Chapter 14 - Apologies At Tiffany's
Jasper's POV
"Oh, is that a challenge, Mr Queen?" She asked, her tone seductive.
"I don't know, Miss Valentina, is it?" I replied, nearing towards her.
I couldn't get enough of her, she was such a beautiful mystery.
I watched her, trying to work out what I was going to do with this woman, there was no way in hell I was going to lose to her.
I slowly leaned my body towards hers and -
"Uncle Jasper! Uncle Jasper!"
Keira.
I loved my niece but, now was not the time; I squeezed my eyes shut only to open them to see a smirking Scarlett stood there proudly.
"I win." She said lowly before she turned to my devil of a niece. "And who do we have here?"
"Keira!" She stated proudly as Scarlett scooped over to pick her up.
"Aren't you just adorable!" She gushed, touching her cheek as I narrowed my eyes, becoming seriously pissed off at Keira before I mentally slapped myself.
Keira was only four and I, a twenty-six year old was jealous of her.
I guess Scarlett won fair and square.
"You smell like vanilla," Keira smiled as Scarlett laughed.
Goddammit, Keira!
"Uncle Jay, why're you so sad?" She asked innocently as I felt a little guilty for blaming her for taking all my secretary's attention.
"Your Uncle Jay is a baby, Keira," Scarlett smiled at him as her face scrunched up in confusion.
"Uncle Jay wear diapers?"
"Yes!"
"No!" we both replied to her at the same time.
"You're a liar, Uncle Jay! I'm going to tells mommy you have diapers," Keira gasped, as she ran out of the room.
"I cannot believe you just did that, Scarlett," I murmured glaring at her as she raised an eyebrow.
"You do know that, this 'I am the dominant, fear me' look only works on one of your women, right?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
"It's pretty self-explanatory, Mr Queen," she snapped folding her arms.
About to retort back to her, I decided to keep my mouth shut, today was an incredibly difficult day for her, despite her not showing it.
"I guess it is," I smiled thinly as she rolled her eyes.
Seconds later her phone vibrated a text message as she slid it out of her pocket, her face turning pale.
"What is it?" I enquired walking towards her as she quickly stuffed her phone back into her pocket.
"Nothing, just a text from Melissa," she said hurriedly.
"Who the fuck just texted you?" I growled, becoming angry.
The text was clearly not welcomed by her, given the look on her face.
"I told you -"
"Give me the fucking phone!" I barked as she flinched, averting her gaze from mine.
"Why is the nice lady crying, Uncle Jasper?" Keira frowned, as she ran inside, stopping midway.
"Why don't you go see what grandma and grandpa are doing, Princess?" I asked as she skipped out of the door happily.
I turned to look at Scarlett, wiping her face with the back of her hand before she walked out of the room.
God, she thought I was going to hit her.
I sighed heavily as I saw Emily walk into the room.
"Did you -"
"Yes, I did Jasper," she replied sadly. "You can't treat people like that Jay, least of all a woman like her."
"I know," I muttered really not in the mood to listen to one of Emily's speeches.
"Dinner's ready everybody!" Mom's voice called out from my kitchen.
I loved my family, don't get me wrong but, goddamn, they could be a pain and an inconvenience sometimes.
I stepped into the kitchen looking for Scarlett when I saw that she wasn't there.
"Where's Scarlett?" I asked.
"She left about five minutes ago. She said something came up and she had to leave," Mom replied, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Mommy, the nice lady was crying 'cause Uncle Jasper yelled at her 'cause he wear diapers," Keira babbled as I groaned aloud.
My mother's eyes narrowed slits as my father raised an eyebrow.
"I can see you guys will have a lot to talk about. I'm sorry about dinner, Mom, we can do this another time," Emily said as she picked Keira up, grabbing her car keys, mouthing sorry to me.
"Jasper Xander Queen! How have I raised you? To make grown women cry?" Mom yelled as Dad tried to calm her down once the door slammed shut. "And you still haven't told us why you were in court today! I've had to listen to these lying tabloids all day! Why don't you talk to me anymore Jasper? I'm your mom and I - we - need you in our lives, why-"
"Estelle, calm down and sit, shouting won't get us anywhere," Dad instructed calmly as Mom left the room.
"Dad, I -"
"What were you doing in court today, son?" Dad cut me off sternly.
"Offering moral support to my secretary," I snapped, irritated.
"Scarlett? Why?"
"Dad." I sighed. "She was in court to give evidence against her father who abused her, that's why I was there."
Next thing I knew, I was met with my father's fist colliding with my face as he glared at me.
"Fix this shit right now and don't bother coming home if you don't. I raised you to be a man not a pussy!" He snapped leaving the kitchen as I winced slightly rubbing at my cheek. "I always warned Estelle to stop mollycoddling you, look at you! Get out of here!"
