Jessie Slaymaker's Non-Existent Love Life (The Jessie Slaymaker Series) (35 page)
Read Jessie Slaymaker's Non-Existent Love Life (The Jessie Slaymaker Series) Online
Authors: Jo Iles
So that was it. She was gone. Taken. Served him right for faffing around with Sonia for the past six months. Served him right for shagging Sonia in the first place. A voice in the back of his head told him unhelpfully that there were plenty more fish in the sea and at least he was rid of Sonia. That was something to be thankful about.
Jack was about to turn and leave when a passing waiter offered him a glass of champagne.
‘Thank you’ was out of his mouth before he’d even had a chance to think what he was doing. He took an appreciative sip almost on autopilot. He did fancy a drink, and it would be a waste to not finish his drink now he’d spoiled it for anyone else. It was champagne, after all. Good champagne. Jack headed over to the bar area and perched himself on a stall with his back deliberately to the dance floor. He didn’t want to see Jessie spinning around, having the time of her life, knowing that it wasn’t him who’d put that glorious megawatt smile on her face.
Chapter 88
Tom needed a pit stop. Jessie was in a dancing mood, and for once, Tom could barely keep up. As he wandered over to the bar, he knew he’d done the right thing in ending things. They loved each other dearly, but they just weren’t
right
for each other. The thought of how he was going to explain himself briefly crossed his mind but he quickly rejected it. That was something to worry about for tomorrow. As far as anyone else was concerned, he was still with Jessie and they were in love. The charade would continue for at least another day, he thought sadly to himself.
Tom sat himself at the bar, ordered a beer, and prepared himself for a few minutes of solitary contemplation. He glanced over and caught a glimpse of Jessie on the dance floor. She seemed to have attracted a few male admirers in her WAG-ish dress, all of whom were taking it in turns to strut their stuff in front of her, while she cheered them on enthusiastically.
‘I propose a toast,’ a semi-familiar voice called across to him from along the bar. Tom turned to see Jack, holding up his drink to him.
‘To what are we toasting?’ Tom asked with a weak smile.
‘Well, to you and Jessie, of course,’ Jack stated with a clearly audible note of bitterness in his voice.
‘Thanks,’ Tom responded, as he raised his beer and drank. Jack seemed to take that as an invitation to get up off his own bar stool and plonk himself down on the stool next to Tom’s. Tom could see he wasn’t steaming drunk yet, but he’d definitely had a few. And judging by the way he was swigging back his champagne, he was probably on a mission to get drunk in the not-too-distant future.
‘What’s up, Jack?’ Tom finally asked, feeling the need to make some form of small talk with the man.
‘Like you don’t know,’ Jack replied, taking another swig.
‘Er, no actually I don’t,’ Tom responded, looking blank. ‘Is it, er, women trouble?’ Tom suggested, taking a stab in the dark. He’d met Jack’s girlfriend earlier and he thought she was pleasant enough. They seemed like a good match to his eyes. Tom couldn’t imagine what would ever be wrong with them. But then, no one would ever probably guess what was wrong with him and Jessie.
‘Exactly,’ Jack answered.
‘Sonia seemed nice,’ Tom offered, struggling to keep conversation going with the man.
‘We broke up,’ Jack blurted out quickly.
‘Oh, right. Well I’m sorry to hear that, mate,’ Tom genuinely consoled, giving Jack a friendly pat on the back. ‘Well, you know what they say?’
‘Plenty more fish in the sea,’ they both chimed in unison, before clinking their glasses.
‘But are there?’ Jack asked, a look of angst crossing his features. ‘There was one fish whom I let get away and I thought I could get her back today,’ Jack explained wistfully.
‘What happened?’ Tom prompted.
‘She’s taken. Looks mighty happy too,’ Jack said, staring down into his glass as though trying to decipher some hidden message.
‘Seems to be the day for weddings and breakups,’ Tom added, trying to cheer up the broken-looking man sitting beside him.
‘Yeah, at least someone’s happy around here,’ Jack said as the bride waltzed past them laughing loudly.
‘Hold on. What do you mean breakups?’ Jack asked, suddenly sobering up a notch. ‘Plural?’
