Jessica

IT'S NOT HER.

CHAPTER FOUR

IT'S NOT HER

"Mark? You are now a man, you see you need a wife and you aren't getting younger, there should. There who you admire and you would love to date, wouldn’t there be at least one?" Riley asks in a quiet and interrogative mode as he cuts his meat before taking a bite, his eyes simultaneously on the meat and his son, the middle-aged man who is dressed in a white tee, a pair of grey pants, a wristwatch and his icy necklace.

His hair is fully white, he dyed it that way. A tall business man who uses a pair of glasses to correct his sight, a distinct feature of the Smith family.

"Honestly, we want a grandchild, I have set up so many blind dates, and he gave the same reply." Lisa, his wife added, sounding fed up. A stunning lady dressed in a gown, a simple soft gown, a butterfly patterned with the moonlight as. She doesn't have any jewellery, she is at home and it is seven in the evening. The smith family all have dinner at that time.

"Mum, the reply will always be the same, IT'S NOT HER" Mark replies sweetly with a smile as he cleans his mouth with the napkin. A man in his late twenties whose features are brown eyes with chocolate-coloured hair, his body is very fit, he is muscular, tall, what the ladies deem as a perfect body. He uses glasses like his father. For five years in a row, he has been crowned "Elequant, Dazzling, Dashing perfect man. His face is in the top tier too.

"He still hasn't gotten over that girl, whom he says he saw and passed the heirloom too", Beatrice, his childhood friend, says as she points the knife at him. She shakes her head momentarily and her earrings all dance too.

"Her name is Jessica", he says softly and in a sarcastic mode, as he knows Beatrice just doesn't want to say Jessica’s name because she is jealous, he sighs and shakes his head back at her.

"And for your information, she is real, just because I- I gave her, and no one knows her doesn't mean she isn't real, you know", Mark says all defensively.

"Then find this Jessica, at least to prove us wrong." His mother, Lisa adds, as she takes a bite out of the dinner, they are having cheesy chicken picatta pasta. Riley decided to have meat instead of chicken.

"So none of you believe me? Really? Mum?" Mark asks like a little baby as he drops the fork and knife and looks them all in the eye.

"You don't know where she lives? How old is she? How does she look? Her parents, I know you have a distinct taste and you are very picky, so how would you find her?" Beatrice asked in a mocking tone.

"I will find her, I promise you" Mark replied, defending himself.

"Yeah, and if she has misplaced this heirloom? What will you do? And how will you find her?" Lisa asked what she needed to know.

"The heirloom will bring her to me" he replied, as he really didn't know how he would find her, but he trusted the stories that his grandfather and father had shared one too many times.

"The ladies at the forum all question if you are gay." His mum blurted out.

"What?" Mark asks as he laughs, shocked at the confession.

"I am serious, I mean you have Beatrice with you and you do everything together but you guys aren't dating yet", His mum says, bringing up the topic that Mark likes avoiding.

"Oh Mrs. Smith" Beatrice said while blushing, "we are just friends, I promise and I can- I can give you my word, he isn't changing his sexuality any time soon, he is as straight as a ruler". Beatrice made the joke and they all laughed.

Having dinner in their mansion, they call it the Villa. It has been a family house for centuries and, for generations, it has been redesigned, but the location doesn't change. It has six bedrooms, a pool, each room has its own veranda, a basement, a quarter of boys, a meeting room, three offices for respected family members and a mini court for get-togethers or little parties..

"Beatrice and I are friends, mum, dad. I know how long you have been pushing this, let it go", Marks said in a firm and distant tone. His parents understood him loud and clear.

"Sir Mark, you have a call" Alfred, the head of staff said, as the call was made directly to the house land-line.

"Mum, dad, Beatrice, please excuse me" Mark said as he stood dressed in a grey tee and grey pants too, one hand tucked in his pocket and the other using it to arrange his glasses.

Riley and Lisa turned to each other and they watched Beatrice looking at Mark go by.

"erh erhm" Riley clears his throat to get Beatrice's attention, Lisa has a cute smile on her face.

"Sorry" Beatrice said, embarrassed as she turned back, her cheeks all turned red as she knew she had been caught.

The dinner table set for tonight is one with just four seats. Lisa and Riley are sitting together, while Mark and Beatrice are sitting together.

Lisa stretched her hands to Beatrice.

"Oh you don't have to apologise for watching the love of your life, walk by, I mean I do the same for Riley every day", Lisa says in a sweet tone as she holds Beatrice's hands.

"Oh, we are just friends, I promise you, it's not what you think" Beatrice says as she moves her hands and makes the no signs with both hands, waving them.

"Right, you are just friends?' Okay then answer this question, you haven't for once kissed him?" Lisa asks, as she knew Beatrice is lying, it was so obvious she liked him. Maybe Mark was playing dumb or he had rejected her.

Beatrice sighs "You are right Ma'am Lisa, but then, he doesn't want me, he wants that Jessica and, well, if he thinks that's the best for him, who am I to change that?" Beatrice asks in a sad tone, as she has been hurting from the day he rejected her.

"Oh, we are so sorry dear, but it doesn't mean you have to give up, you know," Riley says as she cheers her on.

Mark stood on the edge and listened to the conversation. The phone call had ended. He told the caller he was having dinner with his family and he would call soon.

He listened to Beatrice talk, he had heard that line over and over. Yes, he loves her, but not enough to lose her or date her.

"No one said I rejected you Beatrice, you said you didn't want me to love you and love some other. Jessica, mum, dad I had asked her out before", Mark says as he walks in.

Riley and Lisa turned to each other and wondered who was telling the truth.

*********

"You didn't have to lie, you know," Beatrice says as Mark walks her out the door.

"And who said I was lying? Do you remember what you told me the night of your last birthday?" Mark asked as he held her hands.