Playing with fire

Carla

"Who's the brunette?" Carla asked Jacob as they sat together at lunch. The two had recently started dating and Carla was a nurse who worked on the intensive care unit.

"Which one?" Jacob asked as he smiled at Connie as she sat opposite him with Charlie and Rita,

"Slim, great legs, dark hair..."

Jacob looked at her, "Connie Beauchamp,"

Carla nodded, "she's Connie Beauchamp? She's beautiful,"

Jacob laughed, "that she is,"

"And the two of you are?"

"Friends," Jacob replied, watching as Carla raised her eyebrow,

"Problem with that?"

Carla shrugged, "she's the woman you run with isn't she?"

Jacob nodded, "yes,"

Carla rolled her eyes, "bloody hell."

"Hi I'm Carla," she smiled at Jack, "I'm looking for Jacob..."

"His shift finished a while ago," Jack replied,

"Stay here I'll see if I can find him,"

Carla smiled, "no worries, he may be with Connie, could you point me in the direction of her office again?"

Jack did as she asked and Carla stood for a moment, watching how Connie and Jacob sat on her sofa holding a cup of tea.

She watched how Connie stood up and pulled on her coat, before she kissed Jacob's cheek gently.

Carla stepped back and knocked on the door, smiling as Connie answered it,

"Carla," Jacob smiled, "sorry, lost track of time,"

"You should have said you had plans," Connie smiled, "I wouldn't have kept you, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll come by at six, make sure you're ready," he told her and she nodded.

Carla returned Connie's smiled, watching how Jacob couldn't quite pull his eyes from his boss.

Jacob put his arm around Carla and squeezed her gently, "you okay?" He asked and Carla smiled, "yes, come on let's get out of here."

"You could come and run too you know," he told Carla the following morning as she stood before him, her hands on her hips,

"You spend a lot of time with her you know," she uttered,

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked her, "Connie's my friend, if you don't like that then maybe you need to consider what you want from me."

"No Carla?" Connie asked as she matched his pace as they ran around the park,

"She doesn't like running, he replied and Connie smiled, "she probably doesn't like me either,"

Jacob laughed, "play nice... And besides I've always ran, it's just much more enjoyable with you."

The two sat on the hill outside the hospital after their run. "How are things at home?" He asked, watching as she shrugged, "he hasn't hit me again if that's what you mean," he looked at her, "i didn't mean it like that," 

She sighed, "I'm sorry..." She exhaled, "we're like two strangers who share a bed. We hardly see each other. Part of me wants a divorce, but I'm too scared to bring it up," she admitted, "his temper scares me, and I can get by how we are,"

"You deserve to be happy Connie," he told her, "there's more to life than just existing,"

"I know that," she nodded, "but I'm tired of fighting, and talking to him about ending things inevitably means more fighting."