Not What He Seems

by Peters, Norah C.

  Table of Contents

  Not What He Seems

  About the Author

  Not What He Seems

  by Norah C. Peters

  Copyright 2013 by Norah C. Peters

  NOT WHAT HE SEEMS is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are either the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarities to actual places, happenings or people, living or dead is coincidental.

  All Rights Reserved.

  Table of Contents

  Not What He Seems

  About the Author

  Not What He Seems

  "I dumped John last night. I just couldn't take it anymore," Jill cried on the phone to her best friend Sue.

  Sue stopped pacing up and down her kitchen floor and took a seat. "What? Last week you were telling me you two were made for each other. And now this, what happened?"

  "I found out he'd been cheating on me. I feel like such a fool. It was going on right under my nose and I never suspected a thing. I should have known better. If it seems too good to be true it probably is." Jill sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

  "Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. That's awful. And he seemed like such a nice guy, way better than the other low life I've seen you with before. It looked like you'd finally found someone good for you. I'm so sorry, Jill. Really, I truly am."

  "Not as sorry as I am. I never want to see that cheating liar ever again. He's going to regret the day he cheated on me. I can tell you that for sure."

  "What do you mean, Jill?"

  "Let's just say revenge will be mine, and it'll be sweet."

  "Jill, you're clearly upset, and rightly so, but please don't do anything you'll regret later. Take some time to calm down first. I hope you're listening to me. This is important."

  "Ok, ok, I hear you, Sue. I'll wait until I calm down, then, I'll get my revenge."

  Sue spoke more firmly. "Look, take it from someone who has been there before, revenge can back fire, badly. That's all I have to say about it. And you're positive, absolutely positive he was cheating on you?"

  Jill took a deep breath before continuing. "Yes, he was fooling around with my neighbour, Sally, the glamorous one, from across the street. I never liked her that much but I never expected she'd stoop this low, the bitch. There is no doubt in my mind that the two of them were all over each other. I bet they had a good laugh at my expense. John of all people, I never thought he was the kind of person to do that, just shows how wrong you can be."

  "Jill, have you two talked it over? It might be worth doing if only for the sake of closure."

  "I confronted him and he denied it, he said he didn't even know what I was talking about. He said Sally was the last person in the world he would choose to have an affair with. Of course, that was purely academic at that point given that he'd already tried her out as it were, that smug bitch." Jill dried her eyes.

  "So, was this going on for a while or did you catch them at it right at the beginning?"

  "I don't know, Sue. Like I said, John denied the whole thing had even happened. He made me sick just looking at him so I told him to pack up his stuff and move out. By the time I got back from the office that evening he was gone and all his things were too except for that weights machine he kept in the garage. He'd even taken his precious bikes, all three of them, I always suspected he loved those silly bikes more than me. I'll be dismantling that weights machine and trashing it before he can come back for it." Jill sniffled and blew her nose.

  "This is awful, just awful. I never guessed John could be so deceitful. You'd think he'd at least have the courage to own up to it when you caught him out. It sounds like you're better off without him, much better off in fact. If you can't even trust him with the neighbours it's just not worth it. You did the right thing, Jill. I'm behind you 100% on this."

  "Thank you Sue, I knew I could count on you. Unfortunately you know only too well what it's like when someone cheats on you. Now that I've been through it too I'm determined to never let it happen again. And I will get revenge just not in the way you think."

  "What exactly do you have in mind?"

  With raw determination in her voice Jill started speaking more quickly. "I'm going to get out there and find someone better than John, someone more successful, someone younger. I'll show him he just made the biggest mistake of his life. He'll hear about it from his friends, how I'm going out to the best restaurants with the in crowd, they'll see me hanging with the movers and shakers. He'll feel like such a loser when he hears about it. That for me will be the ultimate revenge. I can't wait. It's going to be a blast."

  "You go for it, Jill. You'll have no trouble replacing him. Take a look at yourself in the mirror if you don't believe me, you're beautiful. You're only 34 and you have a body to die for, you're hot stuff. With that beautiful long brown hair you'll have the men chasing after you."

  "I will and thanks again for being there. It means so much, it really does. Talk to you soon, bye, Sue."

  * * *

  Sitting on her living room sofa, Jill excitedly passed her phone to Sue, "Take a look at this guy."

  Sue smiled, "Nice, very nice. Isn't that Sam Worrance, the real estate developer? I saw him on TV two nights ago."

  "Yes, that's him alright. And check out this photo, that's Tim Mullerson, the top lawyer. And this one, that's Ed Hogart, the actor."

  Sue looked up from the screen to face Jill, "It looks like you've been a very busy girl this last month. You sure don't hang about. So, which one will be the lucky guy?"

  Jill grinned from ear to ear, "Right now, I just want to have fun, I'm out on the town 4 or 5 nights a week and I'm having a blast. I've met so many new people lately it's been great. And, I've had a lot of attention from the alpha males of this town so all in all it's been a lot of fun."

  "I can see that. You're glowing, you look 5 years younger. I haven't seen you look this good in ages. Good for you, Jill. I'm so happy for you."

