Untitled Romance

Chapter 1


         Taking one more bite of Caesar salad, Jillian Holt scrolled through the long list of appointments for the next two days on her PDA oblivious to the activity around her. Lately it seemed like there was less time to just be herself. The days were filled with back to back appointments from early morning and sometimes stretching into working dinners. She was constantly having to juggle her schedule and some things had to be put off until later. 
         "Earth to Jillian." The voice of her best friend, Anna Roberts brought Jillian out of her thoughts. Zoning out like that had become a habit for her lately even in the busy restaurant at lunchtime.
         "Sorry. I was just looking to see if there was something I could push back for a while." Slipping the PDA back into her purse, Jillian reached for her iced tea. 
         "Oh, please!" Anna rolled her emerald green eyes and sighed pushing her dark auburn hair behind her shoulders. She was a striking woman and used it to every advantage. "You already know what you're going to push back. The same thing you've been pushing back for over three weeks now."
         "That's exactly why I can't push it back anymore. It needs to be done but I just don't have my head in it right now," Jillian said feeling bad that she was making yet another excuse. Work had been absolutely crazy lately. Just in the past week, she'd finished up three interior design jobs in hopes that it would free up some time but that idea was quickly shot down that morning when she'd been informed that a new client had been added to her calendar.
         "Honey, if you can't get your head into making an appointment with a wedding planner then maybe it's because you don't want to get married," Anna said.
         One of the things Jillian had always admired about Anna was her knack for getting straight to the point no matter what the topic. They sort of balanced each other out in that way. Jillian was more apt to beat around the bush a few hundred times hoping her point will come across magically somehow.
         "Don't be ridiculous! Of course I do. Jack is perfect. He's exactly what every girl dreams of. It's just that I've been so busy with work lately," Jillian said. She and her fiance, Jack Wentworth had been engaged for three months with no sign of a date being set. 
         "But you're not every girl. Just because he's good looking and rich does not mean he's the right one for you. Of course I'm not telling you anything I haven't said before," Anna said setting her fork down on the plate of  barely touched pasta. She'd been against the engagement from the start.
         "Anna, I know you don't like Jack but I still don't understand why? He's never been anything but nice to you."
         Anna and Jillian had been friends since those awkward middle school days. Sometimes Jillian thought Anna knew her better than she knew herself. This was not one of those times though. When Jillian first started seeing Jack Wentworth a year ago, he and Anna got along great. They double dated many times with whoever Anna was seeing at the time. The list was fairly long. Everything was fine but as soon as Jillian told her Jack had proposed, Anna completely turned on him. Suddenly he wasn't good for Jillian even though she'd gone on and on over how rich he was and how great a catch he was. If Jillian didn't know her better, she'd think Anna was jealous.
         "Yes, Jack is a very nice guy. Tall, dark and handsome. Successful family business. Great pedigree and all. And yes, he does seem to be totally smitten with you. But come on, Jillian. You're too young to get married. Date him all you want but don't take yourself off the market before you've even shopped around a while," Anna said bluntly. She didn't have anything against Jack personally. It's just that she knew he wasn't the right one for her friend.
         "I don't need to shop around, Anna. I've already made my decision and I'm heading to the checkout," Jillian added to the analogy. She considered herself lucky to have a man like Jack love her.
         "Why won't you just admit that you're having second thoughts. There's no rule that says you can't postpone things for a while. At least until you're absolutely sure that Jack is the right one."
         Anna's tone was pleading this time. Usually she was flippant about the whole thing in keeping with her general outlook on all things serious. Only now there was real concern reflected in her bright green eyes showing that elusive big heart of hers. The reason Jillian had put up with Anna's insistence that she reconsider the engagement was because deep down she truly felt Jillian was making a mistake. That combined with Jillian's own reluctance to meet with the wedding planner had planted a tiny seed of doubt in her mind about her true feelings for Jack as if she didn't have enough to worry about already. 
         "Can we change the subject now?" Jillian asked fidgeting in the chair. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
         Anna looked at her for a moment and sighed heavily in compliance. She knew not to push her friend too much. "So what do you want to talk about? No, wait! Let me guess. Work?"
         "Of course," Jillian put on her best smile. "What else is there?"
         "Okay. If we must, then shoot," Anna said rolling her eyes again.
