Taking It All Read online

  "I've actually got a dinner to go to tonight," said Leon. "You can start the babysitting this evening."

  "Oh!" said Jade, a little shocked by how quickly everything was happening. "Sure!"

  Leon could apparently sense how nervous she was.

  "Don't worry about it," said Leon. "He's an easy kid; just listen to him ramble on about whatever he's into, and maybe you'll have to play some video games with him or something."

  "I'm not much of a gamer, but I think I can handle that."

  "I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think you could. Watch him, that is – not play video games."

  Jade flashed him a smile.

  "OK," she said. "I'm feeling a little better about this."

  After a little more driving, they were soon back at Leon's place, picking up Oliver from a friend's on the floor below on the way.

  "You're going to be hanging out with Ms. Jade tonight," said Leon to his son. "So be on your best behavior."

  "OK," said Oliver.

  Jade could tell right away that he was just as wary about the whole thing as she was.

  "Make yourself at home," said Leon, "and feel free to use the extra office for your work."

  "Sounds like a plan," said Jade. "I'll be there if you need me for anything."

  Leon gave a nod as Jade headed off. Her laptop in hand, she sat down at the ornate desk in the quaint little office and got to work. The view of the city outside inspiring her, Jade worked at a furious pace, taking the notes that she'd collected from Leon, along with the recorded interviews, and turning them into the first rough outline of her article. She was a little surprised at just how easily Leon's life lent itself to a story format, and began to feel excited about the work ahead, instead of the usual fear and anxiety that usually accompanied her writing.

  Don't let yourself get too carried away, Jade, she thought to herself. Keep in mind that you're still dealing with the asshole who broke your heart by cheating on you with some skank.

  A jolt of anger ran through Jade's body, and for a brief moment, she was taken back to that night so many years ago, when she'd walked in on Leon with the other girl.

  Maybe he's changed? she thought. He seems to have the rest of his life in order, after all.

  Zebra's don't change their stripes, thought another voice in her mind, as if Jade was possessed by two personalities of conflicting opinions on the matter.

  Just focus on the work for now, thought Jade, calming herself down. This is looking good so far; the fastest way to screw it up would be to bring up shit from nearly a decade ago that I'm still sore about.

  The afternoon flew by, and eventually Jade reached the point when she knew that no more work was going to get done. She closed her laptop and headed out into the living room, where she spotted Oliver in front of the TV, a controller in his hands. Leon emerged from the hallway that led to his bedroom, dressed in a slick dark suit as he finished the knot on a dark blue tie.

  Goddamn, Jade thought, the man knows how to fill out a suit – I'll give him that much.

  "Alright, you two," said Leon. "I'm about to take off. Credit card's on the counter; get whatever you want for dinner. Within reason."

  He then turned to Jade.

  "And call me if you need anything. I shouldn't be too late."

  Jade gave a playful little salute, and Leon responded with another one of those smiles that Jade just went wild for. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she watched Leon leave through the front door.

  "Why are you staring at my dad?" asked Oliver, turning away from the screen for just a moment.

  "Um, just making sure he didn't have anything on this clothes," said Jade, her face growing hot.

  "On his butt?"

  "Gotta check everywhere," said Jade.

  She turned her attention to the screen.

  "What're you playing?"

  "Oh, nothing that a girl would like," he said.

  "Try me," said Jade.

  "It's called Dark Souls. You're a guy with a sword and you have to kill everyone else and steal their souls. That's it. And it's really hard."

  "I bet I can beat you," said Jade.

  That got Oliver's attention.

  "No way," he said. "I'm the best at this game; no one can beat me."

  "Let me see that controller," said Jade, plopping onto the couch in front of the enormous TV right next to Oliver.

  He handed her the controller and she went to work. Jade had no idea what she was doing at first, but with Oliver's help, she quickly got the gist of things. The hours flew by as the two played their games, with Oliver eagerly explaining the finer points of all of them to Jade. And Jade was happy to listen. After a time, they took a break to order some pizza.

  "You're actually pretty cool," said Oliver. "Most of the babysitters think that video games are lame. But then they sit on the couch and play, like, phone games. And I say that those are video games too, but they're always like ‘nu-uh, they're different'."

  "What can I say," said Jade. "I'm kind of a badass."

  An impish smile formed on Oliver's mouth at hearing a bad word. The rest of the evening passed, and at around ten she got Oliver ready for bed. And as he got into his pajamas, Oliver provided a recap of all of the highlights of their evening, talking eagerly about his video game victories.

  "Sounds like you two had quite the night," said Leon from the entrance to Oliver's room.

  Jade turned on her heels and, sure enough, there stood Leon. He was leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and his tie undone in a charmingly rakish way.

  "Lots of video games, lots of pizza," said Jade.

  "Yeah, it was awesome!" said Oliver.

  "See?" said Leon. "I knew you'd a knack for this."

  Jade could only smile.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The next ten days flew by in a wild blur, and one morning when Jade checked the calendar she did a double take when she realized just how fast time was going by. But she had the work to show for it – the outline for the article was nearly done, and all Jade had left was one final interview with Leon. Knowing her time with Leon was nearing its end, Jade couldn't help but feel a subtle longing; a small part of her wanted this job to never end.

