I smile up through my lashes, “I guess we’re going together then?”
Jackson laughs and kisses me. I’m going to make the most of the next nine days!
“You ok?”
Jackson nudges me out of my daydream and I smile unconvincingly as I look over to him. We’ve come out shopping for Pippa’s birthday present, as well as something new to wear to the party but decided to stop for a coffee.
“Yeah, I’m fine”
“And once more with feeling…”
I smile; he knows there’s something on my mind so I may as well just say it.
“Please don’t take this to mean that I want a baby right now, I’m really enjoying what we have. But when I see a pregnant woman like that,” I gesture toward the heavily pregnant woman reading a book on the opposite side of the café, “I just get all mixed up inside. I feel sad, and envious, and I think of Sasha and then I feel angry. Sorry”
“Don’t be sorry Rosie; you’re bound to feel strange. So much to do with babies has happened in a short space of time, you’re only human. We’ll have that, when it’s the right time for us.” Jackson holds my hand across the table and I smile, being honest with him instead of keeping everything inside until it bursts out is definitely working out for me, “Until you feel better about it though, let’s try and steer clear of pregnant women. Come on.” He stands and holds out his hand for me before leading me out of the café.
“So, are you ready for everyone to know about us?” I ask Jackson as we walk into River Island, “Yeah course I am, but it’s been fun sneaking around. I need to be straight with you though, Dad knows. He was worried about me and I couldn’t keep it from him, sorry.”
I smile at the sheepish look in his eyes, “So do Mam and Dad! Same reason. But they’ve kept it to themselves”
Jackson laughs as he picks up a pair of women’s shoes, “You need these!” His eyebrows raise and I know exactly what he’s thinking, he does seem to have a thing about high heels. “Maybe we should take a trip to the lingerie department?” Jackson pulls me close to him as he speaks.
“We’re supposed to be shopping for Pippa! Fiend!” I speak quietly, “Pippa!”
“Yes, Pippa!” I laugh.
“No Rosie…Pippa!” Jackson points behind me and I see Pip on the other side of the shop, “Quick, go, go!” I shoo Jackson away just as I turn to see Pip heading over toward me, “Hey RoRo! You should have called, you know I love shopping!” Pip looks a little hurt, “Oh sorry babe, I just popped out quickly to find something to wear on Saturday.”
Pippa smiles at the mention of her party and hooks her arm through mine. I know I’m not seeing Jackson for the rest of the afternoon. We head out of the shop and for the nearest bar, “Lunch RoRo!”
“So Rosie, I’ve invited Jackson on Saturday. I know you’re seeing some mystery bloke but please can you not bring him. I love you, but I don’t want any trouble.”
“Pip, it’s fine honestly.” I try to change the subject.
“Ok, well I don’t want it to be weird, but Jackson is a friend now, and he gets on well with everyone, except you of course, but you know,” she’s rambling.
“Pip, shut up and get the wine in will you!”
“Oh no not for me, I’m not drinking at the minute!”
“What? Why?” I look at Pip in disbelief.
“Bet! Ben reckons I can’t go a month without, so I bet him that I could!” she smiles and stands to go to the bar and I laugh, she can be such a stubborn cow when she wants.
Pip and I spend a fantastic afternoon together, and despite it ruining one of my last afternoons with Jackson before we tell everyone about us, I’m so glad to see her but right now, I need my man! I managed to text Jackson while I was with Pip and tell him that I would be at the apartment by five. He said he couldn’t wait and it made the time go a lot quicker knowing that I was going to see him.
As I turn the key and push open the door I gasp. The last of the boxes are gone, the pictures are back on the walls and shelves, the cushions on the sofa are plumped. There are candles lit everywhere and music playing. I can smell food cooking and guess that Jackson is in the kitchen.
“You’ve been busy!” I speak from behind him as he stirs a pot on the hob, “I didn’t hear you come in,” Jackson turns to me, “Do you like it?”
“Jackson, its home!” There are tears in my eyes as I say it, I don’t want to leave here tonight.
“Dance with me.”
Jackson pulls me into him and we dance, we’ve done this so many times before but every time feels like the first. I know that his parents used to dance like this and now I understand why. When he holds me like this, with the music surrounding us, there’s nobody else in the world.
Billy Joel is singing New York State of Mind and I’m lost in Jackson. One more day, just one more day until everyone knows about us, I don’t know if I can wait! As the song comes to a close Jackson kisses my forehead and spins me around under him arm, I laugh and he pulls me into a kiss.
While Jackson finishes cooking I walk around the apartment. I thought it would feel strange to me to actually move back in, but now I can’t wait. It feels like it’s where I’m supposed to be and for the first time I really do understand what true love is. It’s not about the highs; it’s about surviving the lows.
