Chapter 17 - KMCF

I cleared my throat. "Me?"

"No. I'm talking about a different Jen." Miranda said sarcastically.

"What?" I asked knowingly.

"What do you mean what? Something's wrong and I can feel it." Her eyebrows puckered in frustration.

"Miranda, I'm okay." I laughed nervously.

She started to circle around me as she hummed in concentration. "You were two hours late for work. When I called you, you seemed a bit too refreshed for someone who might've over slept."

"What are you implying?" I pulled up an eyebrow. I really didn't want her to figure out what was wrong, but I knew she'd eventually see behind my mask.

"Nothing, really." She stopped circling me, instead she took a step back and observed me. "No handbag today?"

I smiled cheekily. "No, didn't feel like it."

"Didn't feel like taming your hair either?" She slid her fingertips across the tips of my brown hair. Miranda's ash blonde hair was beautifully curled and mine was hideously deranged.

"Not really." I smiled again. "Since we're not getting anywhere with this, can I get back to work?"

She held up her index finger. "Just hold on a moment." She sniffed my wrists.

"Miranda!" I yanked my arms away.

"You don't have on perfume, you never leave your condo without perfume." She gave me a questioning look. "Unless, you weren't at home," she paused. "You slept over Hunter's place!" She shrieked. Everyone looked in our direction, then nonchalantly turned back to whatever they were doing.

"I didn't," I lied. If she wasn't a store owner, I swear she'd be a detective.

She used her eyes to roll off my lie. "Now, I want to know, what happened at his place. What's making Jenni upset?"

"Nothing." I shook my head.

"Jen, I'm your best friend." She frowned.

I felt bad, but I didn't want to involve her, because last time it caused a feud between us. "Miranda, I'm okay."

"Fine." She wasn't angry or sad, in fact, she looked a little happy. She gave up way too easily.

"Fine?" I asked, she was definitely scheming something.

"Fine." She walked away, leaving me in awe.

** **

I wasn't too worried about Miranda, what I was petrified by was the thought of Hunter and Laura together, alone. All morning I checked my phone for any new messages or phone calls, I got some. A message from Mom reminding me about the shopping trip we were going on to look for a wedding gift for Grace and Luke. Dad called, probably to talk me into a date with some stiff workaholic; I got little reminders from Grace to steer Mom from terrible gifts and other messages from my family and businesses. I got none from the person I was really wanting one from, Hunter. I smiled a little at the name I gave him on my phone, Annoying Idiot.

I knew I was being foolish for expecting even a text from him since the way I acted hurt him. I sighed and put my phone back in its place.

Today felt slow, well for me. It wasn't like business was slow believe me it was rapid, I guess I was just feeling slow. No one was ready to check out so, I began to arrange the giant, fake flower bouquets.

"Ooh put the pink one in the middle."

I turned around to face the entertained voice. "Like this?" I was familiar with the young teen, she came in here at least twice a week, sometimes to shop or conversed with us.

"Yup." She smiled at the results being shown.

"How are you today, Allison?" I asked with a smile. She always had something interesting to share.

"Jealous. Can you believe my boyfriend has been hanging out with his best friend lately?" She scoffed.

"What's wrong with a guy hanging out with a guy?" I pulled out a creamy white rose.

"Jennifer, his best friend is a girl." She frowned. Was this some type of epidemic happening all over the city? Was I spreading jealousy?

"Oh. Poor Allison." I mimicked her frown, but emphasized it deliberately.

"Tell me about it." She sighed loudly.

I took out a couple more flowers and placed them in spots that were most complementary for their colors. "So, what brings you here?"

"To find an outfit that will make him come crawling back to me." She pulled out a yellow top and pressed it against her body. "This?"

I shook my head. The yellow top wasn't doing any good for her black to blonde ombre. "Try a white dress."

She scanned for a white dress and pulled out a white flared dress with an open back. "How about this one? I like it."

"Yup. I like it too." She nodded as she walked towards the checkout as I followed.

I scanned not only the white dress, but a dark colored lipstick. Her price came up higher than her usual totals, probably even too high for a normal teen. "No coupons?"

"No, why-" she stared at her price and immediately her lips dropped. She pulled out her debit card in hesitation.

I pushed her card back to her and shook my head. "I'll pay."

