4EVER

Chapter 8 - The Devil in Horn-rimmed Glasses

Noelle's cell phone rang as she entered her hotel room. It was Marissa who typically would be the voice of calm for her at the moment, but this story is all convoluted now.

Against her better judgement, she answered. "Hi Marissa! Merry Christmas girl how are you, Donovan and those precious kids?"

"Good...good...Merry Christmas love. I miss you. We wish you were here with us."

"Yeah...me too. I mean really I do."

"I know you didn't want to be gone for the holidays. You holding up ok?"

With all her might she was trying to calm down. The last thing she wanted to do was be blubbering on the phone, on Christmas no less, upsetting and worrying her best friend.

"Noelle? You there?"

"I'm here. I'm here."

"Noelle...honey, how is London?"

"Oh you know Big Ben...The Bridge ain't falling down, The Abbey..."

Marissa didn't think her friend sounded well, but it was a major holiday and she was alone.

"Are you spending the day with Bradley? Or..."

"No...just me. He was nice enough to ask me if I wanted to join him and some of his friends, but I decided against it. You know tomorrow is a big day and all with the signing and then I fly out on the 27th for Rome so I want to get to bed early."

Marissa finally had it with the fake pleasantries, "Hold on a minute Noelle."

Noelle could hear her shuffling around and mumbling to one of the kids, "Ok I'm back. Sorry about that I wanted to get myself some privacy so I hid in the pantry. Lord knows no one would look here because no one cooks but me." She said with a loud laugh.

"Noelle what the hell is wrong and don't tell me nothing, we're too close for that nonsense."

"It's just the holidays I think that have me bummed. That's all."

There was a quiet lull on the line until Marissa called, "BULLSHIT!"

Finally Noelle thought of what she could say that would quench Marissa's thirst for what might be wrong, because it did upset her, it just wasn't the full story.

Marissa was yelling over the phone. "You tell me what's wrong. I'm your best friend, your sister you say so don't you lie to me on Christmas anf..."

Noelle interupted and yelled, "I saw Jack ok?! You fucking happy now?"

The line was dead for a moment.

"Noelle, why would I ever be happy about you seeing that asshole?"

The two friends were quiet once again, each reminiscing different memories from that relationship.

"You still there?" Marissa asked lovingly.

"Yes."

"Are you alright? Why is he in London?"

"Im o- o- ok." She said while huffing and sobbing. He's doing reasearch at Oxford University."

Marissa ran her tongue across her teeth with a big click, "Research my ass. Wonder who he's fucking over now. Did you ask that son of a bitch that?"

"You know what he did...

...he got married Marissa."

Another silence fell over the line as Marissa listen to Noelle cry...a little harder. Her tears weren't over Jack though, well maybe a little. Prince was who was on her mind. Him giving her that check after such an intimate display of affection was it? Or lust? She wasn't sure what his feelings for her were."