Chasing Rainbows

Part Ten

                “You did what? Are you out of your tiny fucking mind?”

Jacob leaned back against the headrest, and closed his eyes. It was so unlike his best mate Andy to be so derogatory, so angry, but he appreciated the stress he was under and how he’d only increased that by announcing his news as soon as he’d sat in his car. It wouldn’t go down as one of the greatest things he’d ever done, but done it was. Emma’s smile burst into his brain like an explosion of light and for that split second he couldn’t believe it was wrong. But she had disappeared, and he had NO idea where she was.  And with her went any opportunity to control that, he’d never felt so confused, and so out to sea.

Finally opening his eyes, he rolled his head to take in the angry face of his best friend Andy, the scowl so evident despite his eyes being fixed intently on the road. He was angry, and trying his best to keep it under control.

Jacob sighed, “Ok, it’s not ideal; I mean it was hardly planned!”

Andy shook his head, “we...you are on the verge of something massive, and you go and tie yourself to some stranger?

Jacob sighed, his head still pounded and he found it hard to believe he’d made it back to San Francisco feeling as he did. And he was doubly glad that Andy was able to collect him from the airport. Of course Andy was right, the whole situation was ridiculous, but there was nothing he could do to change the last twenty four hours. And he wasn’t sure that he wanted to change anything. Until she’d run away, Emma had been a breath of fresh air, refreshingly different. It had stunned him that she’d left.

                “How ironic that it was the night that you pocketed a cool half a million!” Andy was still ranting. “Gold digger much? I cannot believe you didn’t see it coming!” Frustrated at the lack of answers his friends starting snapping questions at Jacob, “so where does she live? What does she do? Have you arranged to see her again? Can you annul this shit?”

Jacob groaned, “she’s English...beautiful, and funny. That’s all I know! I have no idea how or where to find her, because she ran out on me this morning, ok?” He gulped at the sudden wave of emotion that hit him at the thought of ending the marriage. He had to talk to her, had to work out what they were going to do. Because she was all he described and more, and he was more than a little gutted that they hadn’t had the chance to speak this morning, make plans. But she’d run out on him, leaving him to nurse the hangover from hell.

                “At least you won the competition, but that was meant to be payment to your father NOT alimony to wife who’s miraculously appeared in the world! I mean come on Coren, you need to focus here. The next six months are make it or break it!”

Jacob groaned, it was alright for Andy, he’d done all that was expected of him, at thirty three he’d just become partner in a corporate law company. He’d excelled in all he did, achieving everything at a record young age; he even had the beautiful actress girlfriend and the house in the best postal district in the city. He was everything that Jacob’s parents wanted in a son, but didn’t have. In fact he was the epitome of the success the whole of the world seemed to want to instil in him.

But Andy wasn’t like the rest, he didn’t presume, he didn’t judge, and he didn’t think that the hotshot lawyer was too good to hang out with the skateboarding drop out. He was the only person from his Ivy League School that he still saw and spoke to. And he was never usually this judgemental or angry, no matter what happened in their lives.

Jacob pulled his baseball cap down over his still aching eyes and sighed, “Andrew French, you are being a complete bastard kicking me when I’m down. Can you get me home already?”