Unexpected Romance - 5 Romantic Short Stories (9 page)

Tom sipped his whisky. "Sure, it's about time I met her. She must be special to have brightened up your life. You're not half as miserable as you used to be. I sort of miss the grumpy bad tempered you, you're much more relaxed since you met her."

"She's amazing, wait 'until you meet her. You'll see what I mean." Jim smiled.

Tom's phone rang, it was that number again, "Be back in a minute, I'll just step outside to take this call."

"Hello is this Tom?" A female voice wrapped in static asked.

"Yes it is, who is this?" Tom replied.

"It's Helen, remember me?"

Tom's heart leapt and a big smile broke out on his face. "Of course I do, so good to hear your voice again. I've been thinking about you a lot. How are you?"

"I'm great, I've been thinking about you too, I'd love to see you again, sooner rather than later, if possible." Helen purred down the phone.

"What are you doing tonight, Helen?"

"I'm going to a local bar with my sister, the Kings Arms in Kew Gardens."

Tom gasped. "You're joking me. I'm standing outside that pub right now. I noticed you had a local number but this is ridiculous."

Helen's jaw dropped. "Are you really? This is amazing, these coincidences are really stacking up. I think I need to sit down. I feel kind of funny. And, oh by the way, I don't live in Kew, my sister does, I stay with her when I go to and from Heathrow. I live just outside London, in the countryside. Look, I better stop talking and get off her phone, we'll head out the door and see you in a bit. I'm so excited, bye."

"Great. I'll see you when you get here in that case. I can't wait."

Tom and Jim were both speechless when Helen and Sarah walked in the door and over to their fireside table, but for different reasons.

Helen looked stunning, her long brown hair resting on her shoulders, her slim figure accentuated by the lines of her navy blue dress. She looked like an angel.

Tom stood up and walked to her. He looked into her smiling blue eyes and hugged her before kissing her gently on both cheeks. She felt herself sink into his broad chest, she felt his strong arms around her and as she looked up into those deep brown eyes, it was there again, that special feeling, that connection.

She took a seat right next to him and stared into his eyes.

"It's still there," Tom whispered in her ear.

"That special feeling!" Helen knew what he meant before he even said it.

"Yes. That special connection," Tom grinned and squeezed her hand. "Thank God, you phoned. I've missed you so much."

"I almost didn't phone you." Helen confessed.

"Really? Why?" Tom looked surprised.

"Well, I phoned you right after I met Jim at the airport but your number was engaged. Then, I skillfully lost that business card he gave me. I couldn't believe it. I thought I'd never see you again. It wasn't until I saw Sarah when I got back today that she showed me how to retrieve previously dialed numbers. I'm clueless with technology. She saved the day."

Sarah laughed, "She's not joking, you'll soon learn the hard way to keep her away from computers and phones, she can crash anything without even trying to. Quite amazing really."

Jim kissed Sarah on the cheek, "This has been a mind blowing evening for all of us. Time to get some more drinks in if you ask me."

"Has it really been six months already?" Helen looked up into Tom's beautiful brown eyes.

Tom put his arm around Helen's waist. "Yes darling, even though it seems like only a week. Tonight is the sixth full Moon since our first kiss. Look at it, it's beautiful, just like you."

They walked over the bridge bathed in the brilliant glow of the Moon, hand in hand, whispering to each other. Like lovers do, like a man and a woman do when they find the one, when fate moves to bring them together and keep them together forever.

The heart knows what the head never can, love draws people together in sometimes mysterious ways and even great distances cannot keep two people apart, for two people who are meant to be together will find each other no matter what, no matter how great the obstacles, no matter how unlikely it may seem. Love always, always finds a way.

Helen held up her left hand to the light from the street lamp, "Look how the diamond is glowing in the light."

Tom looked into her sparkling blue eyes and kissed Helen firmly on the lips. "It's radiant just like you. I love you so much Helen, thank you for saying yes."

