New Year's miracle |18+

Chapter Five

Jillian

The rest of the evening was terrible. Hank completely confused her, forcing her to fly off the usual rhythm and logic of actions. And even this snow!

The city was "standing" in traffic jams, as if no one had watched the forecast since the evening! Although, in fairness, it was worth admitting that the forecast indicated "snow is possible". And not a hundred percent probability. And yet! The number of accidents and traffic jams on each block exceeded all possible limits. And I had to focus my exhausted and excited attention so as not to be among the "unlucky ones" myself.

Actually, Jill never really liked snow. Exactly treated this weather phenomenon, as well as rain, for example. But today the snow just infuriated her, complicating an already difficult day!

Therefore, the girl got home exhausted and completely broke. Barely dragging her feet, she crossed the threshold and literally collapsed on the ottoman at the entrance. I didn't have the strength to go into the room right now! I couldn't even undress properly: I pulled the zipper on my jacket, threw the bag on the floor, that's all. And I sat in my boots, giving myself a few minutes to adapt.

Yes, only...

She was warm and the lights were on, so as not to wander in the dark in the evening... And it made me think willy-nilly about Hank, about the cold and darkness in his house. I couldn't get the thought of him out of my head!

And also, the cheek, directly burning from his... a kiss?...

What was that touch? The grip of his hand on her neck? So familiar and already forgotten, as if recognized in a new way, exciting. My heart was still pounding in my chest. She was so excited that she got tickets to the musical she was going to. Yes, and two... What for? Who will she call with her?!

And it's all his fault! For an hour, Hank, on some subconscious level, made her feel "with him" again...

You fool! Well, it's really stupid! Didn't you cry into your pillow because of him? I also want something that feels like my heart is torn in two in my chest, and my ribs hurt, as if I really hit her in the chest...

The ringing of the phone snatched both from difficult thoughts and from stupid memories. Jill shook herself, realizing that she had already evaporated from her jacket. She unzipped the zipper, took the phone out of her purse, which was lying carelessly on the floor, simultaneously pulling off her outerwear.

"Yes, Douglas?" apparently, the friend was so agitated that he couldn't wait for her to call.

"Well? Did you meet him?!" in such a voice, as if he smoked a pack of cigarettes in an hour, a friend asked, without even saying hello. It was felt that he was excited and excited beyond measure.

"I met him." Jill sighed.

"Wow! Really?! Wow! I knew! I knew Hank would let you in one hundred percent! He's still only on you and..." the friend suddenly cut himself off, it seems, realizing all the same what he was carrying.

Jill just kept quiet. She didn't have the energy to say anything about it.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away." Douglas finally pulled himself together. "So why did he turn off the phone, did you find out?" clearly not daring to immediately touch on the main issue, a friend came from afar.

"His electricity was turned off for non-payment, as I understood from the neighbor's story. The phone just ran out of battery, and he couldn't charge it. I left him a power bank. And, by the way, Douglas, it reminded her of her perplexity. Are you giving Hank his share of the profits?"

"Of course! Who do you think I am, Jillian?! I'm for saving, but not in the same way!" the friend was indignant, it seemed, sincerely. "Not a scumbag!"

"Don't shout. It's just his way... strange at home. Seriously. It's like he's broke, you know... She threw her jacket on the floor and kicked off her boots. I was tired after all this evening unreal. "And his neighbor said something like that, I ran into him in the entrance...

Douglas paused. And it "sounded" thoughtful.

"Well, I'll check the movement on the accounts, of course. But Hank's share comes on the card every month, I'll bet my head."

"It's not clear at all, then." Jill literally forced herself to get up and wandered down the corridor towards the dark kitchen. I wanted tea... Is it because I didn't finish my drink at Hank's?

"You talked to him about our usual... Mmm, a problem?" Douglas finally decided. Moved on to the main one.

She turned on the kettle and stared out the window with an unseeing gaze. Snow continued to fall there.

"I talked..." despite her profession and years of practice, today Jill's eloquence failed.

"And what is he?!" Douglas's voice was tense and tense again.

"Listen, you can imagine his reaction yourself!" irritation erupted from somewhere... Although Jill didn't seem to be mad at Douglas... Or was she angry about all this mess? Or are they just losing their nerves? "Of course, he wasn't thrilled with how stupid you were. He promised to be at the office tomorrow at nine. And the phone should have already been turned on, so if you're interested in his mood, call."

"Is he mad at you because of me?" Douglas asked incredulously and warily.

"No." Jill exhaled heavily. Still, to hell with nerves. I poured boiling water over the tea in the teapot. I didn't turn on the light, for some reason I did everything in the semi-darkness. "Hank wasn't mad at me. But in general, I was not happy... He'll be in the office by nine tomorrow," Jill repeated. "He promised. So, get ready and don't argue with him, for God's sake! If anyone can negotiate with the Alliance, it's Hank... Anyway, I definitely could have done it earlier...," she couldn't hold back another heavy sigh.

