“He’s not answering…”

Back in Adams, the following night, Holly had been trying to reach Jake on the phone for hours, but her attempts were futile. Taking advantage of her day off, she had visited her good friend, Cathy. Still, the two of them had barely exchanged a few words. Holly was spending most of her time calling her boyfriend, much to her friend’s frustration.

“Thanks a lot for asking me how I’m doing,” Cathy stated sarcastically. “What would I do without you?”

“I’m really worried about him.” Holly spoke, her voice filled with tension, as she tossed her cell phone across the couch.

“Well, I wouldn’t be,” Cathy shrugged. “You said he used to be the best at this.”

“Yeah, but he’s not done any of that stuff for a while now,” Holly said. “What if something happened to him?”

“Get rid of those negative thoughts, darling.” Cathy waved her hand in front of her face. “You shouldn’t think like that. You finally got what you wanted and now you’re speculating?”

“I did, but…”

“No ‘buts’,” Cathy interrupted. “He’s coming back and that’s the end of it. So…” She paused and sipped some coffee. “Is it?”

“Is it?” Holly squinted at her. “Is it what?”

“Anything like you had imagined,” Cathy elaborated.

“Oh, come on!” Holly chuckled. “Haven’t we talked about this on the phone?”

“Sure, but I like to see you smile like that,” Cathy pointed at her. “Come on. Tell me everything.”

“Oh, God…” Holly’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “He’s been amazing so far. I thought he was a brute; that’s what I liked about him in the first place; but he’s so much more than just that. You should have seen the look in his eyes that night, girl. So much pain, so much sorrow… I wanted to kiss him so bad. I’m glad I didn’t, though.”

“Because … he kissed you later,” Cathy said with a cunning smile on her face. “What was so special about that kiss?”

“What wasn’t?” She answered her friend’s question with a question. “I wasn’t expecting it. I was about to leave, when I heard him say my name. And then… Oh, my God. That kiss … so warm and tender… I swear; my knees were shaking. The rain made everything so romantic.”

“I’m worried about her, to be honest,” Cathy voiced her concern. “The one he was crying for, that is.”

“You were there when he tried to kick her out of his bar,” Holly pointed out. “Besides, he’s been very clear about it: he’s not getting back together with her.”

“Ten years is a long time, sugar,” Cathy sighed. “I’d love to believe that, but, it’s just a little too hard, you know? He must have loved her a lot. I mean, it’d been three years and he was still not over her loss.”

“I believe him, Cathy,” Holly spoke, her voice firm. “It’s not just because he says so. You should see him every time she’s around. He doesn’t want to be anywhere next to her.”

“What happens when he stops being mad at her?” Cathy interjected a question. “Because, rest assured, Holly: someday, he will forgive her.”

“Whose side are you on!?” Holly exclaimed, glaring at her.

“Yours, baby,” Cathy responded, her voice calm, “always on your side. I’m just being realistic here.”

“Be supportive,” Holly attempted a lower, sweeter tone. “Be a friend. You said it yourself, girl. I’ve been dreaming about this for a while. Now that I have it, it’s better than I ever dreamed possible. Don’t ruin it.”

“I’m trying, honey,” Cathy’s somewhat deep voice turned into a whisper, as she eased her mug down onto the table. She took her friend’s hand into hers, maintaining eye contact with her. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“What are you suggesting, then?” Holly asked, the stiffness in her voice showing her discontent. “That I break up with him, just because you have a hunch? Really?”

“I’m just saying you should be careful,” Cathy replied. “Don’t believe everything he says. It’s too soon, anyway.”

“Well, it’s too late for that,” Holly finally smiled. “All he has to do is…” she faltered. “Look at me with those big, blue eyes. He makes my heart melt.”

“Okay, now I’m starting to get jealous,” Cathy confessed.

“Why’s that?”

“Because that has never happened to me,” she stated in a raised voice, smiling at the same time. “A simple look just won’t cut it for me.”

“It depends on the look,” Holly said, a devilish grin on her face as she leaned forward. “I love it when his eyes say ‘I want to have you right here, right now.’ We all like to feel wanted. But, it’s not just that. I wish I had a tiny camera so I could show it to you. He doesn’t have to say the words. He lets his eyes do all the talking.”

At that moment, Cathy’s cell phone buzzed with an incoming text message. Her smile disappeared, as she scrolled down the screen. By the time she had read it all, her face was stiff with disappointment.

“That was from my editor…” she muttered under her breath. “Edgar Jones, a real estate developer, is down at the “Northern Fire” hotel. He wants me to interview him. Want to come with?”

“It sounds boring,” Holly complained.

“Come on, hon,” Cathy insisted. “All you have to do is sit and wait for me in the hotel bar. I’m buying. We can gossip about him afterwards.”

“I stand convinced,” Holly winked at her. “Let’s go.”