Just to explain, in case it's not immediately evident, this story is set about a week and a half after Boys Night, Girls Night on the Tuesday before the wedding.
This is another conversation heavy story, but as I said once before, they have a lot to talk about right now! Rachel and Jess are out for lunch again, and what else are they going to do except talk!
And because this story is Rachel's, I've let her pick the soundtrack. She's finally starting to give up some control and surrender to love and the enjoyment of planning her wedding, and is feeling happier than she has for a long time. She's chosen this song because it reminds her of being a little girl in the 70's and hearing this on the radio and her Mum playing the '45 single on the turntable. And now she's a grown up, she can see what a great over the top love song it really is, especially with the little lovebirds twittering in the background (and of course, she does think Jacob is beautiful)
Soundtrack: Lovin' You – Minnie Riperton
Lovin' you is easy cause you're beautiful
Making love with you is all I wanna do
Lovin' you is more than just a dream come true
And everything that I do is out of lovin' you
No one else can make me feel
The colours that you bring
Stay with me while we grow old
And we will live each day in the springtime
'Cause lovin' you has made my life so beautiful
And every day of my life is filled with lovin' you
Lovin' you I see your soul come shining through
And every time that we, oooh, I'm more in love with you
(the last two lines are her favourites!)
…
"Aaaah, Dr Sexy, we meet again" Jess said cheekily. She offered her hand loosely, palm facing down.
"The gorgeous Jessica. It's been much, much too long." Jacob took her hand in his, bent his head and kissed the back of it, looking up at her from underneath his long lashes. "How is my favourite fishwife?"
She laughed, and took a step towards him, kissed him on the cheek. Embraced him. "I don't think being married to a fishmonger makes me a fishwife."
"Does it not?" Jacob replied smiling, returning the hug and kiss on the cheek. "My mistake. Now, is there any particular reason why you have your hand on my ass?"
"Well, Rachel has told me so much about your lovely toosh that I thought I should check it out for myself."
"Indeed? Is there anything else you'd like to check out for yourself?" he replied, raising his eyebrows.
"Of course, but that should probably wait until Rachel isn't here don't you think?" she whispered in his ear.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "What a pair of complete flirts," she said loudly. "I am standing here you know."
"I think you might be right," he murmured to Jess. "It appears my lovely bride is getting a little suspicious."
"Of course," Jess replied, letting him go and taking a step backwards, hands on hips. "You do understand that I'm also your bride, don't you?"
"Is that so?" he raised his eyebrows.
"Of course. If you marry my best friend then you marry me." She put her arm around Rachel's waist. "For better or for worse."
Jacob nodded slowly. "That's a very interesting concept. If I'm marrying you both, do I get two lots of conjugal rights though? Surely if I have to put up with the hassles of being married to two women then I should enjoy the benefits of being married to two women."
"Only if you're a very, very good boy," Jess replied with a wink.
"Give me a break," Rachel groaned. "I knew I never should have let you two meet again. It was bad enough last time."
Jacob pulled out a chair at the table of the restaurant the girls had decided to meet at for lunch. "Jessica" he said gravely.
"Why thankyou, Jacob," she said, sitting down.
"It's ok, I can pull out my own chair," Rachel said rolling her eyes and sitting down before he had a chance to do the same for her. He threw her a cheeky wink, and she took a little breath.
The three of them sat, chatted amiably for a while, ordered some drinks. Rachel thought to herself that Jacob seemed a little more relaxed than he had for a while. He was still quiet though, and every now and then she could see his mind drift off.
As she sat quietly in the sunshine, watching he and Jess engage each other in another round of banter, she felt warm and relaxed. She sighed contendedly to herself. She'd been feeling this way for the last week and a half and she was starting to really enjoy that feeling of happiness that comes from surrendering, from giving up the angst, and just accepting that your life really is pretty wonderful.
Her mind wandered back to the first morning she had woken up feeling well… different. The morning after Jacob had been out with Frank and she with Jess. Despite her little 2.30am trip to the Fuller's house to collect her inebriated fiancé, she had woken early with the sun, feeling unusually content.
She had lain there for a while wondering exactly how it was that she felt different. She couldn't quite pin it down. The anxious, nagging feeling that she'd had for so long seemed to have dissipated. She could breathe at last.
