If the Shoe Doesn't Fit, it's Probably Cinderella's

'Don't forget to text me as soon as you land!' Jessie insisted as her lips fleetingly swept across his cheek.

'I'm gone', she said as she threw the apartment door shut behind her.

Jarred stood there motionless, looking at the entry door, puzzled as to how Jessie took this so lightly.

Jarred was off to Jamaica on a business trip for a week. He and Jessie had not been apart this long, ever. When you say 'ever' you mean 2 years. This is when they declared their undying love for each other. They are work colleagues. It was a slow awakening: they had worked together for 5 years before that without realizing any connection.

Their relationship was not much different than most others: no 'sweep you off your feet' feeling of falling in love, more the 'I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, what do you think, shall we hook up?'

Despite the uneventful hitching, they coasted along in an easy-going fashion. They weren't prone to fights which would have to be an up-side in anyone's books! They've celebrated birthdays and the holiday seasons and met each other's family, as you do. But, mostly, they worked together, a lot!

Jarred pulled out a little red box from his pocket. The look on his face suggested he was planning to give this to Jessie before he left but Jessie's prompt departure like Wonder Woman with boosters had spoiled the plan.

Yes, you know what it is! The ring. The gorgeous, brilliant-cut diamond - and only diamond, of course - nestled on a sparkling white gold ring, all 2 carats of it! It was a solitaire diamond engagement ring to die for but, apparently, it wouldn't be nestled on someone's finger today.

Jarred sighed and slipped it back into his pocket and proceeded back to the bedroom where he'd been packing. He was nearly done. Just some toiletries to throw in and a bite to eat before he left.

Whilst eating breakfast, he looked at the itinerary to collect his thoughts. It was going to be a busy week, impressing the prospective client with a pitch on the company's new product. He hoped there would be some downtime. And, what better way to spend it than on an island paradise without your beloved! An uncommitted beloved!

Jarred stopped mid-mouthful and pulled the ring out, once again. He laid it on the table and just stared at the box while he ate.

'Damn!' he spoke under his breath. He saw the time and sprung out of his seat with only enough time to throw his breakfast dishes in the sink for Jessie's attention later.

He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and his suitcase and overnight bag and hurried to the door. He turned for one last look at the apartment, then closed the door behind him.

The four-hour flight to Jamaica from New York seemed twice as long for Jarred. His mind was on the job at hand. He hadn't pitched a client before nor a prospect. This new product was his baby, however, so the boss entrusted it to him.

Upon arriving at the resort, Jarred threw his bags on the beautiful king-sized bed that had been decorated with artistically-placed towels and scented soaps. He showed little interest in the luxury of the room but, instead, gazed passed the concertina doors to the serene beachfront and ocean, just beyond the luscious, swaying palm trees.

'What a view!' he realized, knowing it would only be temporary. At this thought, he proceeded to unpack and then scoured the mini-bar for a drink. With this, he sat on the patio to appreciate his view.

He had barely sat down and taken a mouthful of his rum and there was a knock at the door. Jarred stood to attention as if he was guilty: guilty of taking a moment to himself.

A concierge checked all was well and Jarred concurred. Jarred immediately went back to his drinking post, sat, and took a deep breath before enjoying another mouthful of this beautiful, Jamaican rum. 'I wonder if anyone will notice if I get drunk tonight during the pitch tomorrow?' he grinned. But, he was desperate for a break. 'It's a shame this couldn't be a holiday' he pined'.

As the sun set over the horizon, the water reflected its peace and power. Half a dozen empty miniature bottles from the mini-bar were stacked next to the notes Jarred was reviewing. His focus on the words was starting to blur. He decided to retire.

As he stood up, he slapped his pocket, expecting to find the little, red box. It wasn't there! 'Oh, my God!' His realization made his eyes bulge, like Roger Rabbit, as he imagined Jessie arriving home to find an engagement ring on the table. He exhaled abruptly and his body drooped like a cat that had lost its mouse and he slumped down onto the end of the bed.

He knew there was nothing he could do except to let it play out. He got up, showered, slipped into his boxers and flopped back onto the bed. He was asleep before the sun completely disappeared out of view.

Despite his slight hangover, Jarred was ready and organized for the day ahead. He was dressed in his finest suit and headed over to the meeting room with his presentation documents and laptop in his arms. He gathered his courage as he stepped into the room to find no one there.

'Ah, Miss!' he gestured to the passing staff. 'Do you know when the party is due booked in this room?' She informed Jarred there were delays with their flight and may not arrive until tomorrow. At that moment, his boss called with the same news.

'Great!' Jarred mumbled. He proceeded back to his cabin. As he dropped his gear, he glanced at the brochures showing the attractions in the vicinity of the resort. There was a nice hike you could take to a peak where there was a lighthouse. It was a good thirty-minute walk but Jarred was up for it. After all, he couldn't look at his pitch notes any longer or he'd lose the plot!

He threw on some more practical clothes and grabbed his backpack and some water and snacks from the fridge. As he left, he picked up the map in the brochure for directions.

