She purred just loud enough for Caleb and his group of friends to hear her above the hub of conversation. And repeated what she has said earlier. "Anyway, I just wanted to stop by to say goodnight to Caleb." Jena pinned a smile on her lip and again looked at Caleb. Just in case he missed her resentment, her eyes conveyed her displeasure, "I spoke to your family, which just left you. I didn't mean to barge my way into your conversation with your friends. " Jena took another breath, told herself to get a grip, and ordered her feet to take a step away.
"Oh? You are leaving?" Chloe feigned concern. She was pleased this particular woman was going to leave. She knew, from Caleb's body language, there was something go on here.
"I am sure that Jena has other plans." Caleb said with acerbity.
Jena shook her head as she tried to ignore his acidity. "Yes, we have a busy day tomorrow." She tried to hide the fact she was upset and she was not sure why Caleb's attitude to her had changed within minutes. Her eyes flicked to meet his as she stated with coolness and a fair amount of terseness, "Anyway good to meet you all." Her body language conveyed dejection. "Enjoy the party. Good night." Which is not actually true, as this weekend was Jena's weekend off on the roster.
They all replied, "Bye."
Caleb tracked Jena. She reached the door where and the stranger spoke to her and gave her a smile. She nodded. Why she turned around, she didn't know why. She looked over her shoulder and she met Caleb's eyes. Caleb lifted a glass in toast. His arms still around Chloe. On the inside Jena sighed, but she smiled at him. She felt terrible. Her stomach was quavering, her head was pounding and her heart was quaking. Unsteady, she remained where she was. For several, long seconds their gazes were locked.
Nothing registered apart from the hurt. Caleb, could not believe he felt this. His pulse was throbbing with force accompanying by palpitations that were new and unwanted. A few seconds later, the stranger appeared at the door and handed a jacket to Jena. Jena smiled and accepted her jacket and put it on.
"You ok?" Matt asked because he saw pain flashed in the depths of Jena's eyes.
She muttered gloomily. "Just pleased that I am going home." She let out a loud sigh, Matt frowned in concern. Jena lifted her gaze and her eyes caught Caleb in his crowd. He was smiling. He looked happy. She frowned in thoughtful consideration, what happened here? Half an hour ago they were flirting, and when she joined his group, another woman was flirting with him. And he did not mind.
Idiot, stupid woman, she castigated herself. A woman with an ounce of sense would have steered well clear of this.
"He doesn't like me." She murmured quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. A forlorn smile banishing her impulse to cry.
With his back to Caleb, Matt asked Jena using deaf signals. "Who?" He was worried about her because she seemed so sad, laced with vulnerability, and that was unusual for Jena. He tapped her shoulder, because she had not heard the question.
"Sorry?" She did not realized she had voiced her thoughts. She looked away and she surreptitiously wiped away a tear that was threatening to fall. She couldn't cry, not here.
"You said, he doesn't like you. Who?" Again he used deaf signals.
She just waved her hands in the air, "Just ignore me. I think we were about to leave."
Matt smiled at her gently. Emotions flitted across her eloquent eyes and he knew her confidence was crumbling. "Yes. We are, boss! I can tell people my boss brought me home!" He put both arms on her shoulder, squeezed her, and drew her towards him. Which forced her to place her hands on his chest.
"Idiot!" She pushed him away. And it gave her an opportunity to look over his shoulder to see Caleb and his friends. He was smiling at them and they were smiling in return. Someone must have said something hilarious, for the smiles turned to laughter and Chloe took the opportunity to move closer to Caleb.
Jena sighed. She said with quiet dignity, "Come on Matt." And threaded her arm through Matt's gap made by his elbow and his body. She would leave with her head held high even if her heart was firmly lodged at her feet.
"Yes, boss!" Matt deaf signed and grinned when Jena cuffed his arm. Matt laughed.
Caleb pursed his lips in vexed frustration. A handful of kisses had taken his sensible world and left in pieces. She had tilted his world and he was not sure how to deal with that. He was temporarily lost. It was a new feeling. Caleb pulled himself together, the last thing he wanted was for her to turn around and find him slathering over her with her leaving with another man.
She didn't turn around. And his heart plummeted.
As Jena left with Matt, she asked him, "At what age do men stop being a jerk?"
His eyebrows rose, "Hey! I hope you are not thinking about me!" He signalled. He flicked her a measuring look.
"Of course not!"
"So why are you asking me?" He kept his eyes trained on her face because there was something that was off. And he tried to work out why Jena was asking him and who Jena thought was a jerk!
"Thought you might know!" Jena mumbled.
"Well, perhaps I can help, if knew which jerk we are talking about?"
She kept her head averted from his gaze. "Doesn't matter." She mumbled.
Matt was watching her intently, "Clearly it does matter." Matt looked over his shoulder, and was trying to work out which man. There was only one man staring at them. Sophie's brother. Matt scowled, Jena thought Sophie's brother was a jerk? Surely he was wrong. "You think Sophie's brother is a jerk?"
"I didn't say that!"
"You didn't have to." He looked down at Jena. "Why is he staring at us?"
"Who knows!" She felt her eyes smart. She was not going to cry.
"Come on Matt."