Take a Chance

by Simone Jaine

  Jem rolled her eyes. She was sure that Jase would have explained any change in Jess’s condition and Coco was just being difficult because she had been forced to talk with him instead of Jess. She knew Jess would be in for an ear bashing when Coco finally got hold of her unless she could head Coco off by getting her worked up over something else. As she changed the phone to her other ear the ring on her left hand sparkled and gave her an idea.

  The moment her mother paused for breath Jem jumped in.

  “I’m glad you called Coco as I have some exciting news to share with you,” she said trying to keep the glee out of her voice. “I’m pregnant.”

  After a moment of shocked silence, Coco started berating her over not being invited to the wedding until Jem interrupted.

  “Oh, I’m not married,” she told Coco happily, “we haven’t even considered setting a wedding date.”

  Taken aback, Coco wanted to know who the father was and whether she would know his family.

  “So who is he?” Jem repeated her mother’s words. “You remember Eben? Longish hair, usually seen on a surfboard, or with a six pack under one arm?”

  There was a pause then a screech from the other end as the name registered with Coco.

  Mission accomplished.

  Jem held the phone away from her ear and glanced at the clock on the wall.

  “Sorry Coco, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late for work,” she yelled unapologetically into the receiver then hung up with satisfaction.

  Cherie nudged the door open of Jem’s office and walked inside, the ritual mug of hot chocolate in hand.

  “So have you got something you want to show me?” she hinted.

  Jem glanced up from the computer she was working on.

  “The Davis file is ready,” she replied.

  “Could you please pass it to me?” Cherie asked.

  Bemused, Jem reached over to the out-tray and snagged the file with her left hand.

  “Oh! It even looks better on!” Cherie exclaimed, and grabbed Jem’s hand to look closer at the ring. “I told him you would like it.”

  “How do you know about the ring?” Jem asked, taken aback.

  “He showed it to me yesterday morning,” Cherie confided. “He was a little concerned you’d prefer something big and flashy after Mark put his two cents worth in but I knew better.”

  That explains his jewellery questions, Jem thought absently as she pulled her hand from Cherie’s grasp.

  “So when’s the wedding?” Cherie asked, taking a seat.

  “We’re not engaged so there is no wedding,” Jem told her.

  Cherie looked at her friend’s hand.

  “Someone’s in denial,” she said.

  “No, no. He proposed last night and I turned him down and somehow when he left I was wearing the ring.”

  “Why would you turn him down?”

  “It’s complicated,” Jem mumbled into her hands.

  Cherie got up, went and closed the door then sat back down.

  “I’ve got time,” she said.

  Jem put her hands in her lap.

  “He’s only doing this because I got pregnant,” she said.

  “Uh uh,” Cherie said and waved her finger at Jem. “He showed me that ring before he even learned you were pregnant.”

  “He did?” Jem asked, surprised.

  “Yes, he did,” Cherie confirmed. “That man’s serious about you.”

  “That’s hard to believe when he hasn’t even told me he loves me,” Jem returned.

  Cherie muttered something that sounded like idiot man under her breath.

  “He’s crazy,” Jem continued. “When I pointed out I was leaving the country he said we’d sort something out.”

  “There you go!” Cherie said. “You mean enough to him that he wants to make it work.”

  “I don’t know how you get that. Saying something so vague means he hadn’t really considered it or maybe he was just hoping I would give up the promotion to make it easy.”

  “Did you consider that maybe he could move to Hong Kong with you?” Cherie suggested brightly.

  Jem frowned at Cherie’s solution.

  “I thought of that during the night, but if he does, it could cost him everything he’s worked for,” Jem said, agitated by the thought.

  “What do you mean?” Cherie asked.

  Jem proceeded to explain how Jason and Eben had reinvested all their money in the business and taking Eben out of the picture might jeopardise their company.

  “Ah. I see now. You don’t think he thought of that?” Cherie asked.

  “No. I can’t have him risk everything. It’s just not him it affects but my sister and her family,” Jem answered.

  “So you’re not willing to talk things through to find solutions and take a chance on things working out?” Cherie asked.

  “I don’t take risks, you know that,” Jem replied flatly.

  Cherie studied her friend silently.

  Before long, Jem began to feel uncomfortable.

  “You should get a job in interrogation,” Jem muttered under her breath as she tried not to let Cherie’s watchful gaze affect her.

  After a couple more minutes of receiving Cherie’s focused attention Jem caved.

  “All right! It’s all me,” Jem exclaimed. “I’m way older than him - for goodness sakes I was at university while he was still at intermediate! One day he’d wake up and want someone with fewer wrinkles than him. If that isn’t enough, I’ve known him for years and he’s never really been in a relationship. I think I may be the record and we’ve been together less than a month.”

  “Did you ever consider that maybe all his other non-relationships were because he had never found the right woman until now?” Cherie asked.

  “What about the age difference?” Jem asked, choosing not to respond to Cherie’s question. “You’re supposed to reassure me about that too.”

  “Maybe he has a thing for wrinkles,” Cherie suggested.

  “I don’t have wrinkles,” Jem replied, indignant.