         Work was not one of Anna's favorite subjects and least of all Jillian's work. Color schemes, architectural design, and window treatments weren't exactly stimulating subjects to anyone outside of the interior design field. That was Jillian's career though and it paid the bills which was all she wanted.
         "First thing this morning, before I even sat down at my desk, Nora comes in saying Jarod wants to see me. Immediately I think something's wrong with one of my accounts so I'm on alert. Remember I had that one woman who was always complaining about something even after she approved of the design?"
         Anna simply nodded in a way that said she was only half listening. Anything that didn't have to do with the latest designer fashion, trendy restaurant, exclusive nightclub, or highly attractive, single men wasn't worth her full attention. 
         "Anyway, so I go in to his office prepared to defend my work but he's giving me a new client. And not just any client either. This one actually requested me!"
         Jillian had been literally shocked when her boss, Jarod Burke told her that. No one had ever requested her for a job. She was only a junior designer at the firm. What was even more surprising was that this wasn't like any other job she'd ever done. Usually she handled one or two room jobs for the typical upper middle class client which kept her very busy. This was actually a corporate client which meant a high dollar account.
         "Hey, that's good. Did you do some work for a friend of theirs or something?" Anna asked brushing a crumb off the table as if disgusted.
         "Sort of. Here's the deal. This is a complete redesign for a corporate client. A while back I did a living room for this guy who had one of those old Spanish style houses up in the hills. According to Jarod, this guy had a party for some business associates and one of them asked who the designer was. It wasn't a big job so I'm not real sure what it was that caught his attention but something did. Now he wants me to completely redesign an entire house."
         "So how is this a corporate account then if it's just another house?" Anna asked casually. She was thinking that Jillian needed to do something more with her long blonde hair. It was gorgeous but she kept it either twisted up for work or pulled back in a ponytail at home.
         "It's a real estate development company so I guess the house is an investment property. Jarod said it's an old Meditteranean style place. Huge with a guest house and pool. The best thing about it though is that this account might lead to more high end jobs for me."
Rewrite: Jillian has settled for being a junior designer. Anna wants her to open her own design firm but Jillian just can't break out and take the plunge. The new Elite account will give her enough commission and will punch up her portfolio.
         "Jillian, how long are you going to keep doing this? You've been working for that asshole Jarod for three years which is two years too long. If you ask me, I think he's been giving you the crap jobs just to keep you from opening your own firm," Anna said.          Marrying Jack wasn't the only thing Anna had been on her about. She had every confidence in Jillian as a designer and pushed her at every opportunity to open her own business. The only thing that held Jillian back was her own lack of confidence. 
         "That takes money and a great portfolio of work which I don't have yet. That's why this new client is so important. It might lead to more high end jobs for me," Jillian explained.
         "It might lead to other jobs," Anna repeated. "How many times have I heard that?"
         "Anna, please don't do this. Jack and my work are the two most important things in my life right now and I could really use your support instead of your criticism."
         "I'm sorry, Jillian. Really I am but I just can't sit back and watch you throw your dreams away."
         "I'm not throwing them away."
         "Maybe you're not throwing them away but you've already wasted two years. You should've opened your own firm by now," Anna said. "Jarod only gave you this account because he had no choice. You were requested. And mark my words, he'll give you crap again when it's over if you stay there."
         "I know all that but I have bills to pay and it's very hard to start a business like this without connections."
         "If you'd come work with me,  you could make more money and meet the kind of people who have the high end jobs," Anna said pushing her plate aside.
         Anna Roberts ran her own party planning business which suited her perfectly. She'd started out doing small parties and then branched out into corporate functions. Socializing was Anna's true talent. She could go to a party alone and come out with a dozen new friends. Jillian, on the other hand, could spend an entire night at a party and not talk to more than three people.
         "I appreciate the offer again but this is something I need to do on my own. Besides I can't add to my portfolio if I do that. Anna, I really think this new client is just what I've been looking for. This account is so big that Jarod wants me to focus only on it. So you see, it's already going to be better for me. No more running all over town from one client to another and this is an entire house. That's multiple high end rooms to add to my portfolio and it's a big commission too," Jillian explained. 
         "Well that sounds good but I'm not giving up on you. So is this a big corporate firm? The kind that might need to have a party planner at some point." Anna raised a perfectly shaped brow and smiled from across the table. Typical Anna. Always on the alert for potential clients.
