AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Look at you, all domesticated,” Jessica says as she laughingly takes in my apron.
“Come here,” I say, overcome by emotion.
We cling to each other and like kids jump up and down while still in each other’s arms.
“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you,” I tell her and hold her at arm’s length to inspect her.
She looks so sexy in a white shirt and black pants, accessorized with blue ethnic beads. With her jet-black hair, Jessica had always looked exotic and unattainable. The kind of girl a man cannot hope to achieve. David had won her heart simply by approaching her as if she were a normal girl, not this dark-haired beauty.
“Come on in.” I usher her in and help her drag her suitcase in. “How many days are you staying?”
“Very funny. You know how much I love my clothes,” Jessica says with a laugh and then grows solemn. “Are you sure it’s okay that I’m staying here? A hotel would be fine, you know. Or your house next door.”
“Brad won’t hear of it,” I tell her. “We’re so happy to have you here.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Brad. We…”
My cheeks heat up. “You know what I mean.”
Jessica laughs. “I know, am just teasing. You have it bad, Mila.”
I steer the conversation away from myself and give her a quick tour of the house. “The guest rooms are this way.” She’ll get a lot of privacy with her room being next to the laundry.
“To be honest, I don’t care where I sleep as long as I am with you,” Jessica says, reminding me of why I love her so much. She’s fuss-free and easy. “Mmm, something smells delicious. Since when do you cook? What happened to my best friend?” she adds in mock horror.
I laugh. “I’ve picked up some skills from Brad. He loves to cook.”
“What can’t this wonder man do? I can’t wait to meet him.”
He is a wonderful man. Brad is everything a woman would want in a man. I still find it difficult to believe that Brenda left him.
“I like it,” Jessica says as she looks around the room.
“The bathroom is through that door,” I tell her and sit down on the bed.
“Perfect,” she says, and flings open the closet doors.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I tell Jessica as she opens her suitcase and begins hanging up her clothes.
“Me neither. I love my kids, but I have to say, it feels wonderful to be an adult again.”
We chat as if we haven’t seen each other in months. It’s always been that way with Jessica. It doesn’t matter how long we stay apart. When we meet, we continue where we left off.
After she finishes hanging her clothes, we go to the kitchen for lunch.
“There you go,” I say as I place a plate of potatoes, steak, and a salad in front of Jessica.
“Thank you. It looks delicious,” Jessica says, and when she takes a bite, her eyes widen, and she makes exaggerated appreciative noises. “You’ve become quite the cook.”
“Thanks. I never could understand the hours you spend slaving in the kitchen cooking for David and the kids,” I tell her as I bring my plate to the table. “It feels so good when Isaac and Brad enjoy eating something I’ve cooked.”
“Now you do?” Jessica says, a twinkle in her eye.
“Completely. A compliment from Brad can keep me in the kitchen for hours, just to hear it again.”
Jessica smiles but doesn’t comment.
We catch up over lunch and even talk about Clay. Jessica thinks he gave up on me and has moved on. Still, I change the topic. Talking about Clay leaves me with a bad taste in the mouth.
“So, tell me about this pretend marriage,” Jessica finally says as we are cleaning up.
I shrug. “It’s just a friend helping out a friend,” I tell her and then embark on the whole tale from the beginning.
Jessica stops rinsing dishes and turns me to face her. “Be careful, Mila. You’ve been through the crap, and I don’t want you to be hurt again. Brad’s interest is in keeping his son. Don’t allow yourself to fall in love with him.”
It’s all very well for Jessica to say that, but how do you stop yourself from falling in love? Especially when the man is Brad, and he’s everything you ever dreamed of in a man and never thought you’d find it?
I don’t tell her any of this. Instead, I smile at her reassuringly. “I’ll be fine.”
The afternoon flies by as Jessica and I chat. I even take her next door and give her a tour of my studio. She loves it but shudders when I tell her the story of Brenda and her lover.
“I feel sorry for Brad,” she says as we stand outside on the patio and wait for Isaac. “No one deserves that kind of humiliation. I kind of see now why you jumped to help. You’re that kind of person, and I’m glad you’re my friend.”
