PART ELEVEN
The next day, at quarter to three, I found myself walking into the Starbucks Jess had mentioned. It was quite crowded, but I managed to find a seat in the back corner, spreading my hoody over the spare seat as I waited for Jess to arrive.
At five minutes before three I got a text.
[If you are there already can you get me two shots of espresso? I don’t have a lot of time.]
I frowned at the text, what did she mean she didn’t have a lot of time? Was she serious when she said she could only book me in for thirty minutes.
I did what she requested though, leaving my hoody on the table and heading up to the counter to order our drinks. Two shots of espresso was kind of a random thing to order. As a girl I was expecting her to be into one of those super sweet frozen drinks. But no, this was kind of hardcore.
Once I got the drinks I went back and sat at the table, taking a sip of my cappuccino and playing with my phone.
“Hi,” said a voice, causing me to look up.
“Jess, hey!” I said, standing up and awkwardly trying to figure out how to greet her. Should I give her a hug? A kiss on the cheek?
She didn’t seem to notice what I was thinking as she set her bag on the floor. It was a very nice leather shoulder bag that clearly served as a sort of briefcase, and she took care to set it nicely under her seat.
I sat back down as Jess took her seat across from me, placing her blackberry on the table next to her. She was wearing a black work dress and tall heels, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The only word to describe her appearance was immaculate. There wasn’t a strand of hair out of place, her dress clung to all of the right places, and even her nails seemed perfect.
“How are you?” I asked, trying to start a conversation.
“Fine,” she replied shortly, eyeing up her drink.
“It’s exactly what you asked for,” I said, “I just got it like five minutes ago.”
“Thanks,” she sighed, taking a short sip. "Let me get you some money.”
“No my treat,” I smiled.
She wasn’t really listening though as she grabbed her bag out and pulled out her wallet.
“Seriously, don’t worry about it!”
I watched as Jess let a small sigh, pushing her things back into her bag. “Thanks.”
“Not a problem! Been a busy day?”
“Insane, as always,” Jess said, taking another sip of her drink, “Thanks for coming to meet me, makes things much easier.”
“Again, not a problem.”
We sat awkwardly for a minute as I tried to think up something to say. Jess didn’t really seem like the type to strike up conversation. She sat calmly, staring at me across the table. Like she was studying me or something.
“Why did you ask me here?” she asked after a minute.
“Um… Well I enjoyed watching the football with you the other day.”
“And?”
“Do I need more of an answer than that?” I asked, “You just seemed like the kind of girl I’d like to take out, get to know more, that kind of thing.”
She raised her eyebrow at me over the table, as if she didn’t really believe my answer was fully true. “What about Marnie?”
“What about her?”
“Why did you ask her out?” Jess asked.
“She didn’t tell you? It was a blind date. I’ve still never seen her in person.”
“Hmm…” Jess said, tapping her fingernail on the table gently. To be honest she kind of scared me, her striking features and her perfect appearance made her very intimidating.
“To be honest, I’ve been on a few blind dates lately…”
“Oh?” Jess asked, “Why?”
I was about to answer when her phone started ringing on the table, buzzing loudly.
“Sorry, I’ve got to take this,” she said, “Its work.”
“Sure…”
She gave me an apologetic look and snatched up the phone. “This is Jessica … What do you mean they’re voting tomorrow? I thought it was supposed to be next week! … I know someone needs to brief the Earl! It’s on his schedule for late tomorrow afternoon … I know that won’t do! … Let me check …” I watched on as she grabbed her bag and pulled out an iPad, flicking through a few pages and then scrolling down. “He’s booked in from four on and I can’t move them with this short of notice … Yeah it’ll have to be now … I’ll be there in five!”
My eyes were wide as she finished up, switching off her phone and the iPad and throwing the pair of them in her bag.
“I have to go,” she said, digging around in her things, “Urgent work matters.”
“But…”
“I’m sorry,” she said, putting a bill on the table, “Thanks for the drink.”
“Can’t we reschedule?” I stuttered. I saw my chance of finding a good date to the charity event literally slipping away in front of me.
“I don’t have the time,” she said shortly, “It was a pleasure to see you again.”
I stood up and watched her glide out of the coffee shop. Her heels clicked on the floor, but they didn’t impede her stride. She walked confidently and with a purpose, her phone glued to her ear as she made another call.
Sitting back down I looked at the table. Jess had hardly touched her drink and there was a twenty-pound note sitting there, which was completely unnecessary since the drink probably cost two pounds.
‘What the hell was that?’ I asked myself.
I think the most striking thing about the entire encounter was the fact that this girl was nothing like the one I’d met at her flat, watching the Chelsea game. That girl was in sweats, drinking a beer, and yelling at the television. This girl was some corporate monster or something, exuding perfection. How was that all even possible?
