For Kaila

A Man of Purpose

The wedding went off beautifully, what every bride could hope for. The reception at the Savoy's grand ballroom was in full swing. Around one of the round tables covered in fragrant flowers and lit by candles sat three middle aged men who hated weddings.....ok well Hammond didn't really mind them, but....you get the picture.....

Mindy Hammond was seated between her husband and Jeremy, and across the table from James. "New suit Jeremy?" she asked. "Looks very sharp! These two blokes could take a lesson from you!"

James rolled his eyes and groaned. A stuffy shirt and tie wasn't really his style, let alone the sanctity of marriage. Bah! No single and carefree was certainly the way to go. Hammond took offense to the insult of his favorite, very worn, broke in suit. "Yeeesss" Jeremy bellowed. "The hateful sots of British Airways lost my luggage! I had to run out and buy this one yesterday. Kaila dressed me...and did a fine job of it too!" He threw on his smug face at Hammond.

"Ooooh Kaila is it...??" Hammond teased sarcastically.

"Yes, in fact, you angry yob, I owe her a pic of yours truly dressed to impress..." Jeremy offered his phone to Mindy. She snapped the photo of Jeremy blowing smoke rings from his cigar into the air.

"Oh you mean she's real?" May stated shocked. "Not just a figment of some deranged, alcohol fueled imagination?"

"Nah! I'll believe it when I see her!" Hammond chimed in. "And what do you mean she dressed you, Mate?"

"She fitted me in this suit." Jeremy replied. He fiddled around with his phone and managed to text the photo to Kaila. He turned it to vibrate and slipped the phone into the breast pocket of his suit coat.

"Oh for a minute there I thought you had a girlfriend.....not a sales clerk?!" Hammond teased. "Did she pick out your underwear and socks too then? Help you tie your tie?"

"Wait, what was her commission?" May chimed in.

"You just wait boys, she's something..." Jeremy smiled to himself....she really was something, something he wanted to see more of.

As the evening wore on, Jeremy became more and more aware of what May had said. What if he was right? He had no idea if Kaila worked on a commission basis. He did spend a chunk of money on the suit. His mind started to reel, turning the possibilities over and over again in his head. Ruefully he realized that for the first time, in a long time, he had enjoyed the company of a woman.....a woman who had nothing to give him, and demanded nothing from him. She didn't care for the money, or the cars, or the image...or at least she didn't seem to anyways. She just seemed so genuine, she just seemed to enjoy herself in his company. She seemed to appreciate his car for the masterpiece that is was, she knew that...didn't she? Surely this couldn't have been an act, a façade to cover some ulterior motivation....could it?

He knew after Frances left, he didn't want another woman in his life. Sure he'd date, show them a good time, take them home and.....well, you know. But not a relationship, not a day to day life with a ball and chain. No, no more of that rubbish. He was comfortable in himself and his lifestyle, he was enjoying the trappings of bachelorhood again. He could drink and smoke and no one was there to comment about it. May sure had lived the good life all these years. Jeremy was enjoying the freedom now too. He didn't want Hammonds domesticity, he didn't want the constraints of having a girlfriend. He wasn't looking for one, and yet he couldn't help but feeling that fate had suddenly intervened.....It's got a nasty way of doing it, hasn't it, he thought to himself.

By the time Jeremy took leave of his friends for the evening, he had worked himself into a considerable state of agitation. At the root of it was the fact that he had to find out how she felt. He had to know if there was any feeling behind this at all of if her reactions to him had been motivated by her job or even just professional courtesy. I mean one afternoon of lunch was not grounds for this discussion by any means. He didn't want to give the false impression that he was looking for more, because well,....he just wasn't. He could call her. He dug the phone out. He would call her and say....What? No. He put the phone back into his pocket without looking at it. An hour later, after driving pointlessly about town, he ended up at her flat. Without giving it much thought he marched up the metal stairs to the third floor apartment and knocked.

Jeremy, as usual didn't give it much thought. He didn't realize that knocking on a door belonging to two young women...No! Two young attractive women, unannounced in the dark was a bit problematic. He heard the deadbolt turn. The door opened a fraction of an inch revealing the chain lock was still in place. Colleen peered through the door at him, startled.

"Jezza..?" She asked using his nickname, before she even realized what she was saying. She hoped he wouldn't be offended by the use of something so casual and personal. It didn't seem to faze him a bit. She unlatched the door and swung it open welcoming him inside. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight." She looked him up and down. "Nice suit!" she commented with a knowing twinkle in her eye. He was a bit disheveled, to be honest, his red necktie was undone, hanging loose around his open shirt collar. He seemed very distracted and more than a little tipsy.

"My guess is, you aren't here to see me. Hang on a sec, I'll let Kaila know you're here." Colleen made her way to the bathroom. Jeremy could hear the shower water running as she knocked and opened the door a bit. Shortly thereafter the water shut off abruptly. "She'll be right out." Colleen replied walking down the hallway. Moments later a very surprised figure slipped out of the bathroom, her hair wet and unruly, just having been dried with a towel. Kaila was wearing pajama pants a t-shirt that appeared a bit too big for her frame.

"What on earth are you doing here?!" Kaila blushed. "I wasn't expecting to see you! I got your text earlier with the picture but you never replied back to me."

Jeremy immediately removed his phone and looked at the screen. She had replied to his text, almost immediately after he had sent it in fact. This unsettled him. He hadn't felt it vibrate, but he hadn't checked it either. He looked for an excuse but quickly realized that he didn't really have one. He just showed up at her door. Largely because the boys had teased him about the suit. He couldn't say that he felt he just had to see her again..... he wouldn't admit to wanting, no needing, to know how she felt about him.

For once Jezza didn't know what to say....."I.... I just need....." he began, stumbling "I just need to know....." He stopped. His shoulders seemed to shrug it off....whatever he was trying to say wasn't happening. He simply reached his hand to Kaila's still damp face. Sliding his long fingers into her wet hair. Gently tipping her face up to meet his. Softly he pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth responded immediately to his. She willingly kissed him back....long & slow and lingering. He finally stopped; pulling back slightly letting her go. She was left a bit breathless, he noticed looking down on her intently....She smiled warmly, suddenly shy.

"That.....that's what I needed to know....." He said striding back to the door.

Stunned at the recent events, Kaila said nothing but watched him go. Colleen managed to form words for her. "You are welcome to stay, you don't have to leave."

"Ummmm thank you" he replied after another long look at Kaila. "I have to go...it's late."

You hear the revving of the Mercs big engine as the tires squeal down the road. Jeremy Clarkson is a man of purpose, indeed.