Christmas Candy: A Holiday Second Chance Box Set

by Angela Blake

  “Hi, uh, yeah. I’m fine,” Jordyn said and offered a small smile. “It’s really good to see you.”

  “Jordyn.” Carrie nodded back, then softened. “I don’t know what happened and I am not going to pretend I do. But come to my office later, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure. Later.”

  She reached for Franny’s hand and gave her a “Please send me home immediately” squeeze, grateful that she was there for this possibly bottom moment in her life. Sigh.

  “The office is in disarray,” Carrie explained. “Someone probably messed with the ad. I’m the boss so I need someone to take the reins and put things back in order. I can hold the fort, but I need you.”

  “Sure. Okay.”

  “Ma’am, I really think we should be going, Jordyn seems to be out of it. We’ll see you later.” Franny inserted herself between Jordyn and Carrie and tried to push through and leave the place.

  “Okay, I understand. Make sure you get a lot of rest.” Carrie said while turning and heading for her office.

  As Franny was leading her, the dam that Jordyn was holding back seem to be slowly leaking. Her first tear fell when they were just about to exit the building.

  “TAXI!” Franny hailed a cab and prepared some of things before turning to Jordyn.

  “I’m sorry, Jordyn. We’ll be home soon enough.” She wiped her tears with her handkerchief and hugged Jordyn.

  Jordyn leaned to Franny’s chest and let the tears fall as their cab pulled up beside them. Franny led her inside and then entered the cab. She rattled off the address and embraced Jordyn throughout the ride.

  Jordyn cried rivers of tears as they were riding the cab. Although the cab driver did not bother them, Franny caught him looking in their direction once or twice. She ignored him as she was just consoling a friend. As they neared their house, Franny spotted a man in front of their gate. She gently nudged Jordyn and motioned her to look at the man in front. It was Thomas.

  He was wearing a very tacky military uniform and a grim expression. The air around him felt heavy and dark.

  After the cab stopped in front of him, he tried to open the door but Franny opened it and almost slammed the door into his outstretched hands.

  “Well, good morning, Thomas. How nice of you to come here! You having any fun playing soldier?” Her tone practically dripped sarcasm and anger. She handed her bag to Jordyn and motioned for her to get her purse and pay the driver.

  Jordyn wordlessly did what Franny instructed her. After paying the driver, she got up and left the cab. She stood behind Franny and did not try to make eye-contact with Thomas.

  “Of course not.” Thomas glanced at the ground, then grumbled. His voice made my stomach tighten. How could he still do that after all this time? Damn it, she thought. “I came back to apologize to Jordyn and not to deal with you.”

  “How gentlemanly of you,” Jordyn said.

  He closed her eyes briefly. “Please don’t. I wanted to come back immediately but I couldn’t.”

  “I’m sure the General needed your presence but I’m late for work and better run.”

  Thomas backed up as she moved forward. “I don’t want to keep you, but I thought maybe we could find a time to talk. Over dinner, perhaps?”

  “Uh, yeah, I don’t think so.” Jordyn felt pissed off. “I’m not sure talking is necessary.”

  “Isn’t it? Jor, I have a lot—”

  “Jordyn. My name is Jordyn.”

  Thomas closed his eyes briefly at the formality. “Fair enough. Jordyn, I’m only asking for a few minutes.” He passed a quick gaze to Franny and back to Jordyn, dropping his tone. “There are things I want to say, if you’ll just give me that chance.”

  “Yeah, except I’m swamped this week unfortunately. I’m booked with the ad revisions and we’re at the peak of—”

  “The showing,” Thomas finished. “I remember. I’m part of the committee, too remember.”

  “You were,” she conceded.

  “And, what’s more,” Thomas said. “I already talked to your boss that we needed time alone so we could discuss the revision of the ad.”

  Fantastic news. The morning couldn’t get any better. Truly. “Okay,” Jordyn said flatly.

  Thomas attempted a smile in the midst of all the awkwardness. “I’ll let you two get back to what you were doing. Think about that dinner, Jordyn. If this week is bad, then maybe next. I’m here for a while.”

  And just like that he was gone.

