Broken Promises

Chapter One

Jade ached from the broken promises penetrating her core, her outer persona unfettered. Her shiny black hair sat on seemingly strong shoulders, her delicate body drew warmth from a black cashmere suit, nestled into a burgundy leather chair. Long, tapered fingers from her right hand reached over to the golden band on her left and pulled off the symbol that carried more weight than it was worth. A faint tingle in the waste bin below her mahogany desk resonated in her mind like a loud drum roll announcing a life without trust, sustenance with a new edge. Her green eyes felt wet from the tears she refused to yield to, her cheeks hot from the anger of unspoken words contained within. Had it not been for James standing by her desk - for Lord knows how long - trying to get her attention in the dark, the lateness of the hour would have escaped her.

"Are you alright, Jade?" inquired the husky voice from the overbearing silhouette.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that you've been sitting here in the dark for a while now. Do you want to talk about it?"

"There really isn't anything to talk about."

"Good, then you won't mind meeting with me around the Morgan ad campaign over dinner. I'm famished."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather wait until the morning and get a fresh start."

"Something is wrong, isn't it?"

"Stop pushing, James. It doesn't concern you or my work."

"Didn't mean to offend you, Jade. I've just never seen you like this before."

"I'll get over it."

James shrugged his brawny shoulders, left Jade's office, and marched toward the elevator. "Wait up," cried a faint voice, footsteps trying to catch up to James.

As Jade stabbed the elevator button marked 'P', her eyes caught a glimpse of her finger displaying a tan line aged beyond ten years. Her mind hoped that James hadn't noticed, her heart was pounding too fiercely to care.

Eleven years ago, Richard had proposed to her in the very same elevator, stopping it in the middle of lunch hour. Jade's mind wandered off to how he had pinned her against the wall, raised her skirt, and thrust into her, repeatedly shouting, "You will marry me!" while she kept responding, "You'll have to ask me first." In retrospect, she should have guessed that he had plans of the sort when he insisted that she dress in a particular way that morning, without the possibility of ever taking no for an answer. And now, it was that same unrelenting determination that had led him to say goodbye once his heart shifted its dreams to a different lifestyle.

Jade felt flushed as she stepped out of the elevator, the heat from within her glistening her décolletage with perspiration. James knew better than to comment. For that brief moment, Jade felt a twinge of attraction to the ego that didn't need persistence for survival. But the feeling was short lived. Very, very, short lived. Getting involved with another man was the farthest thing from her mind, having sworn off men altogether.

Jade wished James a good-night and made her way to her jeep. Two beeps later, the alarm was disarmed, the driver's door opened. Slipping her right leg into the door, she noticed an appalling sight. All four tires had been slashed. Although the jeep had remained, thanks to the alarm, it didn't do her much good. Such nuisance was the last thing she needed - tonight of all nights. Jade kicked the front tire with her black patent leather pump and started to dial for help on her cell phone. The voice at the other end was a mere recording ordering her to wait her turn - elevator music providing consoling entertainment. Lucky for her, James whipped by in his fire-engine red BMW, noticed her, screeched to a halt, and said, "Can I offer you a ride somewhere?"

"That'll be great, James. I simply don't have the patience to deal with this tonight."

Suavely, James reached his muscular arm over to the passenger side, unlocked the door, and said, "Hop in."

The drama of the day extended into a rainy night, traffic lights reflecting red onto streams dancing about on the windshield, at each and every intersection. What should have taken but a handful of minutes took an entire half hour. Save comments on directions and the weather, a deafening silence made it appear even longer.

* * *

Back at her condo, Jade leaned onto her penthouse window sill, and scanned the city shimmering beneath the dull smog. It felt like the glow of Christmas lights shining through a layer of snow. Jade wondered if her own life had some glimmer of hope hiding beneath the haze of disillusionment. For now, every chair, every carpet, every marble counter painfully reminded her of Richard. Especially the counters. Jade's spine quivered remembering the fabulous sex they'd enjoyed atop the kitchen counter, Richard lifting her onto it and impaling her forcefully with the burning desire that she'd always brought out in him. The comfy leather chairs were of course her domain, allowing her to empower him with her brazen sexuality. On and on they would go, for hours, rarely coming up for air, enjoying each other without distractions. Workaholics that they were, their time together was rarely interrupted. Mrs. Jones down the hall could have attested to that, music and screams showing signs of life where the weekend paper was seldom collected.

Rage overcame Jade. She pounded her fist down onto the counter - hard -and shouted, "How could you? We had it made."

Save the throbbing pain in her fist, a response was more than she could hope for. A life of loneliness - despite her flourishing career and extracurricular activities - was not something she had ever planned on. Having spent most of her adult years with just one man, she wouldn't even know where to begin to remedy her situation - if she wanted to remedy it at all. For tonight, a glass of Bordeaux was all that she could rely on to numb her soul.

***

Early next morning, Jade raced through her daybreak routine, her head pounding from the ingredients that went into the night before. Bulging briefcase in hand, she called down to the doorman to get her a cab. The answer, "There's someone here to see you, Ms. Roberts."

Who could it be at this hour, she wondered. With just one name in mind - Richard - she said, "Send him right up."

Jade gave herself a once over in the mirror beside her front entrance and prepared to open up the door. Her heart pulsated as if she were meeting him for the very first time, excitement camouflaging all the bitterness she'd sooner leave behind. He had to have come back to his senses, she hoped.

Knock! Knock! Knock! The moment finally arrived, having suspended her in slow motion for the longest time. To her dismay, it was James. "I've taken care of having your jeep fixed. But since it's still in the parkade, I thought you could use a ride."

All the disappointment from James taking over the status of the unannounced guest churned into an angry hiss. "And just what gave you the right to do that? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Calm down, Jade. It was just a friendly little thing to do. I'll know better next time," is all that James said, making his way out of her door. Jade felt just horrible for treating him that way. It was so unlike her. She knew it was time she get a hold of herself, before her unwieldly distress got the better of her. Looking around at the lovely memories that surrounded her, she wasn't sure she was ready to let go quite yet. Even their divorce had been more amicable than most friendships.