“I have a meeting with Frankie on Monday Rosie, to discuss what happens with regard to my deal. I owe them one more book but I’m not leaving you so I need to see where I stand.”
Jackson circles his finger around the top of his wine glass as he speaks. He waited until after dessert to get serious but the inevitable discussion about ‘what’s next’ soon crops up.
“Jackson, are you sure you want to do this?” I ask tentatively as I sip the last of my wine and Jackson smiles, “More than anything, I needed a kick up the arse!”
“Oh I will happily do that James, bend over!” I laugh and Jackson grins, “I cannot wait for tomorrow Alvez! I can’t bear saying goodbye to you anymore, you make me laugh,”
“Do I?” I asked, shocked. “I’ve always thought I was funny but Rafe says that nobody else does,”
“Yeah you do,” He laughs again and empties his glass. “I think you’re hilarious, and cute, and sexy, and bloody annoying!” He smiles and I stick my tongue out to him.
Jackson and I spend the evening making love and cuddling up listening to music, its bliss until it’s time for me to leave. We’ve both had a drink and I don’t have Audrey with me anyway so Jackson calls me a taxi.
“Until tomorrow then Alvez!” He kisses me goodnight and I climb into the taxi, “Do not forget my ring James!” I say with a smile as I shut the taxi door and head for Rafael’s.
“Wow little sis! You look amazing!” Rafe looks great himself and is tying Matthew’s tie in the lounge as I come out of my room.
“Thank you big bro, I have a hot date!” Rafe’s face drops as I speak and the door knocks, “Oh, this’ll be him now!” I smile and head for the front door, “Wait, no Rosie stop. You weren’t supposed to invite him. I invited Jackson to come here for a drink.” He stops as he realises that he should have told me this and blushes as the door knocks again, “Rosie, don’t throw it in Jackson’s face, please!”
I smile at my brother and open the front door to his flat. I’m swept up immediately into Jackson’s arms and giggle from the doorstep. I know that Rafe can’t see that it’s Jackson and I panic that he’ll lose his rag. Jackson puts me down and I lead him by the hand into the flat. Matthew is now in the bathroom and Rafe refuses to look at us, I clear my throat but he doesn’t turn around.
“Rafael!” I say sharply and he realises that he’s being rude and turns to face us. His mouth falls open and his frown line appears on his forehead, “What? What’s going on?” He’s confused, understandably.
“Well, big brother. This is my mystery man, I believe you have met!” I am sheepish, I feel bad for all the lying and sneaking around over the last four weeks but when Raf
e starts to laugh and stands to pull Jackson and then me into a hug, I relax.
“I am over the moon, seriously! MATTHEW, COME HERE!”
Rafe calls into the bathroom for Matthew to join us. When he does we go through the same motions as with Rafe, I think that will be the theme for our evening.
“Right, we better get going then!” The taxi pips its horn from the street below and Rafe starts to usher us out of the flat, “Wait, one second,” Jackson stops us and take my hand, turning me to him before lowering to one knee, “Rosie, I don’t want to spend another second with you not wearing this. This time, don’t ever take it off. Will you still marry me?”
“You know I will James, come here!” I laugh and Jackson spins me around as he kisses me.
As we leave the flat I look at my brother and he just nods, all is right again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU! What kind of best friend keeps gossip like this to herself?”
Pippa is absolutely appalled that Jackson and I kept our relationship a secret over the past few weeks but is over the moon that we’re back together and can’t keep the smile from her face.
“We’re sorry Pip, it was just…necessary!” Jackson smiles and kisses me on the forehead before pulling Pippa to him, “Happy Birthday gorgeous!”
Pippa’s party is such good fun. The DJ is brilliant and we’ve been dancing for what feels like hours, Pip still isn’t drinking but is the life and soul of the party anyway. Ben takes great pleasure in winding her up about their bet and about her being designated driver, but she just laughs it off.
“So Ginge, I take it you will not be staying with us this evening?” Matthew is drunk, I’ve never seen him like this actually and it makes me laugh as he pulls me to sit on his lap and yells in my ear, “No Bro, I have somewhere I have to be!” I smile toward Jackson and feel Matthew sigh, “Thank God! You two are made for each other and being quiet in bed is killing me!” I can’t control my shocked expression or my laughter as I look my giggling brother in law in the eyes, “I hate to break it to you, but you were not quiet! Not one bit!” Matthew shrugs his shoulders and we laugh, “Come on, dance with me!”
