Ice and Fire novel Chapter 111

Cherry then went upstairs, and when she opened the door of her bedroom, she saw Joe playing his video games on the bed.

As soon as Joe saw his mother, he stopped playing immediately, got off the bed, and rushed to her. He asked, "Mommy, why are you home so late? Uncle's been back already for ages."

Cherry squatted to hold Joe in her arms, and gently said, "Mommy was gone to visit an old friend today. That's why I'm so late."

"Oh, I see, " said Joe. "So Mommy talked with him about their friendship?"

Cherry then let go of her son, and while she patted his head, she said, "Joe, it's time for bed now. I'll go and take a shower."

"Okay. I'll wait for you. I want to sleep in your arms, " said Joe cutely.

Cherry smiled, and then went into the bathroom.

That night, Jackson couldn't sleep, and he stayed up late in the living room, with the lights turned off. Everything was quiet and still, and the moonlight shined on his face through the window.

It was not until two o'clock in the morning that Jackson went upstairs to his bedroom. When he walked in and saw the wedding photo on the wall, he looked at Cherry's happy smile and couldn't help but call out and sigh, "Honey."

Jackson moved slowly towards the bed and then laid on it. He huddled up in the blanket and eventually closed his eyes and fell asleep.

His phone rang and woke him in the morning.

He opened his eyes and looked at his phone. He saw that Sally was the caller, and wondered, why the heck would she call him at seven o'clock in the morning?

Jackson eventually answered it reluctantly.

"Hello, Sally, " he said blandly.

In a sweet voice, Sally affectedly asked, "Jackson, were you sleeping?"

"What's the matter?" asked Jackson.

"You know about the party tomorrow night, right?" asked Sally suddenly.

"The party tomorrow night?" The question caught Jackson off guard, and he tried to remember what she was talking about.

But Sally couldn't wait for him, and quickly jogged his memory, "It's the biggest business party in town. The Future Project is coming so there will be lots of attendees. It'll be a grand, wonderful party."

Jackson then realized what she was talking about. The business party was held on the same date each year, but he had been too concerned with the other things that had happened recently to remember about it.

After she waited for Jackson's reply for some time, Sally finally asked, "Jackson, are you even listening to me?"

Jackson's snapped out of his pondering, and answered, "Yes."

Sally then said gladly, "Can you go shopping with me today?" I need an evening dress for the party."

"Hadn't you already bought two last time?" asked Jackson impatiently. He was certainly not in the mood for shopping.

"They've been outdated long ago, " said Sally, acting like a spoiled child. "Jackson, please!"

Jackson finally caved in to her pleas, and said, "Okay, I'll come to pick you up later."

"Okay, " said Sally happily.

When Cherry arrived at the office in the morning, her colleague Linda Tang said to her, "Cherry, the manager wants to see you."

"Okay, I see, " said Cherry calmly, but deep inside was still concerned whether she had done something wrong. Did the manager want to put her on the spot?

Cherry put away her bag on her desk and then went to the manager's office.

When he saw Cherry come in through the door, the manager stood up immediately from his seat, and warmly said, "Cherry, the chairman has been expecting you. You have to go to her office right now. Also know that I won't give you any assignments for today."

Before Cherry could figure out what was going on, she was already walking towards Selina's office.

When Cherry took the elevator to the top floor, she saw four secretaries sitting at some desks near Selina's door.

One of them stood up as soon as she saw her, and said, "Miss Cherry, the chairman is waiting for you inside."

Cherry nodded, and replied, "Okay."

She knocked on the door and then entered.

Selina was sitting at her desk, and when she saw Cherry walk in, she merrily stood up and walked up to her. "Cherry, welcome, " she said.

"Hello, Miss Selina, " Cherry also greeted her politely, but was still a little confused in her heart.

Selina grabbed Cherry's hand and they sat down on the couch together. She said, "Cherry, I want to ask you for a favor, a personal favor."

Cherry stared at Selina, unaware of what she wanted from her. Cherry guessed that it must have something to do with Jackson or Derek, but she didn't know actually what.

"What is it?" she asked.

Selina said, "You know, there is going to be a business party tomorrow night. I want you to go with me there, be my companion."

