𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 || ᴊᴇɴʟɪsᴀ

𝐭 𝐰 𝐞 𝐧 𝐭 𝐲 - 𝐟 𝐢 𝐯 𝐞

Given I’d spent the rest of the day avoiding Mark while I spoke to my lawyer and read through those folders, his arrival at my place wasn’t surprising. It was also spectacularly bad timing. I needed some time away from him, to talk to Lisa about my day. I needed to rant and cry and then have her hold me while I fell asleep a tearstained, lip-quivery mess.

Lisa followed me down the stairs, then stopped by the kitchen table while I opened the door and waved Mark in with a flat, “Hi.”

“Hey.” Mark looked past me and his mouth dropped. He recovered quickly but his surprise and alarm were unmistakable. “Hello, Captain Manoban.”

“Lisa,” I corrected automatically, looking to her.

The expression on her face was fleeting but I knew immediately what it was. Anguish. Accusation. Betrayal. I had no frame of reference for any of it until I recalled that I was supposed to tell Mark about Lisa and me this morning. Before he’d dropped a bombshell on me, that is. I’d promised Lisa I would do something that was clearly important to her, and meant it, but hadn’t followed through. She couldn’t know the reason why. All she would see was that I’d broken a promise.

A smile slid over the hurt and she raised a hand in greeting. “Hello, Mark.” Not Mr. Tuan. I took that as a screw you aimed at me, reminding me that if I’d done what I said I would she would have called him by his first name.

When I looked to her, trying to get her attention, she pointedly avoided my gaze. I gave up. Rubbing my dry eyes, I asked wearily, “Why are you here, Mark?”

“I need to talk to you.”

Lisa took a step backward. “I might go.”

I reached for her, my fingers just brushing her arm. “Please don’t. Stay and eat your dinner, honey. We shouldn’t be long.” I stretched up to kiss her cheek and she tensed. When I pulled away she caught my eye but there was no emotion in hers. Just…resignation as she nodded. I squeezed her hand, nabbed a sweater from the back of the couch and gestured Mark toward the doors leading out to my balcony.

The sweater I’d grabbed was Lisa's and the sleeves hung over my hands as I slipped into the hoodie. I zipped it and tugged the balcony doors closed behind me. Mark had five minutes to say whatever he needed to before I booted him out. There was nothing so important that it couldn’t wait until the morning, and the fact he’d chosen to invade my private space made me even more annoyed. If that was even possible. The moment I closed the door, the electric whine of the Venetian blinds sounded as they began to lower.

The slats moved, tilted downward so that if I looked in, I could see Lisa but she wouldn’t be able to see us. Even upset with me, she was giving us privacy, but making sure I knew she was still there. I hugged myself, tucking my fingers into my armpits. “What do you want, Mark?”

“I thought we could talk.”

“Talk? I don’t even know what to say. You fucking ambushed me in there today. You gave me no warning, no time to prepare anything. I have never felt more insulted in my life.”

“Speaking of ambushed.” He gestured inside. “How long has that been happening?” He pulled a packet of cigarettes from inside his coat and held them up.

I waved to indicate I didn’t care if he smoked. “Don’t you dare turn this around.” Despite the hoodie, I shuddered.

“You know I honestly don’t even know what to say to you. And I can’t figure out what I’m most upset about.” Partly what he’d done, but also the fact that I’d suspected something was off and hadn’t realized what or how serious it was.
Mark lit his cigarette and reached for the ashtray I kept on the balcony. “I’m doing this to protect you, Jen.”