Part X: What Takes Me Back to You
She paced around the apartment in a desperate move to come up with good enough reason to see her. Enough reason to talk to her, to reach her, to apologize to her. Seeing Sarah Grasser burned a different fit in her stomach. It was making it twist and turn in some sort of way that she could hardly digest. She was jealous.
And Jessie knew it wasn't doing her any good.
She watched as Katie's hands gently caressed Sarah's bare back. She cringed and tried to move. She wanted to scream. Jessie wanted to tear them apart. Katie was hers and hers alone. But she stopped.
She saw how lovingly Katie smiled at Sarah and kissed the other woman's lips with a certain gentleness seen before. It was that contented smile Katie wore as she slept holding Jessie in her arms.
Jessie could only cry.
It hurt to see Katie happy with another.
The thought of Sarah Grasser and Katie Singer hitting it off in London was making her sick. What's worse is the same woman she was starting to despise is also the person she had to deal with everyday. There are times she would want to just disappear from the hospital. But it was her job. It was her calling.
And no matter how it hard it was.
Jessie would always do the right thing.
"You can't come here for the remainder of the year. I'll just visit you in your apartment." Grace spoke up appearing from her bedroom.
Jessie had dinner with her stepsister since it was Grace's birthday. Grace had a meeting afterwards. Jessie tagged along because she was dropping her off in the office.
"Why? New ground rules?"
"Yeah… Sort of..."
Jessie frowned but didn't want to ask anymore. Grace's landlord can be a little picky. She sat on the couch and let out a sigh.
"Work ok?"
"Yeah…" Jessie replied shifting her feet on the carpeted floor.
"I uh… I met Sarah. Her mother is one of my patients." The blonde added with a sad look on her face.
Her thoughts were plagued by the thoughts of Katie and Sarah.
"Sarah Grasser?" Grace looked at her stepsister skeptically.
Those two can't coexist even if you put divine intervention in between.
Grace sat beside Jessie who was now sipping her cup of coffee.
"Well how was it?"
"Meeting her? Peachy…" Jessie replied with a sigh.
Grace looked at the time and thought of asking Jessie to go to the meeting with her. But she remembered what Katie requested. No Jessica Sammler should come her way while she was doing the project.
"I should go." Grace heard Jessie say.
The blonde stood up and gathered her things. She was already facing the door when she turned to ask something.
"How is she?" She asked in a very sad tone.
She of course, in Jessie and Grace's vocabulary, was automatically Katie Singer. Not unless a name was mentioned prior to said question or conversation.
"She's fine Jess. She's moved on."
"I see…" Jessie replied with a faint smile.
She was happy to know Katie was alright. Even though she was keeping things blank in her life, knowing the person she hurt was happy, was enough. For now...
"Night Grace." Jessie finally said before walking out the door.
As she closed the door behind her, Jessie turned her head to the stairs and so a glimpse of Katie Singer.
Jessie closed her eyes and shook her head. When she reopened them, there was no one by the stairs anymore. She concluded.
She was just dreaming.
----
Katie Singer arrived in the airport wearing nothing less than the best Armani Suit her money could buy. She stood in the arrivals area, waiting for Grace Manning to arrive. She stared at the people coming and going in the airport area.
She saw blondes, brunettes, redheads and old folks with white hair. Some of the blonde's, redheads, and brunettes seem to fancy her, sending her their flirtatious smiles as they walk pass her.
Katie, with absolute appreciation, returned the smiles and earned a few numbers as well. She looked at the clock. And she knew Grace Manning was going to be late.
She took it upon herself to go to the apartment building Grace had rented for her.
Katie then took a cab and silently traveled towards the apartment. After a few minutes, Katie passed by a similarly old place she used to know. Well, she still knows.
It streets were still as lively as night. Cars park properly. Kids already in their homes... She then saw a house. That particular old house she used to live it.
"Driver, we're making a stop. Pull over at the side please. It'll just take me a few minutes." Katie said in a very demanding tone.
The driver could only nod fearful of what his passenger might do if he refused.
Leaving everything behind, except her purse, Katie got out of the cab and walked towards the abandoned house she lived in not so long ago.
She closed her eyes and tried hard to tune out the memories. By they kept on flooding in, hurting her with the lies that seem to still hunt her in her dreams.
"I love you…" Jessie whispered as she sleepily caressed Katie's cheek.
They have been making love through the night. Searching, finding, knowing each other in a way only lovers do.
"I love you too…" Katie bent down and kissed the blonde gently on the lips.
"I love you…" Jessie closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Katie laid on her side, resting on her elbow so she could see Jessie's nude yet sleeping figure. She smiled and gave the blonde a kiss on the forehead.
But tomorrow never came for their relationship. Jessica Sammler didn't even have the nerve to call her back. Katie felt she was a mistake. She felt she was that lapse in judgment one person gets every once and a while. She was just Jessica Sammler's one night stand.
Katie turned around, not daring to look at the house next door.
"Let's go driver." She coldly commanded as she got inside the cab once more.
The cab driver saw her wipe the tears. He thought to himself that he should give his passenger some patience. It seemed she was going through something really hard.
The ride was silent once more. Katie glanced at old places she used to visit, walk by to, and just simply hang-out. Two years seemed to be longer if you compare the city two years ago.
Katie thought.
How come her heart couldn't be like the city?
How come the memories still hurt?
Her reverie was halted by the cab stopping. She looked around and saw that they have reached Grace Manning's apartment complex.
The driver took Katie's bags out of the trunk and placed them by the doorstep. Katie slowly walked towards him and handed him her payment.
"Here. Keep the change."
"Thanks."
The cab driver was about to leave when Katie stopped him.
"Do you want to earn extra bucks?" Katie asked taking hold of her bags.
"It never hurt to ma'am."
"Pick me up at seven tomorrow. I need someone to chauffer me around. I'll make it worth your while." Katie offered still in a cold tone.
But the driver knew this particular passenger was dealing with something, possibly personal.
"I will. Thank you. Good night." He smiled leaving Katie by the front door.
Grinning, Katie saw the receptionist and went straight towards her.
"Hi. I think I was reserved a room in your apartment complex." Katie flashed that flirtatious grin many found hard to not notice.
"Oh… Uh… It's under what name?"
"Billie Holiday."
Nervously the receptionist went through the logbooks and the keys. Katie didn't take her eyes off the receptionist. The woman was simple, but very beautiful.
"Here you go Miss… Tenth floor… Second to the right..."
Katie tilted her head and read the receptionist's name plate.
"Thanks… Tiffany." Katie took the receptionist's hand and gave it a light kiss.
The receptionist could only blush and stare at Katie.
"Hope to see more of you." With a grin, Katie turned around and motioned the bellhop to pick up her things.
Once facing the elevator, Katie stepped back and gave the keys to the bellhop.
"Bring those to my room. Here's the key." Katie handed the key to the bellhop who looked at her confused.
"I'll take the stairs. Need exercise." Katie replied skipping as she went to the stairs.
By the fifth floor, Katie was breathing a little heavy. She stopped for a while and looked around. The apartment complex was posh, clean and definitely suitable to her taste.
"What floor was it again? Oh yeah, tenth..." Katie mumbled to herself as she heard a door open.
Katie didn't look. She was just interested in going up to her floor and getting a good night's sleep in her new apartment.
She was planning to make Grace Manning worry.
So calling Grace was best fit for the next day.
Grace Manning did make her wait.