         "I don't know. I have the name here somewhere." Jillian rummaged through her purse for the business card Jarod had given her that morning. "Here it is. Elite Properties, a subsidiary of Northwest Investments out of Seattle."
         "You're kidding!" Anna suddenly sat straight up which could only mean there was definitely some serious money involved. "That's the company that's doing all the green developments around the country now. I read an article on them in Business Weekly. Started out as a small company up in Seattle which garnered attention because of the environmentally friendly approach to property development. Some Japanese investors got onboard and it's just snowballed from there. I even looked into buying some stock but the damn thing is privately owned."
         Of course Jillian had no clue about any of that. Her world did not include big time anything. Anna, on the other hand, made it her business to keep up on things like that.
         "Okay, so I guess that means this job is even more important than I thought," Jillian replied fingering the business card and thinking of how much she wanted to have her own firm.
         "As far as I know Northwest has never done anything but commercial properties. If they're getting into the residential market then they're branching out. Wait! You said this was a redesign?" she asked.
         "Yeah, that's what Jarod said. I'm supposed to meet with the project manager at the house Thursday morning. That's when I'll get all the details." Jillian hadn't realized just how big this client was until now. Why hadn't a company like Northwest hired one of the top design firms in town?
         "So it's an existing house. You have the address?" Anna's eyes were literally twinkling with excitement at the potential for her to garner new contacts.
         "Yeah, why?" Jillian could sense that she was up to something again. 
         "Let's check it out this evening after you're done with work."
         "Anna!" she exclaimed. "I'm not going snooping around with you. We could get into trouble."
         She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Relax. It's not like we're going to break in or anything. Besides, don't you think it would be good for you to at least see the place to get some ideas before you meet with the project manager? It could be impressive if it looks like you instantly came up with some really great ideas."
         It wasn't a bad idea to at least know what the place looked like. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to just drive by and take a look," Jillian admitted.
         "Exactly! I'll pick you up at seven."
         Jillian knew deep down that Anna had more in mind than just a simple little drive by the house. When her curiosity was piqued, there wasn't much that could stand in the way of her knowing all she wanted about the subject. That's one of the things that made Anna so successful in business. She did her research.
         The two women continued their lunch chatting about plans for the weekend and of course a little gossip around the social circles. In LA, there was plenty of gossip to discuss without ever getting to the entertainment people.



         
         It was almost seven pm when Jillian glanced at her watch before unlocking the door to her apartment. She'd stayed late at the office but not intentionally. With two active accounts, her goal was to get as much done as possible before Jarod reassigned them to someone else in the firm. It wasn't necessary but Jillian hated to leave something unfinished. Dropping her purse on the entry table, she kicked off her heels and headed into the kitchen.
         Jillian's loft apartment was in an old warehouse that had been converted to residential units. The first day, she'd seen potential in its open plan, bare walls, and hardwood floors. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the time nor the money to do what she wanted to it. Anna called it a sin and a shame that an interior designer's home was so sparsely furnished. The only areas Jillian had managed to decorate to satisfaction were the bedroom, bathroom, and to a certain extent the kitchen. Her living area was fairly big but all she had was a large rug, sofa, chair, coffee table, and tv arranged cozily into the corner.          
         Opening the fridge, Jillian grabbed a cold soda and reached to get a glass from the cupboard. Just as she popped the top on the can the phone rang.
         "Hello," she answered pouring the soda into a glass. 
         "Hey, darling," Jack's voice responded. "You just getting home?"
         "Yeah, just walked in the door. You home or still at the office?" she asked tossing the empty can in the trash. Jack regularly worked late hours.
         "Actually that's what I was calling about. I'm on my way to the airport. Something came up at work and I have to fly to New York for a meeting first thing in the morning," he said.
         "Oh, when are you coming back?" she asked taking her drink to the sofa.
         "I'm not sure. It depends on how things go when I get there but I won't be back for dinner tomorrow night," he explained.
         "That's okay." Jillian was used to their plans changing. It happened quite often actually.
         "I promise to take you somewhere really nice when I get back," he said.
         "Oh, I got a new client today and it's a corporate account. My first big design job for the firm. It's a big Meditteranean up in the hills and I was actually requested for the job. This could really be a big break for me and it'll also help..."
         "Honey, I have another call," he interrupted. "It's business so I'll call you sometime tomorrow. Love you. Bye."
