What Connects Us: Jessica and Jeremy

Fragment Three

 The early hug of the New York sun peeked the light curtains of the room while Jeremy switched from closet to closet to look for the perfect pair of shoes. She squirmed around the king sized bed in annoyance of the light and sound. She plopped up on her elbow and rubbed her eyes while glancing at the electric clock by her lamp; five thirty in the morning.

                  "Good morning, did I wake you?" he asked while buttoning his white blouse. A playful smile brushed his lips.

                  She smiled at his sight and rubbed her eyes again in disbelief.   

                  "I'd be lying if I said no, but I'm glad you did. I never get to see you in the morning," she confessed, clasping her white duvet against her bare skin. His lips uncurled, and he walked to his wife. Jessica bit her lip in anticipation and he sat down next to her, brushing her hair softly away from her face. 

                  "What is it?" she asked, her brow slightly creasing at his worried expression.

                  His expression lightened, and his smile brushed away her question. "Nothing," he said, tracing his thumb against the contours of her lips.

                  "There's that furrow of yours," she said, grazing her index gently between his eyebrows. 

                   "I think too much," he teased.           

                   "Mmmm..." she agreed, and a playful smile darted her lips. "You don't mind if I stalled you even further, do you?" 

                   "You've stalled me enough. Sleep for me, will you?" he asked, kissing her on the forehead. He pulled on his blazer and picked up his shoes from the floor.

                 "I'll try," she replied, her voice still raspy from sleep. "And Jeremy?"

                 "Yes?" he asked, leaning on the closet door.

                 "I enjoyed yesterday," she said with a wink. The man smiled mischievously.

                  "As did I. I'll see you at work," he said, returning her wink. 

                  She smiled to herself euphorically and dived into her pillow for a two-hour nap. 

                                                                               *

 "So then I asked her if she had that black purse I'd pre ordered and imagine the nerve, she actually ignored me!" Holly Finley complained while slumping down the chair of her sister-in-law's office. Jessica nodded reluctantly and twirled her plastic fork through her uneaten salad.

                "You're not listening to me, are you?" Holly asked while crossing her arms, cocking a perfectly arched eyebrow at Jessica. 

                "I'm sorry," Jessica apologized with a sigh, placing her salad on the side. "I have so much left to do!" she vindicated, glancing guiltily at the mounts of paperwork that had to be done by tomorrow. 

                "Fine, you're excused." Holly blew her sister-in-law a kiss and coiled a lock of her dirty blonde hair around her perfectly manicured fingers. "I guess I'll just have to find someone else to complain to," she hinted before leaving the room. 

                Jessica scoffed and waved her goodbye. She groaned and adhered her forehead to the desk in realization of the amount of work she had left.