter.
“We’re destined to be, Jess.” Destined? I was about to counter him again and he laughed as hard as he could. “I’m just joking, Jess. You’re too serious about everything although that’s part of your charm, you need to loosen up a bit.”
You’re too serious.
Christian’s words echoed in my mind. I immediately looked away.
“Um, are you all right?” he asked as he was aware of my sudden change of behavior.
“Yeah.”
“Have I said something that triggered you to your ex?” Whoa, how did he know about that? This was too creepy. Jason practically could let out any question or statement straight out of my head. It felt like our heads were wired to each other. Like he said, connected.
But I was being honest in the end. “Yes.”
“Oh, man. Christian, right? Too bad his attitude is so not Christian-like,” he mocked, making me laugh. I never thought that far but that was funny.
“That’s rude, you know?” But I kept laughing anyway.
“Like I said, I wanted to loosen you up a bit. Although I know names don’t mean anything, it’s just a name. Everything depends on the people themselves.”
“Well, sometimes it could mean something to someone.”
“What’s your name mean?”
“If I’m not mistaken it’s wealthy.”
He whistled. “I hope you will be drowning in abundance.”
“Wow, thank you. How about you?”
“Joyful.”
I nodded my head. “Just like you.”
“Also…healer.” Double wow.
“Just like you, too.”
“It’s not, Jess,” he countered almost…immediately.
“Why is that? I think to some people because you’re so joyful, they think you bring happiness to people, to make them heal themselves.” Maybe to heal my heart, too.
“Thank you for thinking about me like that but seriously, I’m not. I don’t heal people, most of the time…I hurt them.” Again, something different about him. His smile was slowly gone. He was still wearing it but it was not as wide as before. And his eyes slightly darkened. The atmosphere surrounding him became cold. Instantly, I felt slightly intimidated until he broke the ice and asked, “What would you like for breakfast?” I slowly turned my eyes to him and he looked at me for a second, smiling, like nothing happened.
This man was so easy to change. Just a second ago, he gave me a frosty aura now he was back to the warm Jason.
“Panini,” I replied.
“That’s what I was thinking about. See? We’re definitely destined to be together,” he teased again.
“You’re exaggerating it.”
“I’m not. Do you believe in fate, Jess?”
“I used to.”
“Oh, s**t. Christian has definitely destroyed everything but don’t worry, I will make you believe in fate once again.” Well, I hoped he would.
At Starbucks, we ordered through the drive-thru. Jason suggested us to get a takeaway so we could have breakfast inside his fancy car. Didn’t he think about the sanitation inside his expensive car? I was positive that I wouldn’t dirty his car but no one could predict the future and maybe my panini could fall off or I spilled out the Chocolate Signature drink.
In the end, I managed to convince him to eat our meals first so he could concentrate on driving later.
“I like eating in the car,” he said while chewing his panini. “We don’t need to worry what other people would be thinking or seeing us.”
“You’re right.”
“I assume you never do this.”
“No.”
“I’m glad to be your first, then,” he stated and drank his cappuccino. “Can I know more about you besides coffee is not your thing?”
I drank my chocolate first. “I like sweet stuff and animals.”
“Wow, no wonder you chose the aquarium.”
“I like seeing them since I was small. It’s more relaxing to see them doing their own stuff.”
“I agree. Especially in this crowded city like New York, maybe it’s tiring for you to see a bunch of different people every day, especially with your position as Ricardo’s secretary. Have you ever thought of getting a job around animals before?” And I couldn’t answer. More like, I didn’t know how to answer. It was not like his question was difficult and I didn’t have the answer. I had it but was unable to voice it out because…
“Oh, let me guess? Christian again?” I closed my eyes, allowing him to answer his own question. He exhaled. “Your world was circling around Christian before.” That…felt like a big punch right in my gut. “Well, no use regretting it now because if you think about it again, if you never drop your intention to be a vet or something else, we probably never met.”
I looked at him directly, finding his blue eyes as he smiled genuinely. Causing me to smile too and nervously bit my panini. “I had something I wanted to do before, too,” he added.
“Really? What was it?”
He drank his cappuccino again before he answered, “I liked basketball.” And I lost my smile. “It used to be my passion. I’d been doing it since I was in secondary school and I loved it. I became a regular at the club and became the power forward of the team. We were undefeated with me around and I was called—”
“The Ace,” I added unknowingly, making Jason look at me.
“Hey, you know about basketball, too?”
“Um, a little bit.”
“Well, I had to quit after graduating from high school. I didn’t even join the club at the university because I wanted to focus to continue my father’s business. I was the only son and the oldest so my father asked me to study business although he didn’t force me too much but I wanted to do it, to help him.” Jason continued eating until he pushed the big chunk into his mouth, chewed them, and finished his cappuccino. “Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom,” he excused and detached himself from the car, heading back to the store.
The Ace.
I put down my panini on my lap as I pulled out my phone.
I never told anyone about this. Only Christian knew but he didn’t pay too much attention to it. I clicked the picture folder and scrolled down until I found it. I never knew who he was. I was just passing by an outdoor basketball court and that was when I saw him. He was about to do a lay-up shoot when I took the picture. People said he was the Ace and I never knew…
…It was Jason all the time.
- Writer