The sudden invitation took Cherry by surprise, because she was only a novice worker in the marketing department. How could she ever be eligible to attend such a big and sumptuous party?

"Miss Selina, I don't think I'm the right person." Cherry then paused, and after she carefully weighed her words, she said, "Your secretaries are more eligible to go there with you than me."

Selina laughed, and said, "Cherry, I believe you know why I want you to come with me there."

Cherry didn't reply, and instead gazed at Selina with a lost look in her eyes.

"My brother and Jackson will also come to the party, " explained Selina, as she studied Cherry. "I think maybe we'll come across them in the evening."

Selina had decided that if Cherry promised to go with her, then she would help the couple to meet each other. Jackson would also feel much better, because the pain of missing Cherry for five years had almost driven him crazy.

"Miss Selina, I don't..." Cherry wanted to refuse her, but was interrupted.

"Cherry, this is a really good opportunity, " said Selina. "Just think about it: you'll make many business friends at the party, and you'll not only increases your number of connections, but also will benefit from it a lot in your career. Having good connections is a crucial piece in any saleswoman's marketing department career. Am I right, or not?"

Selina tried to convince Cherry from a career perspective. She believed that a clever and hardworking woman like Cherry would regard her career more highly.

Cherry agreed with Selina about the importance of having connections, thinking that Selina asked her to go to the party for the sake of the company.

Cherry looked at Selina, and nodded.

She felt relieved to see Cherry's approval, and happily said, "I knew you were a sensible woman!"

Cherry smiled, but without saying anything.

Then Selina stood up, still holding Cherry's hand, and said, "Let's go to the mall."

"Go to the mall? Why?" asked Cherry, astonished by her suggestion.

"To buy evening dresses; I've been looking for someone to go shopping with me. Why don't you come with me?" said Selina as she picked her bag and was about to set off.

"But I have work to do today, " said Cherry.

However, Selina hardly cared about Cherry's concern, and said, "I'm the boss, and when I say that you don't have to work today, you don't have to work today."

By the time Cherry arrived the mall with Selina, she was finally composed and back to herself, and was ready to be a proper shopping companion.

Selina wandered through the stores, and said, "Cherry, try anything you like, and don't worry about money, the company will pay for it."

"There's no need, really, I mean I'll pay for it. They're my clothes after all, " said Cherry.

"Don't bother, I've told you already that the company will pay for everything. Why don't you just take it for granted?" said Selina in a final, unassailable tone. 'Was Cherry also so stubborn with Jackson?' she pondered.

"No. Selina, I'll..." but Cherry was interrupted by Selina's gaze.

Selina sized Cherry carefully, and said, "Cherry, please don't call me Miss Selina anymore. That name makes me feel alienated from you. Just call me Selina, it sounds much more better."

"I don't, don't think that's appropriate..." Cherry felt a little anxious, because she had worked for Selina ever since she had got hired into the company. How could she be so rude as to call her boss by her first name?

Selina again saw that Cherry was protesting, and added, "Do you want to make me call you sister?"

The threat seemed to instantly work, and Cherry said, "Okay, I'll call you Selina."

Selina looked at Cherry and smiled. Cherry was such a simple and easygoing woman, and Selina enjoyed to be her friend.

They held each other's arms like close buddies and continued to wander through the mall.

At about the same time, and also in the mall, Sally and Jackson were walking hand in hand, in the woman apparel area on the fourth floor.

Suddenly, she cried, "Jackson, look! That one looks really nice, " and pointed at a sapphire blue dress.

She quickly unclasped Jackson's hand and went to see the dress.

Jackson also noticed the dress too. It didn't have a fancy style, but somehow it reminded him of Cherry, because sapphire blue had been Cherry's favorite color, elegant and graceful. He had never expected Sally to like that color.

Sally asked the salesperson of the store about the dress and then entered the fitting room.

A few minutes later, Sally walked outside in the new sapphire blue dress. She said to Jackson, "Jackson, look! What do you think?"

Jackson turned to look at Sally, and his heart suddenly leaped. If he didn't look at her face, he thought that Cherry was actually the one in front of him, and he remembered that Cherry had also once worn a dress of the same color; he thought that no woman could have been more stunning than her.

However, when Jackson saw Sally's face, he snapped out of his memories, and said to himself, 'This woman is not Cherry.'