What Jack Wants

Chapter Seven

Something wasn't right. Lisa looked around, she'd heard footsteps but no one seemed to be behind her. She kept walking but had the feeling again and turned around but yet again, there was no one. It was dark so she couldn't really see beyond a few steps. She picked up her pace and walked as fast as she could.

Lisa had caught a ride back home with a colleague that lived a few blocks away from her. She had been working late and when she got out of the office, she met him in the parking lot about to head home and he offered her a ride so she took him up on his offer. She didn't want to burden him so she insisted on walking the rest of the way home when they got to his apartment.

Lisa kept walking as fast as she could towards her apartment. She would occasionally hear the footsteps but then they would stop. By the time she got to the front door, her fear was suffocating and she couldn't get into her apartment fast enough.

She pushed into the apartment, quickly shutting and bolting it afterwards. She leaned against the door and heaved a breath, beyond relieved.
"Were you running?"
Lisa jumped as she heard Jordan's voice.
"What's going on?" Jordan questioned Lisa's strange behaviour.
"I thought someone was following me."
"You were in a cab weren't you?"
"No. I got a lift from work and had to walk a few blocks."
"It's past nine, are you out of your mind?"
"I didn't think it was a big deal."
"I'm sure you're just being paranoid right now, all things considered. But Lisa, it's not safe to walk by yourself at night. I thought you had the same cabbie for a reason."
"He couldn't make it today." Lisa took off her shoes and headed to her bedroom.
"I'm going to take a bath."

Lisa took a bath and changed into a pair of pyjama shorts and a tank top and went back out to the living room where Jordan was watching TV. She turned towards Lisa when she came out, eyes filled with pity.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Come, sit down." Jordan patted the seat beside her on the lone long couch in the living room.
"Okay, you're acting weird. What is it?" Lisa said but joined Jordan on the couch.
"Jack just announced his engagement. It was on HipTv seconds ago."
Lisa felt her chest squeeze when she heard Jordan's words. She hadn't seen Jack in two weeks since their last encounter but she thought they were just sticking to their resolution. Jack had promised to find a way to help her deal with the Randy situation and in Lisa's mind, that meant that they would finally be able to try their hand at a relationship.
"Lisa, are you okay?" Jordan touched Lisa on the back, eyes etched with concern for her friend.
"Yeah... It's just a little surprising."
"Is it? I thought you turned him down. You knew he was going to try with someone else."
"Yeah, it's just that..." Lisa paused, she hadn't filled Jordan in on her last encounter with Jack. "Never mind, I'm just surprised that it happened so soon."
"Okay, out with it. What is it?"
"It's nothing, don't worry."
"Lisa." Jordan knew that something was wrong and she was set on getting it out of Lisa.
"We uhmm... We had sex again." Lisa looked away, suddenly ashamed for giving in to her desires and sleeping with Jack.
"What? When?"
"Two weeks ago. I told him about Randy, my past, the threats, everything. I convinced him that we couldn't be together but he made me promise to wait, that he was going to try to help and I believed him." Lisa's voice caught at the last word and Jordan wrapped a hand around her shoulders, offering comfort. "He made me promise to wait until he could come up with a solution. He's been texting me every now and then, I honestly didn't think he was going ahead with the marriage arrangement."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
Jordan hugged her friend. "So what are you going to do?"
"There's nothing to be done. He's getting married, that's the end of it." Lisa decided there and then that she wasn't going to mourn something that wasn't even there in the first place.
"Will you at least let him explain?"
"No. He could've at least told me but he didn't. He went and announced his engagement on TV and I got to find out like everyone else. He's clearly done with me."
"Lisa..."
"Don't bother. Jack and I are over, for real this time."