Connexion

Part 61

Jena knew she had worked hard to get a good reputation. And maintaining it. And reliability was a keystone in her business. Clearly this man thought he could simply throw around inaccurate comments, criticising her professional ethics, and could get away with it. No chance, she thought. Enough. "How dare you, Mr Harland!"

"Easily!" He snapped. He announced with antagonism. "One week after the contract was signed, you think you can tear up the contract and walk off with no consequence." The tick at his jaw revealed his annoyance. "I call that fickle. And bloody unprofessional." Caleb announced as if he was simply reading out the shopping list, "Unreliable service. Shoddy professional practices. Inadequate work ethics." He glowered.

Jena jammed her palms on his chest and tried to push him away. He allowed that, in any case her push would only move a gnat! "Fickle? Seriously? Our agreement, the contract, is for By Design to supply your sister and her fiancé with a wedding cake, made to their specifications, taking into account the feasibility of their requests, like the cake dimensions. By Design will design and delivery a wedding cake as requested, with all aspects of the cake determined by mutual concurrence."

"Good. Great to hear that you understand the contract!" He said quietly but continued to glower at her.

Jena banked her fury, "The contract does not stipulate that the bride can determine which member of my team takes on the task." Again, she planted two hands on his shirt-covered chest and again pushed again with little impact, but she said firmly, "Now back off! Right now!" 

They were standing practically toe-to-toe, her head was tipped back to allow her glower to convey her fury and with her palms flattened on his chest to maintain her balance. Caleb anchored to the spot by placing his hands on her shoulder. His thumb gently caressed the column of her throat, an action registered by her heart, and his heart. Nerves conveyed the unexpected flash of emotion intensity to their respective brains. The intensity, the barely restrained passion, was registered by their eyes. Shock mingled with the anticipated pleasure. As if there were strings linking their heads, both unconsciously angled their head and moved forward, slowly...

There was a loud rap on the door, the door opened and Isaac's head peaked around and heard him saying, "Sorry to interrupt."  His gaze flicked from Jena to Caleb. They were standing close. Very close. Isaac wished he had waited before entering the room. But he noted that his arrival had not registered with Caleb or Jena. Froze in space: Jena had her hands on Caleb's chest.  Caleb's hands were on her shoulder. Perhaps Sophie was right:  some chemistry here. His unexpected interruption would ruin the moment, because he noted his presence was suddenly recognised by Caleb and Jena. They dropped their hands and sprung away. "Good evening Ms Silva," Isaac announced with a wry grimace, "er, Caleb, your phone's ringing incessantly." He rubbed his forehead, "er, I guess Sophie is in the kitchen. Forgive my interruption. Sorry. " Then he backed out of the room. Then closed the door. And his palm traced his face from his forehead to his chin, hoping he had not ruined the moment in that room. Thinking about what he had just witnessed, Isaac headed for the kitchen. He knew that Sophie was going to make dinner, because  Sophie phoned him and told him to come to Caleb's place. Isaac did ask why, but did not get a coherent answer. Just something about helping Caleb and Jena.

When the door shut, Jena took the opportunity to step around Caleb. She was far from pleased with the way this family were attempting to brow beat her. And she was not happy that she had nearly kissed him! Why? Just because his thumb pad had stroked her neck just below her ear, it must be erroneous zone. She caught her lips between her teeth. She needed to leave here, fast. Before she does something stupid.

Spoiling for a fight, he stated, "We aren't done yet, Ms Silva." Definitely not done. They nearly kissed. Even now, that simple caress, the whisper of contact between his thumb and her skin, had set off fireworks in his bloodstream. He recognised adrenaline, known as the fight-or-flight response and he knew he did not have a flee gene.

"Believe me, we are, Mr Harland." Jena growled quietly, marching towards the door. She opened the door and kept moving.

"Not by a long shot." Caleb told her as he followed her out.

Jena clenched her hands, her thoughts laced with fury, she muttered with sarcasm, "Please convey my byes to your sister and her fiancé." Jena reached the cloakroom door knowing the cloakroom had her coat, because she had seen Caleb stashing her coat in that room. 

"You break that contract, then you'd better brace for a costly court case." Caleb warned. Caleb continued, "I assume you can afford to..."

She retrieved her coat but failed to put on her coat, instead Jena's eyes fired up instantly. If he'd thought she was angry before he now saw just how furious she could become. She slapped a hand against the door, slamming it shut. She stalked toward him, her eyes flashing with fury. "I don't respond well to threats, Mr Harland. Your sister already knows that. " She stood a bare inch from him, her chin tipped in defiance, her eyes literally shooting sparks. "And for your information, I understand your, and your sister's, threat." She tried to rein her fury. "Go ahead! Take me and my company to court." Then she turned, marched toward the front door.

"You have no compulsion about making threats yourself." His voice carried in the silence of the hallway.

She reached for the front door handle, wrenched it open. Jena turned around and hollered, "When have I ever threatened you, Mr Harland?"

"Remember Melanie."

Sophie and Isaac appeared in the hallway, drawn by the loud voices they heard and what appeared to be the makings of an argument.

"I asked you not to pursue her because she was engaged to my cousin. Just a simple request." She tossed the words at him. "And in any case, you ignored my request. You ignored my advice!"

"I'm advising you, we will take you to court. Just a simple statement." Caleb replied, his stormy eyes conveyed his anger. "You are keen to ignore the fact that you have cancelled the contract without valid reasons. Not only unprofessional, it demonstrated the lack of integrity, Ms Silva."

"What's going on?" Sophie asked, her eyes wide as she took in the open hostility. This wasn't going to plan. When Isaac told her about what he witnessed, Sophie smiled in triumph. Her plan was working. Until she and Isaac heard the hullabaloo in the hallway.

"Nothing is going on, Ms Harland." Jena grated and refused to look away from Caleb as she fought to keep hold of her temper. "I am just leaving. Goodnight."

"Leaving?" Sophie blinked, then looked over at her brother before looking back at Jena, "But you've only just got here. Dinner is nearly ready and we haven't discussed..."

"There is nothing to discuss." Jena looked at Sophie, and Sophie could see the anger in Jena's eyes. Sophie gulped. Jena kept her tone calm, when she informed Sophie, "My company, By Design, went out of its way to make available our best. You declined to work with her."

"Er, well, er..."Sophie tried to backtrack.

Jena continued, "Therefore we will be rescinding the agreement." Her eyes flashed at Sophie and then Caleb. Again her eyes flared with frustration and anger, "Your brother, like you, has threatened to take me and my company to court." Sophie blinked and gulped. Her plan was going up in smoke. Jena kept her eyes on Caleb, "I suggest you go ahead. Because I will never concede to veiled, or even overt, threats. If you have an issue with the rescinded contract, tell your lawyers to read the contract."

Sophie bit her lips. Isaac frowned. Caleb watched Jena's eyes. She was clearly on the warpath, given the glints in her eyes. But something jarred with the milieu. Her eyes suggested she would win if they took her to court and he knew if she cancels the contract without good reason, she would lose.

"But..." Sophie spluttered.

Jena interrupted, "End of discussion."It was obvious to all of them that she was beyond furious. And all recognised, aproductive discussion, to sort out the situation, would be moot. "Goodnight." She stepped out of the hallway and could see her car was hemmed in.  Typical, how to ruin a perfect exit! She turned around, "Can the person who hemmed me in, please remove your car, before I, accidentally, scratch the car with my keys!"