Tom paused and berated himself for letting it slip in his efforts to be nice to Jack. They’d decided to get through today and figure out the future tomorrow, and that included telling anyone their breakup news. Tom sighed and decided that there was no point trying to hide it forever. It was bound to come out sooner or later anyway, and perhaps the sooner it came out the sooner they would all get over this chapter.
‘Jessie and I broke up today as well,’ Tom said quietly.
‘But I saw you…’ Jack trailed off, looking confused. ‘I saw you looking all in love.’
‘Well, we’re not,’ Tom said firmly. ‘At least not how you mean that anyway.’ It hurt to say it, but he knew it needed saying. For his own sake he had to start saying it.
‘But… why? Jessie’s amazing. What did you do to her?’ Jack asked, still visibly reeling from the news. Geez, Tom thought to himself. If this veritable stranger was this surprised, what were his family and friends going to say to him? Especially after all the justifying he’d done about his change in lifestyle choice. Then the penny dropped for Tom.
‘Jessie was your fish that got away, wasn’t she?’ Tom asked, studying Jack’s reaction closely. Jack didn’t say anything. He merely huffed and shook his head before downing the remainder of his drink. They both sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. Tom found himself wondering why Jack didn’t leap off his seat then and there, and run off to the get the girl. Had he not heard him? Jessie and Tom were no more. Perhaps Jack was drunker than he looked.
With her ever-impeccable timing, Jessie chose that moment to appear unnoticed at Tom’s shoulder and interrupt their manly silent contemplation session.
‘Are you ready to go?’ she asked. Both Tom and Jack jumped out of their skins at her voice. ‘Sorry,’ Jessie said automatically, as she suddenly took in the pair of faces that turned to look at her in unison.
‘Oh,’ she said, her face slowly clouding and her eyes narrowing. No doubt she was worrying about what the two of them had been discussing, Tom thought.
Tom had a split second to decide what to do. Should he whisk Jessie home and interfere in her love life once again? Or should he leave her to Jack and let her figure out whom she wanted to be with by herself?
‘Sure,’ Tom said, answering her question about leaving. ‘I’m going to the gents first though, so why don’t you take a seat here and keep Jack company for a minute?’ Tom said, getting to his feet quickly.
Jessie reluctantly settled herself on Tom’s stool and Tom stifled the urge to laugh at her immature pout. As he passed by Jack on his way to the gents he leaned in to whisper something to his rival for Jessie’s affections.
‘Don’t fucking hurt her,’ he muttered into Jack’s ear, out of Jessie’s earshot. Then he disappeared before Jessie could offer any objection, leaving Jack and the object of his desire sat next to each other at the bar.
Chapter 89
Wonderful. Jessie huffed and puffed as she settled herself on the stool and rearranged her tight-fitting dress. She was conscious that she seemed to be exposing an awful lot more leg all of a sudden. Judging by Jack’s lingering gaze down at her legs, this was a fact that hadn’t gone unnoticed.
‘So,’ Jessie said, looking around and wondering where the hell her date had vanished off to.
‘How’s your boyfriend?’ Jack said with a knowing smile, as he tore his eyes from her legs and settled them upon her face. His smug look didn’t go unnoticed by Jessie.
‘How’s your girlfriend?’ Jessie heard herself snapping back, as she put two and two together and realised Tom must have let on about their parting. So much for crossing that bridge tomorrow.
Looking at Jack, Jessie felt a fresh wave of annoyance pulse through her. She was still pissed off with him for behaving the way he had yesterday. He’d made it blatantly obvious he hadn’t believed a word she’d said about Charlie and Sonia, and now he wanted to talk to her. Come to think of it, she was pretty much pissed off with everyone and anyone who dared to come near at that moment.
‘We broke up,’ Jack replied blankly and unemotionally. ‘Today,’ he added, as though she needed the extra clarification.
‘Look, Jessie, I’m sorry about yesterday,’ Jack began, suddenly sounding deadly sober, despite the fact that he was slumped on his stool. ‘I was a dick. I should have listened to what you were saying. In fact I don’t know why I didn’t. Probably some innate loyalty to my brother which I’m trying to shake, believe me.’
‘I accept your apology,’ Jessie managed stiffly as she digested what he’d said. She stared straight at the bar, studying the different bottles on display so she didn’t have to look at Jack.
