Is this destiny?

Timer on the oven was beeping indicating that the dinner is ready.

While turning the oven off, Ellie\'s phone played a tune signaling a new incoming message.

[JoAnna]: "Let me know when you have few minutes to talk."

Ellie peeked into the bedroom to check on Jasper and heard the water running from the bathroom. He is still in the shower. She texted JoAnna back that she is available.

Few seconds later, Ellie\'s phone rang.

"How are things progressing?", JoAnna asked with delight apparent in her voice.

Ellie shook her head and smiled. Somehow, she knew this is coming. "Everything is fine. Get to the point."

JoAnna started shooting questions: "Did you tell him you like him? How far did you go? Is he any…"

"Shit, Anna!" Ellie interrupted her. "You are on the speaker! Wait, let me switch, otherwise Jasper might hear your nonsense when he comes out of…", Ellie stopped herself.

JoAnna noticed unfinished sentence. "Comes out of…?"

"Is this why you called me?"

"No. There is another reason… If you don\'t want Jasper to overhear, make sure I\'m not on the speaker. Maybe go somewhere private."

Ellie frowned slightly. This sounds either as more teasing or as something serious. "Just a second."

She moved to a room which Jasper uses as his home office and closed the door behind her. "OK. We can talk now."

JoAnna went straight to the point: "I am aware that you are looking into Jasper\'s assets and resources which he lost access to few years ago."

Ellie blanked out for a second. "How do you know that?"

"Hey, hey… you are talking to Mrs. Jeffrey White here."

"Really, how do you know? I need more details than that if I\'m going to sleep soundly." Ellie was unable to hide her panic. She was cursing Ethan internally. How can he be this careless to allow others to find out? He is supposed to be a seasoned professional who works for her father for many-many-many years, damnit!

"Did you forget that I have a powerful husband who knows things? Especially when someone is digging into information related to his best man. I can\'t give you more details than that. I hope you understand."

"OK." Ellie paused while thinking that maybe it\'s not that bad how she imagined. After all, Jeff is a powerful and a resourceful man. "I assume you didn\'t call me just to say that you know about this."

"No. I want to tell you that Sophia analyzed the situation and she believes that she can help Jasper get his assets back, legally. Two of them will need to sync up and discuss…"

Another wave of panic washed over Ellie. "Please don\'t talk to him about this!"

"You are doing this without his knowledge?" Based on what Sarah and Aiden told her JoAnna knows, but she has to pretend, alright?

"At this point, I\'m just investigating." Ellie didn\'t find anything wrong with this. She is just gathering information. No harm done to anyone.

"How would you feel if he is investigating you secretly?"

Ellie lowered her head and pressed her lips into a thin line. She would be angry.

JoAnna\'s next question sent another jolt through Ellie. "Does he know that you are the one buying stocks of K Industries?"

Ellie didn\'t want to ask JoAnna how she knows about this. If she knows about her investigating Jasper\'s assets, she will know about the stocks as well. "Not yet."

"Do you plan to tell him? Or are you taking over his company?"

Ellie rolled her eyes. Why would she take over his company? "I am buying those stocks as a good investment, and because I want to support him. His father is horrible, and Jasper needs help to stand up to him. You told me that couples should support each other."

"Yes. But he should be aware that you are doing this." JoAnna exhaled. "I know you are new to relationships and that you are used to do things by yourself. But it\'s not difficult to be a part of a team, really. Only imagine if roles are reversed. Would you like if he does these things without your knowledge? Even if his intentions are purest in the world, I assume you would like to know about it, correct?"

"Yes.", Ellie said after a long silence. "I was planning to tell him about the stocks when I have enough."

"Will you tell him about the rest?"

"I didn\'t reach that far.", Ellie admitted.

"Think about it. OK? I support you helping him out. I think that you are doing a great job. The only caveat is that he does not know about it. Secrets cause problems and misunderstandings. Being Jasper\'s partner will bring storms your way, don\'t create more yourself."

Ellie didn\'t miss that JoAnna addressed her as \'Jasper\'s partner\'. She likes that.

She will find a way to tell Jasper, it\'s the only right thing to do. Out of the two, telling him about the stocks is relatively straightforward, but that other thing… "How confident is Sophia that she can help out?"

"Knowing Sophia, if she said that there is a chance, that means she can do it."

"I don\'t know how to tell him about it without sounding like a complete jerk.", Ellie admitted.

"Well, that is your problem. You dug your own hole, figure out how to get out of it. I can tell you that from our side, no one will say a word. It will stay within the family."

"Thank you." Ellie was touched. JoAnna is her best friend for a reason.

"Now, back to the topic… How are things?"

Ellie rolled her eyes. So much for being sentimental. JoAnna is back to teasing in a minute! But Ellie will not let JoAnna bully her easily. "Well, I am in his apartment. And he is in the shower… and I made dinner."

"Hmm… let me analyze that. So, you are in his apartment after work, and you will eat there… that tells me you want privacy. He is in the shower… hmm, I will get back to it. You made dinner? Is there some bad news you want to tell him?"

Ellie laughed. "You missed your profession. Why are you not a private investigator?"

"Maybe I become one.", JoAnna mused. "Now… back to Jasper taking a shower. Why are you not there with him?"

"I was finishing up some work and…", Ellie stopped herself from talking further.

JoAnna gasped. "My, my, my… you slept with him!"

"What?" Ellie was uncomfortable admitting, but is it OK to lie about it?

JoAnna was not done. "You just admitted that if not for some silly work related reason you would be with him in the shower! Is he such a bad lover that you are already making up excuses to avoid him?"

"That…" Ellie has to admit that JoAnna got her. Her only option is to escape. "I\'m hanging up now. I can hear Jasper looking for me."

"Hey, not fair! I need details!", JoAnna protested.

"What details are you expecting?"

"Did you try his desk? I\'m sure he has a home office with a sturdy desk… Or you can always use his office desk in K Industries… Do you have a private office in Chicago as well?"

"You…" Ellie exhaled and laughed. "I will not understand you fetish."

JoAnna clicked her tongue. "That sentence tells me you never experienced joys that an office desk can bring."

Without realizing, Ellie was looking at the desk in front of her and her imagination started running wild. She felt herself blushing and turned her head to the side. Her eyes landed on Jasper who was leaning on the doorframe and observing her curiously.

"Anna, I need to go. Talk to you later.", Ellie said weakly and ended the call without waiting for JoAnna to respond.

"What?", Ellie asked Jasper.

"What was that about a fetish?", Jasper\'s question told her that he heard at least that last part of her phone call. And his calm demeanor confirmed that he didn\'t hear more than that.

"It\'s…" She glanced at his office desk while her face burned without any warning. "Girls\' talk."

Jasper\'s eyebrows shoot up. "With you saying it like that... I really need to know what that girls\' talk is."

Ellie took a deep breath to calm herself. "I see you are done. Let\'s eat." 

She ignored his pleas to say more about that fetish-talk. There is no way she is telling him!

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