"Really?" Her brown eyes grew bigger.

"For being a loyal customer," I grinned at how her frown lifted up. I removed the security attached to the dress and lipstick and paid for them by putting them on my card. I then neatly placed them into an Anders' shopping bag. "Here you go," I handed her the bag.

"Thank you so much, Jennifer!" Her face replicated gratitude and appreciation.

"You're welcome. I hope you win back your boyfriend." I waved her goodbye as she turned to leave.

"I hope so too."

** **

After Allison left the day switched back to being slow again. Miranda wasn't much of a bother, but she kept leaving me curious when she looked in my direction. Rocxy was actually doing a pretty good job today, she was doing something. But, I figured out why by the end of the day. She had a date and Miranda promised she could leave early if she did a good job today. I should've known it was too good to be true.

We ended a little late and I still didn't get a notification from Hunter.

Um..I know this might sound crazy, Jen, but why don't YOU try texting him? It is your fault after all.

I shook off my thoughts, I didn't want to text first or do anything first. I didn't want to seem desperate or needy.

Yet, you keep checking your phone in case he might've texted or called.

I ignored my thoughts and started to close up for the day. We pulled down the bars, locked the cash register, turned off the revolving door and the other door and locked it as we left.

"Do you want to come over?" Miranda asked as we got into her car.

"Not really," I said. I really missed Ozzy and I wasn't looking forward to be questioned.

"Then, can I come over?" She drove out of the parking lot and began to drive on the main road.

"Why? So, you can snoop around to find out if I was home last night?" I said as I put on the radio. It wasn't playing anything good, so I began to change stations.

She laughed a little. "No." I gave her a critical look. "Maybe."

"Then, no, you can't come over."

"I'm still coming over, I'm hungry. I haven't gone grocery shopping." She slowly stopped at a red light. "Keep that! I like that song!" She tapped to the beat on the steering wheel.

Alicia Keys - Unthinkable ft. Drake

"I'm not going to make you anything though." I crossed my arms.

"That's okay, you usually bake some desserts and leave them in your fridge." She grinned.

I sighed. "Fine, you can come over."

She gave a winning smile. "I have my laptop with me, we can shop for outfits for Marcos' show. We also need to check the shop's statistics for the month."

I nodded. "I'm thinking about wearing a black dress."

"Because the color matches your mood right now?" She glimpsed at me.

"No," I sighed. I checked my phone and there weren't any messages. I placed it in my lap, it was on the verge of dying. "How about you?"

"I'm thinking pink, something expensive too. I want us to represent Anders well."

"True." We pulled up to my condo and walked towards the door.

"Do you have your key?" Miranda questioned.

"No, but I have a spare." I sunk my hand into a nearby flowerpot.

"I swear one day you'll get robbed, that's such an easy hiding spot." Miranda chuckled.

I pulled out the key and unlocked the door. "Whatever."

Miranda dumped her laptop on my glass coffee table and rushed into my kitchen. While I walked around looking for Ozzy and turning on all the lights. "Ozzy!" I yelled, but there was no response.

"He's not here?" She asked with a cookie stuffed mouth. "Maybe he's been catnapped."

I looked at her funny. Who would kidnap Ozzy? He's only an expert in clothing and if he could he'd choose food over you, even if it was a little piece of salmon.

"Oh!" I had a bright idea. "Ozzy, I have food!" I yelled again.

In a few seconds he came running towards me. "There you are." I smiled. I picked him up as he meowed.

"He only came out for food." Miranda said as she shook her head. She kicked off her shoes and dropped herself onto my sofa. I grabbed a block of cheese before joining her.

I placed Ozzy on my lap and he nibbled on the cheese as I watched Miranda open Google Chrome. "How did he hurt you, Jen?" She asked even though her eyes were glued to the screen.

I sighed, I needed to tell her she was my best friend, my business partner, and my life saver. She had a right to know about what I was feeling. "He didn't hurt me."

"Then, what happened?" She looked at me.

I told her everything that happened earlier that morning, excluding the secret Hunter told me about his hotel nights.

"So, you got drunk, fell asleep with Hunter, woke up the next morning, his hotel manager came over, you got jealous, upset Hunter and then took his money for taxi fare?" She was out of breath by the time she finished.

I frowned. "Yeah."

