Jesse
The sale on the cottage has gone through this morning. Some London broker had a woman paying cash. He’d just done a sale on her flat and wanted it all pushed through quickly. Said she might sober up before it completed otherwise! Apparently it was some ex-girlfriend of his. Obviously no love lost there if he was willing to screw her over like that. Another idiotic Londoner wanting the idyllic country life with all the amenities of London! She’s in for a shock in more ways than one. All cash and no surveys needed. Lucky me!
Anyway. Just thought I’d let you know I’m off abroad now everything’s signed and completed. Not sure when I’ll be back. Or if.
Joe
I returned his phone, my stomach tight.
‘I’m guessing it wasn’t a good break-up.’
I swallowed, which was harder than it should be, but then usually, I didn’t have a massive lump in my throat.
‘Actually, it was a perfectly civil one. Paul would screw over his own mother if it meant he made a killing on a property.’
‘Sounds a real catch. I’m amazed you didn’t hold onto him.’
I let out a hollow huff of laughter.
Jesse sighed. ‘Look, I’m sorry you had to see that but I got the feeling you weren’t going to give up until I told you.’ He gave me a look and I gave a brief lift of my eyebrows, signalling that he’d had it right. ‘For what it’s worth, I apologise for the part my family has played in all this. Had I known…’
‘You didn’t and that’s it. I’m here now so the only thing is to make the best of it,’ I said, looking out of the window.
‘Don’t soundtoothrilled about it.’
I turned to reply, my tone preset to ‘sharp’, but I stopped, seeing the grin on Jesse’s face. He watched me, clearly prepared for a barrage but, just as he had surprised me, I then surprised myself as a laugh snuck its way up and through my usual defences. With my life in tatters, silence from my so-called friends and being the not so proud owner of the ironically named ‘Paradise Farm’, a place that most estate agents would describe as ‘perfect for a new owner to put their own stamp on’, plus the addition of its very own integral tree, laughter was the last thing on my mind. But for the first time in what felt like a very long while, a full, genuine belly laugh burst forth and, if I was honest, it felt great!
‘I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you really laugh,’ Jesse noted, still smiling.
‘Looking at the state of things, I have no idea why I’m laughing now. I’m pretty sure my mind was having a toss-up between that and hysteria.’
‘I’m glad it chose the right one.’
‘I’m not so sure it did.’
‘I am. Everything is fixable.’
‘Is it?’ I batted back, half in jest but, as I did, a shadow flitted across his face.
‘Almost everything.’ Before either of us could say anything else, his phone burst into life with a jazzed-up version of ‘Moonlight Sonata’ by Beethoven. Had I heard this in town on a night out, I knew for a fact that my friends would have subtly sneered and, with an uncomfortable flush, I suspected I’d have joined them. But actually it sounded pretty cool.
‘Frank, thanks for calling me back.’ He paused for a few moments. ‘Yeah, I know. She’s fine, thank God.’ Another pause. ‘That’d be great. OK. See you soon.’ Jesse hung up and turned back towards me. ‘Frank will be here shortly to get the tree removed.’
‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’
‘What happens after that? Who do I need to contact?’
‘It’s all in hand.’
‘You really don’t need to do all this. If you can just let me know the names of some tradespeople you recommend, I can take over. I’m sure you have plenty of things you ought to be doing instead of flitting around solving my problems.’
His laugh was warm, rich and deep and my own lips tipped up into a smile without asking permission.
‘Do I look like a flitter?’
He had a point. Built like the brick outbuilding in the garden, Jesse Woods was definitely not the most obvious type to associate with the word.