  "How're things going with the article?" asked Leon one Saturday afternoon.

  "Just about done with the groundwork. Once I squeeze one last interview out of you, I'll have everything that I need to get the project finished. From then on, it'll be just a matter of writing the thing."

  "That's a shame," said Leon, putting on an expression of exaggerated sadness. "I was getting used to spilling my guts for an hour every day."

  Jade gave him a playful jab as she walked past him on her way to pour herself a cup of coffee.

  "Hey," she said, "it's not too late for me to do a total hatchet job. Maybe a line or two about your secret lifestyle as one of the biggest furries in the city?"

  "Now that would move some magazines," said Leon. "Though my furry days are long behind me, I'm afraid."

  Jade chuckled and shook her head.

  "Well then," she asked. "You want to knock this last interview out?"

  "Sounds good to me," said Leon. "And I've got something I'd like to talk to you about afterward. Meet you on the balcony in five?"

  "Perfect," said Jade, her mind fully occupied by Leon's comment about wanting to talk to her about something.

  What does he want? she wondered as she gathered her interview materials from her little office. Maybe to tell me which details are fit to print?

  Jade realized that Leon had been fairly open with just about every detail of his life that she'd asked him to share; it only made sense that there'd be certain details that he didn't want out in the open.

  Well, she thought, just before stepping out of her office, there is one detail that he hasn't wanted to talk about.

  Us.

  She pushed the thought from her head, telling herself that there were surely more important things
for Leon to want to talk about. After all, why would a brief relationship in his college days be anything even close to noteworthy?

  Her coffee and supplies in hand, Jade stepped out onto the balcony where Leon was already waiting for her. He was dressed in his usual style –simple but fashionable- wearing a hand-tailored white button-up, a pair of charcoal slacks, and a shiny pair of double-monk shoes.

  Damn, he looks good, thought Jade, biting her lower lip.

  "Ready to start?" asked Leon, flicking his piercing blue eyes up at her.

  "Always," said Jade.

  She slid into the seat across from Leon, slipped recorder out of her pocket, turned it on, and set it on the table.

  "So," she said. "During most of these little chats it's been me directing the conversations. But for this last interview, I wanted to change things up a bit."

  "Oh?" asked Leon, his curiosity piqued.

  "Yeah," she said with a sly smile. "I wanted to give you the chance to talk about anything you'd like. Anything that you think is essential for someone like me who's trying to tell your story. No subject is off-limits."

  "Hmm," said Leon as he looked away.

  His response was immediate; he only needed a moment to think.

  "In that case, I'd like to talk about you."

  Jade nearly spit out her coffee.

  "What?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief

  "Well, to be more specific, you and I."

  "What…what do you want to talk about, um, about me?"

  He sat back in his seat and folded his hands over his stomach. Leon was the picture of calm and poise.

  "A long time ago, nearly a decade back, I was in one of the lowest points of my life. I was stuck with a family that was beyond dysfunctional, I broke the law on a daily basis just to get by, and my future was far from certain. With each day that passed, I felt my heart harden just a bit. I didn't know it at the time, but I was in the process of killing the part of myself that was human just to survive."

  "But that all changed the day that I met some silly, beautiful girl wandering around the bad part of town. Even before we spoke, I knew that there was something different about this girl; I knew that, somehow, she was different – special."

  "At first, she was a royal pain in my ass. I mean, really, a rich girl wanting some punk asshole to show her around the bad parts of town so she could see what ‘real' life was all about? Unbelievable. So, I figured I'd give her a show; I'd push her out of her comfort zone just enough to make her want to run back to the safety of her carefully-manicured little life."

  "But…she didn't act that way. Not at all. In fact, she reacted in the exact opposite manner that I expected. She loved the thrills, she loved pushing herself as she never had before. And with each adventure we went on, she seemed just a little stronger than she was before. I couldn't help but admire her."

  "And I ended up falling in love with that girl. She could be a brat, sure, but she had a heart and spirit like no woman that I'd ever known before. Part of me wondered if I'd met the woman that I'd spend the rest of my life with. But I should've known that the reckless life I lived was going to catch up with me one way or another. And because of a stupid misunderstanding, I lost her."

  "Now, years later, like some miracle, she's back in my life. And somehow, she's even more of the woman that I once knew. She's just as beautiful and talented as she was before, and now she's fearlessly pursuing her dreams."

  Tears welled in Jade's eyes as she listened to Leon. Her pen had only ago been dropped onto the paper, and she sat in struck attention.

  "And now, having her around the last couple of weeks, all I can think about is how much I want her back in my life. But I know I'm hardly a man worthy enough for her. So, all I can do is give my heart to her, and hope that she accepts it."

  Then, Leon reached over the table and took Jade's hands into his own. A small smile formed on his face, and Jade was speechless.

  "I…I think that's good enough for today," she said.

  Jade didn't know what to think. Part of her wanted to take Leon up on his offer right then and there, to leave the past in the past. But she couldn't shake the notion that this was all happening so fast, that she needed time to truly process just what Leon was offering her.