She didn't know what had changed. She still had the same doubts. The doubts that she and Jess had talked about the previous evening. She still didn't know how she was going to cope with having a new baby, how she was going to cope with being a mother. She still wasn't sure how she was going to work her marriage to Jacob and the baby around her career. She still seriously doubted her ability to be a good wife and a good mother when all she'd ever known was how to be a good agent.
But she turned her head and looked at the face of the man sleeping next to her, and somehow, her problems just didn't seem as insurmountable any more.
She had him.
She turned on her side to face him. He was sleeping on his stomach in his usual untidy sprawl, face turned towards her, arms splayed out on either side of his head, legs thrown across the bed. It was a good job she didn't take up much room, she thought to herself with a smile.
She looked at his sleeping face and the feeling that she'd had the previous night when she saw him crashed out on Maria Fuller's couch returned. He was simply adorable. She smiled to herself. And he was hers.
She didn't want to wake him but she couldn't resist touching his face. She gently brushed back his hair, moving the dark curls which liked to fall into his eyes if they weren't kept under control. She ran her finger lightly across one eyebrow and delicately touched his long lashes as they lay splayed out across his cheek. He had a beautiful face.
She traced the outline of his cheekbone, down the plane of his face and ran her finger lightly along the crease by the side of his mouth. He was forced to be so serious sometimes. His job made him serious. But she knew that crease came from his smile, from his wicked sense of humour. When his face lit up and his eyes crinkled around the edges and that crease outlined his cheeks.
She leant forward and gently touched his lips with hers. He was beautiful, even if he did smell of stale cigars and whiskey.
She lay with her head resting on her outstretched arm and watched him sleep.
She thought about some of the things Jess had said to her last night, some of the things Jacob had said to her yesterday at the zoo. She didn't necessarily agree with it all. They were both obsessed with her father, but she didn't buy this theory that all her problems were related back to him.
Yes, she'd always known that he wanted a son, but that didn't mean she'd tried to be a son to him. And she joined the FBI because she wanted to, not because he pushed her to. She'd always been interested in the law, maybe that was because of him. But she'd done her law degree and decided that there must be more to life than becoming a lowly clerk in a law firm and spending her life trying to climb the greasy pole. She'd liked the idea of being involved in law enforcement rather than justice.
And she and her Mom had coped perfectly well when he'd left. At least they didn't need to worry about him coming home drunk and abusive any more. She wasn't a little girl and his absence had given her the freedom to come and go as she pleased, have boyfriends, stay out late.
Although, she thought wistfully, she did miss him sometimes. Even now.
But no, she didn't agree with all their theories about her father.
Jacob stirred a little, murmured something that she couldn't quite make out. Then settled again.
She was glad he hadn't rolled over. She was enjoying just watching him. Watching him sleep. Her lover, her friend, the father of her baby, the man who was going to be her husband, the man who loved her like she had never been loved before. The man she loved.
So what was different? Why had she woken up feeling so calm? What was it that they talked about last night that had brought her peace.
Her mind ran back over the conversations of the previous day. She had listened to so much. So much reasoning and reassurance and very logical arguments. But she didn't think it was the logical arguments that had made her feel this way. She had churned logical arguments around in her mind for days.
No, it was something else. It was something Jess had said. Something about….. oh, what was it, something Jess had said about…. And then it came to her.
"So just make the leap. Let him take you with him on this journey. Trust him Rachel. He won't let you fall. I know he won't. He loves you. He's literally saved you Rachel, and now he needs you to save him. He needs you to save him from the nightmare of his past and to give him a future."
And then she realised what it was about that statement that had resonated with her so strongly. She needed to need him. She needed to trust him. Needed him to be with her as they took this terrifying step into marriage and parenthood. Needed him to take her hand in his and lead the way. And conversely, she needed him to trust her. She needed to know that he needed her. That he needed her to give him a future, a life, a family.
It was a mutual need, a mutual trust.
And as she looked at his strong handsome face, she realised that she already knew that. She'd known it all along.
For the first time, she ran her hand down to her belly. It was still perfectly flat. But as he had done, she could feel that her muscles weren't as tight as they'd always been, that her belly was softer. After just a few short weeks her body was already changing to accommodate their baby. Their baby.
