Jo, Pj, Ben and Jonesy watched Tess' retreating back with a mixture of
curiosity and concern before they spotted the person who had just entered
The Imperial. Now it made sense. Jonesy rose from his seat and Ben and Pj
followed, leaving Jo alone at the table.
"What do you think your doing here?" Jonesy demanded.
"I'm sorry but I believe this is a pub," Josh replied cooly. "But if I'm mistaken..."
"Shove your smart arse comments, you know what I meant," Jonesy replied.
"I doubt it is any of your business, Probationary Constable," Josh snapped, deliberately shoving Jonesy in the shoulder when turning back to the bar.
"Can't you see you're not wanted?" Jonesy snarled.
"Oh, I can see perfectly well, but I don't see what you can do about it," Josh smiled.
"Well I'm a." Jonesy began only to be cut off.
"Oh yes, you are a Probationary Constable, playing around with the big guns. Why don't you run after your little girlfriend? Don't throw a tantrum just because I got her first," Josh taunted. Jonesy stood still for a full sixty seconds, trying to control his anger. Pj and Ben worried he would hit Josh but they were most surprised when he looked Josh in the eye, cooly turned on his heal and strolled out of the room.
*********************************************************************
Once he got out of the lobby Jonesy's face fell, his anger showing. The anger soon turned to concern as he spotted Tess' small figure crouched the stairs, he ran to her.
"Tess?" he asked.
"Why did he have to come here?" came the muffled reply. "Can't he leave me alone?"
"Because he's a bastard, that's why," Jonesy muttered.
"He is the father of my child," Tess murmured.
"I know and it sickens me," Jonesy said angrily. "He isn't much of a father." Tess looked up and placed her hand on his knee.
"You have so much anger," she said simply. "I wish I could make it go away."
"You can," Jonesy said, kissing her gently.
"Let's go up to your room," Tess suggested. "We can talk there."
*********************************************************************
Jonesy turned his key in the lock and held the door open, allowing Tess to enter. Once inside she sat down on his bed and looked around.
"I always dreamed of bringing you up here," Jonesy said from the corner.
"Really?" Tess asked.
"Yes, ever since I met you. No one has ever been in here. I was saving it for someone special," Jonesy said. Tess smiled encouragingly so he continued. "That's why I was glad the Boss stopped us in the locker room."
"You were?" Tess asked, surprised.
"Well not at the time. But later, when I thought about it I was," he said. "Before you married Josh."
"That was a mistake, I never even told you why. I don't know myself," Tess said. "I guess I was just scared. But I ended up hurting both of us more."
"Well, you know I've forgiven you," Jonesy said. "I'm just glad you are still in my life."
"Thank you," Tess whispered. "I'm glad too."
For several minutes neither of them spoke. They both sat in silence, just appreciating the other's presence. Tess looked up into Jonesy's eyes before putting her hand on his cheek. She leaned forward and kissed him. Both of them moved automatically as if it were a dream, something they had fantasised about since the day they met. They touched and kissed for what seemed like hours before Tess lay down on the bed, pulling Evan down with her as they continued kissing. Suddenly Evan pulled away.
"What.what is it?" Tess asked, uncertainly.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "This is wrong. I can't do it."
*********************************************************************
WHAT IS WRONG WITH JONESY?
"What do you think your doing here?" Jonesy demanded.
"I'm sorry but I believe this is a pub," Josh replied cooly. "But if I'm mistaken..."
"Shove your smart arse comments, you know what I meant," Jonesy replied.
"I doubt it is any of your business, Probationary Constable," Josh snapped, deliberately shoving Jonesy in the shoulder when turning back to the bar.
"Can't you see you're not wanted?" Jonesy snarled.
"Oh, I can see perfectly well, but I don't see what you can do about it," Josh smiled.
"Well I'm a." Jonesy began only to be cut off.
"Oh yes, you are a Probationary Constable, playing around with the big guns. Why don't you run after your little girlfriend? Don't throw a tantrum just because I got her first," Josh taunted. Jonesy stood still for a full sixty seconds, trying to control his anger. Pj and Ben worried he would hit Josh but they were most surprised when he looked Josh in the eye, cooly turned on his heal and strolled out of the room.
*********************************************************************
Once he got out of the lobby Jonesy's face fell, his anger showing. The anger soon turned to concern as he spotted Tess' small figure crouched the stairs, he ran to her.
"Tess?" he asked.
"Why did he have to come here?" came the muffled reply. "Can't he leave me alone?"
"Because he's a bastard, that's why," Jonesy muttered.
"He is the father of my child," Tess murmured.
"I know and it sickens me," Jonesy said angrily. "He isn't much of a father." Tess looked up and placed her hand on his knee.
"You have so much anger," she said simply. "I wish I could make it go away."
"You can," Jonesy said, kissing her gently.
"Let's go up to your room," Tess suggested. "We can talk there."
*********************************************************************
Jonesy turned his key in the lock and held the door open, allowing Tess to enter. Once inside she sat down on his bed and looked around.
"I always dreamed of bringing you up here," Jonesy said from the corner.
"Really?" Tess asked.
"Yes, ever since I met you. No one has ever been in here. I was saving it for someone special," Jonesy said. Tess smiled encouragingly so he continued. "That's why I was glad the Boss stopped us in the locker room."
"You were?" Tess asked, surprised.
"Well not at the time. But later, when I thought about it I was," he said. "Before you married Josh."
"That was a mistake, I never even told you why. I don't know myself," Tess said. "I guess I was just scared. But I ended up hurting both of us more."
"Well, you know I've forgiven you," Jonesy said. "I'm just glad you are still in my life."
"Thank you," Tess whispered. "I'm glad too."
For several minutes neither of them spoke. They both sat in silence, just appreciating the other's presence. Tess looked up into Jonesy's eyes before putting her hand on his cheek. She leaned forward and kissed him. Both of them moved automatically as if it were a dream, something they had fantasised about since the day they met. They touched and kissed for what seemed like hours before Tess lay down on the bed, pulling Evan down with her as they continued kissing. Suddenly Evan pulled away.
"What.what is it?" Tess asked, uncertainly.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "This is wrong. I can't do it."
*********************************************************************
WHAT IS WRONG WITH JONESY?