  “But you’ll get them first,” Cherie pointed out teasingly. “If they do it for him imagine how hot he’ll find you when you’re seventy. You’d better get a fast zimmerframe to make him work for it.”

  Jem gave her a mock glare.

  After a few moments Cherie patted her shoulder.

  “Do you really want to give up the possibility of seeing where this goes?” she asked softly.

  “That’s what it all comes down to doesn’t it?” Jem wailed.

  She looked at her friend with tears in her eyes but she refused to allow them to fall.

  “Last night I told myself that if I stayed I would regret not taking this opportunity and might wind up resenting Eben because of it.”

  “And today?” Cherie prompted.

  “This morning I woke up and realised how empty my life would be without him in it,” Jem said bleakly.

  She bit her lip.

  “It’s a moot point anyway because I screwed everything up and he’s gone,” she whispered and smeared a hand across her face to remove the tears that were falling without permission.

  Cherie fumbled with the tissue box on the book shelf and tugged out several tissues. She handed them to Jem then knelt down and hugged her friend.

  “You know what?” Jem asked, as she tried to compose herself.

  “What?” Cherie asked as she moved back to sitting on her knees.

  “Maybe this is just the wrong time for me to do this. I’m not that old. Surely there will be other opportunities for me to work overseas,” Jem said as she wadded her tissues into a ball.

  Jem reached a decision and threw the tissue ball into the bin under her desk.

  “I’m going to Mark right now and after I lay into him for being such a… a… you know… for trying to stir up trouble I’m going to tell him that he can have the promotion seeing as he wants it so much,” she added bitterly.

  Cherie sat back on her heels.

 
“Oh, no you’re not,” she exclaimed. “Everyone in the company has booked out tomorrow morning so we can see him off on the plane.”

  Cherie grabbed the computer mouse and clicked on the task bar to bring up Jem’s day planner.

  “You weren’t here when we decided this so I took the liberty of blocking out the time on your planner too,” she said. “See?”

  Jem took a moment to glance at the shaded block on her planner covered with balloons, party hats and streamers. She had been wondering what that was all about.

  “I didn’t realise after everything he’s done he would be that popular,” she said.

  “He’s not,” Cherie confirmed. “We all just want to make sure he goes.”

  She stood up.

  “And after that plane takes off, then we’ll have his farewell party,” she said with enthusiasm.

  “I can’t miss that,” Jem said, feeling a little better.

  What had she been thinking to even momentarily consider handing him her promotion? Seeing her nemesis off after all the trouble he had caused would be a pleasure.

  “You won’t miss a thing. You’re coming with me,” Cherie responded. “You can be the designated driver.”

  Jem’s smile widened. Despite Cherie’s appearance as a good-time-girl she had never known her to have more than one alcoholic drink during an evening out.

  “Now whatever you do, don’t give up your promotion. Everything will sort itself out, you’ll see,” Cherie promised as she stood up and made to leave the room.

  Jem got out of her seat to follow Cherie to the door.

  “Where are you going?” Cherie asked.

  “We talked for so long that I need to reheat this,” Jem said as she picked up her hot chocolate. “I’m going to warm it up in the microwave.”

  Cherie fell in beside her as they headed off to the staff room as it was on the way to Mark’s office. She’d get back to work. Eventually.

  As they approached the staff room an older couple and a younger woman left it. Jem recognised them as the people waiting by the elevator the day before just after Mark learned he had headlice.

  “Who are they?” she asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

  “Oh, that’s Duh-boss’s sister, brother-in-law and niece. They’re up from Christchurch and have been meeting up with Duh-boss for lunch.”

  Jem considered their interaction the day before as she stuck her drink in the microwave and set the timer. She burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” Cherie asked.

  Jem explained what Mark had been doing in the elevator and what she had said to Celeste’s parents and sister.

  Cherie laughed so much she had to sit down.

  “That’s just so perfect!” Cherie said when she got her breath back. She looked up at Jem.

  “Did you know that Celeste doesn’t get on with them at all because they’re on team Mandy and that Martha expects her and Nate to last a maximum of six weeks down there?” Cherie asked, smothering another laugh. “I doubt Mark will be promoted to the guest house when they go after that performance!”

  That brought on another bout of laughter from both of them. When they finally settled down Jem retrieved her mug from the microwave just as Cherie looked at her watch and got up.

  “I’ve got to go. Now look after little Cherie and don’t work too hard,” Cherie said and gently patted Jem’s stomach before leaving.

  Jem took a seat at the formica table in the staff room and blew on her hot chocolate. Without any sense of urgency she sipped her drink between pleasant recollections of Mark’s reaction to having head lice in front of his future landlords.

  Unfortunately those thoughts soon changed to the topic of the inevitable confrontation she needed to have with him. Her hand tensed on the mug handle while it rested on the table. While she wouldn’t back away from a confrontation it was out of character for her to instigate one and she wasn’t in any hurry to do so. She paused for longer between sips while her mind raced through the things she wanted to say to him.

  Too soon she reached the dregs and she stared into the near empty mug she held onto. The remains of a marshmallow lay stuck to the bottom as a persistent pink froth despite which way she tipped the mug.

