Page 22 of Judge Me Not

Jasmine Barello.

"Are you in bed right now, about to go to sleep?" The thought of her in pajamas, even flannel ones, sends my blood reeling.

"No."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Laundry. Scrubbing my toilet."

I glance at my Rolex. "At one in the morning?"

"I work three jobs. There isn't a lot of time during normal hours."

"Not anymore, you don't. You should sleep. Tomorrow you will be up late."

"I've not reviewed things yet," she sternly replies.

"Everything we discussed will be in the contract, and there will be no insurance issues. Like I stated when you were here, if something isn't covered, tell me, and I'll take care of it. I'm a man of my word."

"You just called me and went back on a term we agreed upon," she points out.

The hairs on my arm stand up. I don't expect her to fully trust me yet, but I can't argue what she accused me of. "I did. It's in your best interest. It's a small detail I overlooked, necessary to complete our agreement. Was I not fair? Did I try to screw you?"

She pauses for a moment. "No. You're right. I'm sorry."

"Let's get clear on something. I have no reason to harm you in any way. It's not my intention and will never be."

She doesn't respond.

"Tomorrow, after you sign the contract, I will send a car. They will take you to the salon and store."

"Why do I need to go to the salon? What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you. You're perfect."

More silence.

"Stop cleaning. Review the policy I sent. Get some sleep, and be ready to sign first thing tomorrow. I'm an impatient man. I'm not going to keep this deal on the table forever." It's a lie. I'll give her as much time as she needs. But I don't want her taking forever.

"You don't need to pressure me. Details may not be important to you, but missing one critical thing can impact my life. You can afford mistakes. I can't. And I have responsibilities I can't just ignore."

"Like what?"

"I'm hanging up now. Please don't call me again tonight. I'm not on your clock yet."

"Wait."

She sighs. I hear the weight of the world in it. I want to fix whatever is causing her so much stress. "What?"

"Don't hang up mad at me."

Several moments pass. My heart beats faster, wondering if she's more pissed.

In a friendly voice, she replies, "I'm not. I really do need to go though."

"Okay. Get some sleep."

"Goodnight."

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