I guess it was back to the drawing board on this date thing…
PART TWELVE
After leaving Starbucks I headed back towards the studio to meet up with the boys. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to them, it was starting to get a bit humiliating, going on all of these awful dates and coming up empty.
“Hey Ast,” Marvin said, looking up from what he was working on as I pushed the door of the studio open.
“Hi,” I said shortly, dropping my things on the floor and sitting in the chair across from him.
“How’d it go?”
“Fine.”
“You don’t seem too convinced.”
“It was just weird I guess,” I sighed.
“How so?”
“She just seemed like a totally different person.”
“In a good way though, right?” Marvin asked me.
“I don’t really know,” I replied, picking at a loose splinter on the table. “She was very… businessy or something. She strolled in all dressed up for work, and then she got a call after like five minutes and had to leave again!”
“So wait, you were only with her for like five minutes?”
“Yeah!” I said, incredulous.
“Are you going to try and see her again?”
“I asked and she said she doesn’t have time,” I replied. “I don’t think its worth pushing, she clearly isn’t interested.”
“But… What are you going to do for the charity event?”
“I don’t know! I might have to take Britta…”
“That’s not so bad,” Marvin smirked.
“Don’t get me started!” I told him, pointing a finger in his direction in an effort to get him to shut up.
From there I grabbed my songbook out. My plan was to completely ignore the whole charity dinner/date thing from now on and hope that some weird change in luck presented itself. After four not so great dates I was pretty much over making an effort to find someone to take. My management could sort it out for me if they were so insistent.
Somehow it worked… I got lost in my work and pretty soon it was pushing half past nine and the boys were packing things up to go get some food and then head home.
“But…” I started, looking down at what I’d come up with.
“You can stay if you want,” JB said.
“Hmmm,” I mumbled, “Maybe I’d do better to come back to this fresh tomorrow.”
“Sure, we’re going to go eat, you coming?”
“Yeah,” I said, throwing my things in my knapsack and chucking it over my shoulder.
The four of us headed out to our respective cars, agreeing to meet up at a pub not far from where Marvin lived. I put the radio on loud as I drove through the dark streets of London, lost in the music, completely forgetting the events of the day.
After parking up I grabbed my phone and wallet out of my knapsack, locking up my car, ready to head inside.
* Buzz Buzz *
I looked down to see my phone ringing in my hand [Jess] on the Caller ID. What could she want?
“Hello?” I asked, holding the phone up to my ear.
“Hi,” she said, her tone clipped as usual.
“What’s up?”
“Sorry about earlier today,” she said. She sounded a bit stressed out, I could only imagine that whatever had drawn her away from our coffee date had not been planned and it was still on her mind.
“It’s fine, you had work to do.”
“I know,” she sighed, “I just feel bad that you came all the way to meet up with me and then I left right away. You’ve practically been stood up by both my flatmate and I! It’s not normally how I work, I keep every appointment.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said, stopping before I went into the pub so I could finish up the call. I didn’t really like that she’d called our date an appointment, which caused a big frown on my face. The other boys gave me weird looks, but I just tried to give them a half-smile and then mouthed ‘Jess,' receiving a thumbs up from Oritse and a high-five from Marvin.
“I know I said I was busy and really I don’t normally do this, well actually, I’ve never done this, but I was wondering if you are free Sunday afternoon?” Jess asked. I could tell that she was really struggling with this conversation, as she was asking me it certainly sounded forced.
“I should be,” I said, “I’d have to double check my diary when I get home, but I can only guess that we have some studio time booked which is pretty easy to get out of. Now, are you sure you’re free?” I joked.
“Yes,” she said wryly, a hint of amusement in her tone, “I’m always free on Sunday afternoon.”
“Ok, where do you want to meet?” I questioned, expecting it to be another coffee date.
“Thing is,” she said slowly, “I’ve got a spare ticket to the Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge. Normally I go with my older brother, but he can’t make it this weekend so he’s given me his ticket.”
“Aren’t they playing Arsenal?” I asked. This was certainly not what I was expecting to hear from her!
“Yes, it’s why I thought I should ask you. And to make up for today.”
“You don’t need to do that,” I replied, “But I would love to come to the match, it should be a good one.”
“Yeah well, Arsenal is going to get beat quite handily, but I’m glad you’re eager. Just make sure not to embarrass yourself and wear Arsenal gear please,” she said. We spoke for another minute to come up with a plan for meeting up. Since she was coming from a family event in the morning she told me to meet her at the Will Call booth, a half-hour before kick-off.
“I’ll see you on Sunday Jess, thanks for inviting me,” I said as we hung up.
“Yeah bye.”
I couldn’t help but grin at the phone. Maybe luck was finally going in my favor on this whole thing?