"Who knew Mr. Handsome owned a hotel." She looked astonished. "That's why you kept checking your phone? Jen call him."

"No, that'll make me seem needy." I looked down at Ozzy.

"Better than making him upset." She said.

"Later," I stroked Ozzy. "I thought you were against Team Hunter."

"A little, but after what he told me I changed my entire opinion about him and how I was viewing things. He's a keeper." She smiled at me. Her words touched me and I knew immediately that I was in the wrong and that I shouldn't let his life choices define him. I promised to mysef that I'd call him earlier tomorrow.

Miranda began to type a search on Google: Hunter

"What's his last name?" She asked.

"You're looking him up? I don't think he's that famous for a Google profile." I lifted an eyebrow.

"You'll never know until you try." She smirked. "So what is it?"

"Manning."

Hunter Manning. "Like this?"

"Yeah." I said, she tapped the search button and we waited for the unexpected results.

Hunter Manning

Hunter Manning is a wealthy American Entrepreneur with multiple hotels diversed all over the country. He is well known for his young age and his hotel in Vegas, Cacciatore Albergo. Manning is also the owner of many real estates and grossing companies. He began...Wikipedia

Born: March 23, 1986 (age 28), New York City, New York

Height: 6'2

Net Worth: 29.5 billion USD (2015)

. . .

"Are you sure this is the right Hunter?" Miranda asked me. Her face was stuck to her laptop screen.

"Yeah, his pictures are right above the info." It took me a while to reply only because this was a burst of new data. A billion dollars? Hotels all over the country? Why didn't he tell me all of this? Instead, he kept his mouth shut and feed me partly information.

"Hunter Manning isn't just a hotel owner, Jen. This man is incredible." She looked at me in shock. "Call him now!" She shouted in excitement.

"No." I shook my head. "It's late and he's probably sleeping. Besides, what would I say? Hey, Hunter, I found out you're really loaded?" I was sort of of upset about the entire situation, he was lying to me, but he had his reasons and I hated that I had no right to question him.

"No. But, just call him." She separated my phone from my charger and handed it to me. "Try getting some answers from him, but be discreet." She smiled.

I sighed deeply, I then compressed my phone against my ear after I tapped his number.

He picked up after the third ring. "Hi." I said shyly.

"Jen?" He sounded tired, but happy.

"Did I wake you up?" I began to stroke Ozzy who was still eating the block of cheese.

"No," he yawned. "Just finishing up some work with Laura."

I winced slightly. "Oh."

I looked over at Miranda, who was mouthing: Tell him you miss him.

I shook my head.

Say you're sorry, she mouthed again.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry." I spoke a little louder.

"I can't hear you. You're what?"

"I'm sorr-" I stopped when I realized what he was doing.

He chuckled a little. "It's okay. Promise you'll tell me why you were in a bad mood this morning?"

"Yeah, but later." I smiled a little, I looked over at Miranda who just watched with sincerity.

"Okay." He hesitated. "This is your first time calling me."

He was right, it was, but I had no problem with that because there would be more in the near future. "I know, I just wanted to hear your voice." My cheeks heated up as I released my statement. I didn't dare look at Miranda, she was probably grinning.

"Can you repeat that again, Jen?" I could hear the teasing in his voice.

"No." He laughed softly. "Will you be busy all week?"

"Pretty much. Why? Do you miss me already?" Even though his voice was rough and sleepy, he still had enough in him to tease me.

"You wish." I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me.

"That's too bad. I miss you." This time I could tell he wasn't teasing.

I looked my Miranda without meaning to show my red face. "Yeah?"

"What'd he say?" Miranda mouthed.

"Yeah." He said huskily.

I shook my head, I wasn't going to tell her. I was too embarrassed. "You just need a charger."

There was no sound from his side, it was as if he was gone. "I-" he paused. "I need to be done with everything or else I'll be working all night."

My heart dived down and it wasn't coming back up. "I get it. Night."

"I'll call you later. Good night." I hung up and stared at my phone before looking at Miranda.

"Plug it back," I handed her my phone. "I didn't really get anything from him." I said as she plugged in my phone.

"I know. I just used that to get you to talk to him. How do you feel?"

"A little better," I smiled soothingly.

"I'm rooting for you, Jen."

** **