Wait for me to come Home

Chapter 3

Saturday morning, Jennie was working from her home office. Getting up from behind her desk, she padded barefoot to the kitchen to make herself another cup of coffee. Walking back into her office, she sat back behind her desk and picked up her phone.

There was a missed call from Lisa. Jennie straightened up, pressing dial on her number and pressing the phone to her ear.

"Hey!" Lisa's cheerful voice came through the phone.

"Sorry I was making coffee, I didn't hear my phone," Jennie apologised, propping her chin up on her hand.

"No problem, I just wanted to see what you were up to," Lisa replied, and Jennie could picture her clearly, smiling widely for no reason at all.

"Nothing important," Jennie said, all thoughts about her work momentarily forgotten.

"Well if you're not busy tonight, I was thinking we could go to the carnival, they have the best toffee apples there and I've really been craving them lately, but if you already have plans that's cool too."

Jennie sat there listening to Lisa babble, wondering if she always talked this much or just when she got excited. Eventually she managed to cut in when Lisa paused for some air.

"That sounds great," Jennie told her, "shall we meet there or would you like a ride?"

"Oh no, it's fine, I wouldn't want you to go out of your way, we can meet there," Lisa replied.

Jennie frowned slightly, "it's no trouble, really. Do you have a car?"

"Well no, but I can get a cab," Lisa replied, her voice bright as she started getting excited about tonight.

"I'll pick you up, I insist," Jennie told her, "shall we say six?"

"Six is perfect," Lisa practically sang into the phone, "do you remember where I live?"

"Of course," Jennie smiled slightly.

"I'll see you later then!" Lisa said, her voice full of excitement.

As the line went dead Jennie picked up her coffee, taking a sip as she leant back in her chair with a thoughtful expression on her face. What did one wear to a carnival?

-----

At five to six in the night, Jennie's driver pulled up outside Lisa's apartment building. Lisa was already waiting outside, a coat draped over one arm. She was dressed casually, a plaid shirt tucked into her pants, her hair up in a bun. Jennie looked down at her clothes self-consciously, she'd settled for the most casual thing she could think of; a shirt and a pair of pants with a coat buttoned over the top to keep away the chill. Her smile was radiant as she walked over to Jennie's car, sliding into the back.

"Hi!" she beamed, as she buckled her seatbelt in.

"Hello," Jennie smiled slightly, her face full of shadows in the dim light of the car, "how are you?"

"I'm great! How are you?" Lisa asked, smiling widely at Jennie.

"Good, thank you for asking," she replied, watching Lisa's nose crinkle as she smiled.

They sat mostly in silence as Jennie's driver drove them to the carnival near the pier. Occasionally Lisa would burst out with a random though, or comment on something outside the car window and Jennie would murmur a reply. She had never been one for small talk, and was content to watch Lisa people watch, enjoying the childlike wonder she hadn't left behind.