Friends with Benefits

Chapter 24

Jessica had a bad week at work. She was finding it difficult to concentrate on the negotiations and events which they were planning. Her team were looking to her for guidance and advice about ticketing issues regarding an art exhibition which was due to take place in two weeks' time, but she seemed to have forgotten what to do.

"What do we normally do when we get calls from people who have paid online but don't get their tickets?" she wondered. She needed to clear her head, but as problem after problem piled up in front of her, she felt like she was starting to lose it. Normally, she was calm and professional. She dealt with problems swiftly and easily. So what was wrong this week? She knew exactly what was wrong. Kyle, and the visit from his ex.

It was Wednesday and she had had no contact with Kyle since Sunday. She got home at seven, made herself a salad and sat on the sofa, wondering what to do. Should she call him? Would they be going out on Friday as usual? Did she even want to go out with him? She had told Kyle she needed time to think, and he was giving her that. She wasn't used to casual relationships. Was this how they worked? Did a relationship with no commitment mean the past was irrelevant? Did it mean they were free to date other people too? Was Kyle back on the app, looking for another date already? Had he been doing that the whole time they had been together? Were they even together? What did together mean when you were determined to be non-committed? Jessica sighed and chewed on a lettuce leaf. "Perhaps I'm overthinking things," she thought. "I like Kyle, we get along great. Maybe I ruined things on Sunday. Maybe I acted like a girlfriend. Which I'm not. I'm not Kyle's girlfriend."

Jessica knew why it had got to her. It brought back memories of her wedding day. Despite the time that had passed, it was obviously still upsetting for her. "I have to get over that," she thought. "That's what I was supposed to be doing when I joined that dating site and met Kyle. But if the whole thing with James hadn't have happened, would I have reacted the way I did? Probably not. Does Kyle think I see our friendship as a relationship? Probably. Do I?" Jessica put the bowl of salad down and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. After half a bottle, she felt better. And she had made a decision. The past didn't matter. Not if she wanted to move on in life. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Kyle.

"Hey, sorry about Sunday. Wanna meet up on Friday?"

The reply came quickly. "No problem. Sure. Same time, same place?"

"See you then."

She put her phone down and picked up her glass again.They would talk it through, and then everything would be back to normal.Friends-with-benefits. It would be like the conversation with Ruby had neverhappened.