Chapter Four
As Jonny walked back to his office he rubbed his stomach. It was the oddest sensation. Seeing Baby… Francis... like that was a shock to his system. He felt like the wind was knocked out of him like he had been punched in the gut, but the pain was somewhere else.
Francis looked good. She looked the same, but her features held a maturity now that was so attractive. She was curvier too like she had filled out in all the right places. The shock hadn't prevented him from checking her out, and it hadn't prevented the instant pull of attraction he had felt before, and the gaping hole that tore through him when she walked out.
He had been with other women, many of them prettier than her. He didn't base his relationships on looks, but there had to be an attraction. Some of those women had been memorable, but none like Francis. None of those women made him feel whole like she did, none spoke to his soul. Francis had unlocked something in him.
Yes, she looked good, but there was a sadness about her. The vibrancy she used to have was gone, replaced by a certain wariness. She had painted a beautiful picture of her life, but everything she said seemed tempered with disappointment. Unless he was just hearing what he wanted to hear, that her life would be better without him.
No, nothing really had changed. Baby was still out of his league. No matter how well his business grew, he was still just a house painter and she was going to change the world, in-between visits to her parents' house in the Hamptons. Better to just let it go. As his mama would say, he made his bed, he had to lie in it.
Three days later Jonny still had Francis on his mind. When he woke in the night reaching across his empty bed, he didn't need anyone to tell him who he was reaching for.
Finally, after a sleepless night, Jonny started asking his men about her. He kept it casual, but the men noticed. Jonny had never taken a personal interest in a client, but their loyalty to him ran deep, so no one questioned his motives. They told him about how kind she had been to them, how she asked about their families in a way that let them know she was really listening to their responses and cared about their lives. They could tell she came from money, they had worked in enough homes to recognize her cultured speech and manners, but she didn't see through them as so many others did. And she left them treats. In the morning there would often be a plate of something for them on their coffee break. She seemed lonely though. When they left at the end of the day, it felt a little like she would miss their company. Her house was beautiful, but it felt a little empty.
To lighten the mood, Jonny harassed his men about eating treats and flirting with the customers on the company dime. Maybe he was going to have to do a few more site visits if they were all just lazing about, he teased, desperately trying to play it cool as a feeling started to spread.
Was it really too late?