She reached out and touched his face again. She was happy.
…
Sitting in the restaurant, Rachel smiled at the memory. She'd had one of the best weeks she could remember. Not because anything great had happened. But simply because she felt relaxed and happy and in love. She was enjoying the wedding preparations, she was enjoying her new job, she was enjoying thinking about the possibilities that her life held. The possibilities that stretched out before her, starting with their wedding in four days time.
She reached over and put her hand on his thigh as he sat next to her at the table. He turned his head and smiled at her. Put his warm hand over hers.
"Anyhow ladies, I must be off. I'm collecting Sergei at 2pm and then we're heading straight to the airport. So," he turned to face Rachel, "I will see you very, very early on Thursday morning when I climb into bed with you. I hope you won't miss me too much." He leaned over and kissed her face lightly.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a full kiss. Long and passionate and intense. "Of course I'll miss you," she said.
He got to his feet, kissed her again.
"So, do I get one of those," Jess interrupted.
"Not til you're my wife," he said with a wink. "Now, can you walk with me to the car Jess. There's something I need to talk to you about; wedding related," he said, directing his gaze at Rachel. "Just in case you were worried."
Rachel laughed. "Oh I'm not worried about you, I'm worried for you. Don't let her get too close. You know what she's like given the opportunity"
He leaned down to her, whispered in her ear. "I love you, beautiful. I'll miss you." As he walked away, he turned to look at her and his face was full of love. Love and sadness.
…
As they walked to Jacob's car together they discussed the honeymoon that he'd booked, and Jess went over a few wedding details with him. There were certain aspects of the wedding that he'd wanted to keep secret from Rachel, and Jess had become his sounding post.
When they'd finished talking, Jess paused for a moment and looked at him intently.
"Are you ok sweetie?" She reached up and touched his face. "You look tired, and a bit, I don't know… down."
He sighed.
"I am tired. It's been a rough week. Down?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm feeling to be honest."
"Talk to her, Jake."
"I talk to her all the time." He shook his head. "Sometimes it seems that's all we do."
"But do you listen to what she tells you? Do you really hear her? Stop trying to solve her problems Jake and just hear her."
He nodded slowly. "Hear her. Ok… ok… But to tell you the truth Jess. This is really about me more than her. There are just some things I need to get sorted in my head."
She looked into his eyes and nodded slightly. "Good luck with your trip. I hope it gives you some peace of mind, wherever it is that you're going."
He leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Thankyou Jess."
She put her hands up to his face and held it gently.
"You can talk to me anytime you need to Jacob. You know that don't you?"
He nodded. "You have to promise to keep your hands off my ass though," he whispered.
"Now, now Jake," she murmured back. "You know I never make promises I can't keep."
…
Rachel watched them as they walked towards Jacob's nearby car. They stopped and continued their conversation. Jess was talking animatedly as usual, all hands and wild gesticulations and laughing. Jacob was more subdued. He looked worried about something, which Jess seemed to be trying to reassure him about. Rachel saw her put her hand on his arm, eventually put her hands on his face. Whisper something to him. Saw him kiss her on the cheek.
Rachel shook her head. Why was he so down? Still. She couldn't work him out at the moment. He was just so pre-occupied and concerned all the time.
She'd asked him enough times. What she said to him always seemed to reassure him for a while, but his general air of melancholy still wouldn't lift. Her mind wandered back to the conversation that they'd in bed the previous evening…
…
"Jake?"
"Mmmm," he kept his eyes on his book.
They were in bed, he was reading and she was lying on her side watching him.
"Is there something you need to tell me?"
"Need to tell you? Not that I can think of." He looked at her, frowned. "Is there something you think I should tell you?"
"Well, maybe," she said hesitantly. "Do you remember that morning after you'd been out with Frank and I came and picked you up in the middle of the night…"
He shuddered, "God yes, the morning of the terrible hangover you mean?"
"Yeah, the Friday before last. Do you remember telling me you were going to give up drinking while I was pregnant because you did something foolish."
He looked down at his book again. Nodded. She wondered if he was trying to avoid looking her in the eye.
"Yep, I'm not going to drink," he said with what sounded to Rachel like an enforced casualness. "Not while you can't."
