New Year's miracle |18+

Chapter Eight

Jillian

Christmas tree!

Precisely! She needs a Christmas tree!

Jill didn't know yet why she needed this imitation of a festive tree (she didn't dress up the Christmas tree, as she went to university, it seems); nor where would she put it?.. But it just seized her with an irresistible desire to get this "New Year's beauty" for herself. And immediately! I didn't care that the artificial pine was huge.

Here, in the floral boutique, she, of course, looked fine, but at Jill's house the ceilings were lower, and there was less space. However, at this particular moment, everything became indifferent!

She needs a Christmas tree. And this one! Like a real pine tree! And at the ends of the needles are dusted with something white, as if sprinkled with snow...

Stupidity! He doesn't like snow! And she always treated the New Year exactly... There was nothing to say about the Christmas trees. She was horrified by what people were doing with trees for the sake of a few days of festive courage, and then there was no strength to look at the dried trunks in the garbage cans.

And here I want a Christmas tree, so much so that I have no strength! It's just creepy, with what force... Need to buy! Maybe the atmosphere itself is to blame, of course: Christmas songs, Sinatra's voice in the speakers, tinsel and lights of garlands that sparkled everywhere in the store. And some stunningly warm and spicy aroma, just enveloping her in anticipation of the holidays... It looks like the same mulled wine that I suddenly wanted. Well, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center became the last straw. So, she surrendered to a wild need – she buys!

Otherwise, she will do something that she has never done in her life..., get drunk, for example. Or go to a hookah bar... No, Jill didn't want to risk her health, that's for sure! So... although mulled wine, for example, could be drunk. When he arrives home, he will cook. There is no need to get behind the wheel. Only then would a bottle of wine have to be bought, an orange cut into circles, cinnamon warmed up...

"Do you take it?" as if feeling that "the customer is ripe", the store clerk clarified with her, interrupting dreams of a hot fragrant drink, from which Jill had already warmed up inside, and in her head like hops.

"Yes. I'll take it!" Jill nodded decisively, giving up on common sense. "Do you have a packed one?

"Yes, our employee will help you carry the box to the car.

"Good. It's even wonderful!" some kind of feverish, baking sensation was growing inside. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. What's it? A nervous breakdown? Or just fatigue... "And jewelry?"

"And we'll pack a set of toys now, don't worry." the girl smiled at her. "Do you have ten minutes?"

"Yes, my car is charging anyway." Jill waved her hand towards the windows, where, in the center of the road junction, at a gas station, her beloved and nimble Nissan Leaf was charging. "Another twenty minutes for sure, until the battery is fully charged..."

She ended up here, in this store, because she was walking, "killing" time while the car was charging.

There were some nuances when you had an electric car. You had to take into account and allocate time, to make sure that the battery did not "sit down". But Jill still didn't regret buying this particular model. That's why today, not wanting to stay at the gas station itself, I got drunk enough for the day...

I checked myself, did not allow my thoughts to return to Hank again. Yes, so, I didn't want coffee so I went around the neighborhood. I thought it would distract me.

Well, I wandered here, where this tree enchanted her just. I wanted unbearably!.. But was she distracted? Not even close.

It was a long day. Even too much. Jill had no idea that everything that was happening would be so hard for her to bear.

Because Hank is around. All the time. A step away from her, or even closer.

The smell of his skin, which, it turns out, she remembered perfectly, his perfume; the sound of breathing and footsteps; small, almost imperceptible movements that constantly made her distracted and look at him. Hung, stuck in the absorption of the slightest manifestation of the presence of this man. And in some, subconscious automatism reacts to it. She herself did not have time to understand how she submitted the necessary documents and picked up suggestions, guesses and hypotheses, still understanding him half a word.

And both froze, unable to break the contact of sight at such moments. They forgot that Douglas was nearby. They fell silent, trying to unravel each other's thoughts in the heavy and thick silence. To pretend that they did not notice each other's pain, and eagerly peered, absorbed the smallest sign that both were breaking.

Nothing has passed. It did not let go and was not lived by either him or her...

Several times Douglas had to specifically remind her of his presence in the office with a "cough", driving her into a confused and heavy, hot blush.

Painfully. Sweet. To tears that I didn't want to show.

Because so suddenly it is clearly clear – there are still two parts of the whole. Until this moment, they breathe and think at the same rhythm. Yes, only they themselves made a lot of mistakes, drove a number of stupidities among themselves, built a wall of resentment. Like thick glass, which only muffles, but does not relieve pain.

