Scattered Seeds

Chapter Fifty

After the raucous simmered down and people began to filter out into the hall, Tom insisted that he treat everyone to a late lunch.

And by everyone, he meant a reunion of their entire Somalia team.

"I'll ring Luke and Harry from the taxi," Tom said, as he waited for Jess to gather up her things. "I am quite sure they will be delighted to hear the good news."

Jess pulled the strap of her laptop case up over her shoulder, passed Mary a handful of folders, and then grinned at her assistant.

"You and Ben are coming as well," she stated.

Mary's eyes darted to Tom, and she pinked when he smiled at her.

"Oh, I don't know," she started, but Tom stepped forward to stand beside Jess.

"Of course you are coming," he encouraged.

"You and Ben have been my lifelines through all of this," Jess told Mary. "We couldn't have done this without you, and I want to thank both of you."

Mary gave her a sheepish smile of appreciation, and then relented to Jess's request.

"I'll just go and fetch Ben, then," she replied, beginning to blush even deeper at the mention of her boyfriend.

The mere notion that the tall, lanky techie was her man now sent thrilling waves of girlish delight rushing through Mary. They'd been seeing each other for weeks; going to the cinema and theatre, dining out, and learning all about one another. She found she was beginning to rely on the floppy-haired man's steady stream of positivity, and the understated confidence Ben possessed.

He stayed over the night before, and they made love for the first time. Ben was gentle with her, and Mary never felt the awkward embarrassment that she had with her few previous lovers.

Before work that morning, while he sat at her kitchen table with a mug of tea in his hands, Ben asked Mary if she would be his, to which she joyfully agreed. Mary chalked it up to destiny, and blessed the day that Jess stood up for her at the talent agency. Had they never met, Mary might not have stumbled upon the man she was fast falling in love with.

"I have a call to make first," Samuel stated from the doorway. "I'll only be a minute."

His eyes fixed on Jess, and she sensed a sadness haunting them before the doctor blinked, and then turned to leave.

"Pauline, you'll join us, won't you?" Tom asked, not noticing the exchange between Jess and Samuel.

The slender blonde nodded. "Of course," Pauline accepted, and then directed her attention to the American. "And Jess, I want you to take the remainder of the day off. You deserve it for what you accomplished here today."

"Why thank you," Jess responded. "I have some things to take care of, so the extra time will really help."

Pauline leaned in towards Tom, and then lowered her voice.

"As do you, I'd imagine," she suggested with a wink.

Tom did not know how much of his and Jess's past Pauline was aware of, but he could not agree with her more.

He had a whole lot to take care of, and one hundred percent of it pertained to the only other woman left in the room.

They arrived at Cecconi's in Mayfair in various cabs; Tom and Samuel in the backseat of one, Jess and Pauline in another, with Mary and Ben piling out of the last. Luke and Harry were already seated at the outside terrace, and upon the crew's arrival waiters shuffled to move multiple tables together.