"I appreciate that sweetheart, I do really, but what was the foolish thing you did that prompted you to decide that?"
He reluctantly put his book face down on the bedside table, slid down under the sheets and turned on his side so he was facing her. Reached over and tucked a stray lock of her hair back behind her ear.
"I told you before I didn't want to talk about it didn't I?"
"I know," she shrugged, "I just thought …"
"It's really nothing," he said gently. "Just something silly."
"But it was enough to make you decide to stop drinking."
"No," he replied frowning. "It wasn't just that one thing. I've just realised that I've started to rely on drinking to get me through difficult patches." Drinking and red headed waitresses, he thought to himself. "But when I do that, it leads me to make bad choices. It doesn't really help with the problem though. It just lets me forget about it for a while."
"But why… why did you do that on the night out with Frank? What difficult patch were you trying to deal with?
He touched her cheek with the side of his finger. "Do you really need to ask me that?"
She looked into his eyes. He seemed sad. And she still didn't really understand why.
"Why are you so down sweetheart? It's been such a wonderful couple of weeks since we set a date for the wedding. I don't know why you've been so sad lately."
He sighed. Closed his eyes. "I'm not sad, I'm just a bit pre-occupied that's all. I just have a lot going on right now. And… well…" he opened his eyes and looked at her intently, "I'm still waiting for you to tell me that you're happy. I need you to be happy with me and with our baby. I need to know that you believe in me. Believe in us. Believe in our future together."
She frowned. "Of course I believe in you. I am happy sweetheart. Why would I be planning this wedding if I didn't believe we had a future together?"
"Are you really though? Or are you just telling me that because that's what I want to hear?"
She was a little surprised with his abruptness.
"No, don't be silly."
"I'm not being silly. I just need to believe what you're saying to me." He bent his head, rested his forehead on her chest. "If I can't believe what you're telling me, then we really have no future Rachel. Do you not understand that?"
A chill ran up her spine.
Her breath caught in her throat. "Jacob. How could you even think…?"
She took his face in her hands, lifted it from her chest so she was looking in his eyes.
"Jacob. I love you sweetheart. You must never ever doubt that. Ever. I love you and I love that I'm having your baby. Any doubts that I've ever had are about me. Please understand that. I worry that I won't be a good wife, that I won't be a good mother. But I never ever, ever have doubted you."
He looked at her with concern, kissed her. "You're a wonderful person Rachel, of course you'll be a wonderful mother," he whispered. "I love you."
He hugged her close and they lay together in silence for a long while. Eventually he drifted off to sleep.
She lay for a while though, thinking about their conversation. Despite her reassurances, she still thought he looked troubled about something, his concern evident on his face as he slept.
But she didn't know what else she could do to ease his mind, other than walk down the aisle towards him on Saturday.
…
Jess returned to the table and they finally ordered their lunches, both choosing a Thai beef salad and glass of non-alcoholic white wine.
Their drinks arrived and they raised their glasses. "I would like to propose a toast to lunch," said Rachel smiling, and they chinked their glasses together. "If only we could actually drink real wine."
Jess laughed. "It's certainly very civil of Frank to let you work half days on your very first week with him. I could get used to this routine of lunch and shopping every afternoon. Even without wine."
Rachel nodded. "I know, Frank's been great. This week is really just an orientation I guess. I mean I won't be starting officially until after we get back from our honeymoon. Of course, I'm having to take unpaid leave for that because I've already used up all of my holiday leave this year."
"Oh well," Jess said with a cheeky grin, "it's not like you need the money. I still can't believe Jacob waited until now to tell you about his grandfather's estate."
Rachel smiled. "Maybe he wanted to make sure I wasn't just after him for his money."
"Yeah well, it must be reassuring for him to know you're only interested in what he has in his pants, rather than what he has in his wallet," Jess laughed. "What I can't believe though is how little all this seems to be costing given that he gave us an open slate to work with."
Rachel nodded. "It just goes to show that money can't buy everything. Even if we weren't organising this on the run, I still don't think I would have planned it any differently. Everything we've done so far just seems right. For me and for Jake."
"So how has he been the last few days?" Jess asked.
Rachel shook her head. "He's no different really. I'm starting to get worried."
