Cole & Jamie

Chapter 8

Earrings. Earrings. Earrings.

Where the hell are my earrings?

I dug to the bottom of my ancient jewelry box searching for the pair of bedazzled seashells. I'd bought them years ago at a consignment shop in New Jersey. Even with no place to wear them, I knew I had to have them. Of course, now that I need them I can't find them.

A broken hinge scraped across the top of my hand. "Ow," I cried, yanking my hand out of the box. The bit of metal only scratched the surface leaving a shallow scratch across my hand. Fed up, I tried another strategy. Picking up the jewelry box, I turned it over and shook it so all my jewelry fell onto my closet floor.

I was going to regret this later, but I was desperate at the moment. Digging through the mess of gifted and secondhand jewelry I finally found the earrings. The pair of earrings had gotten tangled between the charms of an old bracelet. A bracelet I'd buried deep inside the box to get away from it.

Cole had given me this bracelet when we were seventeen and I would wear it every day only taking it off to shower. I stopped wearing it after I went to college the memories it held became too much for me. I marveled at how well the bracelet held up over time with little to no tarnishing, the charms still shined in the lights.

I fastened the bracelet onto my wrist and put the earrings in my ears. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. The red two-piece I'd chosen showed off my figure nicely without revealing too much. There would be children there after all. I tied a matching sarong around my waist the sheer fabric splitting up my leg to give a perfect view of my sandals.

My heart hammered with excitement as I thought about the day ahead. I just know Trish is going to love it. I sent Cole a text saying I was on my way then I was out the door. He didn't live far. It only took ten minutes for me to pull up outside of his gated mansion.

"Woah," I exhaled, driving through the wrought iron gates. Knowing someone has money and seeing the benefits of it in real life are two completely different things and being friends with Cole has shown me that over and over again. Like with this party, for example, I didn't have to open my wallet once. He refused to let me pay for anything, and this house, no mansion, was mind-blowing.

Completed in cream-colored stone and draping ivy it looked like something out of a fairy tale (and my Pinterest board) I wouldn't be surprised if there was a princess hiding here somewhere. The classic architecture was refreshing amongst all the modern homes on the street.

Cole's instructions were to drive around back and park in the garage. Doing as I was told, I pulled into the six-car garage and parked between a blacked-out SUV and a red sports car that I would look amazing in.

He'd left the back door unlocked for me. "Hello," I called out, stepping down the long hallway. "Cole, are you here?"

When there was no response I walked further into the house admiring it's opulence. There might not have been a princess stowed away in here but just walking through the halls made me feel like one. The walls were painted a soft beige making the whole space feel warm and inviting. Cole's home was a perfect example of quiet luxury, expensive without being flashy.

I walked into his kitchen which housed every appliance imaginable. He had two ovens; who needs two ovens? Mom and Harriet would have a field day in here. Placing my bag and keys on the spotless counter, I walked over the glass doors that opened to the backyard.

That's where I found him. Cole stood in the backyard blowing up pool floats. He wore a pair of short swim trunks that showed off his toned legs. The Hawaiian shirt he wore gave me a glorious view of his toned chest and stomach. I found myself sighing out loud as I watched him.