"Is it that bad?" Douglas definitely didn't miss her exhaustion and fatigue.

"I don't know, Douglas. Time will tell what and how much. Don't be late tomorrow."

"I won't be late," promised a friend who really wasn't punctual. "And thanks, Jill. I understand that I asked you a lot. And I appreciate..."

"Okay, we're all in the same boat," she interrupted these awkward attempts to apologize. It's no use to her from his regrets and understanding. "Just be there by nine tomorrow."

"Jill...," Douglas sighed so heavily, as if he had been talking to Hank today and he had already given him a scolding for everything he had done. "Okay, I will."

"Bye..."

A friend passed out, and she even took a sip of tea with greed. Of course, she immediately burned her tongue.

"What a day!" she was indignant in her heart, abruptly putting down the cup on the table. Spilled the tea. Thanks, I didn't burn my hands!

And then the phone rang again. Jill grabbed the one so as not to end up in a spreading puddle of boiling water, and stared in surprise at the name "Hank".

He hasn't called her in six months. Now, why did you suddenly call if you just saw each other? And after all, it turns out, he barely charged the phone. Any questions left? Then why her and not Douglas?

"Yes?" with some inner trembling, she nevertheless accepted the challenge.

"Did you get there all right?" his voice and tone even over the phone seemed too gloomy and demanding. "The weather is terrible... I wanted to be sure that everything was fine with you." with pauses and as if by force, Hank "explained".

But she still felt something tremble, like a tremor between her shoulder blades, which immediately collapsed like a hot ball somewhere down her spine.

"Yes, it's fine. Recently came in..." I had to clear my throat.

Of course, because I burned myself before this tea, yeah.

"It took me a long time to get there. Do you have winter tires? Or such a disaster on the road?" after an unspoken pause-a hesitation she barely caught-Hank asked again.

"Winter tires..."

She should have gotten off with a grunt, muttered "uh-huh", and cut the connection. Didn't you suffer enough because of him? But the "right" step suddenly turned out to be too difficult for her. And talking to him is unexpectedly easy and simple. How to breathe...

"On the road... nightmare. From seventh to thirty-fifth streets, everything is blocked, we had to go around," a nervous laugh escaped. And inside there is a complete feeling of some kind of unreality of what is happening due to the fact that they are talking like this. "Yes, and there are queues everywhere, I barely bought tickets for the performance..."

"To the Broadway theater?" Hank chuckled, also not trying to quit the conversation, it seemed, although he spoke as if through effort. "What musical?"

He remembered that she loved the theater? After all, he didn't have much respect for theaters. He grumbled all the time that since childhood his parents had not instilled in him a love for art, the financial situation in the family was not the same. And now it's too late, and there's no need to put pressure on him. But I often went for her...

""Pretty woman"... I mixed it up, to be honest, I wanted another, more New Year's," she chuckled at her own words, she didn't like all this New Year's fuss very much. "But I was so pulled over today, I realized it only when I left the cash register. I have become too lazy to change already... Although I will most likely return it. I don't want to watch this... Let it be a comedy."

She paused, mentally reproaching herself for her talkativeness, and again reached for a cup of tea... Well, why would he know that?!

"I see... Did you manage to get to work? I was going to write an application for leave." Hank asked meanwhile.

Wow! Tea was across the throat. I had to swallow through the pain so as not to cough.

Did he remember everything she said today?

"Yes, that's where I started... The office is not far from your house...," there are some incomprehensible pauses between the lines.

It's like they're talking about the wrong thing, avoiding honestly calling things by their proper names. And both understand this.

"Signed?"

"I don't know, I just gave it away, and the boss will look at it tomorrow, although I previously agreed with him..."

"Did you go back to the last office?" the intensity suddenly seemed to have penetrated from him to her even through the phone.

"Seriously, Hank?!" she was taken aback by such an assumption. "How do you imagine it? To go to a man, a former fiance, whom she left for you, and ask to be hired again?" she couldn't get his guess into her head, by God!

Pause. And only breathing, giving out tension as well as the man's voice.

"You're a great lawyer. What is there to think about? And... people often give a second chance to those who are important to them..." he chuckled, as if trying to make the phrase easier by force.

Was he talking about her now, or about Mark, to whom Jill had been engaged for a very long time?

She couldn't find an answer. That's the truth.

The silence dragged on. No, they shouldn't have brought the conversation to this. We should stop...

"Thanks for coming today, Jill..." Hank said suddenly. His voice even changed on this phrase. "You didn't have to do this for Douglas, much less for me. And yet... Thanks!"