"Mmmm? He seems a little pre-occupied perhaps, but generally ok I thought."
"But that's just it. He's ok. He's doing all the things he needs to. Working, organising what we've asked him to. I mean he's been a big help. But, I don't know…"
"What?" Jess frowned.
Rachel shrugged. "He's just withdrawn. It's like he's just sad or something. I can't put my finger on it"
Jess nodded. "To tell you the truth, I thought that as well. Have you asked him what's wrong?"
"Of course I have. Every time I ask he just says he's fine. Fine. That's all he says, I'm fine." She shrugged. "We had a little chat last night and I thought we'd sorted some things out. But it doesn't really seemed to have changed his demeanour today."
"Well, maybe he's just a bit overwhelmed with what we've had to organise. It's been pretty full on for the last week and a half."
"Sure it has, but that's his fault. I mean he was the one who wanted a wedding in two weeks."
Jess laughed. "Yeah, but he had no idea what he was suggesting I should think. He might be a genius but he's still just a man Rach."
"Mmmm," she shook her head. Paused. "I guess so but he's still just, well, I don't know, preoccupied, distant, sad."
"Sad? Depressed you mean?" Jess looked at her with concern.
"No, not really depressed. I mean he's still functioning well enough. But his mind's elsewhere."
"Well that's not unusual for him is it?"
"No, well not if we're we're working. But we wound up our last case on Thursday, and that was nearly a week ago now." Rachel shrugged. "I've even resorted to trying to cheer him up with his favourite things. I made him chocolate chip cookies the other day. Normally he's eating them as they come out of the oven. But he only had two, and I ended up eating all the rest because I was worried."
Jess laughed, "you'd better stop baking for him then love, we don't want you exploding out of your dress. Anyhow, perhaps chocolate chip cookies aren't the favourite thing he needs. Have you tried giving him some extra attention in the bedroom, not that he doesn't already get enough from what you tell me."
"That's the thing Jess. The other week he was complaining because he'd had to wait three days, but we haven't done anything since I um, you know, took care of him the morning after our night out. And that was what ten… eleven days ago. That was when it all started. Things were perfectly fine that night before we left. But by morning….." She shrugged.
Their meals were delivered to the table and they started eating.
"Wow, this is excellent. I love Thai salads, they're just so fresh aren't they," Jess commented as they tucked into their food.
Rachel laughed, "well hopefully this will make up for all those chocolate chips cookies I ate the other day."
Jess laughed and nodded.
"Anyway," Rachel shook her head, "he still won't tell me what this stupid thing he did was. And I still don't really understand what's behind this not drinking business. He's the one always on my back about opening up and telling him things, but he's the one who won't talk to me."
Jess reached over the table and put her hand on Rachel's arm. "Don't worry about him love. It's probably just some pre wedding jitters. I know he's been busy organising things, so I'm quite confident that nothing that's bothering him is enough to stop him getting you down that aisle. It'll be fine in the end." She smiled, raised her eyebrows. "I know where you're going on your honeymoon."
"Where?" Rachel's head snapped up. "Where Jess? How do you know?"
"That was one of the things he wanted to ask me about before. He wanted to get my opinion." She smiled.
"And…?"
"And what?"
"Tell me where we we're going."
Jess frowned. "I can't do that Rach. He told me in confidence. He'd have my guts for garters if he found out I'd told you."
"Oh come on Jess. You have to tell me. I mean there are certain things that can be a surprise, but where you're going on a holiday can't be one of them. I mean I have to know what to pack don't I? A girl needs to know this kind of thing."
"Oh no, absolutely not." She shook her head, "you're not getting me with that little trick!"
"It's not a trick Jess. I need to know. Really I do. You know I'd do the same for you."
Jess laughed. "As if that would ever happen. You know where Rob took me on our honeymoon."
They both laughed.
"Oh well, maybe when he takes you on your second honeymoon you'll get a bit further than New Jersey."
"I hope so. That's the trouble with marrying young, everything gets done on a budget. Of course, your honeymoon is on no budget as far as I can work out."
"Jess….. please tell me," Rachel implored. "At least if I know that, I might have some confidence that he's actually going to turn up on Saturday, because right now I'm not so sure."
