Connexion

Part 21

Jena was still reviewing her abysmal visit to Caleb's office, when Jena stepped into her house. And she was not happy. Fed up. The man was a menace! She had spend the last few hours reviewing her meeting with him. She could not concentrate on her work because her thoughts were scrambled. She was meant to sort out the schedule for the following month, but her mind was replaying segments of the conversation, coming up with better responses, and resulting in loud huffing. Huffs that were noted by her colleagues. Eventually, she told her colleagues she was going to do the schedule at home, and her actions in collecting her jacket showed her frustration. Her colleagues frowned, but thought it was best not to prying. Jena walked back to her home. Still rehashing the meeting.

Melanie was in the hallway, and she was beaming, when Jena opened her front door and stepped into the corridor. In contrast, Jena was frowning, because she was still reviewing her conversation with Caleb and not happy with his labels of her character.

Having just put the phone down, Melanie grinned, "Hi." In her delight she missed Jena's frown.

Automatically Jena said, "Hi." Then Jena asked for the sake of it, "Everything ok?" She hung her coat on one of the pegs on the coat stand. She was still not happy with her afternoon. She wasted her time. Utterly unproductive all because of an idiot-man and the woman standing in her hallway!

"Yes, Jena." Melanie pirouetted. Jena raised an eyebrow. Melanie said, "Everything is great." Her heart was pounding with excitement. "Just Perfect!" She turned away and walked away, but stopped a few steps away, and turned around, "By the way, Jena, I won't be in for dinner Friday night." Melanie announced.

She'd secured a second date with Caleb Harland. She'd never met a man like him. But she knew that if she played her cards right, she could be Mrs Harland! She knew from his reputation in the media that he dated supermodels, so for him to ask her, small-town-Melanie, on a second date suggested something serious was afoot. Well, at least in her mind. But she was not stupid, she was pretty certain that he was asking her out because she was different to his usual dates. She portrayed the girl next-door type, the type that men took home to meet their mothers. Perhaps, if she played her cards right, he'd take her home to meet his mother. His lifestyle was something she could become accustomed to. Easily accustomed.

Their first date had been a fairy tale. He'd taken her to places she'd seen in the magazines she read. He wined and dined with little thought to the cost. Meeting him, going on a date and now this second date, had her heart in a spin while her brain worked overtime. Time to plan her next move. She would love to meet his family while she was here. Her heart hammered in anticipation as she laced her name with his surname and liked the sound of it: Melanie Harland. Perfect.

"Oh?" Intuitively Jena knew this Friday date had something to do with Caleb. And her intuition was confirmed by Melanie.

"I have a date with Caleb." Melanie's eyes were wide. She repeated, "I have a date with Caleb Harland. Is that wonderful?"

Jena did her best not to growl. "Er, a date?" Obviously the menace had not waited! Jena felt her shoulders sag. Three idiots, Jena thought as she watched Melanie's face. Three idiots: the menace, Melanie and me, she thought. Clearly her recent visit to his office had no impact. Appealing to Caleb's better nature, earlier this afternoon, had no influence at all. But she thought she had left an impression and thought her pleading would encourage him to review his campaign. She had replayed their conversation and she was pretty sure that he would not go out with Melanie if he knew she were in a relationship. And a decent man would check. In any case, she thought, with time, if he took the time to review their conversation, he would see that she was trying to help him and Tony! Caleb would see the gold-piranha, currently masquerading as Melanie, and change his mind about his plans!

Unfortunately, the man had taken no notice of her arguments. And not wasted any time. He was a grown man, and hardly the type to be swayed by a guilt-trip. He must like shallow women! In her mind, she chuckled in silence while she frowned.

Melanie sighed blissfully unaware of Jena's internal amusement or her frown. "We had a great time on our first date."

"First date?" Jena narrowed her eyes. First date? Melanie said was just lunch between new friends, just a platonic meeting. Nothing about a date, not a first date, until now. "I thought you said yesterday was to show you around the rest of the town. He would take you to the landmarks and you would soak up the atmosphere."

"Yes. He did. And I did. It was perfect. And that is a date! A whole day date! It was perfect. He was just a gentleman." Melanie gushed and missed Jena's huff. Melanie continued, "We ate at an expensive restaurant, walked-off our lunch at the quay, then he took me to dinner on the waterfront, and danced at a local nightclub. He was a gentleman."

Jena snorted. Clearly her concept of a gentleman was not shared by Melanie.

"We had such a good time. He was wonderful. We clicked."

"I bet." Clicked like a jail door shutting. Jena muttered beneath her breath. She realised she was becoming more snide in her comments.