The walk was peaceful and awe-inspiring at the same time. The closest he got to nature in New York was, well, nothing. He took in his surroundings, listened to the wildlife talking about him as he passed by, and realized this experience was really a breath of fresh air, literally!

He wondered why he hadn't been drawn to this way of life before. New York wasn't his love but he had been raised there and, well, you don't think about moving, do you? This peace, this beauty had to be healthy for you. He entertained the idea of living here. Could he work from here? Would Jessie join him here? Maybe not. She loved New York. Oh well, just a thought.

Jarred stopped for a mouthful of water and sat on a rock at the edge of the walking path. He was almost halfway to the lighthouse. Suddenly the peace was broken by a flock of birds launching simultaneously from the trees. Something had startled them. He looked immediately down the path to the left and then to the right.

She almost startled him. A young girl of about twelve years was just standing a few metres from him, just watching him.

Jarred found the silence between them awkward so he found the words to speak. 'Oh, hello! I thought I was alone. How are you?' he said catching his breath and trying to be polite.

'Hi,' the young girl said, quite matter-of-factly. 'Are you going to the lighthouse?' she became inquisitive.

'Yes,' Jarred confirmed. 'I haven't seen it before,' he fumbled for words.

'I'll show you where it is,' she insisted and started to walk on. Jarred promptly and obligingly got up from the rock and proceeded to follow.

'Are you holidaying here?' he said, to make conversation.

'No, I live here. What's your name?' she insisted.

'Um.. J - Jarred. Pleased to meet you....' Jarred gestured for a response.

'My name's Cassie' she said; like he'd best remember it.

'Right! Nice name, Cassie' he said.

'What are you doing here?' Cassie enquired.

'Ah, I'm on business' Jarred said, surprisingly disappointed.

'Are you married?' Cassie said: a predictable question of most girls her age.

'No,' Jarred said awkwardly, thinking this was getting personal way too fast.

They walked in silence briefly and then Cassie's comment took Jarred aback. 'You should meet my mom. She's not married either.'

Out of the mouths of babes, right!?

'Why aren't you married?' Cassie thoughtfully spoke.

Jarred blushed and wasn't sure of his answer. Yes, he missed his opportunity yesterday morning as Jessie rushed out of the apartment but he had to wonder why he wasn't very excited about the prospect of marriage.

'Just hasn't been the right time,' Jarred said, almost doubting his response.

'My mom says if you've been in a relationship for years and you still haven't got married, you're not in love' Cassie spoke confidently.

'Right!' Jarred said, unsure what to add to this.

'So, you're not in love, then?' Cassie said, insistent on solving this.

'Not yet..' Jarred started to speak impatiently. 'What!?' he thought, startled. 'Did I say that?' All sorts of doubting thought swept through his mind.

Cassie sensed he was in deep thought but she had no interest in giving him space. 'You should come to my house and meet my mom. I will tell her you are coming for dinner.'

'No!..I mean, thank you, but I am here on business and don't have any spare time' he said desperately.

Cassie was obviously not going to take 'no' for an answer.

They arrived at the peak and low and behold, there was a majestic lighthouse. They both sat and caught their breath. Jarred offered Cassie a snack from his backpack and they ate in silence.

Momentarily, Cassie said her goodbye's and was gone as quickly as she came.

'What the!?' Jarred was relieved. 'She forgot to tell him where she lived' he thought relieved, shaking his head with a smile.

Having made his way back to his cabin, he took an afternoon siesta. He must have slept deeply because, when he woke, the sun was setting, leaving a beautiful rainbow of colors floating in the sky about the ocean.

He dressed for dining out and located the dining hall on the brochure.

As he strolled through the resort, he felt the calm of this world but, that feeling was abruptly stolen from him as he turned a corner to the dining hall. It was in full swing already. He made his way to a table and gestured for help. No sooner had he lowered his arm and there was Cassie moving briskly towards him.

Jarred didn't know whether he felt enthusiastic or disheartened. He wanted to be alone but was somehow still happy to see her.

'I was looking for you at your cabin and thought you must have come here,' Cassie spoke before she even got to the table.

'Yes, just stopping for a bite and then an early night,' he tried to convince her.

'No, you're coming with me!' she exclaimed.

She almost dragged Jarred from the table and without any communication forced him to follow her. They arrived at her home, a luxurious and large cabin on a slope behind the main area of the resort, only a few minutes from the dining hall.

'Mom!' she yelled.

Her mother appeared from around the corner, dressed in a sarong. Her long, flowing, sun-bleached hair fell softly around her shoulders. She walked as if she owned the world, but had not a care in the world. Her smile lit up the room and Jarred was momentarily struck, by what he wasn't sure.

'Hi, I'm Sarina,' she smiled widely. 'I see Cassie is bringing in the strays again.'

Jarred looked horrified and wanted to curl up under the nearest table. 'Don't mind me,' she said, 'I'm used to strangers visiting.'

