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Yeah, she does.
“That, Scotty, is exactly the truth,” I laugh. “Do you need me to bring anything for dinner tomorrow?”
“Not a thing, just yourself.”
“That I can do. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you again… Bye, lover boy,” she sings songs before hanging up.
My pulse has picked up, and my palms are sweaty at just the sound of her voice. I need to get a handle on these emotions, otherwise I’ll end up being the biggest loser around her tomorrow night.
“Mate, you about ready for that beer?” My friend and work colleague, Grayson, rounds the corner and stands in the doorway of my office. I look down at the clock on my desk, not realising the time.
“Yeah man, just let me fire off this email and I’m good to go.”
Grayson has worked for us for around five years, and we’ve been friends just as long. As well as working closely together, we both coach the rugby team on Sundays, arguably spending way too much time with each other. He’s a huge pain in my arse some days, especially with his womanising ways, but most of the time he’s alright.
I turn off my computer, pick up my jacket, and we walk out into the cold September evening. Those rain clouds from earlier are still lingering, making me thankful for my jacket.
We amble into the pub not far from the office; the walls are lined with old fashioned wallpaper and the carpets are red and gold. Mahogany furniture lines the space, and the smell of stale beer lingers in the air as we find our usual table.
“Two pints, please,” Grayson orders.
I shrug out of my jacket just as our beers are placed on the bar. Grabbing the chilled glasses, I make sure not to spill the fluffy foam floating on the top as we walk to our table.
Grayson eyes me as I take my first sip. “You seem... I don’t know. You haven’t smiled this much since I’ve known you, mate. It’s freaking me out a bit.”
I rub my face and realise he’s right; my shit-eating grin just won’t go away.
He eyes me again and gives me an eyebrow whilst he sips his beer. “You’ve met someone?”
I’m still smiling when I respond, “Do you remember that charity event last week?”
He nods and sucks the foam from his beer off his top lip.
“Well, I bumped into someone I knew when I was growing up and… fuck me, she’s grown up. She’s even more stunning than I remembered.” My mind flashes back to how she looked that night as a prickle of heat crawls down my spine.
“She must be something else. She got any sisters?” he winks and laughs.
“She is something else.” I pause for a second. “We dated when we were kids, but things were… complicated back then.”
Grayson takes note of my tone. “You wanna talk about it?”
I do want to talk about it, but I want to talk to Jess. Hearing her apologise the other night, well, I didn’t realise how much I needed to hear it. I need to spend time with her again to see if the feelings I had are even valid anymore. We’re adults now and a lot has changed. So, for now, I shake my head. “I’ll talk to her first before I get ahead of myself. I’m seeing her tomorrow night.” I take another cold sip of my beer. “What about you, ponyboy? Got any women putting notches in your bedpost?”
“You know me man, I don’t talk endgame, I don’t let women stay over. Same shit, different woman. Every. Damn. Week. I like it like that.” He shrugs and takes another drink. I see something passing over his face, but as soon as it’s there, it’s gone again and I don’t push.
Jessica
“Nora?” I call as I walk through our hallway, but coming up blank. I spot her in the garden, pruning her vegetable patch. I swear that woman lives for those vegetables some days.
Our garden is narrow but long and Nora has made it a little haven where we often sit outside and eat dinner.
Solar lights weave across the fences, reaching all the way down to where the patio meets Nora’s vegetable patch. There is a narrow pathway between two small patches of grass further down and the opposite side to the patch is an array of flowers that Nora plants, that are currently all in bloom, looking like a rainbow dancing in the breeze. I sit on the outdoor furniture and watch Nora as she swans around, trimming this and pruning that with her headphones in, humming a tune, completely lost in her own little world.
She eventually turns her head as she spots me, just before she loses her balance and ends up in her lettuce patch. The laughter that leaves my body is obnoxious and loud as I curl over, gasping for breath.
“Oh my God, Jessica! Come and help me or you will be eating these lettuces with an imprint of my bum on them.” I hurry over, still giggling, and grab her hand to pull her up.
