Okay people, I decided I'm posting on Mondays. Wednesday didn't catch up, it seems. So, since I find Mondays tough and boring, I thought "what to do to make Mondays less miserable? How about reading a good story?" So there you go ;) Chap 3 and 4 up today. Please, please review! Remember the "I'm vulnerable and unstable, border-line suicidal" stuff? Well , don't you make me... XP
Okay, that was blackmail, but still...

P.S. Thanks to those who reviewed, keep going, I love you!


Chapter 3

When Jack was finally back, she had already searched the whole apartment. She got terribly frustrated when she couldn't find the key that opened that drawer. She checked every single corner and spot. She began in the room she was staying at. She could find in there all sorts of objects Claire had left behind, clothes, hairbrushes, mascara, even Aaron's baby toys. She went to the TV room. She also tried the laundry room, the kitchen. Nothing.

Then she ventured in his room. She didn't know why, but the first place she visited was his bathroom. She sneaked in his cabinets. She smiled when she found out he styled his hair with gel, which by the way was about to run out. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw a hairdryer. It sure was Claire's, or wasn't it? She ran her fingers through the electric shaver resting near the sink.

She left the bathroom and walked straight to his closet. She traveled each one of his suits with her hands. She looked carefully at his shirts and T-shirts, trying to figure out which was his favorite color. She searched in his drawers. She blushed when she went through his underwear. She almost memorized each one if his expensive ties and had trouble to not sorting his socks.

She smiled wryly to herself. She found it ironic because in the past, when she was living with him in Iowa, she never played the housewife. She didn't even try to pretend she was one, like that time when she was married to Kevin. I just wasn't in her, she used to think. But at that moment, standing in front of Jack's closet, seeking into his clothes, she was picturing herself being nothing else but his wife, sorting his socks, doing his laundry, taking his suits to the dry clean, mothering his children. — Whoa! —she said out loud before that thought. Why was that? Because I love him was the best explanation she could find.

Once she searched the entire closet, she remembered the locked drawer. Without finding any key, she felt irritated. She went back to the studio and sat on the armchair in front of the drawer. She had forced million locks before, that one was piece of cake. She looked around to find something to pick the lock. She found some clips on the desk. She took a couple and began reshaping them. She was 2 seconds away from picking the lock when she reconsidered. What the hell am I doing? She couldn't. She had no right to violate his privacy like that.

What really stopped her from opening it was the idea of him finding out and getting mad at her. She couldn't afford to piss him off. She sighed, defeated. Maybe there was nothing there after all. Maybe he didn't even know that the drawer was locked. Whatever, they'd get to that at some point. Definitely…

She walked to the TV room and turned it on, lying on the couch. Then she waited for what seemed forever. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she didn't hear the noise of his keys opening the door, a little before 5:00 pm. When he got in, he could vaguely hear the sound of the TV down the hallway.

He found her zapping the remote, almost motionless. — Hey…

— Hey… —she replied, weariness in her voice.

He noticed and went to the couch to sit by her side. — You're okay?

— Uh, yeah, just a little bored… —she replied, finally meeting his eyes. — How was it, the movie?

— It was cute…

— Cute? —she asked raising an eyebrow, kind of mocking him.

He cast a smile. — Well yeah, what do you want me to say? It was a cartoon…

— I like cartoons…

— Me too… So, how was your day?

She looked away. — Um, good.

— You went out?

— No, I just checked the classifieds, made some calls…

— Any luck?

She felt nervous. — Uh, I don't know, um… I just got an appointment on Monday… —she lied.

— It's hell to find a good place in this city. Don't you worry, it might take some time…

She felt immediately relieved. That meant he didn't matter if she took time to find the right place. She smirked. — I don't want to overstay my welcome…

— You won't —he affirmed honestly, giving her an assuring smile.

She looked in his eyes intently and smiled. Her eyes went longing and he couldn't endure her sight anymore. — Did you eat?

Actually, she hadn't. She had been too busy snooping around his apartment, but specially thinking. She didn't even feel hungry during the day. — Uh, no…

— Why's that? —he asked as he stood up and began leaving the room, like inviting her to walk with him. She followed him.

— Well, um, I lost track of time, I guess… And you? —she asked back, two paces behind him.

— I had a Happy Meal, yet I don't know if you can call that "eat". —he replied, amused.

