Crossing Paths

Chapter 3: Wedding Bells

Copyright 2014 © Rosesareforever

Crossing Paths

Chapter 3

'Wedding Bells'

The next morning Jade awoke groggily when her phone alarm went off. As she opened her heavy eyelids, the bright daylight streamed through the windows, momentarily blinding her. It was half past seven, three hours before the wedding reception started. It would be an early festivity due to the length of the after party.

When the ceremony ended, the invitees would have a late lunch together before sailing off on one of the most luxurious yachts in the world. On the ship the guests would be entertained with all kind of acts, from fire dancers to magicians. They would make a trip across the Caribbean before returning back to Paradise for the gala, a masquerade.

According to the schedule Emma designed, tomorrow there would be a brunch to end the wedding and a salsa class on the beach to celebrate the wedded couple. It was the most ridiculous wedding concept Jade had ever witnessed, but she guessed Lucas would do anything to make his bride-to-be happy. They truly looked like a match made in heaven.

The previous night, Jade had laid eyes on Emma for the first time and she could immediately see the reason why Lucas was enticed by her. The small brunette was anything but ordinary and a true natural beauty. She was kind and loving. A girl you could easily fall in love with. Even Harold had looked affectionate towards his future-daughter-in-law, which was a first. Jade had never seen that bastard looking loving at anyone but his wife and daughter, not even his sons were good enough.     

After she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, Jade rolled off the bed, surprised to see Sedric was long gone. The night before they’d had a discussion about who could use the bed and who had to sleep on the recliner, but they eventually settled upon sharing the queen-sized bed – a bunch of pillows in the middle to delineate their territory. It wasn’t the greatest solution, but it would have to do for the next couple of days.

Sedric’s spicy male odor hit her nostrils as she got to her feet, the scent lingering in the air after spending the night in the same room. She tried her best to ignore the heavenly fragrance as she put on her moccasin slippers. Jade strolled towards the bathroom, running her fingers through the knots in her honey blonde locks. One look in the mirror was enough to make her cringe inwardly, the dark circles underneath her eyes not lying about the lack of sleep she experienced.

Just as she wanted to start her beauty treatment, her cell phone started ringing, the beeping sound echoing through the room. The screeching noise was enough to cause her a headache and she quickly answered the phone to stop the utterly annoying sound. “Jade Johnson speaking, PR manager of the Henderson Empire Hotel Group,” she greeted formally. She didn’t have separate personal and work phone numbers like her sister, knowing if she had to juggle multiple phones, one would be lost by the end of the day.

Plus, Jade didn’t have any trouble keeping business and her private life separate, contrary to her eldest sister and mother who couldn’t breathe without knowing the company was running smoothly. She loved working at the Henderson Empire and wouldn’t want to trade her job at any cost, but she was aware of the fact that there was a life outside the working hours as well.

The most cogent reason for her to choose to take Sedric’s deal was because she didn’t want Alexis to worry just now when everything in her life was finally settled down. The poor woman had been through enough.    

“Jayjay! It’s me, Steph,” the woman at the other side of the line greeted enthusiastically, her high-pitched voice bursting through the phone. Jade rolled her eyes, recognizing the voice anywhere.