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Jennifer’s hand. “No. I’m trying to empower you. I’ve been there, believe me. You have to have your own life. Make Bruce respect you. Make him want to chase you. Stop being so easy; be hard to get.”
    “How? I love him!”
    “Forget about him for a while and focus on your business. Be independent, be strong. Isn’t it what you said you wanted?”
    “Of course, but I didn’t mean to give up on him.”
    “He will come back.”
    “How do you know?”
    “Men like Bruce... they’re used to be chased and to have people at their feet all the time. If you want to stand out, don’t do that. Ignore him. Be a diva. That’s the only way to really, really get his attention. Maintain the attraction between you two, that little fire. For that, you need to have your own business up and running. That will turn him on, as weird as it sounds.”
    “I can’t be successful overnight, though. How do you want me to be independent that quickly? It’s going to take years for me to take off. He’ll be gone by then.”
    “I can help you.”
    “Really? How?”
    “You’ll have to be flexible, though. It won’t be exactly what you expected.”
    “I’m open to new ideas.”
    “Fine. Have you heard about chefs-a-domicile ?”
    “Vaguely. These are chefs who come and cook at people’s house, right? Sort of private catering services?”
    “Exactly. I have a good network of people who might consider hiring someone like you, a few nights per month.”
    “Only a few nights? I appreciate your help but it doesn’t sound very profitable...”
    “Even if I told you that you can generate four to five thousand dollar per night on average?”
    Jennifer squinted at her. “Are you serious?”
    “Very.”
    “Why would you do that?”
    “Sometimes, I need to impress my clients and going to the restaurants all the time has become boring. I want something new. I need to keep that wow factor. What if I could have you as my personal chef while you build your reputation and your network?”
    “That’s a very generous offer...” Jennifer said, thinking and calculating. “With that kind of money, I’ll be able to save a lot for my cooking school.”
    Vicky nodded. “So how does it make you feel? Better?”
    Jennifer smiled. “Well, it sure does make me feel excited, even though it won’t help my relationship...”
    “It will. Trust me.”
    Jennifer paused and took a good look at Vicky. She had misjudged her; Victoria was trying to help her be stronger and more desirable for Bruce. It was a completely different perspective, another level, but Jennifer was grateful for the opportunity. Vicky had been tough but she was right: she needed to impress Bruce if she wanted to keep him.
    “Thank you, Vicky. I don’t know what to say.”
    “Welcome to the new Jennifer...”

Chapter Six
    I t was hard but Jennifer was getting used to it. For the last three months, Bruce had avoided her. She had called him, left messages and begged him to have a conversation but Bruce had been stubborn. She couldn’t blame him but she couldn’t understand either why he absolutely refused to talk. In such a situation, Jennifer would have been dying to know everything: when, where, how and why. Apparently, he didn’t have a sick mind like her and it was probably healthier but who could keep their sanity when a third party was involved in a couple?
    Jennifer needed answers. She wanted to know how Bruce felt about her. She needed to know what they were going to do: were they still together? Was he trying to forgive her? Or was he trying to punish her by ignoring her completely? Knowing Bruce, the latter was much more likely.
    Jennifer had visited him only once at his mansion. She had been received by his staff and waited for an hour and a half before he showed up. Bruce had treated her like a stranger, with distance and resentment. She had felt his anger behind his cold and polite attitude. She had felt how much he was trying to contain his frustration, and