Cole & Jamie

May 2016

"Jamie, you have a call on line one," Melody said from the doorway of my office.

"Did you ask for a name?" My eyes blurred as I looked up from the computer for the first time in what felt like hours. I was going over our budget for the month and I had always been good with numbers but accounting was never something I enjoyed.

Destiny sauntered into the room, saying, "No, but he sounded sexy."

Taking a sip of my coffee, it was cold. "Tell me, Destiny, what does sexy sound like?"

"Deep, a little raspy...the voice you want to hear whisper sweet nothings to you." She sighed wistfully plopping down in the chair in front of my desk. "It almost sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. We asked for a name, but he wouldn't give it to us. He just said you knew him." 

Tony...no, that ship had sailed a long time ago. Unless it was to tell me how much I broke his heart again, he wasn't likely to be calling me at work so who could it be. Jackson, maybe? No, he would call my cell. I studied the number on the caller I.D. and it wasn't one I recognized.

"Are you going to answer it?" Melody asked anxiously waiting for me to answer the phone.

"Oh, right." That would be the easiest way to see who it was.

Destiny tapped her long fingernails. "I'm sure they'll tell you who they are once you answer."

I waved her off as I picked up the phone. "Very funny."

She gestured for me to pick up the phone.

Anticipation built in my chest as I answered the phone. "Jamie Anderson speaking, how may I help you today?"

I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end, "Hello?" Was this just a prank call?

"Jamie?" a deep voice said on the other end.

The voice did sound sort of familiar, but I still couldn't place it. "Yes, may I ask who I'm speaking to?"

"It's me, Cole." I felt my heart drop down to the pit of my stomach as my fingers tightened around the phone. I couldn't find the words to speak, my mouth just opened and closed, open and closed, with no sound coming out. Goosebumps raised on my arms.

"Jamie? Jamie? Are you still there?" Cole asked on the other end of the phone.

"Yes--," I said, finally finding my words. "Yes--yes, I'm here."

"Who is it?" Destiny whispered. I just shook my head at her and motioned for her to leave. She remained in the chair stubbornly, I gave her a stern look letting her know I was serious. She reluctantly left the room, sporting a pout.

"Hey, Cole are you there?" I whispered after she was gone. 

"I'm still here." 

"Why did you call? I mean– it's good to hear from you." Tears pricked my eyes as I struggled to take a steady breath. It's been so long, but the feelings I had for him were still there. 

"It's been a while hasn't it," he said, fondly, "I'm in town and wanted to know if you were free for dinner."

"I would love to get dinner with you." I shouldn't have been so eager but who knows if I'll ever get this opportunity again. Cole is hardly the type of guy to take rain checks especially not for someone he hasn't seen in a decade.  

"What day works best for you?" he asked. "I'm free any time." 

I flipped through my planner quickly looking for a free night. Landing on a free date I grabbed a pen so I could write it down, "I'm free on the sixth if that's good for you."

"That's great," he said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see you."

I grinned, clutching the phone to my ear. "I can't wait to see you too."

"Ricci's at seven, sounds good?"

"That sounds great." I jotted down the restaurant and time in my planner. "I'll see you then."

"See you then."

After hanging up, I stared at the phone trying to process everything that just happened. Cole Walters just called me after ten fucking years. The excitement was quickly followed by wariness. He was the one that ended our friendship and now he's just back like nothing ever happened. Granted we're not the same kids we were back then, one of us was on the cover of Forbes last month, and it definitely wasn't me, but could I accept him back in my life after everything that was said between us?

I want to. I want to forgive and forget if given the opportunity I would rewind the clock and take it all back. The past ten years have been a whirlwind and I only wish he would have been there to see it all. A tear fell from my eyes as I thought about how different things could have been if we would have stayed in touch. It's too late to take it all back now. The only thing we can do is move on from it and start fresh. 

There was a slight knock on my office door. "Can we come in now!" Destiny called from behind the stained wood.

I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before the two of them barged in. If it would have been anyone else the intrusion into my personal space would have bothered me but I couldn't be mad at these girls.

Destiny perched on the corner of my desk. "Who was it? Do we like them?"

So far I had kept Cole a secret to anyone I had met since leaving home at eighteen. My good friend, Jackson, in New York only knows him by his first name and has no clue that my childhood best friend is also a famous music producer. "It was an old friend; he wants to get dinner this week."

Melody gasped, she was less invasive staying at the door. "You have a date."

"Now you have to tell us who this mystery man is," Destiny added leaning all over my paperwork.

I chuckled, standing from my chair, "Oh, no, I don't." Telling them about Cole was only going to raise more questions that I didn't feel like answering right now. Maybe after I called Trish, and my mom, who would inevitably call Harriet, who would then circle back to me to ask me more questions. 

I clapped my hands together. "Let's get back to work, Ladies." If I was working I wouldn't be thinking about the who, what, when, where and why's of Cole's sudden reappearance in my life. 

Hiiii, I hope you all enjoyed this little chapter of Cole & Jamie. Revisiting this story is really fun for me and I'm happy to see you all are just as excited about it as I am. I hope to have another chapter posted in the next few days. Don't forget to comment below with any thoughts or comments you may have. I love reading them.