Arms Length

Chapter 10: Bad Intentions

**Jade**

I've been waiting on Sophie at K&M Coffee for the last 20-minutes, I check my phone again hoping I have the correct place and time. I don't know why I committed to meeting her, my head is pounding from the bottle of wine and lack of sleep I got. Why do I do this to myself?

"Ugh sorry." I hear her say from behind as she plops down in the chair across from me at the tiny round table. "I'm late I know." She sets her large purse, if you can call it that on the ground. "How long have you been here?"

"Like, 20 minutes, I think?" I say taking a sip of my coffee. "It's not a big deal though, really."

"Oh. Okay, I told Billie to meet us here. Hope that's okay." Is this bitch trying to kill me?

"Yeah. That's fine." I subconsciously cross one leg over the other remembering last night.

"She said she's about 5 minutes away." Sophie sets her phone down and readjusts her sunglasses on top of head. "So, what did Sara say to you after the meeting yesterday? And why do you look hung-over?"

"Because I am" I roll my eyes like she can see them behind the oversized black-out aviators, "And she basically said she understood where I was coming from, but the way I acted was a bit unprofessional and she's already set up a meeting with me, Danny, and herself so we could, I don't know..."

"Don't know what?" I hear a raspy female voice behind me, and Sophie smiles widely as she stands up to hug Billie tightly in an embrace that last 3 seconds too long then lets her go. "Good to see you again Jade." She says trying to conceal a smirk as she sits in the chair between me and Sophie.

"Yeah, same." I adjust my sunglasses and take another sip of my coffee.

"How late were you working with your brother last night?"

"Like 2AM." She adjusts the black Dior baseball cap she's wearing and rests her ankle on top of her knee and plays with a loose string on her black joggers.

I tune out Billie and Sophie's conversation as I rest my forehead on my palm and rub my temples. Honestly, their conversation sounds like its muffled by heavy blankets, but my body is hyperaware of how close Billie is and that electrical storm surges through my veins and to my core causing me to squeeze my thighs together and shift in my chair.

".....So you're coming to the party?" Is all I hear. How long have I been tuning out their conversation? 10 minutes? 10 hours?

"What?"

"Claudia's New Year's Eve party?" Sophie says with a smile, "It'll be fun"

"You should come." Billie says with a smirk, the double meaning isn't lost on me and she knows it.

"I'll think about it."

I'm sitting in Sara's office with Danny, quietly listening to him talk to Sara about my "unprofessional" behavior, actually he's talking down to me. Disdain drips off every word he says to, no in my direction. The bravery I felt Friday afternoon sunk like the Titanic that fateful April night, I feel 2 inches tall.

"Fortunately for you Miss Holland, Billie and Finneas seem to like you, and insist that having you be part of this tour would be beneficial. But I am warning you, if we see another outburst from you, I will not hesitate to terminate your internship effective immediately. Is that understood?" Danny says in an authoritative tone.

"Yes sir." Is all I can say, there is no sarcasm in my voice, I've never felt so small in my life.

"You're dismissed." He says waving me off like I'm some ingrate. "And Miss Holland, don't screw this up and make Billie look bad."