‘Is that all you’re going to say?’ Jack asked, clearly exasperated by her.
‘What else do you want me to say, Jack?’ Jessie replied, finally flicking her eyes in his direction. ‘Do you want me to say all is forgiven, run into your arms, and live happily ever after? Well, I don’t think so, pal. I tried to help you yesterday. I tried to help you six months ago, when I still had feelings for you, and you didn’t take a blind bit of notice of me. Well, it’s too late, Jack,’ Jessie finished, not entirely sure she was actually speaking the truth. She was in a bad mood, confused by the day’s events, and her tongue had kind of gotten carried away with itself.
‘Right. You don’t have feelings for me anymore?’ Jack asked, a combination of fear and dejection clearly written all over his face.
‘Nope,’ Jessie said without a moment’s hesitation as she slid off her stool and strutted towards the exit. Of course, it was a blatant lie. But she’d wanted to hurt Jack the way she was hurting inside right at that moment. She was hurting from Jack’s rejection when he didn’t find a way to get out of Sonia’s clutches six months ago. She was hurting from her so-called best friend’s ultimate rejection of her because she was a woman. Hurting because she was alone. Again. Well, at least she wasn’t a bridesmaid. That was the only saving grace of the day as far as Jessie was concerned.
Jessie crossed the hotel foyer, knowing that there was no way Jack was going to come after her. He hadn’t chased after her yesterday, and she felt sure in her heart of hearts that he wouldn’t be making a mad dash today either, after what she’d just told him. Jack didn’t seem to be the chasing type. Wondering if Tom had actually really deserted her or was genuinely in the gents, Jessie walked over to the empty reception area to ask if they’d seen a tall, handsome man in a well-cut suit walk past in the last five minutes.
‘I think he’s standing behind you,’ the receptionist giggled at her.
‘Thanks,’ Jessie said with a forced smile at the receptionist’s annoying girlishness.
‘Can you take me home now please?’ she said wearily as she turned to see not Tom, but Jack. Jessie was conscious that she was staring. He looked gorgeous now that he was unslumped and standing tall in what was indeed a well-cut suit.
‘My sentiments exactly,’ Jack smiled, as he guided her over towards the enclosed lift lobby. On the way he gave the receptionist a friendly wink, which Jessie felt her green-eyed goddess take offense to. Yep, she definitely still had feelings for Jack Davenport, alright.
Jack was about to press the button to call a lift, but stopped and abruptly turned on his heel and walked smoothly towards Jessie. In one swift movement he’d pushed her up against the wall, slammed his mouth into hers, and kissed her passionately as though his life depended on it. What was she supposed to do? Deny everything inside her and not kiss him back? Her body betrayed her most traitorously as she pulled Jack towards her and positioned herself on either side of his leg. It felt like a long time since she’d been kissed properly like that. Not since Jack had last done so, all those months ago.
She groaned as he suddenly pulled away, and secretly begged him to call the lift and take her upstairs.
‘So you don’t have feelings for me?’ Jack asked, smiling triumphantly at her. For a brief second, Jessie thought he’d done it to prove a point and he was now going to snub her again.
‘You came after me,’ she said, still a little breathless, avoiding the question as her mind raced, trying to deduce if and what game he was playing with her.
Jack looked at her, for a second taking in her words. He then smiled his warmest smile at her and launched himself at her for another round of intense kissing. It was Jessie who pulled away this time, with an unasked question in her eyes.
‘Of course I came after you. I let you get away in Hong Kong because of my own foolish jealousy and pride. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again,’ he said softly as he stroked up and down her arms.
Jessie found that she didn’t have any words to say. Whilst he hadn’t exactly said everything she’d needed to hear, his actions were definitely a start. And however much she tried to deny it, she clearly did like Jack and still had feelings for him.
‘If you agree, then I think we’ve wasted enough time and I want us to give this a go. I think we could be epic, Jessie,’ Jack said with feeling.
‘And if it all goes wrong, at least we’ll have had some epic sex!’ Jessie joked as she ducked out of his embrace and called the lift.
‘Jessie Slaymaker, we’ll be doing that and a whole lot more,’ Jack replied playfully as he bundled her into the lift—for what Jessie hoped would be some of that much-needed epic sex.
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