  "Thank you. And I heard through the grapevine that John, that cheating bastard, has heard about my dating frenzy. Apparently he's not too pleased about it. I told you I'd have my revenge, and yes, it's sweet." Jill laughed.

  "Serves him right, Jill. He must have been crazy to risk losing you, he got what he deserved. Silly man. Sounds like you're better off, much better off without him. That's all I can say about this whole sorry matter. And I bet he's the sorry one now. Good riddance to that useless excuse for a man."

  Jill raised her eyebrows and stared at Sue. "Hey, he's not that bad. He made a mistake and I'm getting him back and I'll move on. But let's not stick the sword in too far, eh?"

  Sue nodded her head. "You're right, I got a bit too carried away. So tell me, when am I going to meet your new man?"

  The smile faded from Jill's face. "It's not like that, yet. I'm just dating, having fun, showing those men I can party and give as good as I get. There's plenty of time to find a replacement for John."

  "You go for it, Jill. Sounds like you have it all figured out. You're happy and you're having a ball. Obviously if I wasn't happily married I'd be out there with you."

  "I know you would, Sue. To be perfectly honest, you're better off at home in the arms of your husband. Going out to the bars and clubs is fun but don't forget I'm 34 now. I look around and I'm one of the oldest women there. Some of the girls look like they haven't even finished school yet. I suppose some of them haven't.

  "This is all a bit of fun but I'm under no illusion that I'll be doing this for long, it's just too tiring when you have a demanding day job. You know, it´s one thing living like this when you're 24 and only getting started in your career, it's a different story 10 years later when you're running a business."

  "Of cou
rse, different ball game," Sue nodded.

  Jill crossed her arms. "Actually, and I'm surprised to be admitting this, I've started to wonder if it was such a good idea splitting from John. Maybe I over reacted and jumped to conclusions when I should have waited before telling him to move out."

  "You're kidding me, right? He cheated on you and now you've changed your mind and that's ok for some reason?"

  Jill furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. "I put 2 and 2 together and got 4 but he says I got 5. These guys I'm partying with aren't like John. They're the kind of men who do cheat on their wives and girlfriends. That's why I'm starting to wonder if I got this all wrong. Maybe my own fears caused me to suspect the worst when really there wasn't a problem to begin with. I don't know, I just don't know what to think."

  "My word, you have got yourself in a right pickle. What are you going to do?"

  "Sue, I didn't tell you this but I got a text from John last night. He said he'd like to meet. So we can talk about things, I haven't got back to him. I wanted to ask your opinion before I did something stupid."

  "There's no harm in talking, Jill. You've heard his side of the story before. If he has more to say it might help you decide if he is lying or not."

  "I never did let him tell me the full story. I was so mad when I saw him leaving Sally's house by the back door, I told him to leave right away. I was just so angry I couldn't think straight."

  "Jill, you owe it to yourself to hear what he has to say. Really, for the sake of one conversation with him. It'll be closure for you if nothing else. It'll allow you to move on and find someone better."

  Jill looked down and played with her phone. "I guess you're right. I still find myself thinking about him, wondering what he's up to. When I come home I miss talking to him. I haven't got him out of my head yet. If I talk to him and get closure it'll help, a lot."

  * * *

  It was 2am and Jill couldn't sleep, she had too much on her mind, and it was too late to phone Sue.

  She flicked on the light, grabbed her phone and clicked on email to reread what she had written earlier…

  Subject: You Won't Believe This

  Sue, I feel like such an idiot. Wait until you hear what happened. I was in the front yard tidying up the flower beds when none other than Sally walks up to me. Imagine my surprise when she thanked me for John's help the day she and her brother left for their summer vacation. She said John had been a God's send when he offered to help them fix the kids' bikes. She even had photos on her phone with date stamps showing how excited the kids were to have their bikes in running order again: John's standing there beaming alongside them. With four kids and four bikes to tune up, John had helped them to get everything ready so they could get on the road before the rush hour traffic.

  And yeah, the date on the photos is the day I assumed he was cheating on me at Sally's house.

  I was speechless. How could I have been so wrong? And while I'm thinking that, Sally is standing there, so pleased to see me, and so grateful to John for all his help.

  I'm incredibly embarrassed about this. How can I ever look John in the eye again after this? After calling him a cheat and a liar? I've really messed up big time. The is a new all time low. To make matters worse I replied to his text and I'm supposed to be meeting him tomorrow for coffee. Now, I'm not so sure. I just feel so embarrassed.

  He's better off without me. He's probably come to that conclusion after the last few weeks, a few weeks of peace without me nagging him. He must be enjoying the freedom to do whatever he wants without me hassling him.

  What do you think?

  Jill sent the email and feeling exhausted, flicked off the light and slept.

  * * *

  Late morning, Jill's phone buzzed. I was Sue texting her: "OMG do meet him".

  It was too late, Jill had already sent a text canceling the meet up with John.