         "Bye," she said but he'd already hung up. Whatever had come up at work wasn't good. She could tell by the tone of his voice.          
         Jillian stared at the vase of wilting red roses on the coffee table. Jack had sent them last weekend as an apology for having to cut their plans short when something came up at work. Absently she fidgeted with her diamond engagement ring while thinking the flowers were a little like her relationship with Jack. Beautiful for a while but over time, not so much. 
         It had been just over a year since Jillian first met Jackson Wentworth. Anna talked her into going to a charity event she'd been invited to by one of her clients. The goal was to mingle with and meet people with lots of disposable income. Anna fit right in but Jillian felt completely out of place. It was a bit intimidating and she didn't think there was anything she had in common with people who spent up to a thousand dollars on a pair of shoes and then only wore them once or twice.  Over the course of the evening, Jack spotted the beautiful petite blonde. At twenty nine, he was handsome, sophisticated, successful and very eligible in those circles. Unfortunately for everyone else though, Jillian was the only woman he was interested in.
         For the next several months, Jack actively pursued this beautiful blonde woman who wasn't all that impressed with him. At least it didn't seem that way to him. He was used to women pursuing him. Jack wined and dined her at every opportunity. Jillian felt like she was living in a fairy tale at times with Jack being the handsome prince and heir to the throne. The throne in this case being the Wentworth family law firm and its list of clients that read like a who's who of Los Angeles.
         Jack was a corporate lawyer and senior partner to his father, Conrad at Wentworth and Associates. The firm was actually started by Jack's grandfather, Marshall Wentworth who moved his young family out to Los Angeles from Boston. Law being the family business, Jack's future was mapped out as soon as he was born but it didn't seem to bother him at all. Following Conrad and Marshall's footsteps, he attended Harvard Law before joining the firm. There were also certain expectations as a Wentworth. A certain persona that he had to live up to in public. This meant that the family had similar expectations of Jillian. Not that they ever actually voiced these expectations but for her it was fairly clear.
         Now months after the engagement Jillian found herself wondering if she could be the kind of wife that Jack expected and deserved. Deep down she just didn't think she wanted to be a queen in that kind of kingdom.          
         Realizing that she'd gotten lost in her thoughts again, Jillian got up from the sofa and headed upstairs to change. Anna would be there in a few minutes to pick her up so they could drive by the house she was supposed to be working on. Pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she tossed them on the bed and slipped out of her dress pants and blouse. Stepping into the well worn denim, Jillian was thankful that she never had to worry about her weight. A life of dancing had kept her figure just as lithe and toned as when she was fifteen. She did have a few more curves now but nothing like Anna's. She had naturally what women all over LA were paying tens of thousands for. Of course, Anna could handle having that kind of figure and all the attention that came with it. Jillian on the other hand knew that she'd only been given naturally what she could handle.
         Removing several pins, Jillian let her long blonde hair fall from the twist it had been in all day. It was the one thing about her looks that she was proud of and other women coveted hair like hers. Thick and full of body, she could wear it any way from board straight to flowing waves. Brushing it out smooth, she pushed it behind her shoulders and headed back downstairs.
         Fifteen minutes later, Jillian had finished off last night's Chinese take out when Anna arrived. Dressed in black from head to toe, she looked like a cat burglar.
         "What exactly are you planning, Anna?" Jillian asked looking at her outfit.
         "I don't know what you're talking about," Anna said sauntering inside.
         "You look like you're either channeling cat woman or about to pull off a jewel heist."
         Closing the door, Jillian followed Anna into the kitchen where she took a seat at the bar.
         "I just thought black was appropriate since we're going to check out this mysterious house of yours," she said smiling coyly.
         Jillian's instincts told her Anna was definitely up to something. Behind those emerald colored eyes lay a devious mind that had often gotten them into trouble back in college. Or at least Jillian did. Anna always seemed to be able to talk her way out of it.
         "There's nothing mysterious about it. We're just going to take a look so I know what to expect Thursday," Jillian said taking a seat next to her at the bar.
         "If you think about it there is a bit of mystery. Suddenly you're requested to do a complete overhaul on a huge house that turns out is owned by a subsidiary of one of the biggest development companies in the country. I did a little research online before I came over and couldn't find anything on this Elite Properties other than it's listed as a subsidiary of Northwest Investments." Anna was nothing if not thorough when it came to business which is why she could afford the things she had. She googled almost everyone she met and downloaded pertinent information to her PDA.