  Jordyn stood there in disbelief, her heart beating out of her chest in traitorous thumps. He left me earlier and now he wanted to talk? What is happening?

  Franny retrieved her purse from Jordyn and proceeded to open the house. She followed after her and tried to keep her mind from glazing over what just happened. Franny went straight to the refrigerator and grabbed the milk and the some cereal. She poured it on a bowl from the drawer and then went over to the coffee machine and started it up.

  Jordyn sat down and held her head between her hands. She couldn’t help but feel so overwhelmed by the emotions swirling inside of her. The frequent coming and going of Thomas left her heart in tatters. Although she had been coping in the past, their frequent excursions had led her to believe that Thomas did indeed love her. And the fact that he even proposed leaving the military just to be with her proves that he was willing to go far just for her.

  Franny set down the cereal and milk in front of Jordyn and said, “Eat. You haven’t had any breakfast yet, right? I’ll make sure you get coffee.”

  Jordyn looked at the cereal, the flakes tempting her to eat. The coffee machine pinged, and Franny went over and flushed a new helping in a cup. She put two teaspoons of milk and three teaspoons of sugar. Franny knew that the food was unbalanced, nutritionally. But still, food is food.

  She placed the coffee in front of Jordyn and sat down across from her. Jordyn still hasn’t touched the cereal but she grabbed the spoon and slowly ate.

  “Anything you want to tell me, sweetheart?” Franny cooed.

  “Nothing that you already know. We had sex. It was amazing.” She remembered the night before and she instinctively touched the area above her crotch. The intensity of their union was so vivid that she cannot bring herself to forget about it. The thrusts, the love pecks, the caresses. It was all so memorable that her body still longed for his.

  “Was it too amazing that you let him leave in the morning?” Franny asked, gently.

  “No. Never. We were together when we fell asleep. I didn’t know when he left.” Jordyn wanted to defend Thomas but she also knew that defending him would only result to Franny hating Thomas more. Their views on love differed. But Jordyn understands where the two of them are coming from.

  “And… He left because of the job he was supposed to retire from, right? What does that say about him?” Franny prompted.

  “That he still loves his job and that I may just be a second priority.” The words tasted bitter from her mouth. The cereal was cold and sweet. How very much like her feelings, she thought.

  “Are you sure about that?” Franny stretched her fingers and smiled at her.

  “Because what I saw back then was a man intent on getting back her woman. What I saw was a man trying to fix loose ends so that everything will have a clean cut before he settled with you. True, he loves his job. But you are more important than that. You are his first choice. You are the only choice he has to make. And he is apologetic for that.” Her tone sounded serious, but her eyes looked warm.

  Jordyn was speechless she did not know how to respond. She was the ex of the man they were talking about but it seemed that Franny knew much more of Thomas than herself.

  “H-How–?” Jordyn started.

  “Because, sweetheart, I’ve been with men. Some more respectable than others. Some better lovers than workers. And they all have someone they loved. And no matter how well we got along, they never lost the love they had for their ex. It was as if their love still connected through time and space.”<
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  “I-I never knew you had so many exes.” Jordyn felt ashamed that she cried for one man.

  “Of course. I never told you. It was better that way. I wanted you to find happiness of your own accord. Losing Gracie left you broken. Losing Thomas, on top of that, was cruel. But you stood up on your own and lived another day. You loved him again and now that he’s trying to fix everything, you’re going to lose him because of something that he did for you.”

  “As if that’s going to happen.” Jordyn was fueled with passion and anger. Passion for Thomas and anger at herself. She wanted him but she pushed him away. She hurriedly ate the cereal and drank the coffee. After that, she stood up and looked straight at Franny.

  “Thank you.” The words were sweet coming from her mouth and it felt great to finally thank Franny. She ran towards the bathroom and started the shower.

  Franny smiled. That was the Jordyn she knew. She stood up and went over to clean the bowl and the cup. Halfway through the dining table, the bathroom door opened and Jordyn’s head popped out.

  “Can you call Thomas and tell him to meet me at 2pm in front of the office. And please tell my boss that I might be late than I expected.” Just like that, she vanished into the bathroom again.