The lump in my throat became enormous, preventing me from speaking and thinking normally.

"You're welcome. I told you, I'm in it myself..." pathetically babbled, as if the practice of talking to people is "zero". However, Hank often knocked her off all plans and calculations.

He didn't let me finish now.

"See you tomorrow." he briefly interrupted her "explanations" and broke the connection himself.

In the morning, the situation on the road improved a little. It was felt that at night the "utilities" did not sleep, but diligently cleared the roadway and sidewalks. So Jill got to the office almost without delay. However, it cannot be excluded that time helped her here; unable to really fall asleep after such a day, she got up early. And, accordingly, I also arrived at the office early, the beginning of the eighth. Ahead of all the morning traffic jams. But sitting at home and wondering what was in Hank's head, there was no strength left.

The company of Hank and Douglas, the Phoenix Company, rented the first floor of a new office building with access control. For a company engaged in the supply of weapons and consumables for booking and other protection to security firms, this was important. In addition, even at the stage of "promotion" of the business, Hank and Douglas themselves did not stint on cooperation with a good security company.

There were persistent rumors in the city that it belonged to the current governor of their state. Jill knew it was true, even if it wasn't on paper. And the governor married her classmate recently, so she was aware of a lot.

However, her ownership was not interested. I understood why Hank did it. But that's what always captivated her about him, despite the fine line of legality of the chosen niche of business, regardless of the many options and offers that he received, Hank never got into crime.

There was simply nothing to find fault with!

In principle, I did everything clearly according to the letter of the law, although the options were always "simpler". And he had friendly relations in different circles...

Like the same Dyson, for example, a friend with whom Hank did contract service in a hot spot. Jill met him thanks to Hank. We saw each other a couple of times after the celebrations. Both of them were connected with weapons in the end, but they only chose different sides of that very edge. Of course, this also affected the results: the "take-off" of the Dyson case was much faster, although it started earlier. However, now, it seems, I was doing something completely different, legal. But Jill didn't go deep and it's scary to dig into this.

But Hank didn't go for it, even though he admitted that he was offered, sometimes. Stubbornly, he punched through all the obstacles with his forehead, but to the last he respected the legality of his enterprise. That's why, for so long, little really came out, probably. How did you not lower your hands? The amazing tenacity and willpower that always fascinated her in him.

But at the same time, he managed to continue to be friends with Dyson. Yes, and with the same Culver, about whom they also talked about all sorts of things before he was appointed to the current post, on a "short leg". The governor's security company has also been buying all the special equipment from Hank's company for a long time. Because there is nothing to find fault with.

And this very reputation is very important to them now...

Jill walked into the building, greeting the guards as she went, without raising her head. They responded. She had a pass from both the main entrance and the Phoenix office section. And she might have gone on without pausing if she hadn't caught an all-too-familiar figure in her peripheral vision.

Downright tripped! She turned around, staring in surprise at Hank, who was sitting near that very security post, holding a coffee cup in his hand and looking right at her now.

Okay, let's say she, "an impressionable woman with a nervous psyche," could not find a place at home. But why did he come so early?!

"Good morning, Jill," as if not noticing her stupor, or rather, as if such a reaction amused him in some way, Hank greeted, hiding the slightly trembling corners of his lips behind a glass of coffee. "You're early."

"Yes, you're not late either." she stated the obvious, betraying her surprise in a tone, it seemed.

"I wanted to understand the situation at the company and in the office for the months that I missed," Hank replied. He leaned his hand on the table and stood up abruptly with an obvious effort. "Thank you, Brian, Edward. I understand everything," nodded to the guys, heading towards her. "Why are you so early?"

"I wanted to see the documents for this batch until everyone gathered. Douglas had to leave," so she would say that she couldn't sleep because of him, of course! I kept wondering why he called and asked such questions, as if he was worried...

Can't wait! It's getting late. And why even think about whether it was possible to change something? Too much time has passed... It's too insulting and painful.

"Okay, let's go to the office then," without asking if Jill wanted such company, Hank decided, approaching, and as if he put his arm around her back, not touching her, but somehow he covered her living space with his hand, forcing her to move with him. Today, it seemed, he didn't limp so much. Did his leg let go?..

And she went, feeling a little strange that during that night Hank had clearly remembered his habit of going to his intended goal, regardless of the opinions of others... It just blurred in the air from him, like the scent of expensive perfume from some other men. It was exciting, making goosebumps run over the skin, like the feeling of an approaching thunderstorm on the horizon!

Jill immediately sat down by the window, surrounded by some folders, with such a detached look, as if he was not in the room next to him. Hank might even have believed it if he hadn't caught that look of hers, unprepared and confused, when she noticed him near the guards...