This is love

FOUR

"Who the fuck does he think he is." 

I wince and shoot an apologetic smile to Gloria who gaped at the foul language coming from such a handsome man's sweet mouth. Jason's nostrils flare in anger and he shot his hand out for his phone, in which I snapped away quickly. 

"Give me the phone, Frankie." He sternly and lowly spoke with an open palm. "If that bastard thinks he can degrade you like that, he's another thing coming."

"Which is why I was hesitant on telling you." I say. "Honestly, I'm fine now."

"Honestly, I don't care." He sarcastically remarks. "He needs to be told."

"And then what? He runs to the press with the phone recording? You know how Harold Moore works better than me so you should know how deceiving he can be. I was upset, of course I was but then I thought, what's the point?" 

"He called you a modern prostitute!" 

I glance at Raymond who slams his laptop with irritation of Jason's loud tone. He packs his case, firing us both a foul snarl on his passing before exiting and leaving the light hum of Arianna Grande music flow from the kitchen. 

"What I mean is," I stress. "I was annoyed and upset, of course but I think I have bigger things to be worrying about than Harold Moore and what he thinks of me. I mean, everyone knows him as a tetchy, slightly creepy and extreme pig head old man that owns chains of nightclubs that has stripper poles. Stripper poles, Jason - that says it all, don't you think?"

He was quiet.

"If any of this has taught me something, it is to not sweat over the small stuff. About people's opinions. You can't please everyone, someone somewhere will always have a problem." 

I reach across and tug at his wrist, my fingers grazing the watch he wore everyday since last Christmas. I smiled, reliving the moment he chucked the broken faced watch into the bin and fastening his new one on. 

"My contract with him has ended. Unless an electricity pole crashes through the window setting the place on fire and sets off a hurricane that comes battering through and causes a tsunami, then he has nothing over me. I'll even get my lawyer to send him a copy of his agreements."

A smile twitches at his lips." A bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"I was speaking hypothetically." I laughed, swatting his arm. Sighing, I grasp his hands. "I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't cause me to question myself."

"Why would you do that?" 

I shrug. "I don't know. I just - well, as of recent we've had a lot of interest from people and that's great, I really am appreciative, but it's just that everyone who has been in touch has been sent by you."

His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. "So I recommend you to people, is that a bad thing?" 

"No!" I defend. "Not at all, like I said, I'm so, so appreciative but at the same time I'm questioning is the business only blooming because people want to have a slight link to JD's? They'll attract more people if they see that I’m an ex-employee.” 

The look on Jason’s face was one I had never seen before. It was a form of hurt and betrayal, and it gripped my heart. I scooch forward to the edge of my seat, grasping his hands desperately and I tried to catch his gaze that was focused down onto the half empty cup of coffee lacking in foam. 

“Do you understand what I’m saying?” 

“I recommend you to businesses that I think you could excel in.” He mutters. “Places that you could really express yourself. I don’t want to see you just decorating houses all the time, not when you can do more, I Iwant your name thrown out there and to get praised like you deserve. You’re getting the business because you’re worthy of it, not because of me. You’re capable of more than you think, Frankie.”