Connexion

Part 97

Sophie looked critically at Caleb and said with sarcasm. "Yes. I guess that is why you are going out with Chloe. I assume she has broken up with Simon?"

Caleb glared. "Yes, Chloe has broken up with Simon." Caleb looked at his rear mirror, "I wasn't talking about her."

"Who?" 

"Your boss." His eyes sparking with exasperation. 

"Jena?" Sophie blinked, rapidly, almost comically. 

"Yes. She has a boyfriend." Caleb announced and his voice confirmed the fact he was not happy. The party was a washout, while Chloe had tried to entertain him, his mind was on another woman. A woman who left with a mystery man. Caleb muttered an expletive, his experience has not prepared him for this. Love, is unexpected. And not what he thought he would feel!

"Jena?" No response from Caleb, Sophie continued with conviction, "She doesn't have a boyfriend, Caleb."

"According to you." Caleb muttered beneath his breath, but loud enough to be heard by his passengers. 

"I asked Mary, and Andrew." Sophie was torn between wincing and laughing at her brother, because she noted that her brother had lost his composure, which was rare thing.  "So I know she is not dating anyone!" Sophie narrowed her eyes and accused, "You like Jena!" When Caleb said nothing, Sophie continued. "And because you are my favourite brother, albeit you are my only brother, so I asked them. Just for your benefit! And they said she has heaps of friends but she is not in a relationship."

"Obviously they do not know." The small muscle at his jaw flexed with exasperation and sadness. How could one woman cause so much chaos in his mind and turmoil in his heart.

"Of course they would know." Sophie pouted, "They are good friends and colleagues. Of course they would know if Jena has a partner. I am pretty sure, she doesn't have a boyfriend. I think..."

He interrupted hastily as a frisson of alarm uncoiled within, his tone was full of rancour, "Sorry to contradict you, but I think she brought a boyfriend to the party." And even saying that, resurrected his jealousy. Jealousy was not just a new feeling, it was something that he could not understand. Jealous means inadequacy. Inadequacy in him. His success, what he has achieved was swamped by this inadequacy feeling. She had chosen another man. He had some kind of success, he thought, until he saw her leaving with another man. 

"Really? I didn't see her with a man at the party, well, apart from you. Are you sure?"

"Yes." Caleb gritted.

"How odd. She did not introduce me to him."

Caleb said dryly, "Sophie, as I said, Ms Silva does not have to tell you about her personal life or even about her business life!" Before adding with cool authority, that he normally wore lie a second skin, "She might have brought a boyfriend to the party or she acquired a boyfriend at the party."

"Seriously?" Sophie pouted. She sighed. "Honestly, Caleb, you are being very cryptic." Sophie added and her mind reviewed silently what she knew, "Are you saying Jena attended with a boyfriend?" Her eyes rounded in open confusion. "Or picked one at the party?"

"Yes." Caleb snapped. Isaac rubbed the indent at his chin, as his mind processed Caleb's tone. Isaac thought his friend was rattled. His usual, calm, friend was rattled, given his tone.

"Caleb, if she acquired a boyfriend at this party, and if you ask anyone at the party, they will say it is clearly you!" Sophie announced as if she was the local outlet for news.

Caleb snorted.

"She spoke to you for ages. Your body language was a given-away."

With palpable annoyance, he asked, "When did you become a body language expert? And I spoke to lots of people, for ages!"

"One to one?" Sophie challenged. "Whispering things."

Caleb snorted. "In your imagination."

"You were talking. For ages. Talk about chemistry! You could practically see the steam!" She teased with a wry smile.  

"Which suggest we were arguing."

"Rubbish! And now you are grumpy."

"I am not grumpy." Caleb said firmly.

"Yes you are. What is going on here? What I have missed? I think you fancy her."

He hesitated, time to derail this topic, so he said, "Sophie, you clearly had too much to drink. If you were rational, clearheaded, you would have seen Jena flirting with a random man!"

"Random man?" Sophie asked. "And I am sober. Just a bit tipsy." Sophie repeated her question. "Which random man?"

"If I knew, he would not be random." Caleb said with sarcasm.

"What makes you think she was flirting?" Isaac asked noting the acerbity in Caleb tone.

Trying for nonchalance he said, "She blew him a kiss!" 

Sophie shrieked. "What?" She shook her head, "That is silly. And that is not her style."

Caleb snorted. "I saw her and a man I did not know."

"And you must have a fertile imagination. She would not blow a kiss to a random man."

"She blew a kiss. He smiled. She then excused herself from our conversation and went over to him." Caleb glanced at his rear mirror, "Check with Giselle. She was with me, when Jena blew a kiss, and a few seconds later she excused herself and walked to the man, who was beaming. Like a Cheshire cat."

Sophie pouted.

"I guess she had pulled at the party!" He said drily.

"Fine. If she pulled, as you crudely put it, I will ask her, when I get to work next week."She laughed at his incredulity. "Are you sure you aren't tipsy?

But at least his response appeased his sister, "You think she would tell you she pulled at the party?" 

"I am going to tell her, you saw her with a mystery man!"

"Any you think your boss would reveal his name? Seriously. No wonder Giselle was disturbed about your view about your position with By Design!" He knew his red herring  was far from convincing.

"She was jealous about me having a cushy job. I love my job. My favourite!"

"Your first and only job." Caleb reminded her.

Sophie sighed. "Caleb, if you want to know if she has a boyfriend, just ask Jena."

"Why would I do that?" Caleb grimaced. 

"Because I think you are jealous of this phantom mysterious man."

"Jealous?" He growled. Hearing the tone in Caleb's voice, Isaac thought Sophie called it. Caleb was jealous. And Isaac could not remember his friend being jealous. Even when his girlfriends were pestered by unwanted flirtation, from strangers and friends, Caleb just ignored it.

"Yes. You are jealous about that phantom, not that I am conceding that she has a boyfriend."

"Ok. I will ask her." He muttered with reticence. Of course he would ask Jena, albeit, not directly. He thought he would just drop the question in their next conversation, something pithy.

Sophie was surprised, "You will?" She was not sure whether her brother was stalling or just saying that to stop this interrogation.

"Yes."