  "Listen," said Leon, as if reading her mind, "I have a little event tonight, a gala to celebrate this quarter's success at Sanderson. Things got crazy in the last week, finding a plus one just slipped my mind. If you're not busy tonight…"

  "Yes!" said Jade. "That sounds perfect. But, um, I don't really have anything to wear.

  Leon waved his hand through the air in a dismissive gesture.

  "Don't even worry about that," he said. "Take the afternoon and head down to Fifth Avenue. Take my car and get whatever you want. A woman like you deserves no less."

  Jade opened her mouth to protest, but she knew that Leon was the sort of man who, when he put his mind to something, was impossible to budge.

  Leon's eyes flicked to the recorder.

  "I hope that you've got enough to work with."

  "More than enough," said Jade, a warm smile on her lips.

  Jade returned from her shopping trip both exhausted and wired at the same time. Bags of all sort of goodies dangled from her arms as she stepped back into the apartment, and she made a beeline for her bedroom to try on what she'd purchased.

  "A successful trip?" asked Leon from where he sat, a cup of coffee and the New York Times in front of him.

  "You could say that," said Jade, a sly smile on her lips.

  "Come have some lunch when you're done; I'm about to send Oliver to his friend's place here in a little bit."

  Jade nodded and rushed to her bedroom, dropping off her bags and deciding to figure out what she was going to wear later. Back in the main room of the apartment, Leon and Oliver were seated at the kitchen bar, a lunch of sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and soda spread out in front of them. Jade took a seat with the family and jumped right into the lively conversation that the two were in the middle of. Oliver talked about school, the plans he had at his friend's tonight, and just about everything else that occupied the attention of a five-year-old kid. Jade listened attentively, a calm sense of contentment coming over her as she sat there with Leon and Oliver, having a pleasant afternoon lunch like any other family.

  Is this what it's like? To have a family? she found herself wondering. It's…nice.

  Part of Jade had always imagined herself as the sort of woman who'd be single-mindedly pursuing a career for the majority of her adult life, the routine broken up by the occasional relationship that was doomed to fail. The idea of having a family was something that she just imagined was for other people, not women like her. But getting just a little taste of it these last few days with Leon and Oliver…she found herself quickly warming up to the idea.

  "Alright, champ," said Leon, taking a glance at the gorgeous silver watch on his wrist. "I think it's about time to get you shipped off."

  "Kay!" shouted Oliver, jumping from his seat and headed off to his bedroom.

  "And why don't you do what you need to get ready?" said Leon, standing up from the table with a pair of plates in his hands. "Ride'll be here at around five."

  "'Ride'?" asked Jade.

  But Leon only answered with a crafty smile.

  Jade returned the expression and headed back to her room. After going through her day's haul, she decided on a gown of a deep red color with a plunging neckline. A quick run to the beauty parlor later, she was ready to go. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she drew a deep breath, ready for the evening ahead.

  And the look that Leon gave her when stepping into the living room was one she'd never forget.

  "You look…amazing," he said, walking over to her and giving her a once-over. "Just incredible."

  "Thanks," said Jade. "And you don't look so bad yourself."

  Dressed in a well-tailored black tuxedo, Leon looked as sharp as ever.

&nbs
p; Before either of them could say another word, a low chime sounded through the apartment.

  "Our carriage awaits," said Leon, extending his arm for Jade to take. "Shall we?"

  "We shall," said Jade, a warm smile on her face.

  The two of them traveled down via the elevator and were soon in front of the building, a gorgeous, silver limousine parking out in front. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a dramatic, brilliant scene of orange, cream, and deep blue, the towers of the city twinkling throughout.

  "Is this…?" asked Jade, her eyes wide with surprise.

  "It is," said Leon.

  The driver greeted the pair and opened the door for the both of them. Jade stepped into the sleek, ultra-modern interior of the limo and shook her head in disbelief.

  "It's incredible," she said.

  "Nothing quite like driving through New York at night in a limo," said Leon, removing a bottle of bubbly from the small refrigerator and popping it open.

  Her face nearly pressed to the glass as she craned her neck up to take in the sight of the city around her, Jade couldn't help but agree.

  Leon poured the two a pair of glasses of sparkling wine.

  "What're we drinking to?" asked Jade, her eyes on the bubbling drink in her hands.

  "A wonderful future," said Leon. "Whatever that might hold."

  "I can drink to that," said Jade.

  The two tapped their glasses together.

  About the time that their drinks were finished, the limo pulled up to a grand building built in the old style, the street in front packed full of limos. A thick group of men in tuxedos and women in lovely balls gowns made their way into the building via a magnificent flight of stairs flanked by columns. And on both sides of the party goers were mobs of paparazzi, all snapping away, eager to capture photos of the New York elite.

  "What kind of party is this?" asked Jade, her eyes on the crowd.

  "The kind of party where everyone wants to be," he said.

  The driver parked and opened the door for the two. The flashbulbs of the paparazzi went off all around them, and Jade was instantly dazed by the lights.

  "Mr. Sebastian!" shouted photographer after photographer. "Who is this woman you're with?"