The Chances You Take

Isobel

They drove to town in Isobel's car. Jack's van was full of tools and they needed her boot space, so it had made sense. She hadn't given him a lift in a long time and had forgotten what he was like as a passenger. When they had been teenagers, Isobel drove him into college if their timetables allowed, and they'd bickered like an old married couple. She wasn't a morning person and appreciated silence, whereas Jack talked non-stop. He would spend the whole time fidgeting with dials and flicking through every radio station trying to find a song he liked. When he finally did, he'd belt it out like he was auditioning on a tv show. What he lacked in musicality, he made up for in enthusiasm. If it had been the afternoon, she'd have probably joined in with him, but it was 8am. Even back then she'd needed a coffee before feeling sociable and on more than a few occasions she'd abruptly turned the radio off and threatened to kick him out.

He was sat next to her now, legs spread wide with the seat pushed all the way back. He'd brought some spare clothes with him last night so was wearing ripped jeans and a patch of his thigh was exposed. The hair on his leg tickled her hand every time she changed gear and she kept feeling the urge to put her hand in the hole.

He was trying to connect his phone to the Bluetooth and swearing under his breath every time it failed. "Jack why don't you just use my phone", Isobel said, passing it over. He smiled at her background. It was the two of them curled up at the pub last weekend. "I can't get into your phone though Iz, wanted to play some moosic". "Just add your thumbprint, you can unlock it yourself then". Jack looked over at her, dumbstruck. "That's a big step innit. You've basically just proposed, in modern terms". Isobel rolled her eyes at him. "You used to drive me mad with your channel hopping. Now you can find the song you want without us falling out over it". Jack grinned, it all coming flooding back to him. "You hated me some mornings, I thought you were going to push me out as we went round the ring road". "It used to cross my mind..", she said wistfully. He looked over at her. "I keep 'avin' to pinch meself Iz, that you're actually my girlfriend now. We've got so much history, it seems mad that we weren't a couple then. I get the memories muddled in me head sometimes, thinkin' we must have been together but we never were, were we?" Isobel reached over to squeeze his thigh. "Lines were always a bit blurred though weren't they?", she said, "I was never sure if you felt the same way, I couldn't tell". "I did Iz", he said sadly. "Guess I should have made it more obvious". Isobel was quiet for a minute and then said, "If you think about it too much, it'll drive you crazy Jack. Everything happens for a reason. We were young then, we would have messed it up, hurt each other. We're built on so much more now and we've learnt from past mistakes." "You'll tell me if I'm ever bein' a prat won't ya? Before you break up with me, so I can fix it?", Jack pleaded as she parked the car. "Stop worrying Jack, you're being a prat", she said as she grabbed either side of his face and kissed him.

Isobel took a few parcels to the Post Office and then they headed to a jewellers. She'd been meaning to get a chain fixed on a necklace and hadn't got round to it, but this felt like a day for running errands. They walked through the door hand in hand and Isobel's eyes were drawn to all the sparkling diamonds, she couldnt help but look. They practically glittered under the LED lights. The sale assistant clocked them immediately and swanned over. "Looking for anything special today", he beamed at them both. "Oh", Isobel said, immediately realising what it looked like, "no no, just need a repair please!". She cringed at herself and dared to look at Jack, who was trying not to laugh. She explained what needed doing and the assistant took the chain away to take a closer look. Jack wandered over to a tray of rings, each with a diamond bigger than the last. "You've got expensive taste", Isobel said as she joined him. "Play along Iz", he whispered, before saying to the sales assistant, in a faux posh accent, "Excuse me sir, we'd like to try this one please". He was pointing to a ring that cost more than Isobel's car, set with three huge diamonds. The sales assistant put a pair of white gloves on and fetched it out to show them, before passing it to Jack. He carefully slid it onto her ring finger, smirking at her as he did. She tried to get into her role, as ridiculous as it was, but had to admit that the ring was beautiful. She was speechless really, both at the ring and at the idea of Jack giving it to her. "Hmm, I'm not sure darling", she said, "are three diamonds enough?". Jack's mouth was twitching now. "You're right my love, you deserve at least double". He handed the ring back to the assistant. "Thank you, but not the one. I'll know it when I see it". She took a moment to glance at the other rings, lingering on one with a simple but stunning oval diamond. It stood out against the others as it was a little different, still classic but unusual in shape. She looked up at Jack who was watching her intently. "Asda?", she asked. He took her hand and they left the shop, in a bit of a daze.