Trusting Jay(32)

“What is going on Jay?”

“I’ll explain, please, trust me.”

“I’m all ears.”

His voice softened. “I know this must seem so strange. Something is happening right now and I need to cut off all contact with you until I sort it out. This has nothing to do with my feelings for you. I want nothing more than to be in your bed again tonight.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, twisting the phone cord in my fingers.

“I have to go, wait for me to contact you.”

The phone went dead, and I stared at the receiver in my hand. Numb.





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 all week, 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 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 everyday, 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 friend 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 is 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 guys 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.

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

“You know? 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.