It Had To Be You

FIVE

Jess threw herself into her work, as always it was her salvation. The rooftop garden project was huge for her in so many ways. She’d already planned the five in great detail; every square inch of ground was allocated and represented in her diagrams. There was the headache of getting things up to loft level, she’d ordered huge weights of soil, gravel and ornamental stones, but it wasn’t practical or possible to traipse it all through the building, and there wasn’t a lift. So she’d budgeted in a crane, scaffolding....that was the bulky bit of the bid. She was jeopardising her profit margin really for the prestige and the benefits this contract would bring. But the more she worked on it, the more she fell in love with it. It was going to be perfect, it had to be!

Mentally drained she slept better, though Alex was only ever a catnap away, and his presence, his memory threatened her every moment, as did the fear of him returning. Jess hated all that he’d done to her, and she hated the way he walked back into her life with no regard for the past, for all he’d done to her. But she was attracted to him, everything about him excited her, she realised that, and she couldn’t let that thought flourish, he was a risk, a threat, and she had to survive this intrusion then rebuild her life again after him. Since he’d walked out of her life she’d not trusted another soul, she was cynical, harsh, and she’d not let anyone close. She’d dated a man a few years back, but it hadn’t come to anything much, and she’d had three drunken one night stands which she wasn’t proud of, and she quite easily blamed this level of relationship dysfunction on him. He’d ruined her, spoiled her so that she’d never love a man again, never enjoy being part of a relationship. Hell it had taken years to learn to love herself again. She trusted herself, and Eve. That was it!

The fact that Alex was limited to her thoughts and reflections surprised her; she didn’t anticipate him giving up so easily. But since he’d walked out of her home a few days ago he’d been almost suspiciously absent. And she was almost disappointed, at the lack of opportunity to vent her anger, but there was the obvious relief that he’d heeded her warning and left her alone.

Two days later, Friday, she had her first meeting with Michael Webster to discuss things, so once again she conformed and dragged herself into a suit and heels. With every step her feet screamed in protest, but she marched into the London offices, a dossier of photos under her arm ignoring the complaints from her body. The previous meeting had been at a hotel, so this was the first time that she attended the offices, and it was a mine field. The directions she was given at the reception saw her miles of course, and it was with great relief that she finally found herself outside the door emblazoned with his name, Mr Webster’s secretary sat at a desk in front of her.

The older woman smiled genially and offered her a seat whilst she buzzed the inner office via her phone, announcing Jess’s arrival. Jess was lost in her own thoughts of how she could change a few of the newer ideas Mr Webster had suggested for the gardens out of the blue via email that morning with tact and diplomacy. The sound of voices coming from the office, as the door finally opened shook her from her daydream.

            “Great Mike! I’ll be in touch!”

Jess froze recognising the voice, but had nowhere to hide as Alex suddenly strode out from the previously closed door, and appeared in front of her.

            “Well well well! If it isn’t Jessie Summers.”

She nodded in as composed a manner as she could manage trying to retain as much dignity as possible, “Alex.” Her cool exterior struggled to win the battle with her unhelpful emotions of blood thirsty anger with him. She had an important meeting; she couldn’t forget that, and she didn’t need to be wrong-footed by him before it. So she plastered on a dignified smile, and hoped he’d go away.