Sarina realized she was digging her own grave and to distract Jarred from this conversation she extended her arm toward him for him to take it and they walked into the dining room of her home. 'You know, this resort was built in 1888. Isn't it amazing?'

Jarred was intrigued and followed on with the lesson in history. Soon the attention was brought back to Jarred. 'And, what brings you here, Jarred? Cassie says you're here on business.'

'Yes, just a little. It would be nice to play the tourist too but I doubt I'll have the time.'

'Of course you will!' Sarina insisted. Jarred could see where Cassie got her mannerisms. Sarina was confident, vivacious and quite the life of the party, even when there was no party. 'I will show you around. Tomorrow afternoon, will that suit you?'

Jarred's thoughts then turned to work. 'Ah, yes, afternoon will be fine.'

Sarina, Jarred, and Cassie had an interesting evening of banter and pleasantries. Cassie spoke less than she had during the day, but she seemed to be observing closely. They all exchanged general information about their lives and where they were at this point in time, though nothing much was mentioned of work.

Sarina had lost her husband to illness, though she was still comparatively young, but older than Jarred. They only had one child, Cassie, and they had inherited the resort from her late husband's aunt. Sarina loved it here and couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Jarred had briefly explained his little proposal dilemma to Sarina as he felt quite comfortable around her. It was strangely like he'd known her all his life.

After a delicious and decadent meal, Jarred showed his appreciation and said goodnight.

The following morning, Jarred was up at the crack of dawn to prep for his meeting. There would be several over a few days but this first meeting was more important than any other. Jarred had to gain the prospective client's interest from the get-go!

This man wasn't to be trifled with. You couldn't waste his time: that much Jarred had deduced from their conversations online and in emails.

Jarred arrived at the meeting room fifteen minutes early to get organized. The client's entourage was extensive and, eventually, he showed, like a king waiting to be announced. Jarred was not intimidated because he had rehearsed this day many times. What made him most curious, though, was that Sarina was still on his mind.

A couple of hours had passed and Jarred wasn't yet convinced he had the prospect's interest. This investment was important to his company. It had the potential to be a multi-million dollar investment and it would be his first real success.

As he focussed on the next trick up his sleeve, a boisterous woman in a smart suit entered the room. 'Not now!' Jarred thought. 'I haven't finished. I need to land this deal!' He turned, with an impatient expression, to find Sarina walking into the room, like a queen!

Sarina and Jarred looked puzzled at each other. There was a micro-second moment when the earth stopped still for both of them. They both realized in that micro-second what this meant.

Sarina was the prospect, not the man Jarred had been dealing with all this time. That was just the court jester. The queen had arrived.

Jarred was unsure how to treat this situation. Dare he speak up and acknowledge her as the beautiful woman he had met the night before or treat her professionally, like the money bags she was to his company?

Sarina was the prospective client who would make or break his career, potentially. 'How will she receive me?' he thought apprehensively.

'Hello, Jarred!' she said with a wide smile. 'Nice to finally meet you.'

Jarred was stunned. She didn't want to acknowledge the night before, as innocent as it was, so he played the game.

'Ah, nice to meet you.'

The meeting continued as Jarred tried to remain on track. As it came to an end for the day, an hour later, he enquired as to Sarina's interest in the product to this point. She was.

Everyone had left the room and Jarred was just packing up his last few items. Sarina reappeared and stared into Jarred's eyes in silence. Her expression showed a struggle to speak. Finally, she did.

'I'm sorry, Jarred. I panicked. Not much surprises me and for some reason I felt the need to keep business and pleasure separate. Please forgive me.'

Jarred relaxed. This lifted a weight. 'I understand,' he said. 'How about that tour you promised me, and dinner tonight?'

That comment surprised both of them. Jarred had confided in Sarina about his marriage proposal drama with Jessie. Jarred didn't mean any harm and Sarina wasn't planning to break up a relationship.

Jarred was taken aback a little by his request. Did he not love Jessie?

'Look, I just realized, I have another appointment that I need to attend that completely slipped my mind.' Sarina said, making excuses.

'Yes, yes, of course,' Jarred said, making his escape.

Sarina did not come to any more meetings, just the court jester.

On his day of departure, Jarred was sitting at a bench seat on the edge of the resort waiting for his taxi to the airport. Who should appear stealthily into view but Cassie. 'Hello, Cassie!' Jarred was enthusiastic this time.

'Hi Jarred. You're going?' she said in a disappointed tone.

'Yep! Back to the real world,' he half-grinned and looked down at the ground in front of him. Jarred felt a fleeting sense of loss.

'You know, love is where you least expect it,' Cassie wisely said for a twelve- year-old, shuffling some sand under her feet. '..and adults are really not honest with each other.'

Cassie made a deep sigh, then stood up and said, 'have a nice life, Mr. J' and proceeded to skip out of sight.

Jarred watched her leave and, again, looked down at the ground. He then proceeded to pull his phone from his pocket, knowing full well that the little red box that was also meant to be there was on the table at home.

He dialled the number and put the phone to his ear, reluctantly.

'Jessie, we need to talk.'