Page 28 of Elusive Promise

"It's not your fault," she said quickly. "It was Jasmine's choice, and she did tell me that she wanted to show Westley how much she appreciated his magnificent gesture."

"Westley loves a magnificent gesture," Anika said with an edge in her voice. "But the diamond was cursed, and he never should have given it to Jasmine."

"I don't believe in curses," Kenisha told her oldest daughter.

"Well, look what happened," Anika snapped back. Then her expression immediately shifted. "I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't mean that."

"I know you're upset," Kenisha said.

"Upset doesn't begin to cover it."

"What did you mean when you said Westley loves magnificent gestures?" Parisa asked.

"He likes a show. Wasn't that obvious last night? Most of the people at that party were his friends or his father's colleagues or were from his mother's country club. There were only a few people from Jasmine's world, from the university. It bothers me how she's willing to surrender her life to him."

"That's not what she's doing," Kenisha interrupted, frowning at Anika. "She's compromising. Love is about compromise. It's about being a good partner to the person you love."

"It seems to me that women do all the compromising. Look at you and Father. You were going to be a doctor once, but you didn't pursue your studies because of him."

"My dreams changed when I fell in love, as did Jasmine's. You will one day understand that, Anika."

"I seriously doubt it. I'm not going to give up my life for a man."

The woman in the sheath dress returned to the room, interrupting their conversation. "Mrs. Kumar? Mrs. Langdon is on the phone again. Would you like to speak with her? Or shall I take a message?"

"Yes, of course," Kenisha said, getting to her feet. "Excuse me. Elizabeth has already called several times. I need to talk to her."

Parisa nodded, taking a sip of tea as Kenisha left the room. Then she turned to Anika. "It's nice that your family and the Langdons have remained close over the years."

"It all started when your stepfather was the ambassador, and we all got together. After you left, we stayed in touch with the Langdons. Once Ben decided to go to Everly, and my father got the consulate assignment here, the Langdons rented an apartment so they could spend more time in Manhattan. In fact, Neil is a guest professor at Everly now."

"Jasmine must see a lot of Ben and Neil since they're both on campus."

"I don't know how much she sees Neil, but Jasmine took Ben under her wing as soon as he arrived in New York. They're really tight. He spends a lot of time at the consulate. Although, since Jasmine started dating Westley, I think she's seen Ben a lot less."

"Does Ben have a girlfriend?" She might as well get some information for Jared since Ben had come up so easily into the conversation. "When I saw him last night, I could hardly believe how grown up he is."

"He told Jasmine he got together with someone he used to know in Paris last month, but it was a mistake. He gave her another chance to hurt him, and she did."

"Ouch."

"Love doesn't last very long when you're twenty-one, at least, not in my experience."

"Mine, either," she admitted.

"My mother thinks I'm jealous of Jasmine and Westley's love, but I'm not," Anika said, surprising Parisa with her words.

"Why would she think that?"

"Because I challenge Jasmine to stand up to Westley. I'm not trying to sabotage their relationship. I just want to make sure that she asserts herself as his equal, as someone he should respect."

"You don't think he respects her?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure. I think he loves her. But respect is something else. Is she just a pretty wife to introduce to his friends, his exotic flower, as he likes to call her? Or will she really be his partner? I just don't want him to break her heart, and I think he's the kind of man who could do that."

"Well, he looked pretty heartbroken last night."

"Yes, he was very upset, and I'm sorry for speaking negatively about him. I guess it's easier to be angry with Westley for giving Jasmine that damn ring and making her a target for thieves than thinking about where she is right now and what she's going through. I'm really worried, Parisa."

---