  She had other plans for tonight. She was going on a hot date. She'll be fine without John, time to move on. Even though she was wrong to dump him, maybe in a funny way it was for the best. She needed a change, it was doing her good, and John was probably much happier too. All's well that ends well as they say.

  By 11 that night Jill was back home, trembling a little and feeling quite shaken after a date from hell. Sue knew exactly what she meant when she phoned her with a report.

  "That guy Brad turned out to be a complete jerk. We hadn't even finished the starter and he was making provocative comments. And that was just the beginning of it. Then, he couldn't keep his hands to himself. It was terrible. By the main course I was ready to throw the wine over him to cool him down. The guy's an animal. How could I get it so wrong? When I met him last week at the bar he was the perfect gentleman."

  Sue groaned. "That's guys for you. They just can't help themselves. You're hot stuff, not everyone can handle it."

  "Very funny, Sue, it has unsettled me though. I've decided to take a break from this dating frenzy I've been on. I need a good long man break. They're really not worth all the aggravation. Why do we put up with their silliness? It's really not worth it."

  "They're not all bad, Jill. Still, it is a good idea for you to take a time out. You've been burning the candle at both ends. Get some rest, take care of your yard, that'll cheer you up. And, visit me more often. We love having you over."

  "You're right Sue. And thank you. I would like to visit. We spend too much time on the phone. It's just not the same. How about Saturday? We haven't gone shopping together in ages?"

  "Sounds like a plan. I can't wait. And we can discuss what to do about John. See you then, Jill."

  Jill felt relieved. No more dating sounded like a great idea. She'd neglected her girlfriends, the yard and the house. There was lots to be done. She made a list and put it on the fridge door.

  Her phone buzzed. Another text, not from Sue as she had expected, it was from John: "all I want is a chance to explain".

  He was persistent. Before she knew what she was doing she had replied: "tomorrow evening 6 p.m. at the cafe".

  * * *

  Jill's heart beat faster when she looked up and saw John. He looked fabulous as he strolled into the cafe. He looked different. His shiny thick black hair was shorter, he was more toned and tanned, from cycling in the sun she guessed, and he even looked a little taller. He looked much younger than a typical 39 year old. Jill quickly flicked her hair back, before he spotted her, and sat up straight.

  With coffee as a distraction they sat and talked. And this time Jill listened to John'side of the story. As the facts became clear she felt more and more embarrassed. She felt like walking away to hide how awkward she felt. And it was made worse by how calm and understanding John was. He held no grudge against her, he had no ill feelings about what she had done. He just wanted to clear the air.

  John looked into Jill's eyes and lowered his voice. "Jill, I still adore you. I know you lose your cool sometimes. I don't hold that against you. I understand, I really do. We hadn't seen much of each other before this misunderstanding, I admit I got carried away with working out and cycling when the summer arrived. I should have given you more attention and I didn't. I'm sorry. And I can understand why you jumped to the wrong conclusion when you saw me leaving Sally's house."

  Jill bowed her head before looking up at John. She spoke slowly. "You have nothing to apologize for. Like you said at the time, I took 2 plus 2 and got 5. It's my fault. I'm the only one who should have to apologize. I should have listened to you at the time but I was so furious I was convinced I was right. Sally showed me the photos of you and the kids with the bikes. I felt terrible when I saw I had falsely accused you but I was too embarrassed to talk to you about it. You don't deserve this."

  John reached forward and held Jill's hand. "I forgive you, Jill. Look, we're only human, there's no need to be so hard on yourself." John looked into her eyes, "I've missed you."

  Jill sipped her coffee before continuing. "I've missed you too John. It's not been the same without you. And
I'd like to stay in touch even though I'll understand if you want to stay clear of me and my psychotic tendencies. Maybe we can meet again in a few days and talk some more. I'd like that, I really would."

  "Sure, of course. I'd love to talk some more another day, I miss our chats, Jill. Tell you what, I'll call you in a few days."

  * * *

  Jill sat in her kitchen eating a salad with the speakerphone on. "Sue, so now that I've filled you in. Do you think I'm crazy to get back together with John?"

  Sue sighed, "Jill, did he say he wants you back after how you've treated him?"

  "Not exactly but he said he misses me. He said he wants to be friends. I think he's just playing it cool. I can see it in his eyes, he still looks at me like he used to after a major argument, that let's fix this and get on with it look."

  "Is he still what you really want?" Sue asked.

  Jill poked at the salad on her plate. "I do still care about him, I've really missed him, missed him terribly at times. It's just that I don't think he'll ever take me seriously again, and why should he after what I've done? At least we can be friends, he's a good man to have in my life even if we're not together.

  "I just feel now after all the upheaval of the past few weeks that the grass always does look greener on the other side when in fact it's not. I dated those guys I told you about and not one of them impressed me the way John does, the way he silently, without complaining always keeps his head down and makes things work out. He just never gives up. He is such a strong character and he always looks great and I've always been proud to walk hand in hand with him.

  "And, I never thought I'd admit this, me being such a non traditional girl and all but I'd like to date a good man, either John or someone like him, and eventually get married, the whole nine yards."