  “My, my. Aren’t we energetic?” Franny smiled and put the dishes in the sink. Cleaning those can wait. She went over to their phone and dialed Thomas’ number – taped in a small white note in the vase near it.

  As the phone kept ringing on the other side, Franny could hear Jordyn humming in the bathroom. She felt happy knowing that her friend might just regain her Mr. Right later. She knew that losing both her child and her husband was devastating. However, she has no idea how to comfort someone that was so intent on giving up. It turn out that being herself, helped other people. She hoped that Jordyn’s bright days will stay longer than the bad days.

  Looking at Jordyn, she was reminded of her younger, romantic and naïve self. The inability to see something wrong in the future and the promise of the present was so appealing to her that she was consumed by it. Jordyn, on the other hand, was consumed by the past.

  The past which claimed her daughter’s life. The past which Thomas left her. It can be called a tragedy of the modern times. She knew that there’s always someone around the world that has it worse. But, being so close to Jordyn but never actually talking about it made Franny feel like a failure as a friend. It was as if their relationship only extended to making coffee and a crying shoulder.

  It wasn’t so bad in retrospect, being Jordyn’s friend. But Franny wanted Jordyn to confide in her. She knew that she has few friends outside of work and those were already concerned with their own lives.

  At the eighth ring, somebody answered the call.

  “Hello? Thomas Grant speaking.”

  “Wow, you’re still a soldier on the phone?” Although she didn’t want to, the quip came so naturally that she said it before even thinking it through.

  “Franny. Please. Not now.” He sounded gruff but still disappointed that it wasn’t Jordyn that called.

  “Oh yeah? Well, if not now, when can I tell you to meet Jordyn in front of her office?” She knew she shouldn’t tease Thomas but he was making it much easier for her.

  “Meet Jordyn? Uh… Now. Now is good.” His voice suddenly became sharper and excited. Franny was sure that she got his attention now.

  “Okay, so Jordyn’s in the shower now. Making herself pretty. And Captain Thomas Grant, you are requested to be in front of her office at 1400 hours today. Please make yourself presentable.” She talked in a formal way, hoping to annoy Tom with her imitation of an ambassador.

  “Wow. Uh, okay. Uh, tell her sure. I’ll be there.” He sounded so hyper and panicked that the time was so close. Without another word, he hung up.

  “Talk about excited. I guess that’s the military training for you.” She pressed the switch hook and waited for a good three seconds before punching Jordyn’s office’s number. She would be redirected to the lobby secretary then to the communications officer before being able to talk to the Big Boss. She already knew how it would go since she had been calling Jordyn’s office regularly when Jordyn was so sick or when she couldn’t go because of personal reasons.

  While the phone was still ringing, Franny looked at the bathroom. She could hear the shower that was still on but she couldn’t hear Jordyn’s hums. Most probably, she thought, the shower’s heater broke and she knew Jordyn can’t take a bath without warm water. Her skin was so soft, that taking a cold shower often made Jordyn look like a cold-veined witch.

  During the second ring, the sound of the shower briefly stopped and the door opened. Jordyn’s towel-wrapped body. Her hair was wrapped in a small, pink turban shaped towel. Meanwhile, her frame was wrapped in a larger pink towel. However, small patches of her skin were still visible. And it piqued Franny’s heartstrings to look at her.

  Franny knew that she was being ridiculous. But, her feelings for Jordyn was something that she can’t dismiss easily. Although Jordyn had always dismissed her confessions as jokes, she didn’t know how heartfelt Franny was being. It became part of Jordyn’s charm though, Franny thought. She wouldn’t hold it against Jordyn for being loyal and loving to only one man.

  Jordyn was wiping off some dust in her feet using the rug in front of the bathroom. Her nape was still pink from the warm shower and small droplets of water were slowly making their way towards her back. Jordyn’s taut arms looked so tender and strong. Her feet and ankles looked so slender. The way it connected to thighs, and to the rest of her body seemed a mystery to Franny. It was as if she was the epitome of bodily aesthetics.

