The Sapphire Pendant Read Online Free Page B

repeated, enunciating every word so that she wouldn’t be misunderstood. The clipped manner in which she spoke emphasized her Caribbean British upbringing.
    Deborah had been taught proper social conduct since birth—laughing coyly, standing like a pole, and smiling noncommittally—but in response to Jessie’s statement, all these teachings were forgotten. She threw her head back and laughed until tears filled her eyes.
    Jessie ground her teeth. “What’s so funny?”
    Deborah wiped away tears. “You were always so amusing, Jess.”
    “Deborah, she’s serious,” Tracy whispered, seeing Jessie’s eyes narrow.
    “Of course she is,” Deborah said, eyeing Jessie’s flowery top and trousers.
    Jessie placed her hands on her hips. “Looks aren’t everything.”
    “Which is fortunate,” Deborah said lightly, “because you don’t have any. Now, don’t get mad at us. We didn’t know you were listening in.” She turned back to the mirror and ran a hand down her ample hip.
    Jessie knew that Deborah had every right to dismiss her claim. She was every man’s dream: curvaceous and exotic with her creamy brown skin, pert nose, almond-shaped eyes the color of acorns, and reddish brown hair that fell in micro-braids down her back. One could easily picture her being carried off by muscular men and fanned with large palm leaves. Tracy, on the other hand, could be mistaken for a life-sized porcelain doll. Her facial bones were delicately carved, as if a sculptor had taken special care; her light brown hair complemented her skin, and her hands and feet were childlike. Men rushed to accommodate her, because she had such an innocent fascination about her.
    Meanwhile, Jessie knew that she was best suited for manual labor. Her athletic build would best be put to use building houses or taming horses. She had once been told that she had a lovely nose, but that had been the only compliment about her features that she had ever received. Her eyes were an ordinary brown, and her mouth was simple—not full and luscious or even soft and supple, just simple, like an empty fruit bowl, nothing to comment about. She had deliciously expressive eyebrows and a firm chin, but her hair was always an unruly mess, no matter how she tried to style it. But she wouldn’t allow the stark contrast in her features to shake her claim.
    “I’m not angry,” she lied, unable to loosen her fists. “I just wanted to clear up one misconception.” She drummed her fingers on her hips. “I have had dates, and I chose to remain single.”
    Deborah looked at her friend and grinned wickedly. “When’s the last time you’ve been out on a date?”
    “That doesn’t matter.”
    “Right. Because you can’t remember. This isn’t a big city, Jessie. Everyone knows what everyone else is up to.”
    “Well, you don’t know me. Sometimes I go out of town and meet guys and have fun.”
    Deborah toyed with one of her braids. “Do you do this before or after a game?” she asked, referring to Jessie’s sports activities: tennis in the summer, soccer in the spring, basketball in the fall, and swimming in the winter. “Most of the guys are probably scared that you’re stronger than them.”
    Jessie hesitated. Deborah wasn’t far from wrong. She usually intimidated men. Once she had unintentionally humiliated a guy by picking him up when he had twisted his ankle. She brushed that aside. “Look, if you think that you can get any guy you set your sights on, why can’t I?”
    Jessie thought it was a logical question, but Deborah rolled her eyes. The topic had quickly lost its appeal. “Okay, perhaps you could attract some lower-class guy with no teeth, who would take you out to Bob’s Fish and Chips, but you could never get invited to an event like the Hampton Charity Ball. The only way you’d get in is by serving the food.”
    Jessie’s voice turned to ice. “I could get a wealthy man to look at me.”
    “Not just look. Desire.”
    “Yes, that