She chuckled, whilst he walked straight to the fridge and looked in. He shook his head. — I can't blame you for not eating, there's nothing in here… —he stated— we can order Chinese… —he told her, a suggesting look in his eyes, expectant at the same time.

She nodded. — Sounds good to me…

He grabbed the phone on the kitchen counter and when he was about to dial, his cell phone rang. He rushed to the sideboard he kept by the front door of the apartment, where he usually left his wallet, keys and stuff. He took the cell phone and picked up immediately, without screening. It seemed he was waiting for that call. — Hello?

She watched his face illuminate as he spoke. — Hey! How you're doing? Awesome… Me? I'm about to order Chinese…

He felt Kate's scrutinizing look. He motioned to her to give him a minute and went out to the terrace, closing the glass door behind him. Her smile faded away and her face went blank when she saw how amused he was with that call. Who the hell was he talking to? Sure he was in a great mood ever since he came back from the movies, but now he was thrilled, laughing at the phone and smiling widely. He was definitely enjoying the conversation, a lot. She realized she had never seen him laughing before.

She couldn't stop staring at him and he noticed. He glanced and saw her inside, a questioning look on her face. He felt observed and looked away, then turned around furtively, so she could only see his back.

She felt her blood boil. Who was making him have such a great time? She tried not to panic. Maybe it was Claire. No, Claire was out of town, he'd just told her. Maybe his mom. No way, she thought, his mom wouldn't make his eyes glint like that. She feared the worst. It had to be a woman.

She felt mad and jealous. Hang up, damn it! But he kept talking for other five minutes. Of course she wasn't that naïve to believe he didn't have any woman hitting on him, but this mysterious caller seemed special. Was it a girlfriend? God, no! No, she told herself, he wouldn't have invited her to his place if he were with someone, she knew Jack well. Yet she felt threatened. The glint in his eyes, his wide smile and the fact he was waiting for that call made evident he was interested in the person on the other side of the line.

She tried to keep it cool. She turned around and went to the kitchen counter, all self-composed, like she owned the place or, better yet, Jack himself. She didn't even know what she was about to do, but when she was trying to figure it out, Jack finally left the terrace and went back in. He had such a silly smile on his face it was almost annoying and ridiculous.

— So, what about we go out instead of having takeouts? —he suggested, content.

That got her by surprise. Maybe she was imagining things after all. Maybe it was just good news. Otherwise, he wouldn't be asking her out, sort of, right? — Sure! —she replied, abashed.

He took his wallet, car keys and cell phone. She just followed him to the door. As they were waiting for the elevator to arrive, Kate was having a rough time trying not to ask him who had called. He was cheery and nonchalant, in spite of the silence between them.

As he drove to the Chinese restaurant, he was small talking. He told her how Aaron had been doing during all those years. He seemed to be proud of his nephew, since he described him as a brilliant and beautiful kid. Once at the restaurant, he kept talking about irrelevant stuff. He told her about his job, how he had arrived in that hospital, and later on he mentioned he had just started playing golf again after a long time.

Kate was listening carefully with amusement and interest. She was trying to picture every single thing he said. She felt nostalgic. She would've loved to be there to see it. By the time they finished their meal she was totally relaxed and had forgotten everything about the call.

They left the restaurant and he suggested they went to the supermarket to get some groceries. He told her to pick anything she liked or needed. Both started putting things in the cart. At some point, he went ahead to pick a box of cookies Aaron liked. She stood behind and ran into the hair products. She remembered Jack's gel was about to run out.

She was seeking for the brand he used when an attendant came to her. — We've got a whole new line of styling products on discount, would you like to check it out?

— Oh, no, it's not for me, but thanks anyway…—she replied with a smile, glancing at Jack, who was now in the corridor in front of her.

— For your husband? —the attendant asked, following Kate's sight and running into Jack.

Kate looked back at the attendant and replied with a proud smile. — Yes, it's for him.

— You make a beautiful couple.

— Yeah, we get that a lot. Thanks.

— Sure…

She walked to Jack and put the gel in the cart. — I use that gel too… —he said, somehow surprised.

She swallowed. She didn't want him to notice she had been sneaking in his bathroom. — Really? —he nodded— we can share it then… —she stated with a smile.

Back in the apartment, they spent the rest of the evening in the TV room. He was reading the paper whilst she watched a movie she caught. She watched the scene around her and thought it was perfect. Everything was going as planned.