Page 76 of Boss of Her

No, not withoutshowingher.

Simone needed more than words. She needed to do something that would prove to Jade, once and for all, that she was the only person who could ever hold Simone’s heart.

She took her phone from her purse and dialed the number of a woman who went only by her last name.

“Ashton? We need to talk.”

CHAPTER 33

Jade set her laptop down on her bed. Another job application sent. And, with luck, another interview secured.

She was taking her time finding a new job. After her tenure as Simone’s assistant had ended, she’d taken a whole month off for the first time in years. Simone had paid her generously enough that she wouldn’t have to worry about money for a while. She could take as long as she wanted to find another job.

Plus, she needed the vacation. Working for Simone Weiss had been just as taxing as she’d expected. And that was only the professional side of their relationship. Everything that had happened between them had taken its toll on her. She’d spent a whole week on the couch watching TV in her pajamas, Renee checking in on her as often as she could.

But seven days of wallowing was all Jade had allowed herself. After the week ended, she’d shoved her self-pity aside and got back on her feet, determined not to fall apart again. She’d taken a trip to her hometown and spent a week with her parents, who wouldn’t stop gushing about how proud they were of her high-flying life in the big city. She’d spent the next week at a little bed and breakfast down the coast, relaxing and recharging. Then she’d returned to Los Angeles to start her job search.

She’d applied for five jobs so far, and she’d gotten interview offers from all but one. She could hardly believe her luck.

But maybe it wasn’t luck. Maybe it was something else.

Jade glanced at the stack of papers on the bed beside her. Right on top was Simone’s letter of recommendation.

She picked it up and read over it again. It painted her in the best possible light, a far better light than she deserved. Even now, Simone was still taking care of her.

Longing gripped at her stomach. She’d cried over Simone for what felt like days, then she’d put it all behind her and moved on.

So why did she still miss Simone? Why did she keep reading the letter over and over, just to see her words, to hear her voice in her mind?

Why did she feel like she’d lost a part of herself she’d never known was missing?

Her fingers tightened around the letter, crumpling the corner of the page. She set it down and smoothed it out.You need to stop thinking about her. You need to get on with your life.

You need to start living again.

And what better time to do that than now, when her life was flourishing? On top of all the job interviews she had lined up, she’d started looking at new apartments, places with more than one room. She’d replaced her car with a newer, more reliable model. She’d repaired her friendship with Renee, along with a few other friends from college she’d lost touch with over the years. She’d even gotten a call from her grad school’s Title IX office telling her that Philippa was under investigation.

Everything was going Jade’s way. So why did her life feel more bitter than sweet?

With a sigh, she picked up her laptop again. She wanted to check whether she’d gotten any more messages from recruiters.

But as she opened her inbox, she spotted an email she’d missed earlier. It had been sent in the morning.

And it was from Simone.

Jade’s stomach flipped. Why would Simone contact her? She’d sent an email, not a message. That meant it was professional, not personal.

She opened the email. It was an invitation to a press conference at The Ashton Star. With renovations set to begin, the hotel was due to close in a matter of days. But Simone was using The Ashton Star’s closure as an opportunity to formally announce her acquisition of the hotel, along with her company’s plan for it going forward.

According to the email, the press conference would take place this evening in just a couple of hours. And at the end of the email was a personal note from Simone.

Jade,

You played an important role in making this happen. I couldn’t have done it without you. You deserve to be here for this.

And I’d like you to be here too.

Jade’s heart skipped. This was the first time Simone had reached out to her since her final day on the job. That had to mean it was important to her.

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