"Oh, don't be like that Rach. You know he'd never stand you up like that. It's just not in his nature. Anyway, I told you not to watch that Sex and the City movie the other night. He's not Big you know, it's not like you've spent years trying to get him down the aisle like Carrie. The last thing you need to be watching the week before your wedding is that movie."
Rachel shrugged. "It's not that. I didn't really take much notice of it to tell you the truth. I was too busy trying to finalise the food for the party."
Jess snorted, "didn't take much notice! I don't believe that for a sec. You're trying to tell me you weren't checking out what they had planned for their wedding. And I suppose you want me to believe you didn't take much notice of sexy naked guy next door getting it on with a different girl every two minutes."
Rachel laughed, "no, well I did manage to watch his bits."
"I bet you did you dirty girl, how could you not watch his bits! They're some mighty good looking bits if you ask me."
They laughed.
"Anyhow, did you get the food sorted? And I've told you before, it's not a party, it's a reception."
"Oh, I know that," Rachel smiled, "but it just seems like more of a party to me. It's going to be a lot of fun. Much better than a stuffy, formal, sit down reception. We just have to hope that the weather gods are smiling on us. Now, is there anything else on the list that I need to do?"
Jess fished a notebook out of her bag and flicked through it. "No, I think we're pretty much sorted. You've got your appointment for your final dress fitting tomorrow." She shook her head. "I still can't believe that's the dress you chose though. All those beautiful gowns and an unlimited budget…"
"It wasn't unlimited."
"It was Rachel. Jake said you could spend as much as you liked on any aspect of the wedding including the dress. You could have had anything."
"I told you. I wanted something simple. I'd rather spend more money on the shoes than the dress. At least I can wear the shoes again. Plus…." Rachel stopped Jess from interrupting. "Plus he'll love it. Especially the back. That dress is all about the back and he loves my back."
Jess laughed. "That's because it's all he ever gets to see when you two are having sex. I know all about you and your 'do me from behind' fetish, don't you forget. You picked that dress because you could imagine him running his tongue down your spine while you were wearing it"
Rachel laughed. "I need to stop telling you things don't I."
"Too late for that my friend," Jess snorted. "It's way, way too late for that! Anyhow, dress sorted, shoes?"
"Nearly sorted. I want your opinion this afternoon. I'm down to a choice between the Jimmy Choos or the Manolo Blahniks"
"Lingerie?"
"Yep, not that there's much of it. I can't wear a bra with that dress can I?"
"Mmmm, well…" Jess replied crossly. "I hate you skinny girls who've had no kids. There's no way I could walk down the aisle with no bra on. I'd be tripping over my boobs all the way."
"Oh, you are so full of shit sometimes," Rachel said laughing. "Your boobs are fantastic. You know I've always been jealous of your magnificent cleavage."
"Yeah, well. That's just thanks to the magic of the push up bra I'm afraid. Otherwise they'd be hanging in my salad."
Rachel shook her head.
"Hairpiece?" Jess asked, consulting her notebook again.
"Yep. Well hairpieces anyway. I picked those beautiful little jewels in the end. He's going to love them."
"You are so cute. 'He's going to love them'," Jess mimicked, laughing.
Rachel gave her a withering stare.
"Aaaah, young love," Jess said teasingly. "Now the appointments are made for all the makeup and hair. The girls are so looking forward to that you know. You've made them the happiest girls in the world."
Rachel smiled, "well who else could I possibly have as my bridesmaids. You three are going to be beautiful."
Jess grinned, "well I don't know about me, but they're going to look like princesses. I think Rob is going to be blown away when he sees them in those beautiful dresses with their hair done up and their makeup."
"Absolutely, he'll be going out to buy a shotgun the next day once he realises how gorgeous his daughters are I should think," Rachel said, finishing her salad and laying down her fork. She took a drink of wine. "So you three are all sorted then aren't you?"
"Yep, the only thing I need to do is pick up our dresses tomorrow and buy them some stockings. I have our shoes."
"And you're happy for you all just to have flowers in your hair?"
"Absolutely, those little roses will match the little roses on their dresses. And they'll mimic the jewels in your hair. They're going to look beautiful."
Rachel smiled.
"Ok, so I rang around this morning to make final confirmations and we have the celebrant, the cars, the music, the flowers, the photographer and video all confirmed. The men all have their own suits you said didn't you…?"
