Connexion

Part 27

With her tongue firmly in her cheek, Jena tipped her head up and dared, "You are welcome to join us for dinner, Mr Harland. There is plenty." Though she had done nothing more than ask him to step into the hallway. "Though you will probably interpret my invitation as another attempt on my part to take Melanie's place in your heart!" They stood in the hall, weighing each other up. The open front door remained open, making a lie of her invitation. If she'd been serious, that door would have closed behind him when she invited him in. He and she knew that the door was open because she fully expected him to be leaving within a few minutes.

Caleb read the challenge. It was issued with no measure of subtlety. But that did not mean he intended to be pressed into taking up a stance he did not want. He looked straight at her, "Thank you, Ms Silva. But I have table reservations. Perhaps another day?" Ball back in your court, he thought. Again, for some reason, he knew he enjoyed teasing her.

Jena's eyes danced with candid amusement. "Of course. What a shame." She announced without a trace of sincerity. He grinned. Again, her statements reminded him that he liked her attitude! And not for the first time, he remembered he had thought he was taking the wrong woman out! Because this woman piqued his interest. More than interest. But it was something that he deliberated put out of his mind when he met Jena in his office. Melanie met his wife-list-characteristics, even if Ms Silva makes his heart races.

Jena sighed with theatrical impact, placed her palm on her heart, and shrugged with a woeful expression, "Guess I've missed my chance to make an impression."

He nearly chuckled.

She sighed again, "Another chance squandered, oh dear!" She stated with obvious indifference and sarcasm. Then she shrugged, "Plasticine and no backbone."

Her distinct lack of sincerity, and sarcasm had irritated him and slid beneath his veneer of arrogance. "Sorry?" He frowned. What is going on here?

"Obviously, plasticine does not have backbone."

Yes, so..."

"On the flip side, it is malleable." She said with a smile. He squared his shoulder. Good, the humour-robot had taken a hit! Jena thought she should elaborate, "People with no backbone mirror invertebrates, like cockroaches, don't you think, Mr Harland?" She was delighted when his eyes narrowed. Just a shame he used that action to stem his laugh.

Just before he could speak, Melanie appeared. "I thought it must be you, when Jena didn't return." She beamed radiantly, looking for all intents and purposes like an angel. Her halo of long blond hair, lay loose on her shoulders, her pale blue eyes sparkled with gaiety. Her lips currently coated with a siren red lipstick was the only aspect to clash with the angelic image. But then, Jena was coming to realize that Melanie was not as angelic as she portrayed. Perhaps Caleb and Melanie were indeed well matched. "Excuse me a second, I'll just get my bag and coat." Melanie flounced out of sight before the sentence was even complete.

Caleb turned his gaze to Jena, and he resumed the conversation with Jena, "You were talking about cockroaches?" His eyes sparkled, he was pretty sure that she thought she had scored with that cockroaches jib, but in reality he was enjoying the spar. Jena stood by the door, not bothering to invite the man further into her home.

She shrugged and shrugged her shoulders "Was. Mr Harland." And she said, "Any way, cockroaches don't warrant further discussion. Definitely not worth the effort to deal with cockroaches, regardless of their size."

She thought she saw irritation in his eyes, but he looked away and she thought he muffled a laugh. Her eyes showed her irritation. But he was not looking at her. The silence drew out. Caleb made a pretence of studying her hallway, as he was doing the best not to laugh. So he focused on the photos on the hallway walls. Her family, he wondered. Jena simply stood and watched him, wondering why he was studying her photographs, while he remained at the front door. She made no attempt to entertain him or explain the photos on the walls. And she was sure he was enjoying this fencing with her!

Again, Caleb wondered about this home. It was odd, standing inside what he considered a square box. Approaching the house, for the second time in as many days, he wondered why someone would opt to live in such a nondescript building, in the backyard of an industrial site, not even a garden to reduce the marks of a industrial site. It literally was a square box at the end of an unsealed driveway, with factories for neighbours with just one feet between the factory's building and her home. Nothing even vaguely alluring about the house or the area: Miserable and dull area and a building that was uninspiring and bland. Yet it was the home to this rather unexpectedly alluring woman.