Thwaites & Thompson

Perhaps Jealousy?

*****
Thwaites

"It is fun." I chuckle and Tess scans the photograph again.

"But-there are like-over forty shops in one shopping mall..." She frowned a little and I shook my head.

"I'm not responsible for the interior particulates of the shops. Just the mall."
"The block itself, as a building."
"I may be handed the interiors of the grocery market though, the basement garage, and the food court division..." I nodded and she nodded, seemingly impressed.

"So, do you have something in mind already?" She asks and I tilt my head from side to side.

"I want the architecture to be great, so I'd have to research-alot-and come up with a marvel."
"Once that gets decided, everything else will fall in place." I conclude.

"I can't wait to see what you'll come up with..." She nodded with a genuine smile and I smiled back ephemerally.

"I-"

"Tess?"

We both turn our heads towards the source of the voice.

A man in a mustard sweater and dark jeans, olive complexion, almost no hair, green eyes, round face, no beard, light mustache... He looked like an awfully clean rich boy. Probably a year or two younger than me.

Tess's face was fallen, drained out of color, which made me turn towards him, slightly alerted.

They stare into each other's eyes for half a minute and then the rich boy turns to me with a tight smile.

"Hi, I'm Oliver..." I shook his hand firmly and then I glanced at Tess who was still looking at Oliver.

Ofcourse...
It just had to be him...

"Well Oliver, why don't you take my seat? I was just leaving..." I get to my feet and pat on his back once.

After all, it was Oliver, her ex-boyfriend.
I had to give them some privacy...

"See you around Tess..." I wink at her with a smile that instantly dissappears when I step out of the coffee shop.

"Just great..." I sigh heavily and get into my car, firing up the engine...

After drawing eighteen drafts of the fantasy mall, all of which went straight to the trash can, I laid down on my bed, tossing my baseball in the air rhythmically, hearing the ticks and tocks of the bedside clock.

Nala was fast asleep and Tess wasn't home yet...

I decide to wait for a few more minutes before I give her a call, or send her a text...
And if she doesn't reply, I'm locking my bedroom's door and sleeping in.

I nod to myself.

I toss the baseball a few more times until my chest gets really tight and I pull myself up to reach for my phone.

I dial her number and hang up after exactly three beeps.

I toss my phone on the bedside table and get to my feet to place the baseball onto the high shelf beside my bed.

I pull off my shirt, tossing it on a nearby chair, and then and I flick the lights off and dive into my bed.

A fraction of a second prior to fading into deep sleep, I hear my door flick open. I open my eyes but I don't move until I feel the door getting swung back.

I turn my head and find her stepping back out.

"Tess..."

She almost jumps in her place.