Jackson looked at the clock that hung on the wall, 4pm, hopefully she would be home before 6:30 by then, and hopefully the Gelato would be set. It was handmade, just like how his grandmother had showed him. And he would feed it to her after dinner or later in bed and lick it off her body. Not quite what his grandma would have expected to have been done to the family recipe
He was surprised as Rebecca walked thru the door at 4:15 p.m. She had caught him off guard, as he was wiping his hands on a tea towel; she entered looking around calling his name.
He walked towards her his arms outstretched. He saw his ring on her finger catching the overhead lights, twinkling as her hand moved causing her finger to sparkle with the diamonds incasing the large solitaire diamond.
“Hey baby, how was work ?” again he shook his head smiling at his private joke, “You look tired, hard day at the office dear? He joked as his arms encircled her.
She stood ridged, her Lemiena bag firmly at her side.
“I’m just tired”
She scanned the Kitchen counter, noting the champagne, and bucket of ice. She looked over at the countertop around the hob and oven, seeing the pots on the hob, and oven dish ready to be popped in. Jackson eyes followed hers.
“I’ve done a bit of shopping as you can see” he beamed rather proud of himself.
“Tonight you will be feasting on your favorite, Fillet steak, sautéed new potatoes, and your favorite veg. and for dessert we have my grandmother’s recipe for her Gelato.” He was feeling very proud of himself indeed.
“I’m not hungry” she declared “It’s been a long day, I’m tired Jackson”.
She didn’t look like the happy girl that had left their bed and skipped off to work that morning. He held her face, concern on his as he spoke softly to her.
“What’s wrong Rebecca? Is everything alright?” he looked at her, his head slightly tilting.
Jackson was trying to read her. His face was puzzled; Jackson asked her again she said nothing.
“Rebecca, what’s wrong? Talk to me? Is it work?” she nodded her head.
“Okay” he hadn’t a clue what was going on in her head and she was giving nothing away
. “Alright, erm, have you a new case?” his eyebrows rose awaiting her answer as she nodded her head yes.
“Okay” God she really wasn’t making this easy at all for him, she must have had a hard day at the office. He smiled again at his role reversal reference again.
“Rebecca help me, I’m struggling here, if you don’t tell me what’s up I can’t help, or do something, whatever it is. Surely we can sort something out between us YES?
He questioned, holding her face up tenderly to his. He was just about to kiss her, he wanted to reassure her everything would be okay, when she suddenly broke free and walked over to the kitchen counter. Jackson followed her as she threw her trusty Lemiena bag up and pulled out a document folder throwing it down in front of him.
He picked it up and read it as she spoke.
“Your company Jackson is involved in money laundering, to put it plain and in simple terms; you’re a conman. You’re a crook of the highest level. You’re also a dirty shitbag. You’re making a packet off the scam you’ve been running for years”. Her arms folded defiantly, she shook her head as she spoke.
“You almost had your hooks in me didn't you? Well thank god I found out about you before it was too late...You disgust me”.
Rebecca looked at him with pure contempt spilling out of her beautiful blue eyes.
“And you wanted me to work for you?” She walked up to him and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. He stood there, stunned his face stinging.
“That Jackson was because I nearly worked for you.” She slapped him again.
“And that was for making me fall in love with you.” She stood there her hand stinging, she could feel it burn.
“Now get the fuck out, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Oh and don’t forget your ring”. As she pulled it off her finger and threw it at him, as it bounced off his face onto the document folder he held like an open book.
He stood there, his face stinging from the two hard smacks she had placed there, shaking his head as his eyes narrowed.
“Where did you get this Rebecca? Where’s this from” How did you get this?”
His hand was hitting the paperwork. His face perplexed. As he stood there shaking his head in denial, as he went to walk to her stopping in his tracks as she spoke
“Don’t worry about where it’s from” she scolded at him sarcastically.” I know, and some of ‘Her majesties various services know too, like the fraud squad, the tax department etc. You’re in a whole lot of shit Jackson. Your company is done. You’re done, and you’re NOT bringing me down with you Mr. Conman. Now get the fuck out or I’ll call the police, and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help you leave”. She stood there defiant.
“Lucy I don’t know anything about this, what’s it called ‘World Class Executive Appointments Inc, what a fucking cheesy name. You don’t honestly think I have something to do with this? Do you?
He looked at the paperwork still in his hand pleading with her.
“How the fuck is this got anything to do with ‘Exclusive Executives’? You know we run a tight ship, every things always been above board. Everything, it always has been”.
He exclaimed again. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. She grabbed the document wallet from his hands as she started to read out the report as she paced in front of him like an interrogator, the sarcasm dripping as she read out loud its findings.
“And World Class Executive Appointments Inc. has London accounts, where small withdrawals have been made. Tut-tut, Jackson, that was the big mistake, and what a stupid one”. She shook her head at him as she continued to speak.
“The withdrawals have been for stupidly small amounts not even thousands. And we were able to trace them back to your company’s ‘Exclusive Executives’ computers, back to your company Jackson, where you stupidly done your internet banking”.
She started to tut again at him, something she knew that annoyed him greatly.
“Really Jackson, you go to all the trouble, of bouncing the money from account to account. And then to make such a stupid mistake really? Really Jackson, I expected more from you, a lot more. Now get out”.
She grabbed him and pushed him out the door knowing full well he would never put his hands on her, closing it behind her.
Jackson frantically knocked on the door pleading with her through the wooden door. She gathered his bags and belongings into a heap in front of her. She opened the door throwing the stuff at him, before finally slamming the door behind her, as she leaned sliding down the door sobbing to Jackson’s desperate knocks and plea’s at the door for her to let him in.
He stayed out there for four long hours until one of the porters tapped him on the shoulder as he still continued to knock on the door pleading with her to open it, his knuckles raw.
Rebecca had turned on her music, and was playing it extremely loud. Drowning out his knocks and plea’s to her to let him back in.
It was the same song over and over again on constant repeat ‘Elton John’s – Someone saved my life tonight’. He hated Elton John now especially this song.
“I’m sorry sir. It’s time for you to leave sir” said the voice that came from nowhere
He was sitting on the floor against the door frame, still trying to reason with her. He was still going over in his head the report she had showed him, well what he could remember from it.
His grandmothers ring now on the tip of his little finger below the cuticle of his nail. The porter looked at him tapping him on the shoulder for his attention as he cleared his throat trying to make him look up at him.
“I’m sorry sir, but I have to ask you to leave, these are private premises, or I will have to call the police, the young lady’s request I’m afraid” pity evident in his voice.
He lo
oked at Jackson with compassion in his eyes at seeing the ring on his finger. Jackson looked at the poor man who was only trying to do his job. He wasn’t going to give him any trouble, but he knew straight away who would be getting it.
Fucking ‘Thomas Peak’ his business partner, as the anger started to set in. Furious, Jackson picked up his belonging and headed for the lift.
This morning he had everything, and now he had nothing, and all because of that prick Peak. This wasn’t over…. This was far from over. He would make Rebecca see the truth, he had to, he loved her and he wasn’t prepared to lose her forever. He would make her see the truth.
The END…. Or is it?
Acknowledgements
Never tear us apart Writer(s) Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence
Producer: Chris Thomas
Let's get it on Producer: Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
Wish you were here - Sung By: David Gilmour
Written By: David Gilmour, Roger Waters
How to Catch Butterflies Page 34