This Can't Be Real

Chapter 17

"How do you even know Jess will have him here?"

Joe's in front of me as we walk along the hallway in Jess's house. I can't hear anything, so I know Jess isn't home. Thank God!

"Think about it, Leigh. If you have a boyfriend and you get into an argument with your best friend, who do you go to?"

"Your boyfriend," I answer while stepping into the kitchen.

"Exactly."

"Okay, I get that." I walk over to the dining table and take a seat so my back's to the wall. Joe stands at the opposite side of the table, his hands resting on the back of the chair. "Why are you here, though?"

"Dinner," he answers simply.

I raise a single brow. "You're just inviting yourself to have dinner here? What if I don't want you here for dinner?"

"I'm afraid you don't have any choice in the matter." He pulls the chair back and sits down. He removes his sunglasses from where they're sitting on top of his head and places them on the table. His hands clasp together. "I want to meet this Thom guy."

"Who says she'll even bring him back here?" I ask, leaning forward slightly.

"If I know Jess, she'll definitely bring him back here. Dinner or no dinner."

I draw my bottom lip in and shake my head. I hope he's right to a point but at the same time, I hope he's wrong. I don't want to see Jess again so soon, or Thom for that fact. There's something about him that makes me want to run away and hide.

It's off-putting and I'm glad Joe's here with me this time. I know he'll be able to place him as soon as he sees him.

It's nearing six o'clock when Jess comes back home. I don't even need to turn round from where I'm standing by the cooker to know Thom's with her. He's much taller than Jess but that's not surprising given that she's only five feet seven. I wouldn't say he's taller than Joe, but I haven't seen him standing next to him to know for sure.

I hope he's not.

"What's happening here?" Jess asks, her voice soft and sweet.

I turn away from the cooker and look over at her. "We're going to have dinner," I inform.

"The two of you or the four of us?"

"The four of us," Joe answers from where he's setting the dining table.

"I see," Jess nods.

"I'll just go and hang our jackets up," Thom says before disappearing out of the room.

He's not gone long before he returns to where he was standing right behind Jess. I watch him with cautious eyes as his hands fall lightly onto Jess's shoulders, and gently moves his fingers in small circular motions.

"Food smells nice," Jess comments.

"It should," Joe says, walking over to stand next to me. "We've been working on it since half four."

"And what is it we're having?"

"Baked salmon with fennel and tomatoes and some vegetables," I tell her.

"You like salmon don't you, Thom? It is Thom, isn't it?" Joe asks.

I look at Joe before turning back to the cooker.

This is going to be interesting.

"It is and I do," Thom says, his low voice sending chills down my back.

"That's good." Joe moves away from me and I look over my shoulder to where he's going. He stops near Jess and stretches a hand out to Thom. He's slightly taller than Thom and I smile to myself because I feel safer knowing he's got a few inches in height over him. "I'm Joe. Leigh's husband."