And every time at such moments, Hank offered to make coffee for her, as if allowing her to get away from the "line of fire" and these "sighting" views those removed the heat, but also kept their cravings on a "short leash", did not let go of attention. And Jill agreed and honestly tried to focus on the main thing all those hours that they were figuring out how Douglas found this incomprehensible supplier...What was not so easy.

None of them had ever heard of him before. So how did you dock? Douglas could not clearly remember how he found out about this person. He was nervous, freaked out, wiping the back of his head with napkins from perspiration. Or did this supplier come out to him himself, specifically looking for him, finding out the details and seizing the moment, knowing that it would be easier to hold Douglas, and the partner is out of business now?

"I don't know, Hank! One of the clients told me about him, then another one dropped something... And not immediately, not in a row... I'm not a fool either, sort of. Yes, and looked through the documents... Even asked about him, no one could say anything bad. Douglas didn't want to drink coffee, but he swallowed water greedily, in big gulps, sometimes spilling it on his sweater without noticing it. "And they hooked me on the most ancient hook: they said the price, and not very low, but much more profitable for us... And then they allegedly reported that they still had a buyer. And I was in a hurry, I was in a hurry, I knew that we were about to deliver a new batch to the Alliance under the contract. And...

Douglas jumped up, rubbed his face with his hands, ruffled his hair, looked in their direction with guilt. So much so that it was immediately obvious that he understood everything himself. Moreover, he regrets sincerely and deeply.

"I'm sorry. Jillian, Hank... I... I set us all up. But honestly, I didn't want to... Although I also understand that this is not an excuse." Douglas exhaled heavily and massaged the back of his head with his hand, staring at his feet. "It won't redeem anything, I know. But..."

"Okay, that's it. Point. We are all human beings. And everyone can do stuff in life, even the smartest ones." Hank interrupted gloomily, interrupting his friend's self-flagellation, forcing everyone to look in his direction. "No one is insured. We've closed the subject, Douglas. Better let's think about how to get out of this now." pretending to study the documents.

Jill's the same... She said nothing.

On the one hand, I completely agree, everyone can be circumvented, and everything is under God. There are no such people who do not make mistakes in life. But on the other hand, from Hank's mouth... it all sounded so fatalistic and hopeless that despite the hard expression on his face, even more severe in appearance because of the scars, the man's depression was simply felt. And this doom seemed to permeate the entire office. Not so much because of the problems that Douglas created, but because of the unresolved pain between her and Hank.

It was obvious to everyone. Even for a friend, it seems.

"Thank you!... Thanks, Hank! Douglas shrugged awkwardly, muttering this in a fever, but also somewhat confused. He returned to the table, moving abruptly, as if he didn't know where to hide his hands.

Jill just stared at her knuckles. They turned white, she clenched her fists so tightly. Not out of anger...

Hank didn't apologize to her. Not once. He just silently looked at Jill with such eyes that his whole soul was in pieces! The pain is unbearable, you cannot understand, you cannot understand either yourself or him! For all her reproaches, there is only that gloomy look, like a beaten yard dog. Angry and unhappy at the same time. Snapping and biting even the one who wants to stroke. And it's as if he understands that it's a bad strategy, but he can't fix anything. It also offended her very much then.

So why does he now agree in his heart that anyone can stumble? And I agree with Hank in forgiving Douglas...

Would you understand him? If, as Douglas is now, he asked for forgiveness?..

Confused.

So does she need an apology from Hank? And what will the words "glue" their feelings? Will they be able to regain the trust lost between them? The sensitivity that couldn't be there now if Jill thought about how he was with another woman every time she looked at Hank?.. What did you find more interesting in that one than there was in Jill? And for what? To prove to others that he is not worse? How can I be sure now that he will not destroy everything next time for the sake of bragging or pride?..

God, what was she thinking?!

To begin with, at least, what I thought at first – they didn't even apologize to her. Beloved man, yes. But is he loving it?..

I got confused with myself, couldn't find answers, and I couldn't concentrate on the documents anymore. I got up and went to the window, explaining nothing to anyone, but I really felt Hank's heavy gaze between my shoulder blades. She turned around, the man was looking straight at her. How I tried to get into her thoughts. Or have you already understood everything that Gil is tormenting?

But Douglas pretended like he wasn't there at all. Only that he didn't hide under the table. He also felt the wild heat that had heated up between them, apparently.

From these emotions and nerves, Jill ran away, citing fatigue and the need to charge the car. The men did not detain her, although they warned her that they would call if there were any questions about the papers. She didn't refuse her responsibility. But now I have already walked and dissipated...