Rachel nodded,
"…and Jacob has them all organised? The only things we need to provide them are the button holes, is that right?"
"Yep, their clothes, shoes and haircuts are all arranged. He picked Sergei up from the airport yesterday and his parents are flying in from France on Thursday, and Alex, Owen and Anna and a few others are arriving on Friday. And of course tonight he and Sergei are going on their little trip to California."
"Have you worked out what that's all about yet?"
Rachel shook her head. "No, I thought he was going to see Anna to tell you the truth, but I don't know why he'd want to take Sergei with him."
"Well if it's not Anna, has it got something to do with Maggie?"
Rachel shrugged. "I wondered that, but her memorial is in Vermont where her parents are buried, so I don't understand why he wouldn't be going there."
"So what's Sergei like anyway?" Jess asked with interest. "You know I wish he was the best man. I don't know how I'm going to cope with having to be with Frank Fuller all day while the girls get to frolic with Sergei."
Rachel laughed. "Oh Frank's ok. In fact now he's my boss I have to say that he's more than ok. He's been nothing but kind to me, and he's funny, he's got a very, very dry wit. I was completely blown away when he offered me that job, but I was worried that it was going to be like working for Madeline Cox. The three days I've had with him so far have been incredible though. Just the scope of the stuff he's involved with is mind blowing. And I have to be on top of all of it."
"So do you still think Jacob arranged it?"
"Oh absolutely I do. Both of them keep denying it, but I'm not a fool." Rachel shook her head. "But do you know what? After everything I've been through in the FBI, after everything I've been through as Jake's handler; if getting married to the director's best friend can get me a fantastic job like that then I'm going to grab it with both hands."
"Good on you, Rachel. You deserve a break; you've worked hard for it. And don't forget, no matter how close he and Jacob might be, Frank would never have offered you that job if he didn't have faith in you. He's not going to take someone on in a position working right next to him if he didn't have the utmost confidence in their ability. It's too important a job."
Rachel nodded. She saw the waiter approaching them. "Hey, shall we get dessert? These healthy salads are ok, but I'd kill for something chocolatey right now"
"You bet," Jess laughed. "They do a wicked chocolate fondant pudding here."
"Ooooh the one with the gooey middle?"
She nodded. "That's the one. Can we please have two chocolate fondants and two skinny decaf lattes?" Jess asked the waiter as he came to clear their empty salad plates.
"With cream or icecream? he asked.
"Both," said Jess with a cheeky grin. "I mean we are having skinny lattes."
He smiled, shook his head.
"So anyway," she turned her attention back to Rachel, "you didn't tell me about Sergei."
"Sergei?" Rachel laughed. "Sergei is absolutely gorgeous. I'm telling you. If Frank Fuller had to hang around with Jacob and Sergei in college he must have wondered why the good looking genes passed him by."
Jess laughed. "I had him down for a short burly Russian with red cheeks from all the vodka drinking."
"Well you'd be absolutely wrong. Think of Eric."
"Who, Eric the vampire?"
She nodded. "Eric. Very tall, slim, blonde, blue eyes, good looking."
Jess laughed. "Does he have fangs?"
"I don't know, I've not seen him aroused yet!"
Jess winked. "I like how you said yet. Sounds like you have plans to get him aroused."
"Well maybe I do, maybe he could be my last fling before I settle down," Rachel said slyly.
"Hahaha, well if you get to sleep with his best friend, that must mean that Jacob gets to sleep with me as his last fling."
Rachel raised her eyebrows. "You? You'd enjoy that wouldn't you."
"Ooooh, you know I would," Jess answered mischeviously. "You know I'd show him a very good time."
"I'm sure you would, you slut!" Rachel replied, laughing.
"Ha, how come I'm a slut for showing Jacob a good time but you're not a slut for sleeping with Sergei?"
"Well obviously I can't be a slut because I'm the bride. Only the bridesmaids can be sluts. Don't you know anything about weddings?"
They both laughed.
"Obviously not! But apart from his obvious physical attributes, is he nice?"
Rachel nodded. "Really, really nice. Intelligent, like Jacob. They could be brothers really. And kind and funny."
"Is he single?"
