trick. A coupleof weeks had passed, but the memory of that day at the OWN corporate offices still made her shudder.
* * *
Natasia stepped into the room, but the scene in front of her did not compute. Then, the old woman, wearing that mangled furry coat, spoke up.
“Up popped the devil!”
And in that instant, clarity came. She’d been tossed into the lion’s den. Natasia turned her attention to the lion.
“Jasmine!”
At the same moment, Jasmine spoke, “Natasia!”
Then, simultaneously they said, “What are you doing here?”
Melinda answered for both of them. “Natasia, I told you that Jasmine was going to be on the show.” Then, she turned to Jasmine. “And I wanted to surprise you. Reunite you with an old friend.”
Melinda grinned like the Cheshire Cat and Jasmine and Natasia both growled. Jasmine turned her glare from Natasia for just a moment and shot daggers of hate toward Melinda.
The way Jasmine stared Melinda down, as if she wished she’d drop dead right there, made Natasia feel a bit better; she wasn’t the only one who’d been set up.
Jasmine grabbed her bag from the table. “Are we done, Melinda?” she asked, though she didn’t wait for an answer. Jasmine swept by Melinda and barely gave Natasia another glance.
Natasia frowned as the smile on Melinda’s face widened, until the old woman stood up. With a slow stroll, the woman whom Natasia finally recognized as Jasmine’s elderly friend moved closer to Melinda. The smile that the VP had worn from the moment Natasia stepped into the room faded and now a shadow of fear covered her face.
But the woman’s attention went straight to Natasia. “Up popped the devil,” she said again as she brushed past Natasia.
Natasia waited until the door was completely closed before she turned to Melinda. “I didn’t know Jasmine was going to be here,” she said accusingly.
Melinda simply shrugged. “I’m only in for the day and I had to set up back-to-back meetings.” Then, her lips curved into a saccharine smile. “That’s not a problem, is it? I thought you and Jasmine were old friends.”
Natasia crossed her arms. She had set up too many people, put together too many scenarios, played out too many schemes, not to recognize this game. She knew that Melinda was a smart woman who did her homework; who vetted the people she’d be working with. Surely she knew something about the history between her and Jasmine.
“You know that Jasmine and I were never the best of friends, right?” Natasia asked. Her question was a setup of her own, in hopes that Melinda’s answer would give Natasia some insight into what was going on in Melinda’s mind.
“No,” Melinda said. “I didn’t know that.”
Liar!
Melinda added, “But it’s all business, right? You’ll be able to handle this.”
“Definitely,” Natasia said as she finally took a seat at the conference table. At least now she knew where she stood with Melinda. This chick could not be trusted.
“Okay, well, let’s get started,” Melinda said.
Natasia pasted her own fake smile on her face and nodded as Melinda spoke about the plans for the show. But while she sat as if she was giving Melinda her full attention, her mind was on her own plans that had just imploded.
This was supposed to be a legitimate way for her to arrange a meeting with Hosea. But Jasmine being here messed all of that up. Because Natasia had no doubt that Jasmine would run home, tell Hosea, and block any chances of Natasia being able to contact him. Not only that, now that Jasmine knew Natasiawas working on the show, of course she would do whatever she could to get Natasia dumped the way she had when Natasia had worked on Hosea’s show.
She wasn’t worried about that this time, though. Natasia came with high credentials, an impressive résumé. This reality show was lucky, no, blessed to have her name attached. Jasmine wouldn’t be able to get to Melinda. At least not in that way.
Jasmine’s poison
* * *
Natasia stepped into the room, but the scene in front of her did not compute. Then, the old woman, wearing that mangled furry coat, spoke up.
“Up popped the devil!”
And in that instant, clarity came. She’d been tossed into the lion’s den. Natasia turned her attention to the lion.
“Jasmine!”
At the same moment, Jasmine spoke, “Natasia!”
Then, simultaneously they said, “What are you doing here?”
Melinda answered for both of them. “Natasia, I told you that Jasmine was going to be on the show.” Then, she turned to Jasmine. “And I wanted to surprise you. Reunite you with an old friend.”
Melinda grinned like the Cheshire Cat and Jasmine and Natasia both growled. Jasmine turned her glare from Natasia for just a moment and shot daggers of hate toward Melinda.
The way Jasmine stared Melinda down, as if she wished she’d drop dead right there, made Natasia feel a bit better; she wasn’t the only one who’d been set up.
Jasmine grabbed her bag from the table. “Are we done, Melinda?” she asked, though she didn’t wait for an answer. Jasmine swept by Melinda and barely gave Natasia another glance.
Natasia frowned as the smile on Melinda’s face widened, until the old woman stood up. With a slow stroll, the woman whom Natasia finally recognized as Jasmine’s elderly friend moved closer to Melinda. The smile that the VP had worn from the moment Natasia stepped into the room faded and now a shadow of fear covered her face.
But the woman’s attention went straight to Natasia. “Up popped the devil,” she said again as she brushed past Natasia.
Natasia waited until the door was completely closed before she turned to Melinda. “I didn’t know Jasmine was going to be here,” she said accusingly.
Melinda simply shrugged. “I’m only in for the day and I had to set up back-to-back meetings.” Then, her lips curved into a saccharine smile. “That’s not a problem, is it? I thought you and Jasmine were old friends.”
Natasia crossed her arms. She had set up too many people, put together too many scenarios, played out too many schemes, not to recognize this game. She knew that Melinda was a smart woman who did her homework; who vetted the people she’d be working with. Surely she knew something about the history between her and Jasmine.
“You know that Jasmine and I were never the best of friends, right?” Natasia asked. Her question was a setup of her own, in hopes that Melinda’s answer would give Natasia some insight into what was going on in Melinda’s mind.
“No,” Melinda said. “I didn’t know that.”
Liar!
Melinda added, “But it’s all business, right? You’ll be able to handle this.”
“Definitely,” Natasia said as she finally took a seat at the conference table. At least now she knew where she stood with Melinda. This chick could not be trusted.
“Okay, well, let’s get started,” Melinda said.
Natasia pasted her own fake smile on her face and nodded as Melinda spoke about the plans for the show. But while she sat as if she was giving Melinda her full attention, her mind was on her own plans that had just imploded.
This was supposed to be a legitimate way for her to arrange a meeting with Hosea. But Jasmine being here messed all of that up. Because Natasia had no doubt that Jasmine would run home, tell Hosea, and block any chances of Natasia being able to contact him. Not only that, now that Jasmine knew Natasiawas working on the show, of course she would do whatever she could to get Natasia dumped the way she had when Natasia had worked on Hosea’s show.
She wasn’t worried about that this time, though. Natasia came with high credentials, an impressive résumé. This reality show was lucky, no, blessed to have her name attached. Jasmine wouldn’t be able to get to Melinda. At least not in that way.
Jasmine’s poison
Similar Books
