Chapter 10

Jess.


"I guess Nate was right," said Jo, when we were having lunch together after my night out with Sean.
"Right about what?" I asked with my mouth full.
"You look more cheerful these days, em, since Sean's back," she looked at my face, wondering something, "and you do more make up, I suppose?"
"Shut up!"
"Aha! You do, eh?"
I just kept my mouth shut, didn't know what to say. I just felt happier.

"Listen," Jo continued after couple bites of burger, "I don't mind with whomever you wanna be, just please decide. Don't play with fire!"
"I know, Jo. Sean is my past, you know that, and my relationship with him was long over. I'm facing my future  with Leo now. I'm sure."
"Good. Tell Sean that you have chosen. Tell him to stay away!"
"Yes, Mam"
"Okay, I guess I'll see you soon. I'd better run. My freaking boss is gonna kill me if I'm not at his side in 10 minutes," she stood and gave me a kiss, "bye Bitch!"

***

I got a very bad headache that afternoon. Numbers were running on my computer and I could not think any of it. But thank God, those reports were not due until a week after.

I was getting up from my seat when my phone rang. 'Ah, this must be those credit card or insurance guys,' I thought. So I took my phone, put it in my blazer pocket and walked to rest room. It stopped ringing. But four minutes later, it rang again. Good Lord, this insurance guy was pretty consistence. Or pushy? I picked my phone and saw that it was not unknown number. It was Leo.

"Hi Babe," he said.
"Hi, sorry it took a while, I was in a rest room. What's up, Hon? You never call me in work hour."
"No, I'm just gonna ask you if you have time tonight. I've reserved a table for us at 8 in your favorite restaurant."
"Sure. Just pick me up at the office, eh?"
"Confirmed! See you soon Babe."
I stood still wishing that there'd be no waiter at that restaurant recognized me going with two different guys two nights in a row.

I walked back to my desk, opened my phone and surprised there was one miscall, and it wasn't Leo. It was Sean. I thought I would just ignore it. Ignoring his call once a while wouldn't kill him, eh?

***

"There's something I want you to taste, Jess!" Leo held my hand while he was saying those words. I was trembling, I didn't know what he had in mind and it scared me somehow.
He smiled and he turned around his head while he was still holding my hand, nodded to a waiter, and faced me again. I saw the waiter went into the kitchen, and a while later he brought a plate with a hemispherical metal cap on it. He walked toward me and I tried to guess what inside. He put that plate in front of me.

"Open and taste it!" said Leo.
I lifted the cap and it wasn't food. There lied a red rose paved with a red cloth and a box beside it with also red color. I looked at Leo with a face full of questions. He then took the box, pinched something inside, it was a ring, yes a ring, he reached my hand and put that ring on my finger, saying, "Marry me and taste our new life!"