Nothing romantic had ever happened with Jorge, but secretly I hated that he was sleeping with Ria. What bothered me even more, however, was that she was his business partner. So even if they ever stopped hooking up, she’d always be in his life. Plus, it was only a matter of time before I’d meet her now that he was back in Miami for a while…and living in his penthouse, which was part of the set of condos where I had recently moved after I got my raise from Guadalupe and Yuslan. Of course, that bitch would fly back to check up on him, wouldn’t she?
That’s what I would do if I were in her shoes.
Guadalupe saw me staring at the eyeshadow samples a little too intensely. “You’re thinking about Jorge, aren’t you?”
“What? No, I’m just deciding on eyeshadow.”
Guadalupe and Eva continued to stare at me, though.
“Are you upset about not having a boyfriend to bring to the party?”
“No, Eva. I don’t care about those sorts of things.”
Both of them burst out laughing.
Guadalupe was quick to remind me about last year. “I don’t think any of us will forget your temper tantrum over not having a date to Paris’s wedding and how mean you were to Margo.”
I hung my head in shame while thinking about that night and the months that followed. “Yeah, I have some regrets. But I’ve matured. I’m just really focused on cosmetics right now, you guys. I’ve never been happier.”
Guadalupe cupped my hands with hers. “If you’re happy, dear, then why do you look so worried?”
Because I can’t stop thinking about Jorge’s hooking up with Ria, and I’m worried he won’t show up to my party. And I wish I didn’t have such jealous tendencies.
“I’m just worried about my dress not zipping up after eating all of these cakes,” I said while reaching for another one.
Guadalupe knew I was lying, though. “The universe has a way of working itself out, dear, but just know that there are plenty of alto, oscuro y guapo men who would bend over backward to be with a woman like you. And while you should take this time to focus on your career, remember there will always be something going on in your life that could stop you from falling in love. Don’t let that happen, all right?”
I rested my forehead on her hand, thankful to have someone like her in my life.
As the two of them put the soup bowls into the sink, I casually checked my cell phone for Jorge's text messages. We’d spoken on the phone last night, and he reassured me that he’d attend my party. I was secretly hoping for an “I can’t wait to see you” message, or maybe a missed phone call.
Nothing.
Please don’t stand me up, Jorge.
2
Jorge
As soon as my conference call was finished, I shut down my computer, grabbed my briefcase, and made a beeline for the front door. I had tried to end the call much sooner, but as usual, everyone had a million and one questions. Working in the diamond industry was both enjoyable and incredibly stressful. Some people assumed it was all about the shiny gemstones, but behind the scenes, it was much less glamorous.
The average person walks into a jewelry store, sees a diamond, and gets excited. Someone like myself—a billionaire diamond broker—checks it over to make sure that it’s real, asks where it was mined, and asks even more questions that most people wouldn’t even think of. But that’s why I was so good at my job.
My cell phone went off with several notifications as soon as my hand grabbed the doorknob too.
Can’t you people do your job without my having to hold your hand?
Well, they’d have to wait until after I left my trendy apartment in Antwerp’s Diamond District and was on my way back to Miami, Florida. Which was, thankfully, thousands of miles away from Ria.
My driver held open the door to the limo, and I wasted no time, sliding inside and closing my eyes. In less than half an hour, I would be flying away from my luxurious but stressful life in Belgium, where I had spent the past year working upward of sixteen hours a day…and sleeping with my business partner on the side. Not that my life in Miami wasn’t just as opulent, but there was something mystical about Antwerp’s Diamond District.
I poured myself a glass of champagne and allowed the crisp, refreshing bubbles to calm me down. And just as I was settling into my happy place, my cell phone rang.
Nope, let it go to voicemail.
It rang again less than a minute later.
Why can’t I get five minutes of peace and quiet?
