Broken Mirrors

Chapter Three

Jessica in the pic above

Clair woke up the next morning, well past 10:00 a.m. After taking a long bath, she dressed in high-waisted blue jeans and a red crop top. She finished her makeup and managed to style her blonde hair into a neat bun before grabbing her shiny red pumps and heading downstairs.

As she descended, she noticed waitstaff bustling around, preparing for the dinner that evening. The realization that the dinner was inevitable made her stomach turn in knots. Iris, standing nearby, noticed her and waved. Clair acknowledged her and walked over.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hart," Clair greeted.

"Just Iris," she corrected gently. "You must be hungry."

Clair nodded.

"Let's get out of this confusion," Iris suggested, leading her to the kitchen.

Once there, Iris quickly whipped up a breakfast of bacon, pancakes, and eggs, placing the steaming plate in front of Clair. Without hesitation, Clair began eating. She looked up mid-bite, only to see Iris watching her. Embarrassed, her face flushed.

"Thank you, it tastes fantastic," Clair said with a smile.

"You're welcome, baby doll," Iris replied, smiling as she sat down next to Clair.

After a moment of silence, Iris said, "I'm sorry to hear about your mom."

Clair swallowed the last of her bacon. "It's fine," she mumbled.

Iris sat up straighter, her face softening. "I know what it's like to lose a mother. Mine passed away last year."

Clair paused, sipping her orange juice before wiping her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Iris said quietly.

Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, Clair shifted topics. "So, the dinner is happening?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes, your dad has some important announcements to make," Iris began.

"Does he have to?" Clair interrupted, clearly not thrilled about it.

Iris chuckled. "Well, no, but he wants to. So, there's not much you can do to change his mind."

Clair sighed in frustration. Before she could respond, the butler entered the room.

"Is something wrong?" Iris asked, turning to him.

"No, ma'am," the butler replied. "But there's a visitor for Miss Clair."

Before he could finish, a young woman with curly hair burst through the door, running toward Clair. In a flash, Clair jumped up, and the two hugged tightly.

"Jessica! What are you doing here?" Clair exclaimed.

"I came to see you, of course! Lunch?" Jessica suggested with a wide grin.

Clair laughed. "I already ate."

"Then dessert?" Jessica pressed.

Iris smiled as she stood to leave. "You two catch up. I'll see you at dinner at 8, okay?" she said, waving as she left the room.

Clair and Jessica beamed at each other, excited to reunite. Jessica had been Clair's childhood friend, and they hadn't seen each other since Clair's mother's funeral. After indulging in dessert and reminiscing about old times, they found themselves wandering into different clothing stores. They stopped at a popular boutique, where Clair was on the hunt for the perfect dress for dinner.

Clair emerged from the dressing room in a navy blue dress that hugged her curves and revealed her back. She hesitated before stepping out, hoping Jessica wouldn't disapprove again—this would be her tenth try.

"Yes! That's the dress!" Jessica exclaimed, leaping out of her chair.

Clair turned to the mirror, examining herself. "Isn't it a bit too revealing for dinner?" she asked, eyeing her back.

"Exactly! That's why you should wear it," Jessica smirked.

Clair bit her lip. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"You're just nervous," Jessica reassured her. "The dinner might go better than you think." She offered a comforting smile.

Clair groaned and retreated to the dressing room to change back into her clothes. She picked out matching shoes and paid for her items before they headed to the car and made their way to a salon.

In the car, Clair glanced at Jessica, who was tapping away on her phone. "So, what brings you here?"

Jessica stared out the window for a moment before glancing at Clair. "My mother is sick, and my idiot brother won't help out, so..." she sighed. "I decided to step in."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Clair said softly.

"Yeah, thanks," Jessica replied, turning to Clair with a look. "What?"

Clair raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Jessica hesitated before blurting out, "I'm supposed to get married."

Clair burst out laughing. "You're kidding, right?"

Jessica pulled a ring from her bag and showed it to Clair.

Clair's eyes widened as she pulled the car to a stop. "To who?"

Jessica groaned as she got out of the car. Clair followed her, concerned.

"What's wrong?" Clair asked, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm ending it," Jessica sighed. "He's a cheating jerk!"

Clair frowned. "What? With who?"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Dinah."

"Dinah?!" Clair asked in disbelief. Before she could respond further, Jessica's phone rang. After a brief conversation, she hung up.

"I've got to go. We'll talk later, okay?" Jessica said, hugging Clair tightly before rushing off.

"Sure," Clair muttered, still processing the news.

As the sun began to set, Clair left the salon, glancing at her watch—it was already 6:30 p.m. She hurried across the road to the parking lot, fumbling through her bag for her car keys. In her distraction, she walked straight into a man. Grabbing his broad shoulders to steady herself, she quickly pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," the man replied, looking at her intently.

Clair noticed the men standing behind him, likely his security. She smiled shyly and tried to walk away, but moments later, she bumped into him again.

Her eyes widened. "Are you following me?" she asked.

The man smiled. "No...well, yes. Your face seems familiar."

Clair raised an eyebrow. "It does?"

"I don't forget a pretty face when I see one," he said with a smirk, stepping closer.

Blushing, Clair quickly got into her car. "Goodnight, sir," she said, shutting the door.

"Can I at least get your name?" he called after her.

Ignoring him, Clair started the car and sped off into the evening.

*******************************

Hey, guy hope you like :) :p

Don't forget to Vote :)