"My pleasure, I'm sure my heart has picked me a fine husband." Helen whispered.

"I dumped John last night. I just couldn't take it anymore," Jill cried on the phone to her best friend Sue.

Sue stopped pacing up and down her kitchen floor and took a seat. "What? Last week you were telling me you two were made for each other. And now this, what happened?"

"I found out he'd been cheating on me. I feel like such a fool. It was going on right under my nose and I never suspected a thing. I should have known better. If it seems too good to be true it probably is." Jill sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. That's awful. And he seemed like such a nice guy, way better than the other low life I've seen you with before. It looked like you'd finally found someone good for you. I'm so sorry, Jill. Really, I truly am."

"Not as sorry as I am. I never want to see that cheating liar ever again. He's going to regret the day he cheated on me. I can tell you that for sure."

"What do you mean, Jill?"

"Let's just say revenge will be mine, and it'll be sweet."

"Jill, you're clearly upset, and rightly so, but please don't do anything you'll regret later. Take some time to calm down first. I hope you're listening to me. This is important."

"Ok, ok, I hear you, Sue. I'll wait until I calm down, then, I'll get my revenge."

Sue spoke more firmly. "Look, take it from someone who has been there before, revenge can back fire, badly. That's all I have to say about it. And you're positive, absolutely positive he was cheating on you?"

Jill took a deep breath before continuing. "Yes, he was fooling around with my neighbour, Sally, the glamorous one, from across the street. I never liked her that much but I never expected she'd stoop this low, the bitch. There is no doubt in my mind that the two of them were all over each other. I bet they had a good laugh at my expense. John of all people, I never thought he was the kind of person to do that, just shows how wrong you can be."

"Jill, have you two talked it over? It might be worth doing if only for the sake of closure."

"I confronted him and he denied it, he said he didn't even know what I was talking about. He said Sally was the last person in the world he would choose to have an affair with. Of course, that was purely academic at that point given that he'd already tried her out as it were, that smug bitch." Jill dried her eyes.

"So, was this going on for a while or did you catch them at it right at the beginning?"

"I don't know, Sue. Like I said, John denied the whole thing had even happened. He made me sick just looking at him so I told him to pack up his stuff and move out. By the time I got back from the office that evening he was gone and all his things were too except for that weights machine he kept in the garage. He'd even taken his precious bikes, all three of them, I always suspected he loved those silly bikes more than me. I'll be dismantling that weights machine and trashing it before he can come back for it." Jill sniffled and blew her nose.

"This is awful, just awful. I never guessed John could be so deceitful. You'd think he'd at least have the courage to own up to it when you caught him out. It sounds like you're better off without him, much better off in fact. If you can't even trust him with the neighbours it's just not worth it. You did the right thing, Jill. I'm behind you 100% on this."

"Thank you Sue, I knew I could count on you. Unfortunately you know only too well what it's like when someone cheats on you. Now that I've been through it too I'm determined to never let it happen again. And I will get revenge just not in the way you think."

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

With raw determination in her voice Jill started speaking more quickly. "I'm going to get out there and find someone better than John, someone more successful, someone younger. I'll show him he just made the biggest mistake of his life. He'll hear about it from his friends, how I'm going out to the best restaurants with the in crowd, they'll see me hanging with the movers and shakers. He'll feel like such a loser when he hears about it. That for me will be the ultimate revenge. I can't wait. It's going to be a blast."

"You go for it, Jill. You'll have no trouble replacing him. Take a look at yourself in the mirror if you don't believe me, you're beautiful. You're only 34 and you have a body to die for, you're hot stuff. With that beautiful long brown hair you'll have the men chasing after you."

"I will and thanks again for being there. It means so much, it really does. Talk to you soon, bye, Sue."

Sitting on her living room sofa, Jill excitedly passed her phone to Sue, "Take a look at this guy."

Sue smiled, "Nice, very nice. Isn't that Sam Worrance, the real estate developer? I saw him on TV two nights ago."