Goddamn, my old man could throw a punch, I thought angrily as I grabbed my car keys.
I honestly felt terrible about what had just happened with Scarlett but I only reacted that way because I didn't want anyone to hurt her.
However, it seemed the only one hurting her, was me.
Sighing, I got into my car and decided to stop by Tiffany's to pick out a gift if the grovelling didn't work out.
I knew Scarlett and though I knew she could never be bought, she did love her Tiffany's jewellery, I thought as I recalled overhearing a conversation once at the office.
"We're not going to go for traditional wedding rings." Her friend stated.
"Really? What are you going to do then? Please don't say -"
"Matching tattoos!"
"Melissa, no! What happens if, God forbid -"
"We won't, Scarlett, we love each other. What about you?"
"There'll be no wedding ring without a man, Melissa. It's not like I have a whole queue of men lining up for me, anyway."
"Tell me that the day you're walking down the aisle with a super-hot man!" Melissa laughed as I frowned.
I didn't like the sound of that.
"Well, I would definitely want wedding rings. Tiffany's to be exact, timeless, personal and so intimate," she sighed happily as her friend snorted.
"You and your obsession with Tiffany's, Scarlett!"
"They are so beautiful, Melissa; God, I want to get married now just for the rings!" She laughed.
"Like you can't afford to pay for half of that store anyway!"
"May I remind you that I don't get paid in diamonds, Melissa?"
After that day, I increased her pay and bought her gifts from Tiffany's every time we argued; she would always refuse but always ended up giving in as she realised it made me feel better if she just accepted.
I quickly drove to Tiffany's and bought her a diamond and sapphire bracelet; asking for it to be gift wrapped with a small message inside the box.
I jumped back into my car and quickly made my way to Scarlett's. I knocked and waited until she opened the door, her eyes slightly red and puffy.
"If you have come to humiliate me any further, please, save it for work tomorrow," she said tiredly as I shifted on my feet.
"Can I come in?" I asked nervously.
I don't ask people for anything.
Nor do I nervously ask people for anything.
"Fine," she said holding the door open as I walked in. "What happened to your face?"
"My father... he punched me -"
"Punched you? Why?"
"For disrespecting you."
"Good. You deserved it. Say thank you to your father for me." She said curtly as I laughed before wincing as my cut stretched. "Sit over there, I'll clean it up."
I sat on the recliner, watching her grab the first aid box as she stood beside me.
Her soft tender fingers brushed against my skin as I tried not to hiss in pain.
"Drop the act, it looks like it hurts like a bitch," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she put the contents away.
"I'm sorry, Scarlett," I said sincerely as she gave me a small smile.
"Don't worry about it, I'll get over it."
"That's not the point Scarlett, you need to be clear on one thing: I don't hit women... Well unless both parties agree to it," I muttered, only half joking.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"A story for another day," I said evasively. "I would never hurt you like that Scarlett - ever."
"I know you wouldn't," she replied softly, staring at the ground as silence entered the room.
There were questions buzzing in her mind as they were in mine.
"I should get going," I announced as I slipped the Tiffany's box out of my back pocket. "This is for you."
"Every time we disagree on something, you shouldn't have to overspend on me." She said, looking at me with disapproval.
"I earn billions, Scarlett. A couple thousand hardly burns a hole through my pocket." I replied casually, still holding the box out to her.
"I don't -"
"Take it."
"No -"
"Now."
She took the box out of my hands, smiling genuinely.
"I'll open it later."
"You can call my father and let him know you forgive me now," I said.
"Who said I've forgiven you?" She smirked happily.
"Phone him."
"Later," she said dismissively still smirking.
"By the way, there is a benefit charity I have to attend to tomorrow, you'll be my plus one for the night." I told her remembering how much she loathed them although I didn't know why. She never outwardly complained about going but I knew she didn't like going to them.
I only did it to get on her nerves.
"Dress code?"
"I can't remember," I shrugged. "It's at six thirty till nine thirty."
"That's pretty long," she noted. "Are you going to be delivering a speech?"
"I'll probably have to say a few words on how my company's charities are saving underdeveloped countries and the rest of that bullshit." I replied uninterested, as she looked at me disapprovingly.
"You mean for civilians who are not as fortunate as we are, right?"
"Yes, that."
"You, impossible man," she said, shaking her head as I opened the door.
"See you tomorrow, Scarlett." I smiled, hoping she would invite me to stay.
"Bye, Jasper."
Well, that told me.
Turning the engine on, I was about to drive off when I noticed Vincent walking up to Scarlett's house holding a bunch of flowers.
Anger rose inside me as I wondered just what the hell he was doing there.
I thought she said she was done with him?