Chapter-2
1012 Words
Jessica was highly intoxicated and she knew how she got when she had too much to drink, she cursed Beth in her mind for leaving her for Trent.
She stared at the stranger who had started to pack his things from the table.
"Going somewhere, Handsome?"
"Yes, I have to be up early tomorrow, and you look like you've had enough to drink. Come on, let me take you home."
"Home? Yours or mine?" She flirted.
Henry raised an eyebrow at her suggestion and decided there was nothing wrong in playing along. They were both adults.
"Whichever home you would prefer."
They got up and made their way out of the club, Jessica staggering after him as he held her hand.
When Jessica woke up the next morning to the insistent banging on the door, she figured two things out instantly.
She was not at home.
She was very much alone.
She shot up from the bed and hurriedly got dressed as the person on the other side of the door kept banging.
"It's past check-out time"
"I'll be out in a minute " She screamed back, her entire body sore from the pounding she got throughout the night.
She almost smiled at the feeling of satisfaction she had got. She almost forgot about Luke.
She opened the door and instantly felt ashamed at the face that met her.
Mrs Briggs.
She knew there and then that the whole town would hear what she had been up to before evening.
"Oh, Jessica darling. Didn't realize you were the one who checked in"
"It's fine, Mrs B. I was just leaving"
"So sorry about what happened yesterday darling, the news is all over town. I'm sure you had to cope one way or the other" She said, eyeing Jessica up and down.
"Thank you for your concern, Mrs B. I would love to be on my way now"
She walked as fast as her legs could carry her, she had never had to do the walk of shame since she had always been with Luke and everyone knew they were together.
She ordered a cab home and ran to her room as fast as she could, her mother would scream if she knew what she had been up to the night before.
"Bitccccchh, where have you been??"
She was woken up from her sleep barely two hours later by her smirking best friend.
"I know you weren't home because I was here at the c***k of dawn and you weren't in bed"
Jessica ignored her, pissed that she had left her the previous night.
"Um, Jess, I can explain. I had no intention of leaving you last night but I met Trent at the club and you know how he is"
"So you left me? For a man? I thought it was hoed before bros?"
Beth smirked.
"You weren't alone when I left, Jess. Don't think I didn't see you with the hot guy"
Jessica blushed.
"So? What if I had been kidn*pped or worse still, stabbed and left to die?"
"Oh, come on, Jess. You talk like that could ever happen in this town, we know everyone. Well, except for the hot guy I saw you with. Tell me about it now"
"I don't know what you want me to say but I had fun last night "
"I can see that, tell me more. What's his name and where's he from?"
Jessica stopped breathing for a moment.
His name?
She didn't ask. She knew nothing about him.
"I-I don't k-know"
"You don't know? I saw you guys talking before I left with Trent"
"We were just flirting. Oh my God, Beth. I know nothing about him and I slept with him"
"Calm down, Jess. That's not the most important thing right now, did he use protection?"
Jessica thought back to the night before and tried to remember if they had.
"I don't know, Jess. I don't know anything. I'm such a fool"
Beth held her friend as she started to break down. She had hoped Jessica would get a break if they went clubbing, she did not mean to add to her problems.
"Let's just wait and see, Jess. Whatever it is, we will figure it out."
Concluding the meeting with the Greene brothers past noon, Henry couldn't wait to be back home. He missed the comfort of his condo.
His mind flashed back to the blonde who had shared his bed the previous night. She was nothing like he had ever seen as he replayed every memory of the night they shared.
His phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts, his mood plummeting as he glanced at the caller ID.
Ella.
He grunted into the phone as he answered it, getting into a bad mood at the sound of her voice.
"Baby, Miss me?"
"What do you want, Bella?"
"I got back from Paris last night and wanted to have breakfast with you this morning but Steve told me you were out of town"
Henry rolled his eyes.
"Did he also tell you I was out on business? I don't like being disturbed, Bella"
"Come on, baby. I just wanted us to have a nice time. When are you getting back? Never mind, I'll ask Steve."
"Do whatever you want, Bella. I don't care."
"I'll be waiting for you at home."
Henry hung up as the words left her mouth. He couldn't believe there was a time he would have selflessly taken a bullet for Ella. He hated the very sound of her voice now.
He had found out she had been cheating just a month before. He had gone on a surprise visit to Paris, just to surprise her with a proposal and had found her, fast asleep in bed with her photographer.
He had silently taken the jet back home and nursed his broken heart alone, never confronting her about it.
"Just a few more months, Henry."
He told himself, the deal with the Greene brothers just had to come through and he would dump her heartlessly.
- Writer
