Icing on the Cake

Chapter Seventeen

Don’t jump to conclusions. There are usually not only two sides to every story, but three, four, or more. Give others the benefit of the doubt and people will love you for it.
Maria Fontaine.

Sylvia walked into the hotel’s compound after paying the cab’s fare. She didn’t feel like going up to her room so she walked to the back. She greeted few people on her way as she passed the large pool, the outside bar, and reached a cantilever bridge that was over a large lake. She stopped there and exhaled heavily. She thought of what happened at the restaurant. She wouldn’t cry, she thought. No, she wouldn’t. She had cried enough already because of Jaden and she didn’t want to anymore.
She cursed herself for thinking about coming here and actually agreeing; for believing that Jaden had missed her as much as she had, that he needed her as much as she did, and for actually believing Keith and that damned message. She sighed again, angrily this time, and put her hands on the rails in the bridge. Tomorrow, she’ll leave.
“Sylvia!”
She jerked but didn’t turn to see who was calling her. She knew who it was already.
“Sylvia.”
The voice was closer now and she finally turned. Jaden was standing there, few feet away from her, and was looking sinfully handsome as ever. There was no denying it. She loved him. And she’d have told him that at dinner but he’d been with another woman.
Jaden came closer and although she didn’t want him near her, she still remained where she stood, her feet disagreeing to move. He stopped in front of her and then reached out a hand to touch her.
She stepped away. “Don’t touch me!”
“Sylvia...”
“Don’t come near me anymore.”
He took a step forward and she took two back. He came closer again and she took a step back.
“I’m sure your girlfriend must be waiting for you. You should go and meet her.”
“Sylvia, she’s...”
“Oh. Or maybe, you both also lodged in here. Oh, how silly am I? The coincidences must be very strong, right?”
“She’s not my girlfriend, Sylvia. I was just having a meeting with her.”
“How sweet of it to turn into date,” she said, glaring at him.
“It was strictly a business meeting.”
“Which turned into a date,” she said and huffed. “How foolish was I to come here at all. They’re problems concerning your business and what you felt to do was to have a date with...”
Jaden closed the gap between them and enclosed her in a hug that made her shut up. He hugged her tightly and inhaled her scent. “I missed you Sylvia, a lot. You don’t even know the half of it.”
“Then, why didn’t you call?” There was still anger in her voice but her voice was softer now.
“I didn’t have the nerve to do that.”
Sylvia pushed him away. “Really? It’s because you didn’t care! You didn’t want to know how I was faring, Jade, you didn’t want to. You were just being selfish! Only days ago, you sent me that... message!”
He breathed in and out. “I wanted to Sylvia. And I still want to know how you’ve been since I left.” He paused. “I also wasn’t sure of how you felt so I thought you wouldn’t miss me at all. I guess I was wrong,” he said, softly.
Then, he went to her once more and hugged her. This time, she allowed him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear.
Her tense body relaxed in his arms and a tear ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry too,” she returned and hugged him back. Jaden released her but his arms were still around her. “And I missed you too,” she smiled.
He smiled back and cleaned her eyes. He took her hand. “We shouldn’t end today like this. You’re looking so beautiful it’ll hurt me to leave you this evening.”
She smiled. “Okay, then. Where will we go?”
“Anywhere you want,” he replied and walked with her down the bridge.
They went to Sun Down and ate dinner together while telling each other things that had happened when they were separated. She told him of her work and he told her of the deal with Adams Johnson and the upcoming launching of the new products.
When he’d mentioned the deal with Adams, Sylvia had felt a pang of jealousy but she’d kept her feelings bottled inside. And Jaden also forgot to add that Winnie had declined the deal, so that only added fuel to the fire-Sylvia thinking that he would go ahead and marry Winnie.
Then, when they were done with their meal, Jaden paid the bills and they went back to the hotel.
“Now’s when we’ll say goodnight,” Jaden said when they got to the door of Sylvia’s room.
“Yeah,” she said. “Goodnight.”
He leaned forward and pasted a light kiss on her left cheek. Smiling, he said, “Goodnight. I’ll wait till you go in.”
She smiled back and opened her door.
“I’ll call.”
“Okay. See ya,” she said and went in.
Jaden went back to the elevator and walked out of the hotel. As he neared his car, his phone rang, and he picked it up.
“K.”
“How’d it go? Did you find her?”
“Yes. We had dinner.”
“Yeah, I can hear the excitement already in your voice.”
He smiled. “Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah.”
“Anyway, I don’t care. I’m just happy she’s here. I owe you one, K.”
“Of course, you do. Why else do you think I went along with my plan?”
“To make me happy,” Jaden replied.
“Yeah, I forgot I was very generous,” Keith said sarcastically. “How’d I be so stupid not to include other reasons?”
Jaden chuckled and shook his head. “You never change, K. Selfishness still radiates from you.”
“You taught me everything I know.”
Jaden snorted lightly. “I’ll be hanging up now, need to get home and sleep.”
“Of course, I forgot. Now that Sylvie’s here, you’ll return to your old self.”
Jaden smiled.
“Jade.”
“Yeah?”
“Make sure you don’t ever let her out of your grip. She’s one who’s hard to come by.”
Jaden paused. “I know that. Thanks.”
He hung up, looked up at the fifteen-storey hotel, and sighed before entering his car and driving out.