         "So what does that mean if you couldn't find anything?" Jillian asked.
         "Well it's a legitimate company but since there wasn't anything on the web I can only assume that it's a new one. Like I said earlier, it looks like Northwest is branching out into residential development and Elite Properties was probably created specifically for that," Anna explained.
         "So tell me more about Northwest. I know you read up on it while you were searching for stuff on Elite."
         "I'll tell you on the way. We better get a move on before it gets too dark to see anything," she said getting up.


         A few minutes later, the two women were on their way to the house Jillian would be working on. As Anna drove her black BMW up into the hills, she told Jillian what she had found out online.
         Northwest Investments started out as a small commercial development company in Seattle about ten years ago. It's focus on environmental preservation attracted Japanese investors in its second year. In the last eight years, it grew to a multi million dollar corporation developing "green" properties all over the country. Its projects consist of strictly commercial buildings though. Northwest recently began consulting on planned communities but nothing Anna saw online said anything about residential properties.
Jillian didn't see how any of it had anything to do with her little design job. Anna explained that if Northwest was getting into residential property development then it could be very financially valuable information to have. Anyone owning property that Elite was interested in could potentially hold out for more of a profit in the sale.
         "See if we knew what kind of residential property they're looking for then we could buy one and turn around and sell it to Elite for a profit," Anna said accelerating up a hillside road.
         "Anna, I don't have any money to buy a house with! I can barely afford my loft," Jillian said watching the needle on the speedometer rise. "Besides, isn't that illegal like insider trading or something?"
         "It's not illegal. It's real estate investment," Anna said navigating a sharp curve. "And as far as money goes, you could use what Elite is paying you for this house to go in with me on another property. Then when we sell for a profit you'll have even more money. In fact, if you think about it, you'll be using Elite's money to make more money from them."
         "That sounds like cheating to me," Jillian said checking the map again. "Slow down. The drive should be around this next curve."
         "It's not cheating, Jillian. How do you think people make money in real estate?" The car slowed for the last curve. "Buy low, sell high. This could be what you need to get the money to open your own firm."
         "You think so?" Jillian's interest was piqued at the thought of a large enough commission to do that.
         "Definitely. Oh, is this it?" Anna stopped the car in the road and pointed to a drive marked private.
         "I guess. It's the first one after the curve but I can't see the house. It must be set too far off the main road." Jillian strained to see over the tall stucco wall without much success.
         The sky was darkening as Anna turned into the drive and switched off the headlights.
         "What are you doing? Anna, this is a private drive."
         "Relax. It's not like anyone lives here. The place is an investment property," she said as the car rolled to a stop just inside the open wrought iron gates. 
         "It's trespassing and I'll lose my job," Jillian said after the ignition was turned off.
         "Come on. Where's your sense of adventure?" her friend asked opening the driver's side door.
         "I left it back in college."
         Taking a deep breath, Jillian got out of the car and quietly closed the door. Without any lights, she couldn't see a thing and felt her way around to the front of the car. It was much darker out than she'd thought.
         "Here. Put this on." Anna handed her a black cap and matching hoodie. "And pull your hair up in the cap."
         "Oh, for pete's sake! You had this planned all along didn't you?" Jillian chastised herself for letting Anna do it to her again.
         "Nothing wrong with being prepared," the redhead smiled putting on her own cap.
         Pulling on the jacket to cover her light grey t shirt, Jillian held the cap between her teeth while she twisted her long blonde hair up. With the cap sufficiently hiding her hair, the two women began making their way up the drive. Jillian's eyes adjusted to the lack of light and she realized why it seemed so dark now. On either side of the drive was thick foliage and trees with overhanging limbs which blocked most of the light. It was difficult to see any definition but there was a general feeling of overgrowth. Except for the sound of her own breathing, it was eerily silent. A chill ran down her spine when a slight breeze rustled some leaves to her right. This was not the kind of place Jillian had envisioned. In fact, she thought it was a little creepy.