"Yes, that's him alright. And check out this photo, that's Tim Mullerson, the top lawyer. And this one, that's Ed Hogart, the actor."

Sue looked up from the screen to face Jill, "It looks like you've been a very busy girl this last month. You sure don't hang about. So, which one will be the lucky guy?"

Jill grinned from ear to ear, "Right now, I just want to have fun, I'm out on the town 4 or 5 nights a week and I'm having a blast. I've met so many new people lately it's been great. And, I've had a lot of attention from the alpha males of this town so all in all it's been a lot of fun."

"I can see that. You're glowing, you look 5 years younger. I haven't seen you look this good in ages. Good for you, Jill. I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you. And I heard through the grapevine that John, that cheating bastard, has heard about my dating frenzy. Apparently he's not too pleased about it. I told you I'd have my revenge, and yes, it's sweet." Jill laughed.

"Serves him right, Jill. He must have been crazy to risk losing you, he got what he deserved. Silly man. Sounds like you're better off, much better off without him. That's all I can say about this whole sorry matter. And I bet he's the sorry one now. Good riddance to that useless excuse for a man."

Jill raised her eyebrows and stared at Sue. "Hey, he's not that bad. He made a mistake and I'm getting him back and I'll move on. But let's not stick the sword in too far, eh?"

Sue nodded her head. "You're right, I got a bit too carried away. So tell me, when am I going to meet your new man?"

The smile faded from Jill's face. "It's not like that, yet. I'm just dating, having fun, showing those men I can party and give as good as I get. There's plenty of time to find a replacement for John."

"You go for it, Jill. Sounds like you have it all figured out. You're happy and you're having a ball. Obviously if I wasn't happily married I'd be out there with you."

"I know you would, Sue. To be perfectly honest, you're better off at home in the arms of your husband. Going out to the bars and clubs is fun but don't forget I'm 34 now. I look around and I'm one of the oldest women there. Some of the girls look like they haven't even finished school yet. I suppose some of them haven't.

"This is all a bit of fun but I'm under no illusion that I'll be doing this for long, it's just too tiring when you have a demanding day job. You know, it´s one thing living like this when you're 24 and only getting started in your career, it's a different story 10 years later when you're running a business."

"Of course, different ball game," Sue nodded.

Jill crossed her arms. "Actually, and I'm surprised to be admitting this, I've started to wonder if it was such a good idea splitting from John. Maybe I over reacted and jumped to conclusions when I should have waited before telling him to move out."

"You're kidding me, right? He cheated on you and now you've changed your mind and that's ok for some reason?"

Jill furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. "I put 2 and 2 together and got 4 but he says I got 5. These guys I'm partying with aren't like John. They're the kind of men who do cheat on their wives and girlfriends. That's why I'm starting to wonder if I got this all wrong. Maybe my own fears caused me to suspect the worst when really there wasn't a problem to begin with. I don't know, I just don't know what to think."

"My word, you have got yourself in a right pickle. What are you going to do?"

"Sue, I didn't tell you this but I got a text from John last night. He said he'd like to meet. So we can talk about things, I haven't got back to him. I wanted to ask your opinion before I did something stupid."

"There's no harm in talking, Jill. You've heard his side of the story before. If he has more to say it might help you decide if he is lying or not."

"I never did let him tell me the full story. I was so mad when I saw him leaving Sally's house by the back door, I told him to leave right away. I was just so angry I couldn't think straight."

"Jill, you owe it to yourself to hear what he has to say. Really, for the sake of one conversation with him. It'll be closure for you if nothing else. It'll allow you to move on and find someone better."

Jill looked down and played with her phone. "I guess you're right. I still find myself thinking about him, wondering what he's up to. When I come home I miss talking to him. I haven't got him out of my head yet. If I talk to him and get closure it'll help, a lot."

It was 2am and Jill couldn't sleep, she had too much on her mind, and it was too late to phone Sue.

She flicked on the light, grabbed her phone and clicked on email to reread what she had written earlier…