Chapter 28

I hadn’t heard from Jay all week. Nothing since the phone call when he told me not to contact him. I’d barely slept, trying to sort out the situation in my head. I could hardly tell Jenny and Sam the entire story. It was too predictable a conversation, and I didn’t need their stresses on top of my own.

Instead of our usual Friday after work-drink, Sam and I met Jenny, Marla and a few other friends at a different bar. A swankier, more upscale affair with a sleek high gloss bar serving overpriced cocktails. But a girl doesn’t turn thirty every day, and we wanted to start the weekend of festivities off right.

“How are you going to get through the entire weekend without seeing Jay?” Sam asked.

“Dunno.” I should have said it’s a good thing it’s your party weekend, or I’d be stewing myself into a tizzy over Jay’s radio silence.

“I can’t get over the lingerie,” Jenny said.

“What lingerie? I never heard anything about any lingerie,” Sam said.

“She didn’t tell you?” Jenny looked to me and back to Sam. “He waited for her at her condo, then handed her a package with a sexy outfit in it and told her to put it on.”

“What?” Sam’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open.

“And get this, it cost three grand!”

I looked away, searching all the faces in the room looking for some salvation. They were saying stuff at me, but I pretended I couldn’t hear them over the music.

“Abbie!” they shouted in unison.

“Shut up and drink, old lady.” Smiling, I raised my glass to them and took a gulp of my gin and tonic.

We giggled and carried on drinking until it was time to go for dinner. Four of us, Jenny, Sam, Marla and I, went for a meal.

* * *

The restaurant, like the bar, was more upscale than anywhere we’d normally go. The three of us had decided to treat Jenny. She was the first of our group to turn thirty, and we were trying to ease the transition for her.

We were all feeling pretty good after the earlier drinks and ordered an overpriced bottle of sparkling wine.

“Cheers,” Marla said, holding her glass aloft.

“Thanks for this incredible meal, girls,” Jenny said.

I’d been lucky. They had stopped quizzing me about Jay since leaving the bar. The waiter brought us our desserts, crème brûlée heaven all around.

“So, Abbie,” Jenny said as she dropped her spoon. I braced myself and took another drink of wine.

“Yes.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“No, we’re worried about you,” Sam said.

“Why on earth would you be worried?” I asked.

“Because,” she halted, looking for the words she was either too drunk or not drunk enough to find.

“You two are getting so serious so fast, but you don’t seem to know anything about him,” Sam said, taking over from Jenny.

“That’s not true,” I said.

“It is. What do you even know about him?” Jenny asked.

“Lots. I know lots about him, about his character and his lovingness.”

“Okay, I’ll be the recruitment specialist interviewer here. What’s Jay’s home like?” Marla said.

“I haven’t been to his home yet.”

“No? Why not?”

“I don’t know. I live so centrally, it’s convenient.”

“So he doesn’t live centrally?” Sam asked.

I remained quiet.

“Where does he live?” Marla asked.

“In the burbs…”

“Oh my God, you don’t even know where he lives!” Jenny said.

“You know what? It doesn’t even matter,” I said, dropping my fork on the table.

“Maybe he lives in his car,” Sam said.

“What else don’t you know about him?” Marla asked.

“That’s a silly question, how does she know what she doesn’t know?” Sam said, giggling.

“What’s he look like?” Marla asked.

“Sam’s seen him,” I said.

“He looks respectable, plus he’s gorgeous,” Sam said.

“He’s more than gorgeous,” I said, picturing his face at the front of my mind.

“Okay, yes, more than cute,” Sam said.

“Let’s see a photo,” Marla said.

“I don’t really have one.” I struggled to get the words out of my mouth.

“Abbie,” Jenny said with concern.

“Wait, I do have one.” I wrestled my phone from my purse and flicked onto the photos. I held my phone out over the table for the three to look at. In unison, they each grabbed for the phone to get a closer look.

“His eyes are closed,” Marla said.

“Is he asleep?” Sam asked, her brow furrowed.

“Yeah, it’s a pic of his first sleepover at my place.”

Jenny wrenched the phone from my hand, “Let me see.” Her fingers spread across the screen, zooming in on his sleeping face.

“He’s got brown eyes,” I said.

“Man, you definitely have a type. This guy is just a hotter version of Matt,” Jenny said.

“He is?” I said surprised.

“Look at his jawline and nose, but his lips are fuller. Except somehow it works so much better on him. Damn, look at the muscles in his shoulders,” Jenny said.

“He’s even better standing up with his eyes open,” Sam said.

“Hubba-hubba,” Marla said, and we all laughed.

We left the restaurant and headed back to our usual Friday night bar since they turn into a dance club at ten and played the best music around. We knew it would be a late one due to the importance of the occasion. Jenny had arranged ahead of time to stay at my central condo. We’d all chipped in and given her a spa day package and she had an early appointment in the morning.

Jenny and I said good night to Sam and Marla and got back to my condo just before two. It took me a few times to get the key in the lock thanks to all the booze. When I finally managed to click open the door, we skidded through the entrance and collapsed on the bed.

* * *

Jenny was still asleep, her mouth hanging open and drooling, when I woke up. With a pounding head, I staggered to the kitchen for some coffee. While I waited for it to brew I noticed a silver envelope on the floor in the entrance way. The building didn’t allow junk mail to be put directly through doors but sometimes the odd person would sneak through and spam the residents with flyers.

I picked up the envelope and noticed my name printed across the front. It immediately put me on alert. For what, I didn’t know, but this wasn’t normal. I sliced it open with my thumbnail and pulled out the paper inside. Only it wasn’t paper, it was a rectangle of heavy card that resembled a wedding invitation.

I scanned the handwritten message then read it again.

Abbie, meet me at O’Sullivan’s Bar on Cedar Street Sunday at three and I will explain everything. Don’t tell anyone. J

I staggered backward, my heart thumping. My hands gripped the corners so hard the corners creased.

“Good morning,” Jenny said, sounding far too cheerful for someone who had drunk so much the night before. I slid the note under the microwave.

“Hey, happy birthday, sweetie.” I hugged her tight, congratulating her but also needing her support.

“I am so looking forward to my massage.”

“I wish I was having one.”

“But I’ll see you afterwards, for lunch and the hydrotherapy pool.”

“Yeah, when you’re all relaxed we’ll all be tense.”

“You should come, now that you’re the big boss.” Jenny poured herself a cup of coffee and downed it in one go and poured a second.

“I am not the big boss, just Sam’s boss. And I haven’t had a paycheck yet, I’m broke.”

“Another time.”

We sat at the table, drinking our coffees. I used all my energy to focus on our conversation. Jenny would be able to sense if something was wrong, and no way did I want her knowing about the note. Or all the stuff that led up to the note.

“You’d better get ready, you don’t want to be late,” I said, clearing away our mugs. I tried to seem natural, like I wasn’t trying to get rid of her.

After she’d left, I pulled the note back out and read it again. Tomorrow at three. How would I ever wait so long to see him? And why did he say not to tell anyone? What possible motivation could anyone have for saying such a thing?

I stewed all day and all night. Debating whether to go and whether to tell anyone. He said not to, which automatically made me want to. But whoever I told would try to talk me out of it. Or worse, go with me. Or try to physically stop me.

My heart was desperate to see Jay. I missed him, missed the feel of his arms around me. I don’t know how I got to this point. I went looking for a one-night stand for some sexual release and ended up smitten.

Smitten but not totally stupid. I needed answers, and he was going to tell me them.