It Had To Be You

FOURTEEN

Alex took in her smile, her clear untainted skin, blue all seeing eyes, that freckle he remembered at the edge of her mouth, everything was familiar, yet so very missed. 

               “You never lost that darling.”

Jess nodded, “I know that now. But eight years is such a long time, such a waste.”

Alex sighed, “I thought about you every day, I really did.”

There was so much still unsaid, but it seemed they’d revealed enough about each other for the moment, there was a lot to think about, and she knew she’d process all he’d said at a later time.

“So have you eaten at any point in this busy evening of yours?” Before she answered her stomach let out a loud growl, “guess that’s your answer.”

            “Come on, let’s go and grab a pizza, a drink and catch up more. OK?”

Jess glanced across the room to the large bed she had imagined he’d be desperate to get her into.

He leaned in and whispered, “There’s plenty of time for that Mrs Pattison, but I am nothing if not a traditional man. I do believe in getting to know a woman before I throw her into my bed!”

There was a small Italian restaurant near the hotel, and fortunately it was quiet. Sat in a booth opposite each other they giggled like teenagers. Now they’d discussed the bad stuff, the dark clouds that had hung over them, they could discuss the nice things. They had both known the attraction, the spark was still there between them, and now that the barriers had come down, Jess was amazed at how much she wanted him. There was an undercurrent bubbling across the table, and she realised that he was struggling to stay in control as much as she was. Conversation was the key, occupying minds and not thinking about where this night could end.

Alex talked about his love for his new home in New York, his brother being a lawyer, his three sisters who were still in University, and lots about Alvin. He’d had to wait until he was in his twenties to find a father figure, and his love for the older man was obvious.

Jess talked about Aunt Mary, and the years they spent together before she died. The business she’d developed and was so proud of, and Evelyn, who was more than family to her.

            “So Christmas?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

            “I went skiing. Usually I spend it with Evelyn and her family in Paris, but this year there were a lot of other relatives visiting, so I went to Whistler. It was great.”

            “I LOVE Whistler!” He announced. “I go at least once a year.”

She smiled, “it is great, but I’m not the greatest skier.”

He got a small note pad out of his pocket and scribbled in it. Looking up he saw her questioning eyes. Waving the book he smiled, “I’ve just added it to my ‘list of things to do with Jessie’!”

Laughing she tried to reach for the book to see what else was on the list, but he snatched it out of her reach and slid it back into his pocket.

As they drank coffee after their meal, she basked in his undivided attention and unrelenting gaze.

            “So what happens next?”

Alex loved her fragility, she was so nervous now that the meal had come to an end, unsure of where their relationship was. She had so many facets, and he was loving rediscovering them all. She was so confident, so determined and so fiery normally that he relished conflicts with her, but now he loved her uncertainty her vulnerability, it was no secret that his protective radar was in full throttle when she was around, he’d over reacted on so many occasions in the last few weeks, but now in this second she needed his reassurance, needed him. And he beamed down at her.