Connexion

Part 73

Jena rolled her eyes, reached for her glass of wine, she shrugged, "I'm not anti-marriage. I'm just saying, maybe, it was too soon for them. Perhaps they just needed a bit of time, or accept they would work their ways together to solve any issues or concerns or..."

He interrupted, "So you're not anti-marriage?" He tipped his head to one side, then said with open curiosity, "Giselle said you turned down her invitation to dinner! " Which did not make sense of the information he had, from the newspaper article and Melanie. Caleb looked over at her, "Ever been married?"

That had Jena's walls going up. She remembered Giselle phoning her at her home, apparently got her number from Caleb. Caleb had her landline phone number because Melanie told him when she was staying with Melanie because her mobile did not work at Jena's home. "My relationship status is not one I am willing to discuss with you, Mr Harland!" She said quietly. 

Caleb narrowed his eyes, clearly struck a nerve. Perhaps his question stirred troubles and reminded her, her affair with a married woman destroyed a marriage." Caleb kept his eyes on Jena. "Ok. I apologise. Just curious." He took a sip of his wine. "This is nice."

"Thank you."

"So are you pro marriage?" He asked. Jena huffed and again rolled her eyes.

"I thought we just agreed my relationship or my sexual orienteering, is not open for your....."

He held up a hand, "That's not a question about your relationship status or your sexual preferences. It's just a question about your view. Surely you have a position, or an opinion about marriage." Given she was dodging the question, perhaps the article was right. Marriage means nothing to her. But at the same time, in his mind, the article was contradicted by the fact that Jena came to his office to persuade him not to take Melanie out, because she was supposedly engaged. It just did not make any sense.

Again she rolled her eyes. This discussion is silly, she thought as she said, "I'm neither pro nor against." She replied quietly. Obviously a mistake: inviting him into her home, offering him wine, as if this was a date.

"What about relationships in general?" He ignored her warning signals. It was clear she was not happy about this discussion, but he knew, her response mattered to him.

"What about them?" Jena huffed.

"For or against? What do you think of people who are committed to their relationship, either marriage or civil partnership?"

What was going on here? Why was he asking about her views about relationships.  She looked over the rim of her wine glass and asked, "What is this about, Mr Harland?" Jena wished she'd never offered him a glass of wine. The man seemed to think he could conduct an inquisition while he drank his wine.

"Caleb," he said, hopefully she would address him by his name, not his surname. "I think, given you helped my sister deal with a huge blip in her engagement, you can call me Caleb." He turned on the charm.

It was wasted on Jena. She again asked, "What is this about Mr Harland?"

He laughed at her open defiance. "Chemistry."

"Chemistry?" She snorted.

Caleb grinned. "Even Giselle recognised it."

"Chemistry? Between me and Giselle?" Bemused shook her head. "When? I only met her at the wedding reception, well, actually, the walk to the reception. And you were there too."

 Caleb chuckled and looked over at Jena, and when her eyes met his, he said, "You know, Ms Silva, I like you!" That was the problem. This woman was different. Her façade matched her values: Honesty, genuine, steadfast. And she is beautiful.

Jena wanted to smack him. Instead she resorted to sarcasm. "Delighted I'm sure." She took a sip of her wine, "You have no idea how desperate I was for you to confirm that!" Which was a lie! Of course she wanted to know if he really like her or was just teasing her now. And she also knew that they were living in different worlds. Different spheres in the local social strata.

He chuckled again. "Not nice." He tipped his head, "You are unusual."

She blinked. Unusual? Her? She banked her bemusement and said with sarcasm, "Great. As I said, delighted I'm sure."

Caleb's grin grew. "We have met a handful of times."

She took a sip and watched his reaction when she said, "I know. With a different woman on your arm!"

He acknowledged the dart, and shrugged, "Not exactly auspicious meetings. "

"I agree." Jena did not pull her punch.

He chuckled, "You were insolent and discourteous!"

She snorted.

"You have accepted my previous apologies." He stated.

She rolled her eyes, "What makes you think that?"

"Here we are! Sipping wine, sitting on your deck and talking. So, have you accept my apology?" Caleb tipped his head and looked at Jena.  Jena took a sip of her wine and said nothing. Caleb was tempted to laugh.  "You call my sister stubborn! But you could give her lessons." No response. He gestured toward the water line, "So if I asked about how long you've lived here, will that get short shrift too?"

She nearly rolled her eyes again, instead took a breath and said, "I've lived in this neck of the woods for most of my life. And before you ask me if I was born here, in this house, I've lived in this house for just under two years. Anything else, Mr Harland?"

He chuckled. "Yes. Having a conversation interlude with you is like wrestling a hedgehog!" He held up his hand before she could make a cutting statement. "This place wasn't a house originally was it?" Her house showed its industry history.

She shook her head. "No, the building was not a home. As you can tell. You can see the industry marks in and around this building." Jena knew it was something that she liked about her home. 

"You so moved here, two years ago. So where did you live before?"

"In the unit." 

"Which unit?"

"My office. My business is in my previous home."

"Your company's office?"

She nodded. "Yes." She anticipated his next question, "I converted this building. I bought the land, which came with this building, nearly three years ago. Anyone who wanted to buy it would need a road through my property or through the properties around me. At the time there was no road between my original home and this building. It was empty for years, I am not sure why the parcel behind my original home was not sold when the houses around me were sold, and they were reduced to rubble before the new office blocks and factories were built. I know my family had the house for generations, but not the land behind it. I bought the land, and this building, three years ago."

"Impressive. Not what I'd expect you to be living in." He'd imagined someone who designed wedding cakes would live in an equivalent fairy tale building not a building that was in essence a converted storage space. But while the structure was industry and forthright about it's ancestry, the interior was soft beckoning warmth and invitingly trust. In many ways her home suited her character, he thought. 

"Thank you." She stated dryly.