  The scent of flowers and spring seemed to emanate from Jordyn’s very core. Fragrance of lilies and daises flooded Franny’s nose. She could’ve given in to Jordyn’s feminine charms but she knew nothing else is going to happen between them. Franny was grateful enough in knowing Jordyn considered her as a best friend and not as someone that she just knew.

  “…is this? Hello? Ma’am? Sir?” the telephone’s speaker beckoned Franny back from her thoughts.

  She shook her head and tried to look away from Jordyn. From what happened back then, she could still confirm that she still yearned for the day that Jordyn would not consider her as a friend but something more. But she also knew that that was just wishful thinking. And it was possible that later tonight, Jordyn might be tied to Thomas once again.

  “Yes, hello. Sorry about that.” Franny answered in a calm tone.

  She heard Jordyn walk from the bathroom into her room. Although she was in a hurry earlier, she seemed to be calm and patient. Good girl, Franny thought. It seemed that Jordyn calmed down while she was in the shower.

  “Ah, hello. Good morning, ma’am. How can we help you?” the clerk sounded familiar to Franny. It must be Janice. Or maybe Beatrice? She wasn’t sure but with the effectiveness of the employees in Jordyn’s company, it was impossible that they’d hire someone new at the moment.

  “Can you connect me to Carrie Montgomery? This is Jordyn Ross’ personal assistant.” That was what she was known as in their company. She was the one they call first whenever something happened to Jordyn, and she was the first to call the company in case something happened to Jordyn. A kind of mutual performance.

  “Just a moment, ma’am.” Franny heard keyboard keys being pressed and mouse clicks on the other side of the phone. “Hello, ma’am. Thank you for waiting. It seems that Ma’am Montgomery is still in a meeting. According to the records, she would be free at around 2pm later. Would you like to book an appointment for Ma’am Jordyn Ross?” the clerk seemed to be a bit bored, but she still sounded polite. Plus points for that, Franny thought.

  “Can we book an appointment at around 3 to 4pm?” Franny inquired.

  “Well, she has an important meeting at 3:30pm. If you can wrap up your meeting in under 30 minutes or so, it would be alright.”

  “Okay. Book her for that time then.” Franny politely requested.
<
br />   Keyboard keys and mouse click was again heard from the other side of the line. It was faster than the previous instance. Could it be that she was hurrying? Franny looked at her watch. It was just 11:39. Time flies so fast. It was just around 8am when she picked up Jordyn from the rooftop. Franny was still pissed with how Thomas asked her to pick up Jordyn.

  She knew that they did it on the rooftop. But the least you can do was bring her home before you leave. Did etiquette and manners leave his brain after having sex? She would never find out.

  “Okay, ma’am. I set up the appointment with Ma’am Montgomery and Ma’am Ross for 3pm. Please be on time and please finish on time. Although you have been booked an appointment, I will still remind you that should you exceed the 3:30pm mark, your meeting will be cut short and Ma’am Montgomery would be escorted to her next meeting. Would that suffice?” she asked professionally. Her voice sounded like-

  “LUCINDA IS THAT YOU?!” Franny practically shouted.

  “Jesus Christ, is this Franny?” she sounded annoyed and amazed at the same time. Typical Lucinda, Franny thought.

  “Well…” gaining back her composure, “Yes. And the appointment would suffice.” She chuckled softly.

  “Thank you, would that be all?” Franny could imagine Lucinda smiling broadly with the phone in one hand and the computer mouse in the other.

  “If the clerk could make time for Ma’am Ross’s personal assistant, that would be superb.” She wanted to see one of her long-time friends again. Although the timing was probably off, it did not matter at the slightest in Franny’s opinion.

  “Hmm, her records say that she is free from 3pm up until 4pm. Would you like to book an appointment?”

  “Yes. I sure would.” Franny smiled at the telephone receiver. She could hear the sound of her smile through the telephone.

  “Okay, ma’am. Anything else?”

  “Nope. That would be all. Thank you. So much.” Her voice almost cracked but she managed to control it.

  “No, ma’am. Thank you. And have a wonderful morning.” Lucinda softly ended the phone call. But Franny still held the telephone in her ear. An untimely reunion would probably lift her spirits up and get her mind off of Thomas.