Connexion

Part 99

On Monday, Caleb knew he had to approach Jena, because he could not shift her from his mind. So around one, he went to her office and hoped he would find her there. He had rehearsed his approach, and had berated himself loudly while he drove to her office because he could not work out why he was still upset by her rejection. How can a rejection feel so bad when you have not even been on a date? For a grown man, with a decent dating track, why was he constantly reviewing his memories of her in his dreams and in his thoughts.

As he turned his car into the car park in front of the office, he saw Jena. Caleb felt like a callow adolescent on his first date. She had her hand on the car door, and was talking to someone in the car. Caleb's heart raced and he shook his head. He swore, pull yourself together, he ordered silently.

Caleb took his time, well at least she was here, he thought, just a shame she was talking to someone. Caleb inched his car into a parking space and parked his car and then watched the interaction between Jena and the driver. It was only as she moved away from the car, it revealed the driver, and Caleb recognised the driver. The mystery man. Caleb's plan evaporated as fury swamped him. More proof that she was dating this man.

Confirmed by the fact, Jena blew him a kiss. Caleb had to prise his fingers off the steering wheel, because he had clamped the steering wheel to stifle his frustration. It was either that, or leave his car and march to the mystery man's car and scrape his car with his keys!

Thankfully, the mystery man drove away.

As he left, Jena acknowledged Caleb. Her heart raced. Why was he here? Perhaps to see his sister, her mind pointed out with irony. Pull yourself together, she murmured. 

So Jena pasted a smile on her lips, squared her shoulders and approached Caleb's car. Stay cool, stay cool, stay cool was her mantra as she approached him.

Caleb opened his car door and got out. Like her, he contrived a smile.

"Hi." Her heart was thumping. Despite the fact she had used the weekend to come up with a plan. She would treat him like an acquaintance, would be friendly, but will erect fences, will remain cool. She spent the weekend, putting up her borders, rehearsing possible meetings in different venues or with different audiences, and told herself to remember the pithy statements she could use.

"Hi." Caleb said but there was no smile in his eyes.

Her tongue wet her dry lips, swallowed and said, "I thought Sophie said Isaac is going to pick her up this afternoon." At least her tone was normal. Good to recognise her plan was working. She placed an old friend face on Caleb and pretended she was talking to her old friend!

"Yes. I know." He took note of her body language, and the fact her smile was pasted on her lips which was not seen in her eyes. And she looked worried. 

"Oh. Is everything ok?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Yes."

Silence. Jena was not sure if she had missed a clue because he did not look happy. "Er, would like coffee?"

"No. Thanks. I am sure you are busy. And this will not take time." He said as if he was conducting a business meeting.

"Oh?" Jena blinked in confusion, hearing the tone in his statements, and the fact his eyes were shooting daggers at her.

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you."

She bit her lip, "Oh. Ok. Right now?" Idiot, she mumbled to herself. Of course he wanted to talk now.

"Yes." He decided he was going to be blunt. He was not going to generate more memories with her, he just needed to erect barriers before he goes mad! "You know, when we met at my office, I told you I do not date people in a relationship."

Jena's heart sank. He was here to tell him, face to face, that he had a girlfriend.

"Yes. I remember that." She sounded glum, Caleb thought.

"And you know, I suggested a lunch to thank you, for various reasons."

"Yes. I know." She nodded. 

"I think it might be best if I find another way for me, and my family, to show our gratitude." Caleb said bluntly and watched the impact of his words on her.

What is going on here? What happened to the chemistry in their kisses?  She caught her lip between her teeth, and her eyes showed alarm, but with self-control, she said quietly, "As I said. Not needed."

"And as I said. Needed." He folded his arms. For a man with a decent track with women, dealing with this particular woman, was harder than normal. "I thought I could buy you dinner ..."

Jena blinked. This is like being on rollercoaster. She murmured, "I thought you just said..."

"I thought I could order a take away for you. Obviously without me." He watched Jena, saw that his sentences caused distress. So he added, "You liked the meal I ordered."

Jena nodded but silently huffed. He had just said he would buy a takeaway just for her. Idiot! She called him in her mind. Which idiot, her brain questioned? The man was being difficult her heart joined the conversation. She stifled her internal discussion. She raised her chin, and said with no inflection,"And I told you, you bought a meal and did not make the other meal we shared." She folded her arms. "Matt made the lasagna. And I told you, I am sure he would appreciate a bottle or you could take him out for dinner!" Her lips quirked with banked frustration.

Caleb asked. "So if I bought wine, we would be squared?" Pulling the rug from her feet.

Obviously he was looking for a way out. "Mr Harland, we are already squared." She shrugged while her heart shattered. "You catered and I catered. So all settled. No need for a wine or whatever."

Silence.

Eventually, as the silence grew, Jena said, "You could have simply saved your time, Mr Harland," which caused Caleb to purse his lips. Mr Harland? After kissing? "and this journey too." She pinned a smile on her lips. "You could phone, you know."

"I was passing by." He said banking his frustration.

"I see. Going to?" And wished she had not asked. Why was she making this hard for her. Dealing with her feelings for him, robbed her of her weekend. She woke up, and her first thought was him. So she had a talk to herself, and thought she had sorted the matter in her mind. She went to her fridge to collect milk before she sat down for breakfast, her brain conjured his image, as she remembered him reading the article pinned to the fridge. So she had another talk to herself. After her breakfast, she thought she would address the mountain of paperwork, and took to a file to the deck, only to conjure him. She could not focus on the paperwork. In fact the whole of the weekend was a repeated of this, conjure his image, have a talk to herself, find something she thought would help to distract her, only to find it did not!

"A lunch meeting." He mirrored her pose, he folded his arms.

"I see." She unfolded her arms.

Silence.

Again, she broke the silence, "Well, I should let you go. You will be late."

"You sure we are ok?" Caleb was not sure why he was still loitering here. 

"Yes." She nodded, and feigned a smile. She wondered if she could just leave him here, in her carpark and walk away.

"And if you need anything you will let me know." Why was he prolonging this when he knew she was going out with another man. And Caleb knew he was not going to out with a woman who was already involved with someone else.

"Yes." She nodded.

Silence.