"Apparently so. I don't really know why though. He's much too gorgeous to be single in my opinion."
"And what does he do?"
"Well he's a nuclear physicist. But Jacob says he's working for the Russian government at the moment. Basically doing the same as we've been doing. Looking into science based crimes"
Jess raised her eyebrows. "Well if Jacob doesn't turn up on Saturday you could marry Sergei the extremely good looking and intelligent vampire nuclear physicist instead."
They laughed again.
"Anyhow, back to the honeymoon. I really, really need to know where we're going Jess." Rachel said pleadingly.
Jess looked at her sceptically. "I've already said that he will kill me if I tell you."
"Jess, I need to know. Really I do. And don't forget that I'm the one with the gun. So I'm the one that could kill you not him." She stared at her friend intently.
Jess sighed. "Wellllllllll… I guess I could give you a little hint."
"I want more than a little hint."
Jess paused. Studied her thoughtfully. "Ok, listen. I'm going to tell you exactly what he told me. But you are not to breathe a single word to him. A single word. Do you promise?"
"Absolutely," Rachel shook her head. Not a single word.
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die. Never, never tell a lie."
"Ok. Well he said that he really wanted to take you to New Zealand for an extreme sports holiday, you know white water rafting and bungy jumping, that kind of thing."
Rachel raised her eyebrows.
"Come on Rachel, that's a fantastic idea. You have to give him credit for that. He knows you're an adrenaline junkie."
Rachel shrugged, "I guess so but obviously..."
"Yeah, but of course that idea wasn't going to work because of the baby. You wouldn't be allowed to do most of the sports on offer even if you wanted to, for legal reasons."
She nodded.
"And then he decided on a safari in South Africa. But once you started feeling queasy, he decided against that as well because it would involve a lot of bumping around in a jeep and he thought you probably wouldn't appreciate too much of that."
Rachel frowned. "He's absolutely right. Just the thought of it makes me want to throw up. How about you. Do you not feel nauseaus?"
"No, I never have." Jess shook her head. "Not with the girls or this baby. Just lucky I guess. So anyway, he said he went through a few other possibilities of exciting holidays but they all had some set back or other because of how you're feeling."
"Ok, so are we just staying home or something?"
"Well no, not exactly," she smiled. "Bless his heart. He said he went round and round in circles for days and days and days. And in the end he decided the best thing he could do was to give you a nice shiny new credit card and let you loose in Milan."
"Milan?"
Jess nodded, smiling. "Milan. With a credit card. So you can go shopping."
"You've got to be kidding me. That is so sexist! Why would he think…?"
"No, no, no, don't you start that sexist crap with me Rachel Young." Jess pointed her finger at her crossly. "Don't you get on your high horse and shoot down the most fantastic honeymoon I've ever heard of. Two weeks. Shopping. In Milan."
Rachel thought about it for a while. "They have quite good shopping in Milan don't they?"
"Quite good shopping? Are you kidding me? Milan is supposed to be the fashion capital of the world. Clothes, bags, shoes. Shoes Rachel. And money to buy them with."
"Wellllll, I guess…." She shrugged. "Maybe that's not such a bad way to go."
"Not a bad way to go? Shopping all day, beautiful Italian food and wine, and Dr Sexy all night. Fuck Rachel…" Jess shook her head, "…it sounds like the best way to spend two weeks that I have ever heard of."
Rachel's mind was racing now, exploring the possibilities. "Mmmm, maybe you're right. I guess I could put up with it. I don't really get it though. He hates shopping. Why would he choose to take me there on a shopping holiday?"
Jess leaned over the table and held Rachel's face between her hands. "Listen to me you silly, silly girl. He's picked this holiday because he loves you. He's picked a holiday for you Rachel. He loves you and he wants you to be happy."
Jess kissed her on the cheek. "Now don't you stuff this up with your stubborn attitude. You have a beautiful man who loves you and it's time you started appreciating him."
Rachel nodded, sheepishly.
Their desserts arrived, and as they both took a luxurious mouthful of the warm gooey chocolate cake, Rachel smiled.
"Do you know what Jess?" she said licking her spoon. "The more I think about it, the more I think two weeks shopping in Milan might just make me very happy indeed."
Jess smiled. "Hallellujah," she laughed.