  It tasted good but wasn’t terribly good at fortifying me to what needs to be done, she thought ruefully. Jem scraped the mug across the table’s surface just to hear the annoying sound. She’d heard of people getting drunk on soft drink simply because they thought it was alcohol. Perhaps she’d be better at getting this over with if she pretended Cherie had spiked her hot chocolate.

  Jem considered poking her finger into the bottom of the mug and scraping out the marshmallow. With disgust at herself, she pushed the mug away.

  That’s me, delaying confrontation. Anything for a distraction.

  She heard someone enter the room behind her. Good. Perhaps she could use the upcoming conversation to psych herself up to take on Mark.

  Jem turned her head and watched Mark stroll to the bench and flick the kettle on.

  The time has come the Walrus said…

  She sucked in a deep breath, got up, closed the door and wedged a chair under the handle.

  Neither of them would be leaving the room anytime soon.

  Chapter 32

  Cherie was waiting when a frazzled looking Eben stepped out of Nate’s office. She grabbed him by the tie and pulled on it.

  “What’s up?” Eben asked, looking mildly amused.

  She just glared at him and dragged him by the tie into the first empty office she found. Mark’s one.

  That figures, she thought.

  After closing the door she hit him on the arm.

  “Ow! What’s that for?” Eben asked, looking annoyed.

  “You forgot to tell her that you love her when you proposed, you big lug!”

  “I’m sure I said I did,” Eben said slowly. “Hmm. Maybe not. Do you think that would have made the difference?”

  Cherie threw her hands in the air.

  “Cinderella’s fairy godmother only had to interfere once!” she muttered.

  “Of course it does,” she said louder, in disgust. “And you let her think you proposed because of the baby because you had earlier told her you didn’t want to be a father.”

  “I only said that because I thought she couldn’t have a baby and if I had to choose between her or being a father without her, I choose her,” Eben said defensively.

  “Oh,” said Cherie warmly, taken by his words. Then she hardened. “Did you explain that to her?”

  “Uh, no.”

  She hit him on the arm again.

  “Then how is she supposed to know you weren’t lying?” she asked then hit him again.

  “Will you stop hitting me?” Eben demanded and grabbed her hand before she could land another blow.

  “And you never told her about what you discussed with Martha!” Cherie growled while trying to free her hand. “She doesn’t know you’re going to do your computer stuff remotely and support the new technical staff around looking after little Cherie while she works.”

  “We never got that far. My proposal had been refused before I had a chance,” he told her as he dropped her hand and stepped out of range.

  “It wasn’t easy putting myself out there and getting refused, you know,” he added. “This is the only time I have ever proposed and it’s not like I wrote down everything I wanted to say.”

  “Maybe you should have then you’d be happily engaged today,” Cherie retorted.

  “Okay, write notes for my next proposal,” said Eben only half sarcastically, pretending to write on the back of his hand.

  “If I ever summon up the courage again,” he added under his breath.

  Cherie elbowed him.

  “Would you cut out the violence?” Eben said in exasperation. “I’m already wounded enough on the inside.”

  Cherie considered him. Without intending to, Jem had worked him over. It was there in the defeated sl
ump of his shoulders and she could tell he hadn’t slept well. As her future best-friend-by-marriage she decided to throw him a bone.

  She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder.

  “You’re doing something right,” she said. “Jem’s still wearing your ring.”

  The smile he gave her as she went out the door was worth it.

  If the warm fuzzies fairy godmothers got by helping out were money, I’d be pretty rich by now, she thought as she wandered back to her desk.

  Mark was watching Jem uncertainly when she moved in front of the chair blocking the door then crossed her arms.

  “What’s that about?” Mark asked, indicating the chair by pointing the teaspoon in his hand at it.

  “As the potential father of my child I thought you’d know me well enough to know,” Jem said sarcastically.

  “Oh, that,” Mark replied weakly. “It was just a misunderstanding.”

  Jem raised one eyebrow as she looked at him. “Was it?”

  Mark didn’t respond so she continued to stare at him. He looked uncomfortable and she knew he would crack.

  Cherie, I continue to learn from you every day, she thought with satisfaction as Mark opened his mouth.

  “No. You’re right. I purposely misled Eben and I really am sorry. I need that promotion but I went the wrong way about it and I feel terrible,” Mark told her contritely.

  “Then why do it Mark?” demanded Jem. “I always thought we got along. Why do that to me?”

  “It’s not personal,” Mark rushed to assure her. “It’s just that I love my job and I’m good at it but to keep it I have to be as far away as possible” he added cryptically.

  “I don’t understand,” Jem said with annoyance, confused by his explanation. “Your actions seem pretty personal to me. What difference would distance make to you keeping your job?”

  Mark glanced at Jem then clenched his jaw while he studied his hands for a few moments.

  “What the hell,” he said in defeat as he took the closest chair, rested his elbows on the table and sank his face into his hands. “It’s all going to come out now anyway. After all I have put you through you deserve to hear it first,” he said, his voice muffled by his fingers.