          The driveway curved back to the right and as soon as they turned the corner, the entire environment changed. Dense foliage was replaced by a wide circular drive with a dry fountain in the center. The moon gave off enough light to see perfectly trimmed hedges set back from the edges of the concrete. The blank space between looked as if it could be empty flower beds. Then there was the house. It wasn't exactly a house though. At least not like any Jillian had ever seen. It was an enormous and imposing structure. She felt a little like those people you read about who were trudging through the jungle somewhere and suddenly came to a clearing with one of those ancient temple pyramids right in the middle of it.
         Mediterranean style, the house stood three stories but there seemed to be windows on multiple levels. The exterior appeared to have a light salmon tint and although she couldn't see, it most likely had reddish roof tiles. Above the front portico, a round central area rose up suggesting a circular staircase in the entry hall. The typical archway theme ran throughout evident even in the transoms above the main double doors. Lots of large windows alluded to even larger rooms and tons of natural light. 
         "Oh my god!" Jillian mouthed quietly as she stood there gaping at it like a child looking at a castle.
         "Damn!" Anna exclaimed looking up at the magnificent structure. "If this is how Northwest starts out in residential property, I'd love to see where they go from here."
         "This can't be the right place," Jillian said staring up at the enormous estate. Both women were stunned at the obvious extravagance of a typical Mediterranean villa.
         "Oh, it's the right place. Look." Anna pointed to a small sign leaning against a shrub that read Elite Properties Renovation.
         "This is way out of my league." Jillian felt completely inadequate for the job.
         "Honey, this is your big shot. Hell, I'd do it just to spend time here," Anna said looking around. "Come on. Let's walk around the side and see just how big this sucker is."
         A stone path led around the side of the house to an area about thirty feet wide. Another small fountain with mozaic tiling was central with two stone benches on either side. Signs of previous landscaping suggested it must have been a rather beautiful garden at some point but was being redone. At the back of the area was a fence covered in vines and Anna found the gate near the side of the house. Reaching into the thick vines, she felt around for a handle. Her fingers settled on the latch and she pressed hearing the soft click. The gate squeaked open which she took as an invitation to continue.
         More signs of the renovation were scattered over the back lawn. Shadowy forms slowly came into focus as stacks of building materials crowding the patio and assorted debris leading to a large hulking dumpster at the edge of the property. Stepping onto the tiled patio, Jillian looked out over the empty pool that had obviously seen better days. On the opposite side of the pool through a freestanding archway was the guest house which matched the architecture of the main structure. 
         Anna walked over to a set of glass paned doors at the back of the main house to peer inside. Jillian followed and strained to see into the shadowy interior which also showed obvious signs of renovation. There didn't seem to be much to see except walls and floor. Suddenly a light came on behind them and they spun around to see the door of the little guest house open.
         "Shit!" Jillian whispered frozen to the spot.
         "Run," Anna said pushing her as they took off back towards the gate they'd left open.
         "This is private property!" a man's voice called out from behind Jillian. She didn't dare look back though.
         Getting through the gate first, Anna left the stone path to cut across the side lawn aiming for the dark drive. Jillian followed with her heart pounding in her chest as she ran full out hearing footsteps hit the ground behind her. All she could think was how humiliating it would be to have to call Jack's father from jail and explain that she'd been arrested for trespassing. Anna's long legs took her several yards ahead and she was already back on the circular drive when Jillian remembered there was a rather large empty flower bed on the other side of the square cut hedge ahead. Anna was out of sight when Jillian pulled off a grande jette over the hedge. Landing on the drive, she lost her cap but continued running at full speed. Behind her she could hear the man following but thankfully he stopped at the head of the drive. Anna had started the car by the time Jillian got in. Slamming it into reverse, she stepped on the gas and wheeled them out of the drive then squealed the tires a little as the car sped off. Suddenly Anna burst out laughing hysterically.
         "That was fun!" she exclaimed pulling off her cap and letting her hair spill out around her shoulders.
         "Oh, my god! That was not fun! We got caught!" Jillian's pulse was now pounding in her ears and she wiped away the few beads of sweat that had formed above her top lip.
         "We almost got caught. There's a big difference." She slowed for a curve in the road. "Admit it. You haven't been this exhilarated since college."
         "Why do I let you talk me into these things?" Jillian leaned back and buckled her seatbelt. 
         "Because I'm your best friend and you love me," Anna answered flashing a big smile.
         "Yeah, well right now I hate you," Jillian said letting out a deep sigh and slumping back against the soft leather seat.
         "You'll get over it," Anna laughed. "You always do."