Think Of Me

Chapter Six

Disclaimer: The description and characterization of Jacqui Polk is for story-telling purposes ONLY. For all I know, she's the nicest girl ever.

~*~

Last night had been absolutely restless. Jeanna lay awake for hours, listening to the loud sounds of the streets below my apartment. Her thoughts had been full of Aaron and how he had wanted to talk. Images of the girl he was with at lunch, Jacqui, kept surfacing and brought tears to her eyes. She had tried so hard to forget that experience, only to have it thrown back in her face. Of course, she couldn't blame Susan. None of her friends in the city knew anything of her past.

Glancing over at the picture frames of Risa on her desk, Jeanna smiled. Was I really doing the best thing for her? Should I address Aaron's paternity? She groaned and pulled her attention away from that subject. Right now she had more important things to do, such as keeping Cruella off her back and getting this article in as soon as possible. She turned her attention back to the fashion article and busied her fingers at typing.

A couple hours of incessant writing and editing, Jeanna printed two copies of my article: one to prepare in a booklet for Cruella and one for her to keep in case more editing was needed. She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a presentation book sleeve, adjusting the papers in the plastic binder just so.

“Jeanna, please. We have to talk.” Aaron's sudden voice behind her made Jeanna jump.

“What do you have to say to me? We just bumped into each other for the first time in three years.” She swiveled in her chair to face him, tilting her head to crack her neck.

Aaron's eyes bore holes into hers. “Just because we haven't talked in three years doesn't mean I still don't care about you.”

Jeanna scoffed. She couldn't believe he was going to try to pull that card. “Okay, fine. You can buy me lunch and we'll talk.”

He seemed relieved at her response. She grabbed her bag that sat under her desk and logged off her computer. Aaron offered her his arm when she stood up, but she ignored it and made her way toward the elevator.

They remained silence until they came to Central Park when they stopped at a street vendor for lunch. Aaron ordered a hot dog and Jeanna a gyro. She waited for Aaron, watching him pull his wallet out of his pocket and pay for the food. Once the transaction was complete, they moved over to a vacant bench to eat and talk.

“I meant what I said the other day, Jeanna,” Aaron said, mouth full of hot dog.

“Yeah, okay. Whatever that was.” She rolled her eyes.

Aaron crumpled his hot dog paper and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Damn, he inhaled that thing. “Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.”

Jeanna looked at him blankly and took a bite out of her sandwich, careful not to drop anything on her white polka dotted blouse. Whether it was because she really didn't know what he was talking about or if she just wanted to play him like he played her, she couldn't say. Aaron sighed loudly, but Jeanna focused her attention on a woman running past with a beautiful golden retriever.