As the last of the party guests filter out, Pip pulls me into a tight hug, “I feel like we’re drifting apart Rosie, I hope it’s just my imagination!” I am drunk and confused as I look her in the eyes. We haven’t seen as much of each other recently as we normally do but she’s been helping Ben move into her flat and I’ve been with Jackson, “Pip, never! There’s just been a lot going on. Are you ok? Do you need to talk about something?” She seems like she’s holding something back but she just smiles and shakes her head.
“No Ro, I just miss you. Come for tea this week, I’ll call you tomorrow ok?”
“Of course beaut. Love you!”
The next two weeks pass in a blur of meetings, lunches and being talked into trying out Matthew’s new boot camps. I’m not convinced that I’m up for it but if I can rope Pip in with me then I’m sure it’ll be fun.
“I can’t Rosie I’m sorry, I’m absolutely snowed under at the minute.”
I’m disappointed. Pippa is normally up for anything. She just doesn’t seem herself with me lately and I worry that she was right about us drifting apart.
“Oh, ok then. Never mind. Do you want to get together at the weekend?”
“Maybe Rosie, I’ll call you. Bye babe.”
She hangs up and I look at my phone confused. She sounds like she doesn’t want to see me at all, and the way she said my name was as though she hardly knows me.
“Hey, what’s up?” Jackson looks up over his laptop as I sigh at my phone, “Pip, just seems off with me. I don’t know why!”
“She’s probably just busy. And don’t forget, she’s in the honeymoon period of living with Ben. Give her some time. By the time the party comes around, I bet she’ll be back to herself.”
His words do little to reassure me but do draw my focus back to the guest list for the engagement party.
We’ve decided to have it at home and I can’t wait. It’s two weeks away and I just hope that I’m able to walk, Safina, the trainer working with Matthew has absolutely murdered me in boot camp and I have muscles aching in places that I didn’t realise it was possible to work out.
I stand with a groan and ignore Jackson’s laugh as I make my way to the office. I need to get into party planning mood.
After a while Jackson comes into the office smiling,
“What are you so happy about?”
“I’ve got an interview! It’s for a travel magazine,” I frown and he reads my mind, “I wouldn’t be going anywhere babe, it’s an editor position. It’s in Manchester but I’ll commute.”
Jackson looks over the moon as I stand to hug him tightly and congratulate him.
“This is good Rosie; it’s the start of our future!” He’s really happy and it makes me giddy. I’m not sure how I ever smiled before him.
Jackson looks me in the eyes and I know that all of the excitement has had an effect on him. That and the fact that I’m wearing my hair piled loosely on top of my head and have my glasses on, Jackson loves it when I look like the naughty librarian of his teenage fantasies. I feel playful and bite my lip as I lower to my knees and undo the zip on Jackson’s jeans, he just smiles down as I reach inside and take what I want.
“Rosie, stop! I don’t want to come in your mouth, stop!” Jackson is breathy as I relentlessly suck hard.
“I’m congratulating you baby!” I smile up and continue with what I was doing, “Baby, stop please!” I frown upwards playfully as I stop and let Jackson compose himself before pulling me up from my knees and turning me around, bending me over his desk as he tugs my knickers from underneath my skirt and down my thighs before slamming into me.
I let out a yell as he digs his fingers into my hips and pulls me backward onto him with each thrust. He is achingly deep and I reach out to the wall for support as I struggle to hold it together.
I lift my right knee up onto the desk, feeling my underwear pull tightly around my knees and then rip a little as I stretch them beyond their ability. I start to call out with each thrust as Jackson pushes me closer to orgasm.
“Ah fuck Rosie!” Jackson groans through his teeth as he pumps into me and I know that he’s close to coming. I reach my hand behind me and pull Jackson’s hand around to rub my clit, keeping my fingers in top of his as he does.
I clench tightly around him and feel his laboured breath on the back of my neck as I grip his wrist in my hand and call out loudly in orgasmic pleasure. I’m lost as he comes into me and stops his thrusting.
“You’ll be the death of me Alvez!”
Jackson left early this morning to get to Manchester for his interview. He decided to give the rush hour trains a go in preparations for ‘when’ he gets the job. I’d have been a nervous wreck in his position but he’s just so confident, it makes me really proud.
I’ve hardly spoken to Pip lately and I’m fed up of it. I don’t know what I’ve done wrong but there’s something going on and I intend on finding out what, so I’m going round to her flat and she is going to talk to me.
In the weeks since Jackson’s arrest I have gotten used to driving Audrey in London. I never thought I would enjoy it but it turns out that the traffic is never as bad as I expected and I can get about a lot easier than I ever thought I would. I park up outside Pip’s flat, her Mini is there so I know that she’s in, Pippa doesn’t do public transport.
Marrying Mr Write Page 11