It Had To Be You

SIXTEEN

Later that afternoon, finally defrosted from her day outdoors, Jess was lounging watching the football, a Champions League match that was full of action and goals though she wasn’t really aware of any of it.  She’d spent the evening analysing exactly what had occurred between her and Alex that day. First telling her he loved her, then Webster knowing about them? If he had surely he would’ve said something to her? Made some little comment? He’d assured her that no one other than Eve had seen her pass out and be carried her out of that dinner all those weeks ago. But now it seemed that Mr Webster knew all about her marriage to a man who really amounted to being his boss. She’d expected more of a hint prior to that comment.

Sighing Jess had to acknowledge that this minor fact was an easier to thing to ponder and decipher than the comment from her husband. She still wanted to giggle like a schoolgirl at that, that she was married. It had been so long since she’d thought of Alex in that way, and now it still felt like a joke. Still avoiding! She kept chastising herself; he told you he loved you. Did he ever tell you that back in the heyday when you’d have done anything for him? Were either of you ever that honest and open?

She wasn’t sure, but all she knew that those words were as much an aphrodisiac as the feeling of his lips warm at her ear on that cold rooftop. She was smitten, on way over her head and it did scare her. It was still new, they couldn’t just slot into a life together as thought the last eight years hadn’t happened. But it was her burning instinct to just go to him and be the wife that she’d imagined she would be eight years earlier.

The shrill ring of her phone disturbed her thoughts more definitely than a goal from Barcelona; glancing at the screen she saw it was Evelyn. Jess smiled with relief, she’d left several messages earlier to see how the presentation had gone. Eve didn’t do well with stress and pressure and she’d been worried that something had happened in the back of her mind, thought she should have presumed that she was still embroiled in the meeting; nevertheless she’d been slightly on edge on her friend’s behalf as she waited for a reply.

            “Hey! How did it go?” Jess asked eagerly.

Evelyn was surprisingly subdued, “yeah great! They loved my plans, the details as a whole. They’ve agreed to everything. To quote Timbuk3 - the future’s so bright I gotta wear shades!”

            “And that’s good? Isn’t it?” Jess was suddenly worried; Eve was always so vibrant, outgoing and this news was being delivered in such a flat manner. She should be jumping for joy and celebrating, but she wasn’t.

            “Oh yes, it’s really good. I’m really pleased.”

Jess closed her eyes for a moment, “so what’s wrong? You’re worrying me friend.”

She could hear the indecision in Evelyn’s voice as she deliberated what to say, how to say whatever she had to say. Eventually she spat out, “Alex was there!”

Jess suddenly felt uneasy, “well he was involved in stuff wasn’t he? He represented the office that you needed to like you, and your ideas.”

Eve groaned and Jess could hear her slam her fist into an inanimate object, “Jess, he’s not a trouble shooter.”

            “He’s not?” Jess was relieved, his actual job title was incidental, she’d been fearing mention of another woman, or worse...was there anything worse than that?

            “Alex is the bloody Head Honcho Jess.”

She shrugged, a gesture lost to the phone, “so he runs the new York office? He told me that.”